1998 V70XC AWD Timing Belt + Water Pump Replacement

Post by **dosbricks** » 17 Feb 2015, 19:01

Carboncopy wrote:Nevermind, I am a dumbass. I realized I was turning it over too much. I did not realize the marks were midway through the pistons stroke. They are lined up now.

There are no experts the first time we do something. This forum is here to help.

BTW, when the job is done, I like to pull the plugs and rotate the engine without the resistance of compression. The first TB job I ever did I must have rotated it ten times before I nervously got behind the wheel and turned the key.

Post by **erikv11** » 17 Feb 2015, 20:19

Ten times at least for me, I remember it well.

Carboncopy · Post by **Carboncopy** » 17 Feb 2015, 20:31

I have run into another problem, the t-45 torx bolt holding the tensioner pulley has decided to strip out

Is it possible to reuse the same mounting and simply replace the pulley/bearing without removing it from the block?

Post by **dosbricks** » 17 Feb 2015, 20:50

I don't believe there is a way to counter-hold the bolt that holds the pulley on. But erikv will be able to step up and tell you for sure.

On edit: I just went out to the garage and looked at a new INA tensioner and the above is correct. Do not despair--you are not the first. There are some different ways to handle this. I'll do a search and see what is in the archives.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=37389
pablosvolvohaus in the above thread has a solution that sounds like one of the better ones.

I'm going to be doing water pump and rollers on one of our cars tomorrow so could end up in the same boat. If that happens we will be rowing together. I broke some teeth on my t45 bit last time and let it ride, but my new $30 Mac Tool T45 stubby socket has some bite. Will have a verdict in the morning. See the thread below for another answer to the problem:

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... x+#p339998

Carboncopy · Post by **Carboncopy** » 18 Feb 2015, 10:06

Upon further examination, I have decided not to bother replacing the tensioner pulley. It does not seem all that worn, there is no grinding or catching when its turned and it does not freewheel. I wish you luck on your replacement dosbricks, hopefully you can get it out without having to do anything major.

Post by **850 LPT** » 18 Feb 2015, 13:15

I would recommend replacing the idler pulley, you are taking a chance.
It may seem fine today but what about in another 20 or 30k miles or so? Are you going to keep checking it?

Post by **cn90** » 18 Feb 2015, 13:33

Some people drill a hole in the inner fender so they can drill the Torx bolt out.

Others use right-angle drill.

This post is a reminder for whenever you need to unbolt a non-hex head (Allen or Torx):
- Clean the inside of the bolt first to allow the socket to bite better.
- Make sure the socket is FULLY inserted before undoing the bolt. Failure to do so will strip the bolt, now you have a much bigger headache to deal with.

Post by **dosbricks** » 18 Feb 2015, 13:58

Carboncopy, if the pulley has no play and rolls smoothly it's likely OK now, but it would help to know when it was last changed. If it's OE Volvo part, then very likely it's safe for 140k or more from when it was installed. If you don't know, it will be a question mark hanging over the issue.

I'm happy to report my Mac T45 stubby socket did the job along with a long handle 3/8" drive ratchet--but it seemed touch and go initially. In the second link above, mecheng states that this job requires a top quality torx bit. The cheap ones can not handle it because of the shallow depth of the bolt head.

All the bolts I removed today--idler, tensioner, and water pump seemed tighter than torque spec. Probably because all had white corrosion in the threads from bi-metallic action between the steel bolt and aluminum block. This may be due to the age/mileage of the vehicle (223k). This time I'm going to make them up with a little Anti-Seize to eliminate this and perhaps make the going a bit easier in the future.

Carboncopy · Post by **Carboncopy** » 19 Feb 2015, 07:27

I talked with the local indie Volvo mechanic who used to work on the car for its previous owner. They told me they had replaced the belt and idlers within the last few years, so I think the tensioner roller is gonna be fine for the rest of this engine and transmissions life at least (car has over 241 000 Km on it and it was often neglected by its old owner). I do appreciate the cautions though. I also decided to cut things short and not spend the hours getting the pulley out cause I have been working outside and in an unheated garage and today's temperature is a lovely -32 C