Ralph Modica wrote:
To All :

Thanks for your quick responses.

The boat is a cabin cruiser with a swim platform on the transom ... water did
not splash over the transom and into the fuel injection system. Water
contamination was found on the dipstick during a pre-launch checkout.

The mechanic is telling me that water may have been sucked in through the
exhaust port - either from coming off plane too quickly (never happens) or may
have splashed up into the exhaust manifold area from being offloaded from the
ramp into the water. He said some manufacturers don't position the engine or
stringers right, so a boat may be more prone to taking on water even from just
being put into the water off the trailer. I've found some info from the BoatUS
consumer site that discusses water ingestion problems .. seems it's a design
flaw that required changes in the exhaust manifold to prevent back suction of
water into the exhaust valve area when it is still partially open during the
intake stroke.

I'm intending to pursue this issue with the manufacturer (LARSON) and Volvo.
Thanks to Dr.Smithers for the link to Volvo.

If I find the dealer and/or Volvo giving me a run-around for what looks like a
design deficiency, I may consider pursuing legal class-action, as I'm probably
not the only one who has been hit with this problem. For anyone out of
warranty, they'd be stuck with the repair bill for something that is due to poor
design. With the co$t of a boat, I don't expect to have to continue to pay
co$tly repair$ for something the manufacturer should have designed correctly in
the first place.

We found the water in oil condition during a routine pre-launch check ... I've
had many years of experience rebuilding automotive engines and readily
recognized the symptoms of water contamination. Further, I just don't buy the
"this is normal and/or expected" types of answers .. it IS a design flaw. Boats
are sold with an implied "fitness of purpose" to be used on the water. To tell
me that I shouldn't abruptly slow down or even worry about boat ramp loading
areas as a problem is unacceptable. In my "day job" I'm an computer engineer ..
if I were to tell someone they could only use their computers under strict
parameters, people would rightly tell me I'm being ridiculous. Boats SHOULD be
designed to function under the types of conditions expected for on-water use -
to have an inherent problem that causes water ingestion under too easy of
conditions is NOT proper design for what the boat was intended to do.

Thanks to all for the feedback !

Ralph


The water in the oil is most likely not from the manifolds... this would
suggest a hydro-lock exposure... and would be a very unusual
circumstance on the Volvo I/O(especially this new). The Mercruiser, for
example, has a flapper in the leg to prevent power-off or reverse
intrusion(although it commonly fatigues & fails - & owners run the boats
in all kinds of conditions for years and never notice it has been gone
for a long time) and the Volvo likely has a similar protection feature.

Then, even if it does get past the leg, the risers are next. Unless the
manifolds have been severely ravaged by exposure/corrosion, cylinder
intrusion is unlikely in a properly operating running engine. Even
then, the mechanic is suggesting that the water then got past the
pistons & rings - highly improbable. The valve timing overlap is a
non-issue - that engine is of a relatively mild tune - more like an RV
cam grind for torque & low end grunt(under 5000 rpm power) not a radical
street/strip shaft.

The problem sounds like an intake manifold gasket, and it is not
"normal". How much water do you think it was in the mix? This is a GM
engine, but Volvo should be able to address the issue. The brand of
boat would seem to be irrelevant. Get it fixed under warranty... I'm
wondering if the mechanic or shop is trying to put off the job until he
can be paid an off-warranty rate for the work.

Rob