wharfcreek
Member
"This will be my third try at
"This will be my third try at getting this posted. I just acquired a 1994 Excel 18SX with a Volvo 230B engine and a Volvo Sterndrive. When I bought this boat the owner said it had a bad starter. Well, not so. A bad wiring issue with the Shifter Safety Interrupt switch. But, that now corrected, I have a REAL PROBLEM!! I had pulled the sparkplugs and squirted some penetrating oil down the cylinders when I first began this project. After getting the starter problem corrected, today I drained all the fuel and refilled it with fresh gas, changed the oil and filter, changed the water separater filter, and installed new sparkplugs. On my first attempt as starting, the engine spun over for about 10 seconds as if it had NO COMPRESSION. After this, for the next 5 seconds or so, it appeared to be building to normal compression, and it actually fired up and ran for about 1 to 2 seconds, then quit. I gave it a second, then attempted to re-start it again, and again, it spun over as if NO COMPRESSION was there. And, in about 10 seconds, it started coming back, and after cranking for about 15 seconds, it again lit up and ran for anoter second or so, then died out, again with seemingly ZERO compression. I pulled the valve cover and noted that the followers were seeming to function normally...all going up and down with the cam lobes as I believe they're designed to do. I noted that the engine did seem to run normally for about 1 to 2 seconds, and that NO SMOKE came billowing out of the exhaust. I repeated this process about 10 times, until the battery finally failed. But, when it did..the engine is now sitting with what seems to be ZERO compression again..turning over just like the spark-plugs were out of it. NEVER in my over 40 years of engines have I EVER seen anything like this!! I do NOT know Volvo motors, so I don't know if there's some kind of compression release mechanism that only restores compression when the engine sees oil pressure build up after cranking for a few moments...but I can't think of another reason for this engine to seemingly loose compression, crank for 10 to 12 seconds...then slowly get compression back, fire up and run...then seem to loose compression again and possibly be the cause of the die-out. I has good fuel in the carb, the accel pump is working, and about the only other symptoms are the occassional mis-fire out either the carb or exhaust. But, when it ran...it seemed OK for that second or two...then just quit. AND...I see no problems under the cam lobes to indicate any sticking valves....especially not in all 4 cylinders. So...any help would be GREATLY appreciated!! If you think you know the answer, please contact me directly at my email address of [email protected]. And..If you're SURE you know the answer, please call me at 410-925-7213. I really appreciate the assistance. I hate to cry for help...but this one's got me completely baffled!! Thanks....and Happy Boating..and may you always stay Floating!! Tom D."
"This will be my third try at getting this posted. I just acquired a 1994 Excel 18SX with a Volvo 230B engine and a Volvo Sterndrive. When I bought this boat the owner said it had a bad starter. Well, not so. A bad wiring issue with the Shifter Safety Interrupt switch. But, that now corrected, I have a REAL PROBLEM!! I had pulled the sparkplugs and squirted some penetrating oil down the cylinders when I first began this project. After getting the starter problem corrected, today I drained all the fuel and refilled it with fresh gas, changed the oil and filter, changed the water separater filter, and installed new sparkplugs. On my first attempt as starting, the engine spun over for about 10 seconds as if it had NO COMPRESSION. After this, for the next 5 seconds or so, it appeared to be building to normal compression, and it actually fired up and ran for about 1 to 2 seconds, then quit. I gave it a second, then attempted to re-start it again, and again, it spun over as if NO COMPRESSION was there. And, in about 10 seconds, it started coming back, and after cranking for about 15 seconds, it again lit up and ran for anoter second or so, then died out, again with seemingly ZERO compression. I pulled the valve cover and noted that the followers were seeming to function normally...all going up and down with the cam lobes as I believe they're designed to do. I noted that the engine did seem to run normally for about 1 to 2 seconds, and that NO SMOKE came billowing out of the exhaust. I repeated this process about 10 times, until the battery finally failed. But, when it did..the engine is now sitting with what seems to be ZERO compression again..turning over just like the spark-plugs were out of it. NEVER in my over 40 years of engines have I EVER seen anything like this!! I do NOT know Volvo motors, so I don't know if there's some kind of compression release mechanism that only restores compression when the engine sees oil pressure build up after cranking for a few moments...but I can't think of another reason for this engine to seemingly loose compression, crank for 10 to 12 seconds...then slowly get compression back, fire up and run...then seem to loose compression again and possibly be the cause of the die-out. I has good fuel in the carb, the accel pump is working, and about the only other symptoms are the occassional mis-fire out either the carb or exhaust. But, when it ran...it seemed OK for that second or two...then just quit. AND...I see no problems under the cam lobes to indicate any sticking valves....especially not in all 4 cylinders. So...any help would be GREATLY appreciated!! If you think you know the answer, please contact me directly at my email address of [email protected]. And..If you're SURE you know the answer, please call me at 410-925-7213. I really appreciate the assistance. I hate to cry for help...but this one's got me completely baffled!! Thanks....and Happy Boating..and may you always stay Floating!! Tom D."
