Fellow AD31 Volvo Penta owners

[Phrancus]

Our 26/28 is equipped with the Volvo Penta AD31b engines (130Hp diesel) with DP290 sterndrives and I've been working on them for a while now. Gathered some information and experience but never asked here if there are other owners of this (or similar, period 1988-1994 or so) VP diesels?

I've seen some modifications on the internet where the metal-Oring-clamp style cooling pipes were replaced with hoses (bigger and better to maintain) and some variations to our engine blocks.

Ours have been modified here and there, some things added on to them, sometime it's been touched up. So hard to see what is original and what is not, For example all stickers are gone. Not a very big deal but if I do a repaint then I'd like to have that detail done as well. Adding a decal that states some details (fluids, amounts, type, serial) in a visible place (I think every builder should do this as manuals tend to get lost and a lot of time is wasted figuring out what the engine needs) with some space for dates of larger maintenance jobs (like the timing belt sticker in your car) as the logbooks also tend to sink somwhere in between ownership changes.

My engines are from 1992, I thought the boat was refitted with the diesels after she crossed the Atlantic but not necessarily so. The hoses/cable mess was introduced later when a battery watch was added and bow/stern props I think. Sloppy job lay-out wise with strange cable routing and overlength stuck behind things.

After the refit-the-12V-wiring that is on the roll to do next, I'm researching how I'm going to get the engine room clean, cleared of unneeded clutter, and perhaps painted fresh. And then do the engines as well of course. A project in itself but one can't be done without the other.

Not that this is going to happen any time very soon but I like the thought of being prepared and collecting information along the way.

Also, I'm still working on a way to share the Carver documentation somehow and would like to add a section for the stuff that was bolted on and in our boats. For owners to upload when available and to download when needed.

So if you have a 4 our 6 cylinder VP diesel of that period, please let me know and perhaps we can start a topic for sharing information and experiences.

[virgilio]

Hello Good day :

I am a new member. I own a 2002 CARVER 444 CPMY with twin 2002 Volvo Penta TAMD63 5.4L 370HP inline 6-cylinder turbocharged inboard diesel engines.
my stbd engine froze, am told the block is likely cracked, i dont know that for a fact but it is likely it is so. so firstly i need to replace the block ( SO FAR UNABLE TO LOCATE ONE ). Secondly , i would like to replace the whole engine , bc they do not make these anymore (SO FAR SAME LUCK CANT LOCATE 0NE). Thirdly , i will need to repower the boat. bc they do not make these engines anymore , we have found this to be EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.

ANY GOO IDEAS ?

[km1125]

Wow! So sorry to hear that!! I see your location is listed as "miami", so I'm curious what the situation was where it froze? Did you bring it down from up north somewhere?

I'm wondering if the block for those engines might be the same as a similar Volvo industrial engine, perhaps for standby generators or something like that, rather than just searching for a marine version?

[Viper]

I think by froze he might mean it seized. In any case, you should start a new thread for this.