1998 V70 AWD 33 Step Timing Belt Replacement with Photos

[deepsouth]

<<< Edit by Matthew — be careful with steel bolts in the aluminum block! Double check the torque values (ask here!) They may be aggressive... if you know, please chime in here. Use a 1/4 inch torque wrench for this work with the block, no bigger! >>>

Hey all--
I know it's been written before, but I'm an information nut and just wanted to share a success story. Did two timing belt jobs last weekend: one on my 1998 S70 and the other on my 1998 V70. Basically the exact same job on two separate cars. Took about 3 1/2 hours per job and I used a Beck Arnley kit. Tools used were following (see photo):

3/8 and 1/2 drive offset ratchets.
10 and 12 mm shallow and deep well sockets.
10 and 12 mm combo ratchet.
3/8 drive torque wrench.
Serp belt tool.
Gasket scraper.
Fine grit sandpaper.
T25 and T30 screwdrivers.
T45 L Torx.
Small Hex wrench (for locking serp belt tensioner in place).
30 mm 1/2 socket.
Threadlocker.
Liquid White out.
Zip ties for holding new belt in place.
Bungee for holding up new tensioner while routing new belt.
Cheater pipe (jack handle).
Wheel bearing grease (for holding new water pump gasket in place).

1. Remove spark plug cover and metal fuel line holder (T25 and T30).
2. Remove two bolts from upper timing cover (10 mm).
3. Remove coolant reservoir and level sensor and set on top of motor.
4. Use serp belt tool to lock belt tensioner in place with hex wrench and remove serp belt.
5. Remove locked belt tensioner (12mm). Set belt, tensioner and two bolts aside.
6. Remove lower timing cover bolt (10mm) and lower timing cover. Keep upper cover in place.
7. Take off front right wheel and clip back fender skirt (10mm bolt), exposing crank pulley and hydraulic tensioner.
8. Remove timing belt guard behind crank pulley (two 10mm bolts).
9. Locate timing tick marks on intake and exhaust cams (I used white out to enhance the marks).
10. Rotate crankshaft using 30mm socket until intake and exhaust cams line up with notches on upper timing cover (I also enhanced these with whiteout). Will take up to two revolutions for them to line up.
11. Once aligned look down at crank pulley and make sure tick marks line up on either side of oil pump marking. Once my intake and exhaust cams were aligned the crank markings were perfect.
12. After everything is lined up remove upper timing cover and mark position of old belt with whiteout at the top of exhaust and intake cam (this helps when installing the new belt--see photos).
13. Remove top bolt of hydraulic tensioner (12mm bolt).
14. Remove bottom bolt of tensioner (12 mm) and remove old tensioner.
15. Cut old timing belt off.
16. Remove tensioner pulley (T45 with jack handle cheater pipe).
17. Remove idler pulley (two 12mm bolts).
18. Remove 7 water pump bolts (10 mm) and remove water pump.
19. Use scraper, gasket remover/fine grit sand paper to clean water pump mating surface. In order to get it perfectly clean I had to clean from below and above.
20. Use wheel bearing grease to coat both sides of new water pump gasket and hold in place.
21. Install new water pump and 7 (10mm) bolts. Torque to 25Nm 17Nm (It's seventeen. Edited Aug/2023).
22. Install new idler (12mm and 20 Nm) and tensioner pulley (T45 and 40Nm 20Nm [Edited Aug/2023]).
23. Thread new belt between crank pulley, plastic TB housing, and rubber stopper. This was the most difficult step for me and took about 5 to 10 minutes to get it past the rubber bumper
24. Check timing marks on crank pulley and intake and exhaust cam using upper timing cover. My exhaust cam had turned about 20 degrees and had to be rotated back.
25. Using bungee pull timing tensioner up in order to keep tension while snaking new belt.
26. Snake belt around idler pulley, over intake cam (use ziptie to hold in place), over exhaust cam (again using another zip tie to hold in place), around water pump and up over tensioner (still held taught by bungee).
27. Install new hydraulic tensioner (12mm bolt and 25Nm) but don't pull pin yet. Remove bungee.
28. Check whiteout marks from old timing belt and count bumps between marks. You should have same number of bumps on new belt (remember you marked the top of the old belt and cams as well as tick marks). If they don't match, investigate further.
29. If everything checks out pull pin on tensioner and cut off zip ties.
30. Wait two or three minutes and rotate crank two full revolutions to make sure all three timing marks line up.
31. Reinstall timing guard (two 10mm bolts), upper and lower timing cover (10mm bolt), spark plug cover (T30), serp belt tensioner (12mm) and serp belt.
32. Reconnect coolant level sensor and replace tank.
33. Fire her up!

The following are photos from various stages.

Again, I know it's been written before but I like to have as much info as possible before doing a job and hope this info can help!

Eric

[bobice]

Great write-up. Mine is due in 10,000 miles. Will surely make my first timing belt job much easier. Why not changing the water pump the same time? I guess for DIYer, it is fine to wait the pump die? Probably the pump can last another 105,000 miles?

[deepsouth]

Thanks! I did replace water pump. That's steps 18, 19, and 20. I figured might as well do it all in one shot.

[JimBee]

When I did the TB system on my 96 855 at 134k miles I didn't change the water pump as I was in a hurry. At 138K it failed.

[stephansvolvo]

Nice write up. 3.5 hours is a good clip. Thanks for sharing this.

[dosbricks]

I printed a copy for next week--even though it will be my 5th TB job--because of your concise by-the-numbers list.

Thumbs up, Eric.

dos

[Heath720]

Thanks. Gonna be doing my belt next week. How's the quality of the Beck Arnley kit?

[rspi]

When I did the TB system on my 96 855 at 134k miles I didn't change the water pump as I was in a hurry. At 138K it failed.

Did the pump failure surface as a leak or disaster? I changed a water pump a few days ago that was only 2 years old, after market pump.

Word for the wise... only use Asisn or Hepu water pumps.

[deepsouth]

Thanks! I've actually had very good experiences with Beck Arnley kits. Used them for years and have never had a pump or a component fail. I've heard them trashed talked but, again, only good experiences.
Eric

[rspi]

On Volvo's or other cars?