Total Engine Failure

Dack Heslop · **Joined:** Sat Jun 25, 2011 7:05 am **Posts:** 21

So Horizon fans...have a look at the day I had on the lake last weekend.

Cooking along at 3500 rpms not too fast, just cruising along and all of a sudden very loud noise from the engine...I shift to neutral pop the hatch to find smoke a oil everywhere.

Long story short, I am stuck in the middle of the lake - call the cops to tow me to a marina to get it to safety and out of the water.

So it looks like the connecting rod snapped and piston head popped through the side of the engine and made a hole the size of an orange.

Any one had this happen before? I am currently dealing with Volvo Penta warranty department.

Here are the pics...

Any ideas/thoughts?

chrisvs · **Posted:** Fri Jul 22, 2011 6:04 am

Wow! I have heard of this happening before, not on the 3.0 specifically, but on other engines.

Are you sure it was the piston that went through the block? I mention this because of the location of the hole on the block. To me, it looks like the connecting rod cap let loose. I guess it really Doesn't really matter what put that big bejesus hole in the side of the block, it isn't supposed to be there!

I hope Volvo takes care of it for you. Good Luck.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Fri Jul 22, 2011 7:41 am

I think what happened & it is just a thought. That the 2 bolts, on the bearing backed out or snapped off on the down stroke. On coming up, the bearing went though threw the block. Note that the bearing is not on the shaft. I am sure that the piston and what is left of the rod is still in the block.

Other than the block, did you find any other parts that whent threw??

aguyindallas · **Posted:** Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:27 am

I have seen this happen before, but not in a boat. An engine is an engine however. Please tell me you have a warranty...?

LouC · **Posted:** Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:16 am

WOW on a 2008 boat, someone on that engine line did not install the con rod right, or there was a metal flaw in the bolts...hopefully Volvo steps up and gives you a new short block at least if not a long block...
This is why it is good to keep records of buying oil and filters if you do your own work or receipts if you have it done by a shop...

Graham R · **Posted:** Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:41 am

I've not seen something like that in years. (old guy's 1960's Riley car towed into the garage where I was working one Summer whilst still at school, he was claiming the dynamo had fallen off -after we'd put a new fan belt on- and knocked a hole in the engine ), Uum, we don't think so !

I noticed in the photos the sump has been unbolted; what was in it ?

I'd say the big end bolts were either overtightened, beyond their elastic limit making them prone to fatigue, or were not tightened enough. The cap and bolts / bolts remains should still be in the sump if that is the case. The crank journal seems to show some evidence of hitting the con rod big end.

Graham

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:59 pm

Heh, not often you get to see such dramatic results of 'throwing a rod'. Could've been any number of things. The telling thing will be what's happened to the connecting rod and it's bearing cap (the bottom half around the crankshaft). Parts of the bolts still in the con rod, or having worked loose. That and scoring to the bearing journals. No doubt a test of the oil is in order too, to see if it contributed to the failure. As in, if you don't change the oil often enough all sorts of things can go very, very wrong.

Graham R · **Posted:** Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:46 pm

I don't think a longer than usual oil change interval would cause a con rod cap to part company with the conrod ; for sure, egraded oil could wear out the conrod big end shell bearings and score the crank journal. The rest of the engine would then probably seize due to lack of oil pressure/ spray from the conrod big end to the underside of the pistons/the piston bores in the block.

Incidentally, why is there a paint dab on the crank? I know Ford Europe used to mark blocks with paint if there was something unusual necessitating remedial work at the engine plant, such as boring main bearing bores by +0,015" to get them in line .(don't ask me how I know, it was very expensive for the bearing supplier who supplied me with the wrong bearings for a block before Ford started marking them !) Maybe GM do the same and there was something originally wrong with that crank journal ?.

Graham

ric · **Posted:** Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:53 pm

Please don't tell me you were running a sierra oil filter

Dack Heslop · **Joined:** Sat Jun 25, 2011 7:05 am **Posts:** 21

Thanks for all the insight...here is where I am at...

I am out of warranty so not sure what is going to happen, but it is a pretty serious engine failure that just isn't supposed to happen, so yes I am hoping Volvo steps up and backs their product - but we will see.

At the moment I need to get the engine to the local Volvo dealer, which is 2 hours away from where the boat is right now, as Volvo head office won't deal with the Marina I go to as he is a Merc dealer.

So looks like I am going to have to pack it up and take a road trip.

Wish me luck...

Graham R · **Posted:** Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:53 pm

The sump's been removed; what was lying inside it ? Any pieces give a clue as to what hapened (then a clue as to the cause of what happened).

Worst case, if VP deny any liability, the hole in the block, being in a single skin area is repairable; it's a a pretty neat hole and there's no cooling jacket there. However, there's probably a lot of other bits that would need replacing as well. so the cost may well be higher than that of a longblock; and if you have to buy one, start up an internet " VP don't take responsibility for their product quality " website etc !

Graham

ric · **Posted:** Mon Jul 25, 2011 5:28 pm

http://www.rapidomarine.com

scotchwater · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:18 pm

Dack Heslop wrote:

I am out of warranty so not sure what is going to happen, but it is a pretty serious engine failure that just isn't supposed to happen, so yes I am hoping Volvo steps up and backs their product - but we will see.

You're out of warranty and I was only 27 hours into warranty with Volvo. Volvo step up......GOOD LUCK!

skidaddytn · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2010 11:12 am **Posts:** 281

Please follow up on Volvo's response to this...

Jafo4U · **Joined:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:33 am **Posts:** 1026

Very curious to see how this works out with Volvo. Does Mercury cover their customers better

www.iFourWinns.com

Total Engine Failure

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