Help please I am stumped! 2007 280EC

The Main Exchange

I would like some ideas I am stumped on this one. Three weeks ago I cleaned and dried the bilge as we were going to be away from the boat for a couple of weeks. Left the boat with a dry and clean engine room bilge. Returned Sat morning opened the hatch clean and dry bilge, awesome. Replace the fuel filter and fuel regulator on top of the fuel pump assembly, fired the engine all good.
Problem #1, boat will not travel over 25 mph and engine will not rev over 4000, weird because the boat will on a good day travel at 40+ mph at 4800 rpm.
Problem #2, sat on the boat Sat night having drinks with friends and the engine room bilge pump ran approx. every 45 - 60 mins pumping out about a gallon of water. This happened 3 time during the evening. The boat was hauled out at the end of Feb and drain plug resealed, checked all over wires, transom plate etc all good.
Ran the boat this morning and it would not exceed 30 mph and sounded 'down' on power. Could it be bad fuel we always run non ethanol and it has approx. 1/3 tank which was put in about 4 weeks ago.
Any ideas, thanks guys.  

pepmyster

Wish I was there to help you on both problems. Did this problem with the power happened on when you replaced the fuel filter. Maybe start there......

rasbury

well, probably not the fuel unless the fuel sat a long time at the marina....just have to start going through it....connections, any recent service that something is not hooked back together right? Coil wire? Could be just about anything from the fuel forward, that's a tuff one.

LaRea

Check the spark plug wires. Maybe you knocked one loose while cleaning the bilge.  

The Main Exchange

It idles smooth on all 8 cyl's up to 2k rpm all normal approx. 7 mph. Going to get a fuel pressure gauge and check the rail pressure, start there I guess, check all connectors etc.. Thanks so far for the suggestions.

tniggel

Have you ever had the drive bellows changed. I have a 2007 270, that I bought in 2009 as a leftover and my bellow showed some small surface cracks forming last year.  If you haven't changed that I would start there.  I have volvo 5.7GXi duoprop.  Also are you hooked up to marina water through pressure system? Could be a loose fitting at one of the sinks. Good luck.

The Main Exchange

Inspected the bellows in Feb all like new the drive was replaced 2013. Not hooked up to water, seems to be when we have 4 or more people on board sitting in the back area of the cockpit. 

hanzelvh

perhaps stupid idea, but did you check the tube to the outlet of your bilge pump? The outlet is just above water level and when the tube is not bended up there is a possibility that water is coming in when sitting with adults in the back. I even mounted a valve in the tube to avoid water taking in at sharp curves.

MarkB

Power issue - a few questions:

- What were the conditions when it only went up to 25 mph? How many people on board, gas tank only 1/3, what about water and waste tank, and do you have a genny (trying to get a feel for load)? What were the water conditions, were you into waves/wind/current? Have you tried running the boat with only 2 people on board, and does it get up to 40 mph, 4800 rpm? I'm thinking is it that your boat is struggling to plane?

- do you have bottom paint, that is, is there lots of growth on the hull that is taking away performance (it is a big issue).

- what are your engine temperatures, water pressure, oil pressure?

Water issue - a few questions:

At 1 gallon per hour, we are talking about 5 to 10 drips per second. That's almost a full (small) stream.

- Has water accumulated since (dry bildge and wait to see with no one onboard)?

- If not, it's either a fitting getting submerged with 4 people in the back (so how much lower does the boat go? I'm willing to better 600 to 800 lbs won't do much, unless everyone was on one side, and the boat listed a lot). I tend to think it isn't related to the 4 people, but rather than something else that was coincidently happening. 

- Did you have the galley pump on at the same time? Check all connections on cold and hot water lines.

- Was the airconditioner on? Check raw water feed line for leaks.

- Check the through hull valves (head and A/C).

Dream_Inn

It's a bit harder to check the engine when you don't have another to try parts from.  There are several things to try, but you don't want to go buying lots of parts.  Could be a coil, which would keep you limited at top end.  Have you looked at fuel filters or regulator?  Not sure of exact setup on Volvo, but I know and have had issues with regulator in the past.

As far as the water, hanzel has a great idea.  Make sure there is a loop in your bilge pump line.  That could definitely be the culprit or any other lower outlet/inlet.  I'd also say if it's not that, you could check where your swim platform is bolted on, may be leaks there as well.  I wouldn't think that much would come in though that quickly.

hanzelvh

Hi Richard and Dream, the swim platform at the 280EC is integrated one. At the end there are 2 cleats which can sink in, when stopping after plane speed, big wave comes from behind on the platform, the cleats are not water closed so water also will come in through this way, no much but after one day 'playing' I had several liters in my bilge. Solved by placing plastic endposts at the inside ( need very small person or very long arms)

MarkB

If you stop hard enough, the wake will also go over the swim platform and overwhelm the water flow channels around the engine lift hatch, which will cause them to overflow into the bilge.

The Main Exchange

That being said when on the dock the pump runs, is there a large area under the fuel tank??

jhofmann

I would check the fuel water separator for water. Dump it into a clear glass container and let it settle, the fuel will rise to the top and the water will settle to the bottom. My tank was about 1/3 water and the boat would not plane, the o-ring on the fuel cap was gone, and we had weeks of heavy rains that ran down over the cap. The tank had to be pumped out, cleaned and refilled. If there isa little water, you might try dry gas.

The Main Exchange

So the fuel pressure is at 40psi at 4000 rpm under load. Going to have a scan tool plugged in today but the local theory is, if no codes, its bad injectors.

The Main Exchange

Another update..... No codes ran cylinder tests all good, decided to take a look at the props and found exhaust center totally plugged with barnacles, no exhaust flow at higher rpm.. Might be the problem going to remove props clean out hubs and refit then sea trial, wow.

rasbury

Wow is right.....I'll bet ya that's your problem....

pepmyster

First time I hear of that but that can be your problem for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michael T

On the topic of "surprise" solutions......We just arrived home from a trip up the St. Lawrence River from Gananoque to Kingston (Canadiaqn side of the river), then on to Picton and finally Trenton, Ontario Canada. At Kingston's Confederation Marina two American boaters from Alexandria Bay USA pulled-in. We helped them secure their dock lines along with the marina dock hands. As they settled-in I heard the captain of one boat say it was too bad that they had to cancel their trip from Kingston to Trenton, Canada - a trip they had been planning and looking forward to for a year. I said sorry to butt-in but why is that? The owner of one of the boats, a 1998  Larson Cabrio 245 with a Volvo 5.7 GS said they had been working on overheating issues for a year on his boat and thought they had solved them. They had replaced the water pump, impeller, engine hoses, thermostat and thermostat housing. Unfortunately his mechanic did not conduct a sea trial before they left N.Y. and the 40 minute trip from AB to Kingston had taken 6 hours due to overheating. He was going to head back home. We got talking. I asked if his engine oil was clean. It was. The discussions continued. I suggested that I did not think he had serious engine damage but that it was likely a water flow or exhaust restriction causing overheating as he engine only overheated at above 1900 RPM suggesting it was starved for cooling at higher demand loads suggesting a water/exhaust restriction  "somewhere". A friend of mine - Doug Hyde ( a Mercury 5 star Master Technician) manages a nearby marina - George's Marine in Collins Bay, Ontario Canada. I called Doug late Saturday night at home and told him of the problem. He invited our new American friends to proceed to his marina the next day (Sunday) and tie-up, use the shore power, water and washrooms and he would lift the boat out first thing the Monday morning to have a look, as he agreed that it was likely not a catastrophic failure. Our new American friends decided to give it a try. The boat was lifted on Monday morning, the drive's water intake hose was inspected and found okay. The culprit was a melted exhaust flapper that was a ball of molten rubber and steel in one of the exhaust passageways. The oil and filter were changed in case the oil's integrity had been compromised. A year long problem solved. the captain also got a real bonus as the American $ is 30% higher than the Canadian $. Two days later as we sat in our slip in Trenton I watched our American friends roar down the river at 3600RPM before entering the marina. We had a good time that night! Exhaust flapper - big trouble! Doug Hyde of George's marine - a super guy! New friends made - that's what boating is all about eh?..... BTW for anyone considering a trip on the Canadian side, Kingston's Confederation Marina is really a happening place (just hosted the 1000 Islands Poker Run. this week it's BluesFest etc.) and Trenton's new Municipal marina a 250 slip marina (soon to have another 150 slips added) is brand new with 12 washrooms with glass shower doors, granite sinks and tile surrounds, big sitting rooms with gas fireplaces and TV , a snack bar and soon a liquor licence and free use of washers dryers and detergent. Oh yeah it cost me $55 CANADIAN - make that about $30 USD - for a slip for my Rinker EC 360,  water and 30 amp included and the free laundry - try to beat that anywhere!