Engine overheated and won't start

Post by **jblackburn** » 27 May 2013, 22:11

Look up Clearwater Cylinder heads.

I'd say the bottom end of the engine is more than likely fine, but if the overheat was severe enough, the top of the block itself may have warped. There's really no telling until you get the head off and can check it for trueness.

In the end, a cylinder head replacement and a used engine will probably cost you about the same if you DIY. It's just which do you have the tools/resources/patience for...

Post by **mikealder** » 28 May 2013, 04:01

When the V70 engine let go earlier this year (excessive blow-by, three worn cylinder liners) I looked in to a repair which was going to cost a considerable bit of cash, after a bit of shopping around I got a replacement engine from an S80 that had done 62K for £300 (aprox $450) and fitting it set me back a further £200 (aprox $300) which I considered cheap, so it is worth shopping around before you decide to spend a fortune on parts - Mike

Post by **E Showell** » 28 May 2013, 11:04

I don't know how else to put this -- regardless of the solution -- cylinder head only refurb and replace or engine swap, whether used or remanufactured -- unless you are doing all of the labor yourself or there are other special aspects about the car -- rarity of some sort, it is uneconomical to fix this car.

Book labor to do a cylinder head swap is about 15 hrs. Book labor to do an engine swap is about 18 hours. At rates anywhere near $100/hr. that labor is more than the car is worth in its present condition. Those are the kind of numbers that have me heading for the exits. That is not the calculus I personally did -- so this is surely a case of "do as I say, not as I do" but there were several extenuating circumstances causing me to make the choice I did, which was to revivify the beast (which, incidentally, just turned over 246K on the body and about 93K on the warranty replacement engine).

If I knew then what I know now -- I would have walked away before and should have done so. Please, someone should learn from my mistake.

jlindse1 · Post by **jlindse1** » 28 May 2013, 12:05

I have taken all this information seriously and appreciate the excellence advice. I agree that it would cost little to take the head out of the car for evaluation and inspection of the top and bottom of the engine. Some of the timing components and water pump have been recently replaced. A head gasket set is $113 on FCP. Hopefully they would magnaflux the head to ensure it wasn't cracked but, assuming it could be rebuilt, it sounds like I could do the whole thing for under $500. It's been years since I replaced an engine in a car and would be a little hesitant. Yesterday, I did do a little looking for a new/used car and visited a Volvo dealer to look at a new XC70. Nice but not sure I'm ready for the big payment. Again, many thanks for the input. While I haven't completely made up my mind, I am getting closer. There is no better substitute for having been there, done that.

Post by **E Showell** » 28 May 2013, 12:08

PM me if you want the whole, blow-by-blow of my saga. I'd be glad to spend a few minutes on the phone with you to take you through my odyssey. I also spent some formative years on the South Side, so I have a soft spot for Chi-towners.

Post by **jblackburn** » 28 May 2013, 12:13

jlindse1 wrote:I have taken all this information seriously and appreciate the excellence advice. I agree that it would cost little to take the head out of the car for evaluation and inspection of the top and bottom of the engine. Some of the timing components and water pump have been recently replaced. A head gasket set is $113 on FCP. Hopefully they would magnaflux the head to ensure it wasn't cracked but, assuming it could be rebuilt, it sounds like I could do the whole thing for under $500. It's been years since I replaced an engine in a car and would be a little hesitant. Yesterday, I did do a little looking for a new/used car and visited a Volvo dealer to look at a new XC70. Nice but not sure I'm ready for the big payment. Again, many thanks for the input. While I haven't completely made up my mind, I am getting closer. There is no better substitute for having been there, done that.

Having a car payment sucks. If your car doesn't need a huge amount of work other than this and is otherwise fairly reliable, it's a lot better just to keep the thing on the road and keep the extra $300-ish a month to yourself.

Post by **erikv11** » 28 May 2013, 12:21

Yes, it is well established that engine or head replacement is only economical as DIY. That has been posted over and over now in this thread. Now the OP has asked very specifically: what would it take to do this myself?

That's good news on what is needed/what isn't. $500 is probably a bit low, even without timing it may end up running $600. Just keep that in mind. I wouldn't go with that lowball head gasket set. Victor Reinz only on the valve stem seals. With a rebuilt head the engine will run a good long time. Be very careful with the head job, I can't stress that enough for your first time putting on a new head, personally I prefer engine swaps just because they are far less technical although the work is heavier.

A newer Volvo may choke you out as far as maintenance options - these older ones are much more friendly (cheaper) to work on.

Post by **erikv11** » 28 May 2013, 12:28

E Showell wrote:PM me if you want the whole, blow-by-blow of my saga. I'd be glad to spend a few minutes on the phone with you to take you through my odyssey. I also spent some formative years on the South Side, so I have a soft spot for Chi-towners.

This kind of help will go a long way, the little tips and tricks make all the difference.

Post by **erikv11** » 28 May 2013, 12:38

If you haven't seen it already:

Volvo 5-cylinder: How to Replace the Head Gasket

Not quite the same engine but very close.

Post by **E Showell** » 28 May 2013, 13:17

I must really live in a high cost part of the country. Clearwater quoted me around $500 shipped for a reman head. My local perfectionist race engine builder was about the same, I went local. So, at a base line we are at $500 for the basic part. Seals, gaskets, bits and bobs, by the time you are all done are going to be another $300-400 if you use quality stuff. If you aren't using quality stuff -- why do the job at all . . .

So we are at figure $850.

If you do all the labor yourself you're looking at two solid days worth of work for the head replacement if you haven't done it before and that's assuming you can get the timing belt back on after you've removed it. I couldn't have without my brother's help and even he was sweating it. There isn't much stretch in that belt and it is a bitch to get it back on.

Now, if you break a cylinder head bolt below the block deck, like we did, then you have an additional weekend of downtime while you track down the proper drill bits, drill guide, ez-out, etc. and hope to extract the broken head stud (we succeeded without having to drill the head bolt out of the block, but it probably added a couple extra weekends to the job).

Figure an extra $100 worth of drill bits, ez-outs, miscellaneous items.

Do you have a high quality click stop torque wrench, if not, you're going to need one to do this job -- about another $80-$100. We are already north of $1,000 and you don't even have the head back on the block at this point and you've spent at least a full weekend, maybe two or three.

Oh, did I mention that it is nearly impossible to remove the old anerobic sealer from the block/head surface and that surface must be clean enough to eat from in order for the reassembly to proceed correctly.

Oh, you're just going to have the head and cam cover hot tanked before the rebuild, OK, but that'll be an extra c. $40/ea.

Oh, you snapped off a bolt in the manifold, yep, that'll happen and an extra $20-40 to drill out/tap.

It doesn't get prettier. Nothing beats not having a car payment, don't get me wrong, but think carefully before you embark on this adventure. It isn't for the faint of heart and may not end well. Ask me how I know. . . .