Re: Volvo Penta D4 and D6 Sea Strainer leaking plastic lids at 3,000 rpm
Just because you ran into an incompetent mechanic is not a Volvo problem, and a leaky lid is hardly a "serious life threatening issue" as you call it. You might want to think about an automatic bilge pump or a high water alarm made out of a float switch and a 12V buzzer. Just in case some hose gets a pinhole in it and leaks, or a gasket leaks, and creates another "serious life threatening issue".
I used to work on lots of the D4 and D6 engines and never had a leaky lid problem on any of them. Those screw on lids were used on the older diesels for years. I have replaced gaskets on them to fix leaks.
I would bet yours got stepped on by someone not paying attention while climbing in or out of the engine compartment, I know I broke one on a 41 years ago doing that.
Hi Don, Thank you for your reply. We do have an automatic bilge pump, but when the bilge is filling with seawater faster than it is being pumped out, if that's not a "life threatening issue" then I don't know what is?
I do agree Volvo cannot be responsible for our incompetent engineer, but why did they re-design the Sea strainer lids if there was nothing wrong with them?
Apparently the problem only occurs with 2007-8 engines onwards so that is why you have probably not experienced it yet. For some unknown reason Volvo decided relocate the Sea Strainer to be positioned after the Impeller pump. Apart from this allowing seawater contaminants into the impeller it more importantly placed an increased pressure on the Sea water Strainer filter, in older engines the Sea strainer filter was positioned before the impeller pump.
I do like your motto
"Why is there never enough time to do it right the first time, But always enough time to do it again?" perhaps Volvo should be taking heed of it?
Regards David.
