New Volvo Owner/Project

[coolbreeze613]

ABJ1,

I'm in the same boat - getting ready to buy a new head, maybe from Odessa. Did yours come with the upper cam cover, cams, and all the VVT components, or did you have to use the originals?

[abj1]

coolbreeze613,

The cylinder head came with a polished/resurfaced upper cover and both cams, but nothing else. No VVT or pulleys. I re-used my cams, but I don't think that it really matters.

My one piece of advice is that you buy the cam holder tool. I made my own and although it worked, If I had to do it again I would pay for the tool in a heartbeat. I think the $50 ebay cam tool would be fine. The problem with the homemade tool is that it will not handle torque at all. Fine for a timing belt, but not for the job you're doing. You will be forced to remove and re-install the VVT (over 80ft/lbs) to replace the cam seal behind it. And if your like me, you will have to remove and install it twice more to get the timing figured out. Plus, The homemade tool doesn't fit as precisely and will only make VVT timing more difficult.

[coolbreeze613]

Thanks for the info. I was planning on getting the amazon or ebay cam kit.

The VVT procedure seems like a big pain...as is the case most of the time with technology!

I was close to having a friend that does race heads do the machine work for me. But him wanting $400 and still having to buy $300 of just valves, and then having him potentially charge $250 to set the valve lash.......a $600 rebuilt head sounds to good to be true.

[abj1]

....a $600 rebuilt head sounds to good to be true.

We'll see. So far I have about 70 miles on the head and it's been perfect. Very quiet, no smoke. The true test will be how it holds up in the long-term.

And no, the VVT actually isn't a pain in the butt once you figure out the proper way to set it. If you need help with that step, feel free to ask me. I'm far from an expert, but I did manage to do it correctly. (and 3 ways how NOT to do it)


Just gotta figure out my sunroof (not functioning at all) and it definitely needs some control arm bushings and/or ball joints as the tires "skip" when turning at slow speed. Feels very unsettling.

[jbeebo]

abj1, does yours have dual VVT? Curious how you set the gear position vs. the VVT position.

F250 published a really good guide, but the clocking of the VVT mechanism vs. the slots in the gear are exact opposite of what Volvo has in their service manual (screenshots of it I've seen posted here). And recently Brad Granath struggled with dual VVT timing, so I'm just seeking your perspective on the deal.

If the tires skip during a tight turn at low speed, like a locked up 4wd, that indicates there's a locked or partially functioning differential...

[abj1]

If the tires skip during a tight turn at low speed, like a locked up 4wd, that indicates there's a locked or partially functioning differential...

\

Hmm, is that a common problem? It doesn't feel like a 4wd on dry pavement (I know what you mean). It feels more like the control arm bushings and/or ball joints are worn. I will replace them and see if that helps.

abj1, does yours have dual VVT? Curious how you set the gear position vs. the VVT position.

F250 published a really good guide, but the clocking of the VVT mechanism vs. the slots in the gear are exact opposite of what Volvo has in their service manual (screenshots of it I've seen posted here). And recently Brad Granath struggled with dual VVT timing, so I'm just seeking your perspective on the deal.

My car has the VVT on the exhaust side only. I think that is the most common setup and I'm not sure if intake or dual VVT setups will work with the method described below. Using the method, I was finally able to set my VVT and get rid of the stubborn P0014 code.

SETTING VVT

1. Don't assume you have the VVT in the correct position and you just need to move the outer sprocket. Just redo the whole procedure to guarantee it's done correctly.

2. Get the crank and cams to TDC. Make sure the timing marks line up, then lock the cams in place. (If you had a VVT code, you may notice the groove in the back of the exhaust cam doesn't line up correctly with the head/cam lock tool) In this case, you will have to manually move it into position with a flat head screwdriver or similar tool to get the cam lock tool into position.

3. Once cams are locked, loosen the timing belt tensioner and remove the belt.

3. With cams locked, loosen (but do not remove) the 3 8mm bolts holding the sprocket in position on the VVT. Rotate the outer sprocket clockwise until the bolts "bottom out" in their grooves. (gear should be all the way clockwise, bolts all the way to the left). Temporarily re-tighten the 3 bolts for now to hold it in this position. I do this step now because the VVT is solid on the cam.

4. Place a rag below to catch the oil and remove the VVT center cap (T-55 torx). Then remove the main VVT center bolt. The VVT will simply pull off the camshaft. (If you need to replace the cam seal behind the VVT, now is the time) This bolt will be on very tight. Make sure whatever your using as a cam locking tool is strong enough to handle the torque of removing/tightening this bolt!


5. Put the VVT back on the camshaft. Install the center bolt and LIGHTLY snug it down. Tighten the center bolt down just enough so that you can still rotate the VVT around the cam, but It should take a little effort. If you can spin the VVT on the cam easily, the bolt is not tight enough. It shouldn't be difficult to turn, but it should have a little drag. This is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT!

What you are trying to achieve is to have the VVT create some drag while rotating it on the camshaft. This is to take up the "slack" in the spring and insure the VVT spring is in the correct position before fully tightening the center bolt.

5B. Rotate the VVT/sprocket assembly clockwise on the cam until the timing mark is ONE TOOTH shy of the correct timing position. DO NOT turn the VVT counter-clockwise on the camshaft. If you go too far, just keep going around clockwise. (The sprocket should still be in the fully advance position from step 3) Once you verify the sprocket is fully advanced and you were able to get the timing mark 1 tooth shy of the timing mark on the upper cover, Tighten the center bolt fully. If I remember correctly the torque spec is 120nm or 88ft/lbs, but please verify.

After the bolt is tightened, double check your timing mark to make sure it didn't move while tightening the VVT bolt.

6. Install and tighten the center VVT cap. 25ft/lbs

7. Using a torx-55 in the cap, rotate the VVT unit against the spring clockwise to it's maxed position. (the timing mark should be approximately 1 tooth past the timing mark on the upper cover as the VVT spring has about 2 teeth worth of play). While holding the VVT in this position, loosen the three sprocket bolts and re-align the timing mark with the upper cover. Tighten the three bolts and release the spring. Rotate the VVT against the spring again to make sure the timing mark lines up when the spring is fully maxed out.

Keep the cams locked and install/tension the belt while holding the VVT fully advanced against the spring. Rotate the engine by hand clockwise until the timing mark on the intake cam is 1/4 revolution past TDC (1/4 cam revolution is 1/2 crank revolution) then turn back counter-clockwise to check timing marks. (don't rotate the engine backwards (counter-clockwise) without tensioning the timing belt first) If all three timing marks line up, you are done.

[jbeebo]

Thank you abj1, very helpful description

[abj1]

Hello all, sorry to bring up an old thread, but I wanted to give an update.

After the car was fixed, It was given to my dad who drives a lot of miles per year for work.

After two road trips through 7+ states and a lot of commuter miles, the Volvo is holding up great! Over 25K problem free miles since the work was completed.

The only issues he had were control arms and a bad CV axle. No engine problems whatsoever. Based on this report, I'd highly recommend clearwater cylinder heads. The engine now has over 200k miles and the cylinder head has over 25k miles with no issues at all.

Also, I did a simple trans drain and refill-3 times I think. The 01 Auto trans is holding up great. In fact, with the new fluid, it feels better now (at over 200k miles) then It was when I got the car at 165k