Running Volvo Penta on muffs

[biggziff]

I'm new to I/O so forgive me if these are ignorant questions

1988 Baretta Success Bow Rider Volvo Penta AQ131A and 275 out drive.

I'm trying to run the engine in my driveway to time it and warm it up enough to change the oil. I bought those muff thingies that you hook to a garden hose for a cold water supply. I dropped the drive down, attached the muffs, hooked up the hose and turned on the water. Then I started the engine and let it idle. I watched the out drive carefully for 30 seconds to a minute and saw no water coming out of anywhere other than around the muffs.

I know on outboards there is a tell tale, but I don't know if there is something like this on an I/O. Is there?

Maybe the engine has to be running at more than idle RPM?

Does the transmission need to be in gear for the pump to work?

I've read about replacing the impeller, but I can't find where anyone really describes where, on this engine/drive combination this pump is. I have a water pump on the front of the engine with 4 bolts (2 10mm and 2 8mm) but when I cracked the bolts I got antifreeze coming out not fresh water.

This boat hasn't been in the water in a few years so maybe the pump needs to be primed?

Any assistance that is offered would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Don S]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

Go to the link below, type in AQ131A (not the drive) and download the owners manual. There, is a good starting point.


http://www.volvopenta.com/volvopent...lication_search/pages/publication_search.aspx

 

[biggziff]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

Go to the link below, type in AQ131A (not the drive) and download the owners manual. There, is a good starting point.


http://www.volvopenta.com/volvopent...lication_search/pages/publication_search.aspx

Thanks, but that link doesn't work. looks like the entire website is down. I'll try later.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

did you do the winterization?

if you paid to have the winterization done, they may have pulled the impeller. generally its a good idea to put a new impeller in the pump in the de-winterization.

 

[biggziff]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

did you do the winterization?

if you paid to have the winterization done, they may have pulled the impeller. generally its a good idea to put a new impeller in the pump in the de-winterization.

I just acquired the boat from an estate. I've tried to find where the impeller is housed, but haven't been able to find that information online so far.

thanks

 

[Don S]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

Thanks, but that link doesn't work. looks like the entire website is down. I'll try later.

Yeah, it's super slow to non existent right now.

 

[Don S]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

And now it's super fast............... :facepalm: Volvo is great with engines and drives, not so much with websites. It was a problem with the dealer site as well, you just never knew if it was going to work or not.

 

[dennis461]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

biggziff, check your PM

 

[biggziff]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

Wow...that manual is very difficult to use. The only reference to the impeller shows a drawing of using a slide hammer to remove it. Are there any better reference materials available online? I'm most interested in learning where the impeller is housed and how to inspect it.

Thank you

 

[Don S]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

I have no idea what you are looking at. But the owners manual does not show a slide hammer to remove the impeller.

If it's the downloaded manual, Don't forget, they used to be paper manuals, long before the internet, forums and free downloads. It was easy to stick your thumb in the picture section to go flip through the pages of the text.
Spend some time with it, you'll figure it out.

 

[biggziff]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

Here's the image that is referenced regarding the impeller in the manual I downloaded. Looks like a slide hammer or puller of some sort. It's the only image mentioned so the location of the impeller is still unknown to me.

 

[Don S]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

That's a pair of channel lock pliers grabbing the outside of the impeller, and a screwdriver used to keep the shaft from pulling out.
The neat thing about .pdf files is that you can make them bigger for better detail. Volvo was never overly helpful with lots of step-by-step details. They had tech schools for those wanting to work on the boats.

 

[biggziff]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

Thanks, Don.
So is this the impeller housing? It's full of antifreeze.

 

[Don S]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

Yes, that is the raw water, or sea water pump (not an impeller housing). When it was winterized, the ones that winterized it may have run it in antifreeze or poured antifreeze in the raw water side instead of just draining.

 

[biggziff]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

Yes, that is the raw water, or sea water pump (not an impeller housing). When it was winterized, the ones that winterized it may have run it in antifreeze or poured antifreeze in the raw water side instead of just draining.

OK so forgive my simple questions, but...

If that pump pulls water up through the drive and then back out through the drive why doesn't the antifreeze get pushed out when I start the engine? I assumed that this was some kind of closed cooling system where there was a circuit that had coolant and a circuit that had fresh water and they met in a heat exchanger. I guess that isn't the case here?

thanks again...very helpful. I'll be up to speed in short order!

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

see post #4

who ever did the winterization may have pulled the impeller to keep it from taking a set.

 

[biggziff]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

see post #4

who ever did the winterization may have pulled the impeller to keep it from taking a set.

OK, so then under normal running conditions there will be NO antifreeze in the system including the big red radiator/heat exchanger thing on the front of the motor...should only be fresh water, correct?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

OK, so then under normal running conditions there will be NO antifreeze in the system including the big red radiator/heat exchanger thing on the front of the motor...should only be fresh water, correct?

then you would have a closed cooled system. in that case you would have anti-freeze/coolant in the engine. however in normal running conditions there is no coolant at the seawater pump.

since this is a de-wintering, many people put antifreeze in the raw water side for corrosion and freeze protection.

first, pull the cover on the seawater pump, make sure the impeller is there, if not, replace with new impeller.

if when you pull the cover, your closed cooled side looses antifreeze, you may have a bad heat exchanger. do a cooling system pressure check of the heat exchanger side in that case.

 

[biggziff]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

then you would have a closed cooled system. in that case you would have anti-freeze/coolant in the engine. however in normal running conditions there is no coolant at the seawater pump.

since this is a de-wintering, many people put antifreeze in the raw water side for corrosion and freeze protection.

first, pull the cover on the seawater pump, make sure the impeller is there, if not, replace with new impeller.

if when you pull the cover, your closed cooled side looses antifreeze, you may have a bad heat exchanger. do a cooling system pressure check of the heat exchanger side in that case.

Here's a photo of my engine from the front. Are you able to tell if this has a closed system?

I get confused with the seawater/fresh water terms. The manual I downloaded mentioned both terms. Are they actually the same thing?

I only see the one pump on the front of the engine. If there is only one pump how can there be 2 separate systems?

Sorry for being such a noob, but I've just not been around boats very much.

 

[sqbtr]

Re: Running Volvo Penta on muffs

Behind that pulley under the red heat exchanger housing is your circulation pump. The heat exchanger is inside the red housing. The black plastic housing with the screw on cap is your raw water strainer. The coolant resevoir is the steel cap to the left of the strainer housing.