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Ericson 36C and Volvo Penta diesels

Ian Hay

Member I
I have an Ericson 36C that I am having a great time cruising with but I am having some major engine issues. Presently I have a Volvo Penta 2003 series diesel engine from 1986 and I think I made need to replace her as I think I may have to stop throwing good money after bad.
My question: What other engines might fit in approximately the same footprint as the Volvo - anyone have any experiences with this?
Thanks alot, Ian
 

The Newmans

Member I
putting in more horse power to an Ericson 36C

Has anyone put in more HP? If so,which engine, did you have to modify mounting blocks at all? Did it increase cruising speed and if so how much? How about noise? I guess I am surprised to see only 20HP in a boat this heavy, given that a Fantasia 35 could have a 52 HP..so would love to hear all.
 

NateHanson

Sustaining Member
More horsepower will help if, for instance, you can go hull speed on flat water but only 5 knots into a steep head sea (and who doesn't take a hit in those conditions?).

You'll compromise some range with a larger engine, but otherwise, it's always nice to have a little more cushion of power when trying to get out of a sticky situation.
 

wurzner

Member III
The M25xpb from an economics perspective would be a good choice, albeith a little on the small side. I'm currently repowering, but the old engine was a 32 hp on my 38. I'm not sure what you boat weighs in at, but the 32 hp was ok for my 38. As a reference point, but 32-2 motors at just under 7 knots and that was with a small two bladed atomic 4. At the rpms I was do that at, it was only putting out about 14 HP and that was sufficient to move the boat above hull speed. As noted above, I did take a big knock in any kind of weather, but I think that is more a function of have a 2 bladed prop opposed to a 3 bladed prop. Regardless of what you do, you will likely shave a few hundred pounds off the boat. I'm not familiar with the Volvo you have, but I do know that they ALL weigh a ton and parts are...$$$$$.

You have a really nice boat so just make sure you do the right thing. Also, the Beta engines are really nice, but no longer the deal that they were. They use to be 10~15 percent less than a Universal, but the change in our currency has made them about 10~15 percent more. I just purchased an M35 for 8500. I like the idea of a 4 cylinder opposed to a 3 since in theory, they should be a little smoother. Also, I liked the idea of have a to RPM of 3k opposed to 3600 for the Yanmars. The thought of running at a lower RMP hopefully translates to less noise.

Shaun
Ericson 38-200
S/V Sorcerer
Everett, WA
 

Ian Hay

Member I
Thanks

Thanks to all for the info. I have been able to fix the major problem that I had so I still have my same 28hp Volvo. She has been treating me well these past few months.
 

Kenn Porter

Junior Member
Engine switching !!!!

I have an Ericson 36 and just re - engined with the Volvo D-1 30 , little bit tricky changing the motor mounts but other than that it went smoothly , the D-1 30 has a 120 alternator as standard !! Good luck !!!
 

Dave Hussey

Member III
With regard to Volvo diesel missbehaviour, my elderly MD6B (10 hp at 2600 rpm) is acting like it is possessed. The last several trips under power had the engine unable to idle, will run at about 1200 rpm (sortof), unresponsive to the throttle, (only 1/4 of the throttle lever movement has any effect on the rpm). We bled the lines at the injectors, with no effect. there is a lot of smoke (black) and the discharge water is full of soot, and black, greasy looking. What should be the heirarchy of the diagostics...injectors...injector pump/throttle .....bad fuel....excorsism....??? any help is greatly appreciated. The condition is consistent, but occured suddenly. I can not think of any event that could have contributed to this behaviour. It is puzzling. Thanks for any reply.
Dave:esad:
 

Dave Hussey

Member III
Well, since there has been no reply, I guess everyone is out sailing. If anyone still reads this forum, here's what I've done so far: I removed the injectors (there are two) and had them "pop tested" which refers to the pressure of the fuel which causes the injector to pop open and spray the fuel into the cylinder, or the intake tract...both of mine indicated 2400 PSI and the VOLVO spec calls for 2500...close enough I figure since they both popped at the same pressure...consistancy is a good thing. Next, I bought a rebuild kit for the fuel lift pump...going for the easy parts first...I will report after I finish installing and testing the engine again next weekend. If these two maintenance procedures are inafective in de-gremlanizing my volvo, then I guess the next step is to use this engine as a mooring anchor, and putting something else in its place...DO YOU HEAR THAT VOLVO MD6B....YOU WILL BE RELIGATED TO ANCHOR DUTY IF YOU DONT SQUARE AWAY!!!!! (sometimes it takes tough love to get machines to loose their attitude):egrin:
 

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
A diesel is very robust by design. They need little to keep them running well. If the injectors are good, the fuel is clean, there are no restrictions in the fuel system, the intake is not restricted, the exhaust is not restricted, valves adjusted, timing is correct the only thing left is the injection pump. The sudden onset of the symptoms lead me to believe that the problem is external. Diesels either run, or they don't. There is little in between from an internal mechanical standpoint.

Try:
Running engine off a small fuel tank connected directly to the injection pump and through a known good filter. Gravity feed is best to rule out lift pump issues. If the symptoms still exist then likely thee fuel system is not the problem. Start looking at the exhaust system for restrictions, collapsed hose, etc. Pay special attention to the intake. Make sure there are no restrictions, clogged air filter, etc. Then start checking the timing, valve clearance, etc. Cover ALL the basics to rule them out.

RT
 

Dave Hussey

Member III
Thanks for the input!. It seems that the lift pump may have been the culprit, because the engine seems to run better now...but I havent taken her off the dock yet to put this to the test. I plan to install a RACOR 2 micron fuel filter before the lift pump to ensure the fuel is crystal clear, before I do any sea trials and stir up the bottom of the tank. We shall see :egrin:
 

lindaloo

Member II
Plugged exhaust

Dave, this is kind of late for this thread but I've been away for a while. Is the problem cured ?
Sounds like a problem I experienced recently with a yacht charter
(Hunter, 2cyl Yanmar). They gave me a replacement yacht and at the end
of the week told me the mechanic found the exhaust riser/elbow was
blocked with carbon down to a dime diameter. It was spitting oily
carbon in the exhaust water, but intermittently, like it was trying to
clear it's throat. And black smoke. The throttle had a mind of its own.
Sound familiar? The exhaust manifold was so hot it was scorching the
adjacent plywood in the engine compartment.
It is something that is fairly easy to check, depending on engine
compartment access. At no cost too. The exhaust could be blocked
further downstream, hose liners have collapsed inward. I'm sure I read
that in some thread on this site. It would have to be old though. Other
than that, systematically go through the list in Rob's post.
Keep us appraised.

Rob Lesnie
E34 Alia
 
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