3.0 Volvo raw water pump bracket fell off, grease, starting problems

Hello,

New with first boat, 2004 Chaparral 180 SSi, with 3.0 Volvo Pentax. After some starting problems and looking around the engine, I noticed the bracket, or torque arm, of the raw water pump fell off of the engine and I picked it up out of there. Both bolts and washers are missing (assume at the back of the bilge and will fish them out with a magnet) but I assume the purpose of this bracket is to keep the pump from rotating from the crank, as the pump and two hoses rotate easily without the bracket there. Is this correct and without the bracket should the pump be able to rotate?

I assume the previous owner just didnt tighten the bolts down and it fell off after he recently changed the impeller, but there is a lot of black grease at the end that would go inbetween the two hoses, and also all over the lower hose connection. Is this normal as well?

Overall, I think i might have had some detonation with low quality fuel that caused the starting problems, and just trying to learn a bit more about this bracket than the manual is telling me, so I can rule out cooling as a cause (unlikely) for the engine cranking but not turning over.

Thanks, sorry for the long post

Re: 3.0 Volvo raw water pump bracket fell off, grease, starting problems

Red6speed said:

for the engine cranking but not turning over.

Click to expand...

Is the pump belt driven? Does it have a pulley on it?
If the engine is cranking, it is turn over.

Re: 3.0 Volvo raw water pump bracket fell off, grease, starting problems

Pump is belt driven, does the bracket just prevent the pump from rotating? And should there normally be black sticky grease on the end of it?

The engine does crank, but does not fire up (turn over) Will pull the spark plugs tonight to check the condition of them