Saskboatguy
Cadet
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2017
- Messages
- 19
Hey everyone, as per subject line I'm getting this "ticking" noise from my 4.3 Volvo Penta GXi. The motor was manufactured same year as the boat, 2012, and I had from new and the "ticking" just started last year.
I'm not a mechanic, so I'm not sure what is going on or if it's something I should be concerned about.
I was having difficulty coming out of the hole, which I posted on the "prop question" forum and I think I got all of my answers I needed for that.
Here is what I'm finding in detail:
When I first jump in the boat and start it up, it starts up great with a smooth sound and no noticeable tick. Oil pressure goes to 40+ quickly and everything seems 100%. I'm in a marina, and I slowly drive out to cause no wake. I can proceed to drive around at a slow troll and as the engine gets warm the "tick" starts. The engine temp will go to 175 but no higher. The oil pressure stays at 40+ PSI. I then go to WOT to plain it out and once it's plained out I reduce throttle to 3500 to 4000 RPM and cruise around the lake. The tick speeds up and slows down with RPM. It doesn't seem to get any louder as the engine noise at higher RPM totally drowns it out. But once I go back to idle and stop the boat the oil pressure drops to 20 PSI.
The engine seems to have more power when it's cold as it plains out a bit quicker then after I drive it for a while.
Even when it struggles to plain out, once it does, there seems to be tons of power. I can reduce the RPM to 3200 and keep it plained and go to WOT and the engine roars, RPM jumps up to 4000 and it proceeds to quickly power to 4800 RPM without any effort.
I was concerned about the tick, and what I sometimes perceive as lack of power, so I took it into my local Volvo Penta repair shop and explained these issues to them. I thought it was maybe a bad cylinder or something. This is what they found:
1. Complete compression test - #1 - 180 #2 - 180 #3 - 175 #4 - 180 #5 - 180 #6 - 185.
2. All 6 cylinders are firing
3. Checked spark, good.
4. Ran up engine in shop, couldn't produce issue (thinking they meant the tick).
5. Oil PSI 40 warm at idle (this is what I see, 40 PSI after the engine is warm until I race around at 3500 to 4000 RPM then when I stop it drops to 20).
They took the boat out on a lagoon to test, and after WOT they reported hearing the tick.
They told me it could be a rod as compression is good. But a rod would most likely have a bigger knock.
Oil pressure could be dropping from 40 to 20 because of engine temp. They said I keep my life jackets in a storage area by the motor and that could be causing higher temps leading to the drop in oil pressure. I have a blower and they told me to use it on 30+ degree Celsius days. Basically over 90 Fahrenheit.
They also told me to try adding STP oil treatment.
I added the treatment and tested everything this past weekend. Used the blower. Still ticking and after it's warm it's harder to plain.
When I'm at idle and go right to WOT it powers to around 3200 RPM then just sits there plowing water for a bit until the RPM's slowly climb up to 3400 or 3500 then it finally plains.
STP oil treatment and blower use (to keep engine cooler and insure fresh air gets in the compartment for combustion) doesn't help at all.
If I was deaf I wouldn't even be concerned about the tick, but I am noticing a reduction in power after it's warm. And the fact that the oil pressure drops from 40 to 20 after some WOT runs but won?t if I stay at trolling speed even if it is for a long time and the engine has been warm for a while without going to WOT.
I don't get it. How can slowly trolling around and have the engine get to operating temp of 175 and stay there and have the oil pressure stay consistantly at 40+ the whole time. But after some 3500 to 4000 RPM runs it drops to 20 PSI when it goes back to idle.
Even at 20 psi oil pressure at idle when i do rev it up the oil pressure goes back up right away, climbs with RPMs which makes sence.
Other than that, the motor starts right away. RPM's are consistent and stable, engine temp is never more then 175 (gauge is right in the middle), very responsive.
Sorry for the very long winded explanation, as I don't know much I wanted to insure I didn't leave anything out.
So, I guess my questions would be these:
1. What could the tick be and if it's a rod do I have to have someone pull the whole motor out and rebuild it? Could it be something else? How do I determine? Should I be worried about it?
2. What's up with the lack of torque? Maybe all in my head as this is simply a plaining problem which requires proper prop and maybe trim tabs. (I have a forum going about prop sizes trying to figure that out lol.)
If you have read this far, thanks
.
I'm not a mechanic, so I'm not sure what is going on or if it's something I should be concerned about.
I was having difficulty coming out of the hole, which I posted on the "prop question" forum and I think I got all of my answers I needed for that.
Here is what I'm finding in detail:
When I first jump in the boat and start it up, it starts up great with a smooth sound and no noticeable tick. Oil pressure goes to 40+ quickly and everything seems 100%. I'm in a marina, and I slowly drive out to cause no wake. I can proceed to drive around at a slow troll and as the engine gets warm the "tick" starts. The engine temp will go to 175 but no higher. The oil pressure stays at 40+ PSI. I then go to WOT to plain it out and once it's plained out I reduce throttle to 3500 to 4000 RPM and cruise around the lake. The tick speeds up and slows down with RPM. It doesn't seem to get any louder as the engine noise at higher RPM totally drowns it out. But once I go back to idle and stop the boat the oil pressure drops to 20 PSI.
The engine seems to have more power when it's cold as it plains out a bit quicker then after I drive it for a while.
Even when it struggles to plain out, once it does, there seems to be tons of power. I can reduce the RPM to 3200 and keep it plained and go to WOT and the engine roars, RPM jumps up to 4000 and it proceeds to quickly power to 4800 RPM without any effort.
I was concerned about the tick, and what I sometimes perceive as lack of power, so I took it into my local Volvo Penta repair shop and explained these issues to them. I thought it was maybe a bad cylinder or something. This is what they found:
1. Complete compression test - #1 - 180 #2 - 180 #3 - 175 #4 - 180 #5 - 180 #6 - 185.
2. All 6 cylinders are firing
3. Checked spark, good.
4. Ran up engine in shop, couldn't produce issue (thinking they meant the tick).
5. Oil PSI 40 warm at idle (this is what I see, 40 PSI after the engine is warm until I race around at 3500 to 4000 RPM then when I stop it drops to 20).
They took the boat out on a lagoon to test, and after WOT they reported hearing the tick.
They told me it could be a rod as compression is good. But a rod would most likely have a bigger knock.
Oil pressure could be dropping from 40 to 20 because of engine temp. They said I keep my life jackets in a storage area by the motor and that could be causing higher temps leading to the drop in oil pressure. I have a blower and they told me to use it on 30+ degree Celsius days. Basically over 90 Fahrenheit.
They also told me to try adding STP oil treatment.
I added the treatment and tested everything this past weekend. Used the blower. Still ticking and after it's warm it's harder to plain.
When I'm at idle and go right to WOT it powers to around 3200 RPM then just sits there plowing water for a bit until the RPM's slowly climb up to 3400 or 3500 then it finally plains.
STP oil treatment and blower use (to keep engine cooler and insure fresh air gets in the compartment for combustion) doesn't help at all.
If I was deaf I wouldn't even be concerned about the tick, but I am noticing a reduction in power after it's warm. And the fact that the oil pressure drops from 40 to 20 after some WOT runs but won?t if I stay at trolling speed even if it is for a long time and the engine has been warm for a while without going to WOT.
I don't get it. How can slowly trolling around and have the engine get to operating temp of 175 and stay there and have the oil pressure stay consistantly at 40+ the whole time. But after some 3500 to 4000 RPM runs it drops to 20 PSI when it goes back to idle.
Even at 20 psi oil pressure at idle when i do rev it up the oil pressure goes back up right away, climbs with RPMs which makes sence.
Other than that, the motor starts right away. RPM's are consistent and stable, engine temp is never more then 175 (gauge is right in the middle), very responsive.
Sorry for the very long winded explanation, as I don't know much I wanted to insure I didn't leave anything out.
So, I guess my questions would be these:
1. What could the tick be and if it's a rod do I have to have someone pull the whole motor out and rebuild it? Could it be something else? How do I determine? Should I be worried about it?
2. What's up with the lack of torque? Maybe all in my head as this is simply a plaining problem which requires proper prop and maybe trim tabs. (I have a forum going about prop sizes trying to figure that out lol.)
If you have read this far, thanks
.