New Zealand Refit...

We removed the engine to resolve two recurring problems. The #3 cylinder head fuel injector sleeve had been weeping coolant for several hundred engine hours. The situation was worsening and the other two cylinder heads were beginning to show similar symptoms. The engine was serving notice that it needed some attention. The repair procedure would require the specialized services of an engine shop and removal of the cylinder heads. We also wanted to address another problem that has plagued us from our early days on the Baja Peninsula, Mexico. Namely, the recurring failure of the bolts that attach the stbd rear engine bracket to the engine block. The Westail Corp. had redesigned the bracket to fit the Volvo engine to an engine room liner that had been designed for the Perkins 4-108. To effect this, Westsail lengthened the rear engine brackets. Unfortunately, the added length also increased the moment arm, amplifying the forces acting on the bracket. Poor design coupled with lightweight construction produced an inferior bracket, and excessive movement of the structure due to vibration resulted. This movement weakened the mounting bolts over time (cyclic loading and subsequent work hardening) eventually leading to fatigue and failure.	Lifting the Volvo MD3B out of the engine space - the stern of Fluid Motion (solar panels) is just visible.
The first order of business was to construct an engine cradle that would allow us to transport the engine as well as serve as an engine stand while we effected the necessary repairs. Additional design requirements included access to facilitate removal of the oil pan (gasket replacement) and also allow removal of the rear engine brackets.	Pictured above is an original rear engine bracket. Note the light construction and the two mounting holes drilled off-center on a fairly narrow contact point with the engine. We would like to see this area widened to distribute the loading and provide a larger and more stable contact point. The forces on the bracket from top to bottom of the picture are well-designed for and amply gusseted. However, the sheering forces from left to right (which would correlate with forward and reverse thrust) are acting on a weak, unreinforced axis of the structure resulting in flexion.
The MD3B engine block has a third engine bracket mounting bolt flat already cast that was not utilized by Westsail when redesigning the rear engine brackets. Our new design will incorporate a third mounting bolt by utilizing this flat. To achieve precise alignment with the other bolt holes thereby ensuring equal loading across all three bolts, we have transported the engine to a local machine shop for the use of their milling machine.	Wally uses the mill to drill the third mounting bolt flat precisely parallel to the other mounting bolt holes and perpendicular to the engine block...
...and finally tapping (cutting threads) the new hole for the bolt.	Pictured above is the stbd rear engine bracket in the latter stages of design. The engine contact point was made wider and a third mounting bolt added. The effort was duplicated for both sides of the engine. With the redesigned rear engine brackets complete, we have moved on to the cylinder head repair and have torn down the top end.
At this point, the project has escalated. We had intended only to remove the cylinder heads for installation of new injector sleeves. Unfortunately, it proved to be impossible to remove the heads without disturbing the cylinders as the MD3B features independently removable heads and cylinder blocks. If the cylinder blocks are disturbed during removal of the heads, it is likely that oil leaks will develop at the cylinder block bases at their contact point with the engine block. Since we were already experiencing some leakage in these areas, prudence dictated that the cylinder blocks be removed to facilitate replacement of the cylinder block base gaskets. It was because of this decision that we discovered damage to the #1 piston.	In 1985, Volvo Penta redesigned the piston for the MD3B. The design change altered the compression ratio of the engine (the combustion chamber is cast into the crown of the piston) as well as the weight of the piston. The implication for us is that we must replace all three pistons. At this point, we're into this for a full top end rebuild including new injector sleeves, valve job, cylinder block hone, and new pistons and rings as well as all of the incidental replacements that you have to do just because you did something else. Of course, we also rebuilt the fuel pump, raw water pump, fresh water pump, starter, alternator, tanked the cylinders, exhaust manifold and heads to clean out the water galleries, serviced the injectors, and replaced a few gaskets to curb various leaks here and there.
	Pictured to the left, the #1 piston has picked up. The scuffs on the side of the piston are evidence that at some point the piston has overheated and expanded. The expansion decreased the clearance between the piston and the cylinder bore. This continued until there wasn't sufficient clearance for even the thin film of lubricating oil on the cylinder wall. At this point, the piston scraped the film of oil off the cylinder wall resulting in engine damage. Although the piston is still functional, engine reliability has been compromised.
Pictured above, as the pistons and cylinder blocks are installed, Kev uses a dial indicator to measure the piston-to-head clearance. Since the combustion chamber is cast into the piston crown, the clearance between the piston at Top Dead Center (TDC) and the head must be set up precisely to achieve a balanced compression ratio between cylinders and to avoid a collision of the piston with a valve. The compression ratio is then adjusted by adding/removing shims of various thicknesses between the cylinder block base and engine block. This, in effect, raises or lowers the cylinder head in relation to the piston.	With the proper shim thicknesses calculated to achieve the prescribed compression ratio for each cylinder, the cylinders and pistons are removed to set the ring gaps and paint. Above, the top end and peripherals are stripped off the engine block. The old engine paint has been removed, the block and tranny degreased, primed and re-painted.
The engine ready for reassembly of the top end	Cylinder blocks and new pistons and rings installed...
...a view from the top looking down into the cylinder bores.	The engine coming together: new pistons and rings, cylinders, heads, pushrods, tappets, rocker arm assemblies, starter, fuel injectors, fuel delivery pipes, exhaust manifold and water maker high pressure pump/reefer compressor bracket assembly.
The last components installed: fine fuel filter, raw water pump, engine coolant pump and misc. plumbing and fittings.	Engine repairs complete and ready for transport back to the mother ship.
Special thanks to Wally for his machine shop services and also for use of shop space where we were able to complete our work on the engine.	Kevin and Graeme ease the engine off of the cradle as it's craned up to the engine compartment.
Another beautiful summer day in New Zealand... A typical summer weather pattern as a slow moving trough dumps for days, sometimes weeks on end. NZ weather...always an issue.	Pictured above, a front view of the engine installation from the galley/nav area. The companionway steps are removed and doors swung open to facilitate acccess to the machine space from the cabin interior. The Volvo affords impressive PTO (power take-off) capabilities with its enormous flywheel, massive front main bearings and 4 belt grooves. At fast idle, we easily spin a refrigeration compressor (top left), watermaker high pressure pump (top right) and high output alternator (middle right) with at least a 3:1 mechanical advantage. All peripherals are double-belted with a total PTO requirement of about 8hp. This makes for a nicely loaded engine achieving full thermal efficiency.
The Westsail 32 features an amply sized machine space (Fluid Motion sports the optional gelcoated fiberglass liner). Though sacrificing interior volume, the separate machine space neatly compartmentalizes the aft section of the boat and affords a centralized location for our electrical/mechanical devices with the attendant heat, noise and fumes away from the main living area.	Another view of the engine installation The machine space centrally locates the engine, batteries, refrigeration equipment (engine and DC driven), reverse osmosis water purification system, fuel tanks, alternator, charge regulation components (alternator and photovoltaic), deck washdown system, water distribution manifold, fuel transfer system, fuel filtration equipment and crankcase oil pumpout system.
Looking into the engine/machine space from the galley/nav area	A view from the aft deck looking down into the cockpit well. The cockpit sole has been removed for access to the machine space.
...another cool view of the engine :) If only it would stay looking like this.	Shown here are the water maker pre-filters and the water distribution manifold. The manifold couples water vendors (seawater and fresh from the ships tanks) with multiple subscribers (engine, watermaker, deck washdown pump and DC reefer water cooled condenser pump). At any time we can couple the fresh or seawater vendor with any of the subscribers. This allows us fresh or salt water washdown but more importantly facilitates the ability to flush our saltwater systems with fresh water.