Oil level in Volvo Penta MD11C
News
found that I need to top up the oil every time I run it. There's no sign of
an oil leak, no smoke and no sign of water in the sump. The oil pressure
light also remains off. I usually run the engine for about 1 hour (going in
and out of ports, etc). Afterwards (next day, usually), I check the oil
level with the dip stick and there is no sign of any oil on it. The engine
seems to run OK - smooth, no rattling.
Any ideas?
Steve.
Terry Bailey
News <stephe...@dial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:8f1m6l$me5$1...@lure.pipex.net...
is run a lot under light load especialy things like battery charging you run
the risk of polishing the cylinder bores.
I am not a professional engineer but I would think you need the engine
stripping, the bores scuffed up a bit and new rings on the pistons . The
other possible fault could be wear in the valve guides letting oil past.
Ask a Volvo engineer and I am sure he will recognise the signs, next thing
you need is an overdraft.
Regards,
Terry
kh
>
> I've a 1985 Volvo Penta MD11C that's done about 650 hours. Recently, I've
> found that I need to top up the oil every time I run it. There's no sign of
> an oil leak, no smoke and no sign of water in the sump. The oil pressure
> light also remains off. I usually run the engine for about 1 hour (going in
> and out of ports, etc). Afterwards (next day, usually), I check the oil
> level with the dip stick and there is no sign of any oil on it. The engine
> seems to run OK - smooth, no rattling.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Steve.
I chartered a 33' yacht, 1985 vintage with Volvo two cyl MD inboard,
where a crankcase core plug had either leaked or failed earlier in the
season. The bilges, however, were still heavily contaminated with engine
oil so you would certainly find oil in the bilges if this were happening
to your engine. Worth checking anyway.
Graham Frankland
> found that I need to top up the oil every time I run it. There's no sign
of
> an oil leak, no smoke and no sign of water in the sump. The oil pressure
> light also remains off. I usually run the engine for about 1 hour (going
in
> and out of ports, etc). Afterwards (next day, usually), I check the oil
> level with the dip stick and there is no sign of any oil on it. The engine
> seems to run OK - smooth, no rattling.
>
> Any ideas?
A bit of a puzzle.
The dip-stick/oil strainer on the MD11C is a bit of an oddball arrangement
and the unit has been known to slacken off/unscrew from the block, which
would leave your dipstick higher up than normal. Although it should be
tightened with a 4 prong Volvo tool, a hefty screwdriver and hammer will
suffice!
No pressurised oil passes through the head gasket as the rockers are fed by
pipe from the block, it then gravity feeds back down via the push rod
drillings. No oilways in the manifold either and the gearbox has separate
oil.
I would suggest that either you have a leak somewhere which would show up by
oil in the bilges or, it's burning it. - How's compression? Does the engine
start easily? How much oil do you have to add each time?
Graham.
tracy wright
the oil is somehow getting into the cooling water and being pumped over with
the exhaust. it wouldn't be burned, and it wouldn't show up as a leak. right
off the bat, the thing that comes to mind are the impeller pump seals. try
to think of the areas of the motor where the oil preassure may overcome the
preassure of the cooling water. since the cooling system is not
preassurized, any place the oil channels and the cooling system are close
may be a candidate. good luck and let me know what you find in the end.
cpt...@bottomjob.com thanks.
tracy
News <stephe...@dial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:8f1m6l$me5$1...@lure.pipex.net...
> I've a 1985 Volvo Penta MD11C that's done about 650 hours. Recently, I've
> found that I need to top up the oil every time I run it. There's no sign
of
> an oil leak, no smoke and no sign of water in the sump. The oil pressure
> light also remains off. I usually run the engine for about 1 hour (going
in
> and out of ports, etc). Afterwards (next day, usually), I check the oil
> level with the dip stick and there is no sign of any oil on it. The engine
> seems to run OK - smooth, no rattling.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Steve.
>
>
PyroJames
News <stephe...@dial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:8f1m6l$me5$1...@lure.pipex.net...
> I've a 1985 Volvo Penta MD11C that's done about 650 hours. Recently, I've
> found that I need to top up the oil every time I run it. There's no sign
of
> an oil leak, no smoke and no sign of water in the sump. The oil pressure
> light also remains off. I usually run the engine for about 1 hour (going
in
> and out of ports, etc). Afterwards (next day, usually), I check the oil
> level with the dip stick and there is no sign of any oil on it. The engine
> seems to run OK - smooth, no rattling.
>
> Any ideas?
To loose that much oil, that quickly, I would have to suspect a leak, rather
than loosing it out the exhaust. You would easily see a slick if it was
going out unburnt.
I had a leak on my MD2B, which was coming off the oil pressure gauge
fitting. This sticks out from the side of the engine and any leak from it
falls straight to the bilge, without touching the engine. It therefore
doesn't show as an oily streak anywhere.
As Guy said, Have you checked your bilges?
--
PyroJames
"Dawn Wind of Kirribilli"
Suffolk.
Marion Derrett
News wrote in message <8f1m6l$me5$1...@lure.pipex.net>...
>I've a 1985 Volvo Penta MD11C that's done about 650 hours. Recently, I've
>found that I need to top up the oil every time I run it. There's no sign of
>an oil leak, no smoke and no sign of water in the sump. The oil pressure
>light also remains off. I usually run the engine for about 1 hour (going in
>and out of ports, etc). Afterwards (next day, usually), I check the oil
>level with the dip stick and there is no sign of any oil on it. The engine
>seems to run OK - smooth, no rattling.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>
>We have just fixed an oil loss problem on our (1980) MD 11, which turned
out to be a failed oil pressure switch leaking right through the middle and
dripping into the bilge without touching the engine. Plenty to see in bilge
though!
Chris Derrett
"Moryn" R. Orwell
PyroJames
Marion Derrett <derret...@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:rwER4.1669$Eu2....@news2-win.server.ntlworld.com...
problem! This would still be my starting point.
Graham Frankland
PyroJames <J.Ke...@SPAMcranfield.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:3917ca3b$1...@news.cranfield.ac.uk...
How about a fourth! Our (genuine Volvo) oil sender failed last year whilst
I was running the engine under load to charge batteries, whilst moored to
the pontoon. Fortunately, I was still on board and so heard the oil
pressure alarm sound. ALL the engine oil was in the bilge. Didn't mention
this earlier as, with so much oil in the bilge it can hardly be missed.
Graham.
John Howell
This is a regular failure of the older senders....the rubber seal goes
hard with age and the centre of the pressure switch comes loose...yep as
you say....quite obvious
I too was in port and fiddling with the pressure switch to see why it
was dripping....got soaked....lol..
Found a nice little Lucas number at a quarter Volvo s price!!
John
--
John Howell Chaka of Birdham MFAX-7
GM4ZQH
Edinburgh Scotland
_____________/)_____________/)______________/)______________
Niall
<stephe...@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
>I've a 1985 Volvo Penta MD11C that's done about 650 hours. Recently, I've
>found that I need to top up the oil every time I run it. There's no sign of
>an oil leak, no smoke and no sign of water in the sump. The oil pressure
>light also remains off. I usually run the engine for about 1 hour (going in
>and out of ports, etc). Afterwards (next day, usually), I check the oil
>level with the dip stick and there is no sign of any oil on it. The engine
>seems to run OK - smooth, no rattling.
>
>Any ideas?
>
When you say no sign of a leak, have you checked for oil in the water
around the raw water outlet?
If the engine has an oil-water heat exchanger, it may be leaking.
Once had this with a Volvo 130 petrol. Answer was a new heat exchanger
core.
--
Niall