twin volvo engine question from newbie

O.K. my 1st boat, maybe today ...Twin Volvo B 30's from the 60's 175 horses
3 carbs each in line 6 in a 28' house boat..Big Duck wanna be...

Can i run only one engine at a time..seems like a huge overkill ...the two engines..but the serenity from knowing i have a back up engine might help my panic attacks wondering about my GPH and my fuel range.

thank you

I am sure you will get advise from others with more knowledge than me but...

Yes you can...maybe. The issue is the prop freewheeling. Some transmissions don't mind it, some do, some you have to run the motor periodically to lube the transmission parts.

So what transmissions are behind those Volvos?

eseyoung said:

I am sure you will get advise from others with more knowledge than me but...

Yes you can...maybe. The issue is the prop freewheeling. Some transmissions don't mind it, some do, some you have to run the motor periodically to lube the transmission parts.

So what transmissions are behind those Volvos?

Click to expand...

100% correct.

Also, if the boat is run as displacement speeds, the fuel burn should be negligible.

twin volvo engines

In the picture of the engines I see this kind of bar going across the stern side of the engines with what looks like a shock absorber...my friend says this is the throttle linkage so i figered that i had to run them both but at the helm there are two knobs which leads me to believe i could keep one at idle...? the outdrive is most likely volvo 250 or 280

if it is an I/O configuratino you won't have any trouble running a free wheeling prop.

You should have a seperate controls for each engine...

"In the picture of the engines I see this kind of bar going across the stern side of the engines with what looks like a shock absorber..."

If the bar runs between the steering/tiller arms of the outdrives it is a tie bar, the 'shock absorber' you describe is either hydraulic steering or power steering.

If you have power steering, it is common for the power steering pump to be installed on just one of the engines. If that is the engine you cut, it could make steering very difficult. The pump and steering cylinder should be easy to identify though.

Larry
M/V Boomarang

zinco said:

O.K. my 1st boat, maybe today ...Twin Volvo B 30's from the 60's 175 horses
3 carbs each in line 6 in a 28' house boat..Big Duck wanna be...

Can i run only one engine at a time..seems like a huge overkill ...the two engines..but the serenity from knowing i have a back up engine might help my panic attacks wondering about my GPH and my fuel range.

thank youView attachment 29324

Click to expand...

Many twin engine boats don't handle very well on a single engine. You can try yours and see how it handles. Don't expect to cut your fuel burn by much though. It takes a certain amount of power to move a particular boat through the water. One engine or two, it still takes the same amount of power.