It's amazing.........
'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Mon 30 Nov 2009 16:35
OK, Mike the mechanic arrived this morning to remove the starter motor. I
had been unable to find any specifications for said motor anywhere on the
internet. Volvo would sell a maintenance manual (bless 'em, most manuals
these days are free online) but apart from that I could find no
information whatsoever.
So, I was messing around with the water system, Mike was sizing up the
engine. Water in the engine bay ........fresh water (thank God). Water in
the water-maker compartment....aha, the back-flush water line had become
disconnected, so when the water pump was on (frequently, as I played
around with the water system) the back-flush system flooded the
water-maker compartment.Re-connect back-flush line, that problem solved,
but as there is no obvious path for water between the water-maker
compartment and the engine compartment, what is going on? Anyway, pump
water out of the water-maker compartment with portable pump. Debris became
stuck in the pipe. Clean pipe (several times) water eventually pumped out.
Pump water out of engine compartment (pausing to unblock portable
pump-pipe several times). Mike starts to remove starter motor, but can
only find one bolt, looks like we'll have to remove the heat-exchanger
manifold to find the others. I return to messing with the pressurized
water system. I have disconnected the tank and pre-pump filter from the
system and am running a pipe from a bucket of water direct to the water
pump. The flow rate is good, pressure at a tap is good. It is looking like
the problem is either a blockage in the stand-pipe in the water tank or
the pre-pump filter. The plastic water pipe between the pre-pump filter
and the standpipe is clear. I try to change pre-pump filter. On the new
one the attachment points for the hoses are too big. OKaay, remove old
pre-filter, blow through as opposed to just clean with a bit of
wire....there was a blockage...hurrah. Reconnect everything, switch water
pump on......a much better flow. THEN THERE WAS A YELL FROM THE ENGINE
COMPARTMENT.
Water was flowing like Viagra Falls from the hot water tank in the engine
bay. The pressure relief valve has given up the ghost. Fortunately, Mike
has a spare on his boat..... but now it's lunchtime. More, much more I
fear, later.