# VOLVO PENTA ENGINES



## Bryant (Feb 3, 2004)

I have a volvo penta 2003 series diesel engine and I was wondering if anybody has heard of using a hand crank to start the engine. Is a manual hand crank available for this model? I thought that I read somewhere that the diesel engines w/out glow plugs could be started with a hand crank so you don''t need any other power source. I have a two battery bank on the sailboat currently and it is really tough to start w/out glow plugs in cold or cool weather and I tend to run the batteries down in the process. Just looking for feedback. Thanks


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Have no experiance on your type engine. I took a couple of classes on Yanmar when I owned a boat with one. The Pro says pull the stop out and turn the engine over a couple of times. Then push it back in and you should get a good response. Worked on mine here is SC. Pre-oils and warms a bit. Worth a try.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I put a starter button on the top of my yanmar and using the starter button in conjuction with the compression releases have had no trouble starting the engine even when the batteries are low.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Bryant,

If you''re having a hard time starting it with the batteries, you won''t believe how tough it is by hand!
If the engine is generally reluctant to start, hand starting will usually be unsuccessful.

AJS


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## lauralee (Feb 26, 2002)

I have an older Volvo MD2B which has a hand crank. I''ve never had to use it but have turned the engine with it and it is stiff. I have started my engine with a weak battery by lifting the compression levers until the flywheel is turning and then pushing the levers down. In my boat that takes two people though because the key start is in the cockpit. There is a cold weather assist button by the injector pump if you are trying to start in cold weather.


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## Bryant (Feb 3, 2004)

It turns out that the volvo penta 2003 series does have a hand crank, but the tech at volvo said that it would really be tough to use it. The compression is rough! I will try some of the techniques mentioned on this topic. Thanks to everybody for the feedback.


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## OSPREYCHARTER (Sep 30, 2009)

*volvo penta 2003 starting*

i have a volvo penta 2003 and have obtained volvo paperwork for it . The way this engine should be started is 
1. set throttle to full in neutral
2. pull strangler (engine stop ) out fully for 5 to 10 seconds , this activates cold start device 
3.push strangler back in and crank
4. when engine starts pull throttle back to tick over

before i found this out i used to crank it for ages to start it, now it starts straight away with huge clouds of smoke ! i have been told by a mechanic the cold start device is the rack opening to let fuel straight into the cylinders


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## j34035 (Nov 10, 2006)

I have a 2003 diesel and it does have a hand crank in the engine room (enclosure?), but I dont think I could ever imagine starting it with only the crank. I have used the crank to turn the engine over for maintenance items such as valve adjustments, but never tried to start it. Hmmmmmmmm that might be a challenge!
DD


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## groundhog (Jun 27, 2006)

I have an older MD6A.
I have started it with the hand crank. Things that make this engine easy to start with hand crank is that it has a large, heavy flywheel and it has a decompression lever.

With the decompression lever lifted, the flywheel spins easily. So with the engine ready to start, you start cranking and get the flywheel spinning as fast as you can.

Then flip the compression lever down. All the energy you just spun into the flywheel now goes into starting the engine.

If you don't have those two things I think it would be harder to start.
What if you use the starter with the weak batteries AND you crank too at the same time?

gh


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## dieselboy (Aug 29, 2009)

j34035 said:


> I have a 2003 diesel and it does have a hand crank in the engine room (enclosure?), but I dont think I could ever imagine starting it with only the crank. I have used the crank to turn the engine over for maintenance items such as valve adjustments, but never tried to start it. Hmmmmmmmm that might be a challenge!
> DD


Keep in mind that a compression kick back can break your arm! I do not recommend any one using the hand crank to try to start the Engine. That crank is supposed to be used to set valves and do work on the engine since you cant get to the flywheel. 
Use the cold start recommendation or get bigger battery's or more of them. I have 2 and 2 battery's.


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## harbin2 (Jul 5, 2008)

I have a 1981 Volvo MD7A. The owner's manual gives instructions for hand cranking. As groundhog says above, you flip the decompression lever, crank it up, remove the handle, flip the decompression lever back and the inertia of the flywheel starts the engine. I am in the process of getting a handle. The one's I have seen have a cam that allows the handle to engage only in the start direction. There is a cam that (is designed to) makes it disengage if the engine would start while you are cranking.


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## PhilipStevens (Mar 24, 2002)

Bryant said:


> I have a volvo penta 2003 series diesel engine and I was wondering if anybody has heard of using a hand crank to start the engine. Is a manual hand crank available for this model? I thought that I read somewhere that the diesel engines w/out glow plugs could be started with a hand crank so you don''t need any other power source. I have a two battery bank on the sailboat currently and it is really tough to start w/out glow plugs in cold or cool weather and I tend to run the batteries down in the process. Just looking for feedback. Thanks


If you are having a great problem starting the 2003, it is probably a sign of a lack of compression - sometimes caused by glazed bores/worn rings, or burnt exhaust valves/seats - and maybe poor atomisation of the injectors. Glazed bores are quite often caused by running the engine to charge batteries or for motor sailing just to keep to a set speed.

I had this very same problem with our 2003 and those were the symptoms.

To start my engine, (before I had it rebuilt last year) it would take about 10 to 15 seconds and sometimes longer. I partially overcame the starting problem by turning the engine over decompressed - later motors did not have decompression levers - for 5 to 10 secs with throttle full and the stop/cold start activated.
I then brought the throttle back to the idle position, put the decompression lever to normal, gave it full throttle, pulled/pushed the stop/cold start, and then it would start after a few seconds.

Now, after the rebuild, I don't need the cold start, and with the throttle to about half, the engine starts immediately.

I would suspect that your engine has low compression, with maybe poor injector atomisation.

When running, all the 2000 series engines I have seen - and there are a great many of them here in the UK - smoke slightly and give off a slight sheen on the water, and leave the stern area dirty!!. Even mine after a complete rebuild.

Even though spares are expensive, it was far cheaper to get our engine rebuilt than replaced with a more modern motor/shaft/prop/beds.

regards,
Philip
Westerly Konsort Duo, Oyster


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## Vasco (Sep 24, 2006)

When I bought my 1988 CS36M in 1988 it came with a 2003 and a hand crank. Both went to the scrapyard a couple of years later where they should have been in the first place. Excuse the small rant. Still have not recovered from this damn engine and it's been a long time.


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## apieschel (Mar 14, 2002)

I have used the hand crank very successfully on my older MD2. It is safe to do and 3rd world often uses manual crankingspecially in isolated places. I have even poured a quarter cuplube oil in the air intake as recommended by a fisherman in Brasil. It works wonderfully but of course I was young and strong.


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2011)

check out YouTube item mskg_5fHcWQ
The hand crank turns the cam which turns the crankshaft x2.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

td2dv said:


> check out YouTube item mskg_5fHcWQ
> The hand crank turns the cam which turns the crankshaft x2.


ALSO SEE YouTube - ‪Hand starting the SABB diesel single in cold weather‬‏

While I have never hand started a Volvo diesel I have hand started an old 2 cylinder Lister a number of times and 
1 use the decompression lever, 
2 wind it as fast as you can 
2 flick the lever.

If cold introduce a piece of burning oil soaked newspaper into the inlet manifold just before flicking the lever.

I never had it kick back.


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2011)

*MD7, 13 hp any good?*

I'm interested in a 7-8 thousand pound sailboat with an MD7 engine and a non-folding 2 blade prop. I am wondering if the motor is adequate for extreme conditions (wind & current). I aspire to visit Florida via the Mississippi from Minnesota.


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## harbin2 (Jul 5, 2008)

I'd say yes. I have an Islander 30 Bahama. It is 8,300 lb, has a Volvo MD7A (13hp) and has a two blade fixed prop. It doesn't have a lot of power to start and stop but it will cruise at 6 knots at 2,400rpm (max is 2,600). I recently corrected a small overheating problem and not the engine starts and runs fine.
Good Luck.
Harbin2


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## brokesailor (Jan 12, 2008)

Does the 2003 designation mean the model year or just model? I have one on my Crealock 37.


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## brokesailor (Jan 12, 2008)

Also what is the max and cruising rpm for the 2003 Vovo Penta?


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

brokesailor said:


> Also what is the max and cruising rpm for the 2003 Vovo Penta?


I don't know what the 2003 designates but you can get a download manual for 2003 series diesels here ...

Publication search - Publications / Manuals : Volvo Penta

Max rpm is 3200. Cruising should be in the manual.


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## Vasco (Sep 24, 2006)

brokesailor said:


> Does the 2003 designation mean the model year or just model? I have one on my Crealock 37.


This is the model. The 2000 series 2001,2002,2003,2003T were built in the mid to late eighties. The worst engines Volvo ever built. They followed these with the 20** series e.g. 2030 for the 3 cylinder job.


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## jimrafford (Jan 7, 2011)

I wanted to check my owners manual this weekend.
Max rpm is 3200. Cruise is 80% of that. We do 2600.
Jim


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