Hi there, I'm a new member from Queensland and hope you can help me with my cooling problem. I have a Riviera 3000 Offshore qith twin TAMD41Ps. I have just fitted a new turbocharger to my port engine as I was unable to get the engine over 2000rpm. New turbo has fixed the problem but I am now getting steam coming out from the exhaust outlet and also the coolant level in the engine's header tank drops about 10 - 15mm after a 2 hour run at around 3000rpm. Any ideas as to why the steam and where my coolant leak may be.
Volvo TAMD 41P exh steam
- Thread starter Col
- Start date
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shufti
Senior Member
Gday and Welcome, mate. Fellow TAMD41 series owner (41As here). I'm at Redcliffe. Can;t help with your particular issue - but would definitely recommend a subscription and look at baotdiesel.com. I bet your problem has been diagnosed and fixed there at least once. Its an absolute goldmine of marine diesel related questions and answers. About the only subscription website I would recommend.
PS - no affiliation with boatdiesel at all (apart from stinking of it at the moment).
PS - no affiliation with boatdiesel at all (apart from stinking of it at the moment).
sunchaser
Guru
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- Apr 9, 2008
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- usa
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- sunchaser V
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- DeFever 48 (sold)
Col
Yes, boat diesel is a good site. Some questions you need to address though:
-- Have you had a recent overheat
-- What work other than turbo was done on engine
-- What are the engine temperatures running
-- Do you have an IR gun to check and verify temperatures around the engine
-- Does coolant loss show up in the oil
-- How much coolant do you have to add and over what period
-- Have you checked all externals for any signs of leakage; do a wipe down test with a damp white cloth and look for pink stuff
-- When was the last time your heat exchangers were serviced and pressure tested
Good luck and let us know of findings
Yes, boat diesel is a good site. Some questions you need to address though:
-- Have you had a recent overheat
-- What work other than turbo was done on engine
-- What are the engine temperatures running
-- Do you have an IR gun to check and verify temperatures around the engine
-- Does coolant loss show up in the oil
-- How much coolant do you have to add and over what period
-- Have you checked all externals for any signs of leakage; do a wipe down test with a damp white cloth and look for pink stuff
-- When was the last time your heat exchangers were serviced and pressure tested
Good luck and let us know of findings
Last edited:
High Wire
Guru
I don't believe the water vapor that you are seeing is due to half a coffee cup of coolant leaked over 2 hour run. Thats a couple drops per minute. Was this the first high speed run since the turbo replacement? If yes, assuming no external leak found, my guess is trapped air bubble being worked out by heatup/cooldown cycle. I would top off the coolant tank to the COLD mark and repeat a similar run. After the engine is cold check to see if level is low again confirming a leak. Do a coolant system pressure test.
North Baltic sea
Guru
Hi,
If this only started after the turbo replacement, I think some junction cooling in the pipeline leaks because it accidentally affected, did you have all the joints gone through and checked? If nothing is found in the leak affecting the inside of the machine and comes out with a pressure test, possibly a cylinder head seal or at worst a canal, have you considered the engine lubricating oil, is it normal looking?
Link litles trouble shooting cooling broblems...
https://www.perfprotech.com/blog/articles/fresh-water-cooling-trouble-shooting#trouble6
I also think above the "High wire" said the smart words...
NBs
If this only started after the turbo replacement, I think some junction cooling in the pipeline leaks because it accidentally affected, did you have all the joints gone through and checked? If nothing is found in the leak affecting the inside of the machine and comes out with a pressure test, possibly a cylinder head seal or at worst a canal, have you considered the engine lubricating oil, is it normal looking?
Link litles trouble shooting cooling broblems...
https://www.perfprotech.com/blog/articles/fresh-water-cooling-trouble-shooting#trouble6
I also think above the "High wire" said the smart words...
NBs
Last edited:
Thanks to all for the information. The only work done was the turbo replacement and there are no signs of external leaks, all the gaskets and copper washers were renewed. Temperatures are the same on both engines but will check with strap-on thermometers. This was the first high speed run and after a 6 hour run at varying revs, 2000 - 3500 there was a loss of about 700ml from the expansion tank.
Dont know when the heat exchangers were last pressure tested, I've had the boat for 2 years and previous owner had very little information as to previous services.
Will have a talk to my service guy as to a pressure test.
Dont know when the heat exchangers were last pressure tested, I've had the boat for 2 years and previous owner had very little information as to previous services.
Will have a talk to my service guy as to a pressure test.
Col,
I also have a pair of tamd41p motors. I drained coolant on port motor during an oil pan change out due to rust. After reinstalling motor and first hard run the coolant tank needed topping off, maybe a cupful. 700 ml is about 3/4 of a quart, coolant tank only holds about a quart. Refill and give her another run.
As far as steam what's your sea water temp and outside air temps?
Was she steaming at idle or only under load?
Great little engines, I replaced a pair of tamd41b with the tamd41p in 2007. B's had 3800 hours, P's currently have 1800 hours in a 29 topaz, run at 3300rpm for cruise. Only reason pan went bad was a raw water pump slow leak that wasn't noticed until pan started to rust.
I also have a pair of tamd41p motors. I drained coolant on port motor during an oil pan change out due to rust. After reinstalling motor and first hard run the coolant tank needed topping off, maybe a cupful. 700 ml is about 3/4 of a quart, coolant tank only holds about a quart. Refill and give her another run.
As far as steam what's your sea water temp and outside air temps?
Was she steaming at idle or only under load?
Great little engines, I replaced a pair of tamd41b with the tamd41p in 2007. B's had 3800 hours, P's currently have 1800 hours in a 29 topaz, run at 3300rpm for cruise. Only reason pan went bad was a raw water pump slow leak that wasn't noticed until pan started to rust.
Yeah that's some warm water to throw steam.
I'll push steam at cruise when water drops into 50s during bass run. One motor always looks to throw more steam but I attribute it to prevailing wind direction. Port to starboard wind will make it look like port motor is huffing more, do a 180 and starboard huffs more.
I love the $600 Volvo oil pan , wouldn't mind but it's tin.
Couldn't find anyone that makes stainless pans.
Good luck.
I'll push steam at cruise when water drops into 50s during bass run. One motor always looks to throw more steam but I attribute it to prevailing wind direction. Port to starboard wind will make it look like port motor is huffing more, do a 180 and starboard huffs more.
I love the $600 Volvo oil pan , wouldn't mind but it's tin.
Couldn't find anyone that makes stainless pans.
Good luck.
I suspect that your loss of coolant and steam in the exhaust are unrelated.
Loss of coolant could easily be air in the system that will work its way out. And it's volume is too low to explain much steam
The steam could be simply ambient conditions, but 28 C sounds too high to cause steam, or it could be low raw water flow causing the water/gas mixture to be too hot. The latter is my theory especially since if it only occurs at heavier load.
Check the raw water pickup, strainer, impeller and pump cam as well as exchanger tubes and mixer for blockages.
You can measure the exhaust exit temp on both sides underway to see if the steaming side has hotter exhaust and/or raw water.
David
Loss of coolant could easily be air in the system that will work its way out. And it's volume is too low to explain much steam
The steam could be simply ambient conditions, but 28 C sounds too high to cause steam, or it could be low raw water flow causing the water/gas mixture to be too hot. The latter is my theory especially since if it only occurs at heavier load.
Check the raw water pickup, strainer, impeller and pump cam as well as exchanger tubes and mixer for blockages.
You can measure the exhaust exit temp on both sides underway to see if the steaming side has hotter exhaust and/or raw water.
David
shufti
Senior Member
Hmmm... now you guys have me worried about my 41a’s steaming. That have always done it at high cruise - I thought it was normal. My mixers don’t seem too bad but maybe I should put the new pair I have (bought cheap on eBay awhile ago) in?
A general rule of troubleshooting (anything, not just boats) is, if it was working fine before someone worked on it and now it's not working fine, the first place to look for the problem is where the work was done.
So:
If you didn't have steam before the turbocharger was replaced and now you do have steam, look at what was done. Was anything taken apart to replace the turbocharger? Could the mechanic (or you) have dislodged something while doing the work?
So:
If you didn't have steam before the turbocharger was replaced and now you do have steam, look at what was done. Was anything taken apart to replace the turbocharger? Could the mechanic (or you) have dislodged something while doing the work?
Ski in NC
Technical Guru
Some steam is normal on these depending on temps and atmospheric conditions. But if one is doing it and another not, time to get the temp gun out and check water temp coming out of coolant HX and see if one is much hotter than the other. That could be a restriction anywhere in the SW flow path.
Regarding the coolant level drop, it could be as simple as air pockets being purged out since initial fill from turbo job. So top it off and go for a run. Could be coolant level now remains stable. I would not start digging into it until you are sure coolant is being lost.
If coolant is being lost, it could be the turbo to manifold joint. Leak there can go out with the exhaust and not otherwise be noticed. Check on the underside of the joint. Common to see drips there.
Was the aluminum manifold pitted where the gasket seals??
Regarding the coolant level drop, it could be as simple as air pockets being purged out since initial fill from turbo job. So top it off and go for a run. Could be coolant level now remains stable. I would not start digging into it until you are sure coolant is being lost.
If coolant is being lost, it could be the turbo to manifold joint. Leak there can go out with the exhaust and not otherwise be noticed. Check on the underside of the joint. Common to see drips there.
Was the aluminum manifold pitted where the gasket seals??
normark
Newbie
Did you ever find out why you were getting the steam and the header tank drop in levels as iam now getting the same thing happening to me and nobody seems to know why
