Changed timing belt, now won't start

[JDS60R]

There is a great write up here on Matthews site where an ownere repalced his head with one from Clearwater www.cylinder-heads.com .

It costs $450 for a completely reconditioned head. The head and other gaskets along with new head bolts will be up to you to buy . Figure $750 if you are going this way. You can also take the head off and take it to a local machine shop or replace the valves yourself if the valve seats aren't harmed.

Keep in mind with a reconditioned head you get new valve guides, vavle guide seats and a valve job. In my opinion its worth it to take it to a qualified machine shop who will replace everything and check spring tension etc.

Here is an important tip that is usually missed by the average shadetree mechanic. When you remove the head gasket off the head. Remove the remainder of the gasket chemically. Volvo sells a spray on gasket remover just for this purpose ( as do many othe companies) If you scratch the head with anything - inlcuding scotchbrite, brillo or a scraper you will be replacing the head gasket over and over again.

You can buy plastic razor blades from harbor frieght and a quality chemical gasket remover from Volvo or wherever you choose. I think GM had a good one too. Then remove the gasket. Put a twel over the cylinders when you are done so nothing can damage/scratch it when you are not watching it.

The check you block for warp. The block has to be level as well. I will upload a procedure for you.

[JDS60R]

Here is the procedure.

One more thing - make sure to line up the crank mark before you take it apart and make sure the crank mark is still correct before inserting the cams. You would have to take the cams out if the crank is not lined up first. You will put the cams in at very close to their exact position and rotate them ,ever so slightly to be correct.

This will take an average shadetree 2 weekends and $750. Its a perfect project to learn on and your car will run woderfully after its done.

[1997volvo850]

Update: My mechanic says it's toast. I already went out and bought another car because he said it would probably be $1500 - $1800 to fix it.

I guess I'm wondering how the mechanic determined the engine is toast?

I'm trying to understand how it is possible to turn the engine over by hand and have no piston/valve collisions
and then have collisions when you start the car? I don't see how the timing could change unless the belt was not
tight.

When I did my timing belt a few weeks ago I marked the crank before I removed my old belt and made sure it
was lined up the same afterwards.

It sounds like you changed this after the car ran poorly. But you did turn the crank over manually before trying to
start it after adjusting the crank, right?

This outcome is something to consider when trying to avoid the $450-700 bill from the dealer for doing the timing belt.

[Timberwolf530]

Update: My wife said I HAD to get the Volvo out of the garage, so I thought I would give it one more shot. I removed the plug from cyl #1 and used a broken fishing pole and a piece of cardboard to determine TDC. I totally ignored the marks on the crank sprocket and lined up the cam sprockets. I put it all together, and knew it was a good sign that seemed like I was getting compression resistance as I hand cranked it. I turned the key and...........putt putt putt vrooooom. I turned it off and checked the alignment of the crank sprocket, and it does not line up perfectly. I'm not sure how or why that happened, but it runs like a top now. I'm glad I did it because I was just about to tear it all apart and try to fix the valves. I guess I would have been really pissed if pulled the head and found nothing bent. Now I have an extra car.

[zanzabar]

So how's your confidence in your mechanic at this point? Hope he didn't charge you much for the diagnosis.

I'm confused about how you set the cam timing relative to the crank though. Did you realign the marks the way you thought it should look (i.e. cam and crank marks on target) then loosen the belt, moved crank to TDC, didn't move cams, reinstalled belt, and then car starts and runs?

Interesting story btw, great to hear about a happy ending!

[Pauloil]

great news!
can you post pics of the crank and its timeing mark and the cams?

[Red-Arrow]

You plonker!

You messed the timing up somewhere along the lines and lucky for you that you didn't bend a valve or two.

You should thank your wife for getting on your back.

[ojdorson]

Also, for not tons of money you can pick up a flexible snake camera with a light. https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Plumbi ... 657&sr=8-4

I'd think that you could pass that down the spark plug hole using the mirror attachment and see the valves. If I were in your spot, and absolutely HAD to see the valves to decide how to proceed, I think this would be a super useful tool.

[cn90]

Spark Plug Hole is about 14-mm, not sure that camera will pass through.

Also, re-align your TB.

After all, being kicked in the butt by the wife is not all that bad LOL!

[Timberwolf530]

So how's your confidence in your mechanic at this point? Hope he didn't charge you much for the diagnosis.

I'm confused about how you set the cam timing relative to the crank though. Did you realign the marks the way you thought it should look (i.e. cam and crank marks on target) then loosen the belt, moved crank to TDC, didn't move cams, reinstalled belt, and then car starts and runs?

Interesting story btw, great to hear about a happy ending!

I took the belt back off, rotated the crank to TDC on C1, then put the back timing cover back on and lined up cam sprockets with the marks, then I put the belt back on. After 25 years working on cars, this was the first timing belt I ever did. I always had it done at a shop, so I've learned a valuable lesson for next time. I do 95% of my own repairs anyway, so I don't use him very much. In his defense, he didn't see it. I just talked with him on the phone. I've known him forever, and if he can't fix something he doesn't charge me anything anyway even if I take it into the shop.