Volvo Boat engine

What difference is there between a Volvo car/truck engine and the Volvo Penta Boat engine?

Can I stick a car engine in a boat as long as it's marinised

Charlotte

[740Estate]

Yup.

Although 'Marinised' would not only mean waterproofing it.
I'd imagine You'd have to baffle the oil sump, etc or maybe go dry sump.

[Engineer]

Originally Posted by charlotte001

What difference is there between a Volvo car/truck engine and the Volvo Penta Boat engine?

Can I stick a car engine in a boat as long as it's marinised

Charlotte

Hi C I guess it depends on what engine your talking about but I have fitted a 360GLT B200 in replacement for a (B21) Penta unit in a 40 foot cruiser no difference in the engine or fitment only the ancillaries hope this helps.

[Pedro Fandango]

when i worked on the canals building boats we used standard Ford Fiesta diesel engines straight from the crate, the only mods we done was change the pipework so it sucked the water straight from the canal instead of having a radiator.

We didn't waterproof any of the components. I've had several jetski's & done some REALLY stupid stuff with speed boats as well & never managed to get the water level in the engine compartment even to the top of the sump so all the engine should be well clear of any water that may get into there

[Mudhook]

Some interesting stuff here.

To answer the original poster's question, many of the current generation of Volvo boat diesels (eg 2001, 2002 and 2003 - not years but model numbers) are actually Perkins-designed units.

Marinisation is, as has been mentionioned, to do with cooling water supply, the fitment of heat exchangers, sacrificial anodes inside the cooling system, etc. Also the exhaust is frequently cooled and silenced by the injection of cooling water, necessitating an injection elbow to introduce the water to the exhaust flow, dowstream (and downhill) from the manifold. Exhaust systems are usually a bit complicated with at least two water traps to stop waves coming back up the exhaust pipe. Cooling water pumps are usually rubber impeller types that need regular servicing to stay reliable. Most boat diesels I have encountered are wet sump designs. Gearboxes are another subject, as is the black art of propeller sizing.

Way back in the mist of time, fishing boat and canal barge skippers would swear by the reliability of Swedish-built Bolinder engines. These were bizarre "hot-bulb" types that were often nearly impossible to start. However once they ran, they ran forever and a day. The same engines featured in tractors of the period (pre and post WW2). Bolinder eventually became earth-mover manufacturer AB Bolinder-Munktell, still building these heavy-duty but simple engines. Volvo bought out Bolinder-Munktell (in the 1950s), which is why Volvo earth-moving equipment is to this day called Volvo-BM. In the 1960s and 1970s Volvo began building a line of small, heavily-constructed and very reliable diesels for small boat use, which carried the mantle of the early Bolinders to such a degree that they were widely known as "Baby Bolinders". Some of these motors are still running despite continuous use for over 30 years, including my own 1972 MD7A model. Spares are still widely available.

Sadly, the current generation of Volvo boat engines doesn't enjoy quite the reputation of the Bolinders and Baby Bolinders, but they are still very fine products. They don't seem to bear much resemblance to any Volvo car engine I've seen.

Regards, Mudhook

[Engineer]

Good info on the history I can confirm your story relating to poor starting the original carb on this boat was out of the arc to say the least “pump choke” lol. We replaced it with a twin choke 360 unit which cured this problem, the reason for the failure of the original B21 engine was the engine water pump impeller had collapsed, new price for a replacement from Penta £300 plus same pump as a car unit except for the inlet or outlet port (can’t remember which) we modified a Volvo car unit and fitted that for around £58.

[Mudhook]

Yes, I forgot to say that Volvo Penta boat diesel spares are among the most expensive on the planet. Many folk won't use 'em for that reason alone. Others source pattern parts, and we've all been down that road. However it has to be said that the Volvo Penta parts system is first class - e.g. a set of piston rings for my 1970s engine flown in from Sweden overnight for 24H collection. You pays your money...

Regards, Mudhook