Latches, Mounts, Clamps, Hardware, Bushings & Fasteners

DIY: 1998 S70 Hood Cable Replacement

If you keep any car long enough, chances are the hood cable will break at some point. Mine just broke the other day. New Volvo Cable for my 1998 S70 is Volvo PN 9444027, $36 at dealer.

Only after I did this job that I realized that this can be done for $3 using a bicycle cable with diameter approx. 1.0 mm (and much less time than because you remove nothing doing it this way)! Continue reading →

Add Hood (Bonnet) Emergency Cable

I recently pulled my hood release… and disaster. Nothing happened. It turned out I was lucky: the crimp on the end pulled off, so I was still able to open the hood with pliars. I couldn’t get a replacement cable in good time, so instead just crimped a new end on the old cable. Obviously I’m worried about how weak it might be getting, so decided to add “emergency” opening cables which are accessible from outside the hood. Continue reading →

Damaged Threads of Oil Drain Plug

1. Is 22ft-lbs tight enough to let it slide for awhile (monitoring for the oil leaks, of course)? 2. Is this a fix you would trust to a machine shop? 3. Find a used oil pan? Just how difficult is … Continue reading →

Diagnosing Bad Engine Mounts

The RPM are 840 on both “N” and “D”, however when I throw it on the “N”, the sound goes away.I tried, having it on “D” and holding the brakes, to raise RPM to about 1100, and that is when the noise is most evident.The best described it is a very low intensity roar and slight vibration. Continue reading →

Gates Heat-Shrink Radiator Clamps

You need the clamp to get really, really hot (~300 degrees), so I’d recommend either having a REAL heat gun instead of a hairdryer, or do what I did and go make the engine really hot on some twisty roads. … Continue reading →

Prep work for a vehicle in storage?

- Condensation might accumulate where it would be cooked off with occasional running. Usually this isn’t a problem except some minor surface corrosion, but it can accumulate in the oils where it will degrade the fluids. I would suggest an … Continue reading →

Delta Link Repair DIY

As I’ve mentioned before, I have had a persistent “clunk” in my rear suspension and a “wandering” sensation at highway speeds. I tried the fender washer in the shock mount repair which yielded no change in the sound and then, … Continue reading →

Magnetic Drain Plugs – How Do They Work?

The Benefits and Risks of Using Magnetic Drain Plugs Regular magnets will lose their magnetism at aprox 170 degrees. The oil runs much hotter and you do not want an ex-magnet floating around in the engine. I drill out the … Continue reading →

Volvo 940 Engine Mount Replacement Tutorial

MVS Contributor and Member Writer100 shows us how to do a Volvo 940 engine mount replacement — including, importantly, what parts to buy to save $68 per side. The local Volvo dealer quoted me $100 per mount. Volvo Parts Online … Continue reading →