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Engine Maintenance

Our Volvo Penta is a few years old, but with all engines, maintenance is essential if you don't want to break down in the middle of the sea. The videos below cover some preventative and yearly maintenance we do to keep our boat ship shape...

YouTube playlist

Engine Oil Change

This video shows how to change the engine oil and what you need to complete the task.

S130 Saildrive Oil Change

This video shows you how to change the oil in the saildrive leg. This can be done in the water, but here we drain it out as the boat had been lifted.

Exhaust Replacement - Vetus Waterlock

This video shows the replacement of the Volvo exhaust  with a Vetus plastic waterlock after we find signs of rust in the bilge.

Changing Saildrive Anodes

In this video we change the saildrive anodes and the ones protecting the propeller. We also show how to test that these are making a good electrical contact.

Coolant Pipework and checking for leaks

In this video we find some coolant in the bilge, so we replace the coolant pipework.

Changing the saildrive oil while in the water

In this video we change the oil in the saildrive while the boat is afloat.

Changing the primary and engine fuel filters

In this video we change the primary fuel filter which also helps to remove any water from the fuel and we also change the main engine fuel filter on our MD2030.

Cleaning the Heat Exchanger

In this video we show how to remove the heat exchanger, how to check its condition and what you need to do to keep your engine running cool.

The following list includes tasks or items that need changing at set intervals. Check your manual as some tasks can be yearly or at specific engine hours. With all maintenance, if you use it more, you need to service it more. New engines can also have shorter intervals between services.


  • Change the engine oil and oil filters (Yearly/Engine hours)
  • Change the oil in the gearbox or saildrive (Yearly/Engine hours)
  • Change the engine coolant (Normally 2yrs)
  • Change engine/saildrive/outdrive anodes (Yearly or based on operating environment) 
  • Change engine fuel filters (Yearly or based on operating environment) 
  • Change impeller (Yearly/Engine hours)
  • Replace any belts (Engine hours/As required)


The above list is not all-inclusive, you may have other components on your engine that have a life span and need yearly or changing based on engine hours. Things like saildrive seals have a 7year lifespan.


Its also important to keep the engine bay clean, so that you can spot issues, but always do a quick engine check before you set off.


Regular Engine Checks:

  • Check the oil
  • Check the water strainer
  • Check the seacock is open
  • Visual inspection for leaks or other problems
  • Check any belts


Have some spares onboard:

  • Oil and filter
  • Impella
  • Coolant
  • Some short lengths of pipe and stainless clips
  • Fuel Filter
  • Spare belts
  • Toolkit


Get to know your engine, its noises, its knocks, the fluid levels and then you will know if something is going wrong before it spoils your trip.

YouTube playlist

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