The engineers earned that paycheck! I looked at (Texas Coder)'s video and another on a D5 Intercooler swap, on YouTube, and kinda took it from there.
Working in my driveway with hand tools, except a drill for the rivets, and minus a couple parts runs, it took me 10 hours. ( I had issues that I will pass on as tips here). While I was in there I took the opportunity to change my oily charge-air hose, and cleaned my ETM.
From the videos, I liked the access from above, so I elected to disassemble the front end per the D5 video.
Prep:
-Raise front of car with jack or on ramps to increase clearance at least 6-8 inches under radiator)
-Drain coolant from radiator, and keep a drain pan available.
-Remove the splash guard/air guide from under the car. (7, 10mm bolts)
-Remove the headlight assemblies, and set aside
-Remove the air scoop from the core support to the airbox. (2, 10 mm)
-disconnect the charge-air hose at the over the engine plumbing. (7mm clamp)
Full Access: (removing bumper etc...)
-Drill out the rivets from the mudguards in the wheel wells
-Using body tool or wrapped screwdriver, pop the aft upper corners of the bumper cover free of the trim. (see D5 video)
-Video says to remove the aft upper corner bolts, but I didn't see a reason after I had pulled them. (2, 10mm)
-Remove 14mm bolts from front of bumper where headlights were.
-Disconnect fog light harnesses at light assemblies
-Disconnect headlight washer hose at right of center (raise it up into view, and it's easy to disconnect.)
-Remove bumper lifting slightly and pulling forward.
-Remove metal skid-plate by removing 4 surface 14mm bolts, and 2 recessed 14mm bolts. Lift a little and pull, it rests on a flange on the subframe.
(At this point I had access to the intercooler clamp at the charge-air side, and the outlet side. I removed my charge air hose for space. )
(Also at his point I could access the lower radiator hose, so I dumped the rest of the distilled water I had been wasting for the last month.)
Removing core support (slam panel as in D5 video)
-Use a 10 mm box wrench or 1/4 drive 10mm to remove 2 bolts from each front collision sensor on core support . (little sensors that sit under the headlights) be careful with these, you don't want to set off your airbags. Lift them out of their mountings, later you will release them at their press-in clips from the frame, and you can set them up over stuff when you have the support out.
-Remove the 10mm bolt from the washer fluid reservoir filler neck, and remove it. (twist and pull, it has an O-ring seal)
-Remove the 10mm bolt and disconnect the ground wire to the A/C harness (most forward ground near washer reservoir neck-Sheathing has green
stripe)
-Remove 10mm nuts and cylinder from support on left behind headlight area. (just raise it off and gently let it hang)
-Using a 12mm end wrench, remove the bolt from the secondary hood latch release, and withdraw the release arm through the inlet shroud.
-Remove the 10mm bolts from the core support at the following locations: 1 at each side in mirror positions
1.Corner of bumper brackets near wheel arch as accessed by removal of bumper cover.
2. Tabs at either side of cooling intake/shroud. (vertical into forward frame rail)
3. In lower inboard area of each headlight area. (horizontal into structure)
4. in pockets where the washer reservoir filler neck is, and opposite side. (running inboard to outboard into fender structure)
5. on top of support, into the rubber blocks in the top of the radiator.
-Use a scribe and mark the location of your hood latches through the face of the core support.
-Remove the two 10mm bolts from each latch and allow them to work free of the support.
(As you slowly work the core support out, you will release clips/retainers for the crash sensors, hood latch mechanism)
A helper for this step is highly recommended-and it's probably time for a cold one.
Radiator removal:
-If you haven't removed the fan shroud, do so now, 2, 10mm bolts back-to-front, raises out the top.
-Remove 4 through bolts that hold the cooling sandwich together (back-to-front, 2-4-8-10 o'clock positions roughly)
-Disconnect the rest of your hoses to water and air , including the reservoir retun nipple at the top of the radiator
-With things loose, If you have some cardboard, slide it between components for safety. Pulling intercooler first frees up space to maneuver the radiator. Intercooler comes right out the top.
-Remove the upper trans cooler line, and support with tie-wire, I didn't and it cost me probably an hour going back-and-forth and looking online for a picture then trying to wrangle it all back in position.
-Remove the screw from the pipe clamp tabs at the lower left side of the radiator (t-30 torx)
-Remove the lower trans cooler line.
For access to finagle the ears on the trans out the bottom you will need to do the following:
-Remove mount bolts for the Power steering cooler and aux tranny cooler (front-to-rear at outboard of both coolers.
-Allow them to droop, and swing them out as the lines will allow.
-Remove the bolts from the bottom of the radiator mounts (I think they were 14mm, but I forgot)
Note: I installed a Nissens radiator, and I didn't measure, but I installed it from the top no-problem. I had already set course for removing through the bottom based on Texas Coder's video ( 'cuz that's how VIDA says to do it). I think that, once the intercooler is out, you could remove the radiator up. this would eliminate the need to raise the car (which I didn't do until I had the radiator hanging down!)
Now that it's out:
Transfer the following to your new radiator:
-pillow blocks from pockets on top of radiator
-lower mount blocks (my new one came with them)
-clipnut for pipe mount on lower left (whole lot easier if you don't forget until the radiator is in!)
-Replace the green Q/D locks on your cooler lines.
-Change the clamp on the reservoir line from the nipple on radiator. (I forgot, and had to re-remove the core support for that
)Installation is reverse of removal-really. But
-Build up your cooler sandwich, check all you fittings and clamps.
-Definitely a good idea to have a helper for install of core support-or mask the fronts of your fenders; now I need a Nautic Blue touch-up pen.
-Work slowly and think through reinstall; get core support close to front of car, tuck latches back in and adjust per-scribed marks
-Make sure hoses and pipes are in their proper guides and channels as you go. This includes press in wire clips
-Loosely install ALL core support bolts, some adjustment may be required-and then some more...
-Make sure your headlights fit back in, see above!
-Once I had the core support in and all my connections made, I filled it and fired it up so I could check for leaks. The cardboard I had used earlier got double duty. Also, since Volvo always runs coolant through the core, you don't have to do like I did, and turn on the heat.
-I ran it up to temp and watched, it did great, drove around the block with half a front-end at 1 o'clock and puled back over my cardboard. G to G.
-Refit your skid plate before the bumper, it wont clear the lower edge, (NO, this one I already knew-but you might not.)
-Keep a jug of 50/50 in the car for the first couple trips, don't sweat the coolant low until the system has burped the air out of it
-Don't forget to top-up trans for the fluid lost in the swap.
-Consider trading your Volvo in---AGAIN--and then get over it, enjoy your accomplishment, and drive safe.
Sorry for no pictures. Also I was given a dorky pair of safety glasses with the lights in the temples for Christmas, and they Rock!!
I have a drop light, and I have headlights, but these don't take extra space, and they look where I do.
Happy New Year MVSers