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Saving Christmas trip - turbo intake pipe hack

Discussion in 'Engines' started by incoming, Dec 25, 2025 at 7:32 PM.

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  1. incoming

    incoming Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2021
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    227
    Location:
    Cocoa Beach, FL
    Hey folks. Family headed to the keys for a quick Christmas vaca. Boat was running great until just north of Stuart we heard a sucking/whistling sound and saw black smoke coming from port engine. Exhaust smoke also coming from port turbo. Done for the day, we limped into Stuart to anchor.

    Went down to the engine room and discovered a part Volvo calls an “intermediate pipe” between the turbo and aftercooler elbow seems to have come dislodged. According to the parts diagram, it is a short straight pipe with a flange in the middle and two sealing rings (o-rings) on either side.

    I have to wait until the engine cools down a bit to disassemble things and see if the part is broken or perhaps if one of the sealing rings is damaged.

    But this trip is only a week and I’d really like to keep going if possible.

    question is - can I just fit a piece of exhaust hose (assuming I can find the right size) over this joint and clamp it down real good and call it good enough to make it to marathon (another ~200 nmi)? I’m nervous if I have to order and wait on a part we’ll be stuck here for days, to the point it won’t be worth going any more. IMG_3640.jpeg IMG_3639.jpeg
  2. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Messages:
    14,113
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    Something else has shifted causing this. Either the turbo compressor housing has rotated or the air cooler inlet has shifted.
    It's a jig-saw puzzle back there.
  3. incoming

    incoming Active Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Cocoa Beach, FL
    I don't see how the cooler inlet could have moved since it's got six bolts holding it on but I take your point. What's extra weird is that I have an exhaust leak on the stbd engine as well that started about the same time. Though that leak seems to be coming from the joint between the turbo exhaust and exhaust elbow. None of this stuff has been touched in about 30+ hours of running.

    First order of business is to try to find a slip or dock I can tie up to in the morning, and pull the cooler elbow off so I can see what's going on. I'll also see if the turbo compressor could have rotated somehow.
  4. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Looks like some exhaust soot on the other end of the turbo.
  5. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Location:
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    Now I'm worried about the exhaust manifold to turbo connect.
  6. incoming

    incoming Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2021
    Messages:
    227
    Location:
    Cocoa Beach, FL
    Well it should come as a surprise to no one that you were right Ralph. Once I could get in and get a closer look I found two of the four studs on the hot/turbine side of the turbo that should be securing it to the exhaust manifold are completely loose. It appears they had been secured with a flange nut instead of the nut-spring washer-washer combination Volvo calls for. One of the nuts had rattled completely off and both studs are completely backed out of the turbo. I believe that’s actually where my leak is coming from.

    The problem now is I can’t get the studs back into the turbo housing. I’ve been trying for an hour and I can’t get them to twist in. I’m hoping I don’t need to remove the whole turbo - maybe just need to loosen the studs on the other side?

    At least I’ve found the smoking gun…and I found the nut… IMG_3644.jpeg
  7. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Yep, the jig-saw puzzle.
    You may have to loosen the air inlet to the air cooler to help.
    Go easy on the oil supply and return tubes.

    I wish I had more hands on time (zero) to help you more.
    I have Volvo kids that fix this stuff in Jax.
    Last edited: Dec 26, 2025 at 12:21 AM