Volvo Penta TAMD40B?

I'm looking to buy an old trawler.
Trouble is, the ones that I like are round 40 years old with their original engine.
One type of engine that comes up a lot is the Volvo Penta TAMD 40B.
So my question is : If an old turbo Volvo have been well looked after for 40 or so years could it be maintained to be suitable for extended coastal cruising?

Boracay said:

I'm looking to buy an old trawler.
Trouble is, the ones that I like are round 40 years old with their original engine.
One type of engine that comes up a lot is the Volvo Penta TAMD 40B.
So my question is : If an old turbo Volvo have been well looked after for 40 or so years could it be maintained to be suitable for extended coastal cruising?

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This topic has been kicked around several times on this and other forums. Most any 40 year old diesel engines “well maintained” will continue to do well today . . . That being said, Volvo parts are more expensive, sometimes harder to source and when found may take a week or two longer to arrive. You also need to source a knowledgeable diesel mechanic and they are out there, as the engines (like all in this era) are pretty straight forward. The reason I know is I have (2) 1988 Volvo 200hp TAMD 41A in MV CLASSEA . . . To date after owning 4 years have not been let down by these engines, I have replaced an alternator, starter, 1 fuel injector, hoses, impellers, zincs and such, and carry spares on these items as well . . . Changed fluids, filters, zincs 200 hours or annually . . . Yes they do, when at cold start smoke until engine(s) warm up. But as apprehensive as I was at the time prior to purchase, from conversations on this and other forums, after engine surgery, oil analyses (engines & transmissions) came back fair -> good, they have been extremely dependable engines for me. That being said, my answer to your question in Yes it can be suitable for your needs.

Standing by-

If the engine has good compression and oil pressure, it should run for a long time. But you'll still have the 40 year old engine problems that all engines have. Pumps, injectors and anything electrical. If you're going on an extended trip, I'd think about some spares. They don't need to be new, just working. Ebay is a good place for parts and accessories and much cheaper than Volvo.
Lots of these engines were sold and still in use. Rebuild parts are available.

I have a pair in my 1981 Uniflite. They're good engines. Take care of them and they'll take care of you.

The parts are expensive and sometimes very difficult to get. Personally I pass on any boat that has Volvo power. But others have had good success with them. Where we are located it could take a good part of the season to get some of the parts.

Comodave said:

Where we are located it could take a good part of the season to get some of the parts.

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I'm curious why it would matter so much where you live. I mean, wouldn't any place in the US (for example) be at most a few days longer than a busy marine area (say, Seattle or equivalent) since parts can be shipped?

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This is 100% anecdotal, but a couple of the boat models I'm interested in often come with the TAMD engine series. Following along on their forums I don't feel like I see a lot more problems than with other engines. I have seen that some of the Volvo parts are a bit expensive (not sure if they are more expensive than all others though), but then I've also seen that there are some less expensive sources and/or some parts (coolers) made by other companies.

From what I could tell, the TAMD A was an earlier design and tended to smoke more on startup. The TAMD B improved upon that (and the A can be converted), and then subsequent letters (P?) continued the evolution.

I also got a sense that the TAMD was one of their better engines (as in how every engine manufacturer has some engine models that are more "solid" than others).

Take the above with the appropriate (large) grain of salt because I've only been reading about these engines (and watching youtube videos - I can't be the only one who enjoys a good engine startup-and-run video, right?).

I hope we'll hear from a few more people with longer term experience with these engines. A couple of members I can think of who have them are the fellow on Saltspring with the C & L (?) trawler and IIRC another member with a dark blue C-Dory 28.

Because here, in Michigan, the season is only about 6 months. If you have to wait a month or two for a part that would really suck. We had a brand new boat with Volvos in it. Parts were difficult to get for a current engine. I worked for the dealer selling boats part time so he would pull the parts I needed from another new boat to keep me running and then wait on the parts to put back into the new boat. I no longer have that resource so Volvos are out for me.

I understand now. The parts didn't necessarily take longer to get to you; just if the parts were unavailable, you ran into the boundaries of your short season. I can relate.

A couple of questions if it's okay:

1) Did you have a TAMD variant? Or which model was it?

(I don't mean to sound like I'm grilling you, but the TAMD was used in a few boat models I'm interested in, so I keep my "ear" out about them.)

2) Also, was this fairly recently or a number of years ago? I find that some things that I had the devil's own time getting parts for back in the day, are easier now with Internet, being able to buy directly, etc. (not Volvo specific, just in general.)

I have a 1985 Volvo Penta TAMD 40B with 2200 hrs on her. Bought 5 years ago. Survey before sale was solid. To date, I've replaced the following.
Circulation Pump
Raw Water Pump.
Rebuilt Starter.
All fuel lines and hoses.
Racor 500
Gear Shift Cables
Upper and Lower Steering Cables.
Annual Oil, Oil Filter, Antifreeze, Fuel Filters and Zinc Changes.
Annual flushing with Barnacle Buster.

Avoid VP parts if at all possible. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!
Search internet for parts. There are people out there who recondition used parts or buy close outs and sell them at acceptable costs.
Would I like a new engine? Absolutely! But that's expensive. So I'll keep on keeping on with it.

Is there a particular go to parts supplier for older Volvo parts? For example American Diesel seems to be the go to shop for Ford Lehman 120 parts. I am looking at a boat with TAMD40B engines and I want to get an idea of what some of the standard stuff costs and what's available.

RedRascal said:

Is there a particular go to parts supplier for older Volvo parts? For example American Diesel seems to be the go to shop for Ford Lehman 120 parts. I am looking at a boat with TAMD40B engines and I want to get an idea of what some of the standard stuff costs and what's available.

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Unfortunately no single 1 supplier that I have found, I was able to purchase a manual that a mechanic (or I) can use to see part numbers of each part of the 41A’s I have then I know I am looking for and getting the part I need. Internet, eBay, marinepartsexpress.com, they are out there, just not a one stop shop, at least that I have found.

Standing by-

JimW said:

Unfortunately no single 1 supplier that I have found, I was able to purchase a manual that a mechanic (or I) can use to see part numbers of each part of the 41A’s I have then I know I am looking for and getting the part I need. Internet, eBay, marinepartsexpress.com, they are out there, just not a one stop shop, at least that I have found.

Standing by-

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�� my thoughts exactly. I have a Lehman. Cousin has a Volvo. It may be anecdotal, but he is always bitching about those engines. Ive taken him out on my boat when he is waiting for parts. He once drove 10 hours away to get parts. (The shop had to “match the parts up” to make sure they were correct. ��

UPDATE: Just realized this post may come off abrasive. Was not the intent. Just thought the whole string was funny. If i knew how to delete a post in its entirety I would. ��

Much like Bayliners, some people just live to bash Volvo engines on the Internet. The fact is they are good, solid engines and are supplied with many of the most popular boats built today. My engine is a Volvo TAMD41P and it has proven a very solid and reliable engine.

Parts are available, but not at your corner auto parts store. You may have to go to a Volvo dealer or you can usually find what you need on the Internet, often at a discount. Also, there are third party manufacturers for things like pumps and heat exchangers.

Now you are talking about a 40 year old engine and I think that's a bit of a risk, but no more of a risk than it it was any other brand. Companies see little profit in manufacturing and stocking parts for engines that old. Fortunately, Volvo engines don't seem to need a lot of replacement parts.

I say, if you like the boat and the price is right, buy it.

Alisske said:

�� my thoughts exactly. I have a Lehman. Cousin has a Volvo. It may be anecdotal, but he is always bitching about those engines. Ive taken him out on my boat when he is waiting for parts. He once drove 10 hours away to get parts. (The shop had to “match the parts up” to make sure they were correct. ��

UPDATE: Just realized this post may come off abrasive. Was not the intent. Just thought the whole string was funny. If i knew how to delete a post in its entirety I would. ��

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Ha
I have 2 TAMD41s. They are now 31 yrs old. I have a 17 yr old Honda outboard.
I have more trouble getting parts for the Honda than for the Diesels.
I have owned these Diesels 21 yrs. So far, I have done injectors and sleeves, Exhaust elbows, raw water pumps and a host of non-volvo things, like zincs, belts, hoses. None have been hard to find or particularly expensive.
The Honda, OTOH. Don,t get me started. Once fixed up, it is a great outboard. Just needs a lot of attention to keep it so, and parts are silly expensive.
YMMV

The Volvo parts thing is likely model dependent. It seems like most of the people who indicate it's not an issue have had TAMD40, 41, 60, etc. series engines. But people with others end up with trouble getting parts in a reasonable timeframe or for a reasonable price. The complaints I hear are never about the engines themselves or their reliability, just about parts and people to work on them.

Thanks for the input, I was hoping for a specialized vender for TAMD40Bs but it looks like that's a no go. From what I've been able to discover it seems like a very solid engine. I am cautious about Volvo perceptions because right or wrong they can influence resell values.