WTB: Looking for a head for a Volvo MD7A or a full engine

[Klem]

All,

When motoring up to haul our boat this year, my wife reported that the engine ran poorly. I started to dig into it and determined that we had lost the head gasket. Upon pulling the head, I found that the combustion gases put a hole in the head which is unrepairable. The real problem is that this part is no longer available. Otherwise, the engine runs very well and compression tested to 350psi on each cylinder (spec is 280-355). Some of you will have noticed that our boat is for sale and I really want to try to sell it with a good running engine as opposed to without one as that will definitely make it less desirable and harder to sell.

So, I am wondering if anyone who has repowered either has a complete running engine or at least the head. Thanks.

[Neil Gordon]

My MD7A was running when I pulled it out of the boat just a year ago. I repowered with a Beta because of some cooling issues and oil and water leaks but the motor ran reliably... it just wasn't worth taking it out, restoring it and reinstalling.

I sold it to Joe DeMers at Sound Marine Diesel... (860) 666-2184 ... If he still has it, it might be in better condition now then when he bought it!

[Klem]

Hi Neil,

Thanks for the tip. I remember you posting about repowering. I will give him a call tomorrow. Hanson Marine Engineering in Marblehead has one as well but they are unsure of the condition.

I guess that I will have to consider this one a learning experience. When my wife called me and told me that it had started hard and wasn't running well, I just assumed that there was air in the fuel system and that it would clear up so I told her not to worry and just proceed to motor the 5 miles. Hindsight says that if I had told her to shut it down, the head would have potentially survived and we would only be replacing the gasket.