2004 s60 timing belt job

StickyPocket · Post by **StickyPocket** » 18 Mar 2020, 20:01

Car has 72k miles, but it's 16 years old, so i figure it's overdue for its first timing belt job. Want to buy a kit to bring to a mechanic to complete. Fcp has contitech belt, pulley and tensioner, but it says INA is OE. Is either brand ok? Is that all I need to buy?

Thanks!

Post by **- Pete -** » 18 Mar 2020, 22:16

INA is fine for the t-belt tensioner and idler (pulley). I've run Conti's on 4 occasions with our P2's. I wouldn't fret about a Conti t-belt.

I would, however, make sure you take a good peek behind the timing cover & snap a couple pictures of the t-belt tensioner prior to ordering. There are a couple of different tensioners available. One time I ordered timing components from FCP after entering my VIN & still ended up getting shipped an incorrect tensioner.

Also, make sure you are at least replacing the serpentine belt, but I'd go ahead and replace the serpentine belt tensioner pulley as well.

Don't worry about a water pump yet. 200k or 2nd timing belt change is an appropriate time to change that.

Otherwise, timing belt & tensioner, timing belt idler, serp belt, serp belt tensioner pulley for a shopping list.

Post by **oragex** » 19 Mar 2020, 03:28

Great advice above. The 2004 tensioner was right in between two models which are not interchangeable
As mentioned, Continental is the best choice and you may find it comes with INA pulleys, but be sure the mechanic did already work on several of these cars and knows how to set the tensioner. The tensioner securing bolt is only 15ft.lbs

Post by **abscate** » 19 Mar 2020, 03:59

StickyPocket wrote: ↑18 Mar 2020, 20:01 Car has 72k miles, but it's 16 years old, so i figure it's overdue for its first timing belt job. Want to buy a kit to bring to a mechanic to complete. Fcp has contitech belt, pulley and tensioner, but it says INA is OE. Is either brand ok? Is that all I need to buy?

Thanks!

Another data point that it is miles, not time , that primarily kills these things
If you find a low mile, older Volvo , change the timing belt components but not on the DEFCON 1 priority if miles are low. I’ve got a new beetle with a 17 year old timing belt that I’m running this experiment on.

StickyPocket · Post by **StickyPocket** » 19 Mar 2020, 08:27

Thanks guys! You guys agree I should have this proactively changed at this mileage? I know it's below the recommendation but with the age, i don't want to risk ruining a perfectly good engine.

Also - checking out the fitment for this tensioner: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... oe#fitment

It says it fits 2001 all the way to 2016 S60. That sounds a bit far-fetched - especially with the information you guys have saying that the tensioner design changed in the middle of 2004.

Will most likely be having this done at a shop that specializes only in Volvos.

Post by **oragex** » 19 Mar 2020, 09:45

It's a question asked quite often. Opinions will vary, given you are not far from the max miles plus the age is way past 10 years, I would certainly replace it now, unless you don't expect to keep the car for more than 1 year or so. The belt rubber gets much stiffer as it ages, which makes it more prone to cracks. Your car being a 2004, it was probably sold in 2003 and the belt may have been produced early in 2002, so it's already quite a long time on it. I have to say I've seen belts in shockingly bad condition with deep cracks all over them, so perhaps it can take a beating, but at that point it's a constant gambling - these engines get scrapped if the belt fails. By the way, replacing it is not that long, even if the garage is removing the crank pulley, if he's done these cars in the past, he should be fine in under 1.5h perhaps even sooner with an impact gun. But of course, they will charge you 2-3 hours.

Post by **abscate** » 19 Mar 2020, 09:57

StickyPocket wrote: ↑19 Mar 2020, 08:27 Thanks guys! You guys agree I should have this proactively changed at this mileage? I know it's below the recommendation but with the age, i don't want to risk ruining a perfectly good engine.

Also - checking out the fitment for this tensioner: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... oe#fitment

It says it fits 2001 all the way to 2016 S60. That sounds a bit far-fetched - especially with the information you guys have saying that the tensioner design changed in the middle of 2004.

Will most likely be having this done at a shop that specializes only in Volvos.

The volvo webstore site will give you part numbers and VIN breaks - you can also order there, or use that to order elsewhere based on the usual price/warranty/service/I support MVS vendors

StickyPocket · Post by **StickyPocket** » 19 Mar 2020, 10:16

abscate wrote: ↑19 Mar 2020, 09:57
StickyPocket wrote: ↑19 Mar 2020, 08:27 Thanks guys! You guys agree I should have this proactively changed at this mileage? I know it's below the recommendation but with the age, i don't want to risk ruining a perfectly good engine.

Also - checking out the fitment for this tensioner: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... oe#fitment

It says it fits 2001 all the way to 2016 S60. That sounds a bit far-fetched - especially with the information you guys have saying that the tensioner design changed in the middle of 2004.

Will most likely be having this done at a shop that specializes only in Volvos.

The volvo webstore site will give you part numbers and VIN breaks - you can also order there, or use that to order elsewhere based on the usual price/warranty/service/I support MVS vendors

Should have noted that this is a 2.5T AWD. In that case - i think all 2004 models take the same tensioner. Is that true?

StickyPocket · Post by **StickyPocket** » 19 Mar 2020, 13:53

The kit on FCP (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... it331a-oem) says it's only for "Up To Engine Serial Number -3188688", and when I click into the individual Tensioner part, it say's it doesn't fit my car, even though the Kit comes up in my car specific search!

Snapped a picture of my engine serial number on the timing belt cover:

So I guess the tensioner I need is this one: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 30637955oe

Shopping list:
Contitech Timing Belt https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... belt-tb331
INA Timing Belt Tensioner: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 30637955oe
INA Timing Belt Pulley: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 146376-1-2
Contitech Serpentine Belt: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... t-6dpk1841
INA Serpentine Belt Tensioner: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... er-99-plus
Gates Serpentine Belt Tensioner Pulley: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... es-8627994

Should I be replacing the drive belt tensioner too (included above)? Pete, you said I should just replace the drive belt tensioner pulley, but the tensioner itself is included in the FCP kit. Wondering if it's customary to replace both of these or just one (which one?)

Post by **- Pete -** » 19 Mar 2020, 14:29

Don’t replace the entire SERPENTINE belt tensioner. Just replace the PULLEY. The tensioner spring itself doesn’t wear out. The bearing in the pulley DOES.

For the TIMING BELT you replace the tensioner as a whole as the pulley alone is NOT replaceable.

The main reason for replacing the SERP belt pulley is for peace of mind. If this bearing goes kah-poot it can shred the serp belt which then can get sucked into the crank timing gear/sprocket/pulley (Whichever you’re want to call it) & then trash your head as your timing goes way off.

Edit, sorry for the caps, I’m not yelling, just trying to quickly reply with some emphasis on certain words.