Volvo l120c water usage!

[D1ESEL]

I run a fleet of three Volvo L120Cs. One has developed a water usage issue. It uses around 5l per day (8 hour shift). Starts and runs fine but is using water. Purchased new and maintained on contract from VOLVO, the machine has never wanted for anything. It is now four years old.

Volvo's first response after describing the fault was it needs a new short engine at a cost of £10,000. The reason being the blocks rot and the liners drop. So they have written this engine off before even looking at it. Volvo's customer service is rubbish at the best of times. It might just be a head gasket but one volvo have the shovel I am guessing they will be wanting to put a new engine in it.

Has anyone else here come into this problem? Or repaired a machine with similar problems?

 

[cps]

Hi There, When you say your L120C is 4 years old, are you sure its a "C"? Some of the L120c's had head gaskets go and that sorted them! Also never heard of any of the newer engines having this problem!

Can you give us anymore info? All so were you based at?

Aiden

 

[HATCHEQUIP]

had one that did the same thing but after it warmed up it was getting very small amount of compression in tank but would not be enough to blow water out but it was using a little bit every day cracked injecter lines with engine warmed up and when we cracked the line for the problem cylinder bubbles went away pulled head and couldnt see anything wrong with the gasket or liner had machine shop check head and it was good finally ran that piston down to bottem of stroke and put a 100 watt bulb in it over night and filled the block up with water came back next morning and you could barrely see a little short rust crack in liner pulled pan and removed rod and piston pulled liner and put a kit in that hole and that fixed it

 

[D1ESEL]

Hi There, When you say your L120C is 4 years old, are you sure its a "C"? Some of the L120c's had head gaskets go and that sorted them! Also never heard of any of the newer engines having this problem!

Can you give us anymore info? All so were you based at?

Aiden

Sorry, its the L120F. My mind is on a C as we are looking for on as a backup for when a new one goes down. We are based in South Yorkshire. It is due to go into Volvo at Immingham next week.

If anyone knows where there is a good C we would be interested and will pay going retail.

 

[D1ESEL]

I am told the shovel is using more water day by day

 

[L 180 E]

L 120 F has a Deutz engine, try ask the lokal Fendt or Deutz AG shop if it is a known problem.
The C is a true Volvo, they drop the liners at 15000 to 20000 hour.

 

[D1ESEL]

L 120 F has a Deutz engine, try ask the lokal Fendt or Deutz AG shop if it is a known problem.
The C is a true Volvo, they drop the liners at 15000 to 20000 hour.

I had heard that. I was informed it was a Deutz engine when the alternator bracked sheared its bolts off!

 

[tctractors]

Its a shame Diesel that you dont have your own workshop staff to fix this little monster, there is plenty of places that water can leak from on both the Volvo engine C series units and the Deutz powered (1013?) engine, Volvo dont have the Gizmo to set up the engine Governer unit for this its a Deutz (Cannock) only thing, anyhow it would seem some massive crystal ball is being used to find a leak, plus lots of the Deutz engines are parent block units without wet liners, even the valve guides are cast in head and not replacable?? I would have a look in your parts book or at least phone Deutz (Cannock) and speak to Neil with you engine data plate detail for a good technical bit of insight??? Volvo would not be the place to buy Deutz engine parts from unless you are Money Made.

 

[D1ESEL]

Its a shame Diesel that you dont have your own workshop staff to fix this little monster, there is plenty of places that water can leak from on both the Volvo engine C series units and the Deutz powered (1013?) engine, Volvo dont have the Gizmo to set up the engine Governer unit for this its a Deutz (Cannock) only thing, anyhow it would seem some massive crystal ball is being used to find a leak, plus lots of the Deutz engines are parent block units without wet liners, even the valve guides are cast in head and not replacable?? I would have a look in your parts book or at least phone Deutz (Cannock) and speak to Neil with you engine data plate detail for a good technical bit of insight??? Volvo would not be the place to buy Deutz engine parts from unless you are Money Made.

Yea, its amazing who makes engines for different people in different machines these days. All the parts make your eyes water. I have just had an oil cooler go on a 1011 4cyl turbo, £600 for the cooler, its not like you can use a generic one. I will see if I can get hold of Neil on tomorrow.


The only thing I would say is even if Volvo do it and it goes wrong you just hand it back to them, and I am going to get a gaurantee with it (quite what that will be I do not know). We have a good fitter next door to us but he is a more of a truck man. As much as I do not like Volvo's prices, they are working on these machines all day every day.

 

[tctractors]

Diesel, those nasty little 4 potters calve down with every illness known to Metal, parent block cylinders with valve guides cast in head, a Con Rod has a price tag of £400 (ex Volvo) Cummins M11 STC engines used to be fitted into some of the larger Volvo Excavators like the 460 etc, I had to sort plenty of these for customers as Volvo only seemed to speak of replacement with most of their mechanic's looking on them like a "Rubic Cube" so it comes down to if you have the coins Volvo have the part???
KJ Services would be a good place to find a Hire Unit from, they have shovels all over the U.K. and they know what they are up to, the Technical Service from Deutz is usualy very good, Volvo at Minworth are also very helpfull with a first class parts man (Colin)

tctractors

 

[D1ESEL]

Just an update. Head off. One of the liners has been moving and has dropped. Volvo wanted nothing to do with a repair. Third party taken to Volvo and told by the fitter 'I have rebuilt more engines than you'. Third party has re-cut the liner seat, machined a shim, fitted new liner. In theory shovel should be up and running soon.

 

[cps]

Funny enough i was thinking of this yesterday and meant to ask how you got on! Hope it works out spot on, as im sure it will, hard to beat a full time engine rebuilder!