Quick opinion please - oil pan and bottom of block condition

[smacknab]

Hi friends,

I've pulled my oil pan to replace gaskets and reseal it up. I'm in the process of cleaning up the pan but I was wondering if anyone could give me some opinions on the bottom of the block. How does this all look? Should I try to clean anything off from under the car (I have brakekleen and nylon brushes) or would I cause more harm than good?

Is there anything else I should check while I'm down here?

This is off a 99 na m56 with 212k miles. Up to 185k miles it was owned by an engineering professor so I believe it got regular oil changes for most of it's life. From 185-205 it was a highschool car so I imagine it was a little neglected during that period.

Thanks for the pointers!

[FLXC90]

Doesn't look bad for the mileage. I wouldn't worry much with the light varnish on most surfaces. If anything, I would remove the oil pickup tube and clean it as thoroughly as possible. If that means the sink with dawn and then the dishwasher, okay, A local machine shop for a quick spin in a parts-cleaner? In the engine rebuild thread from way back, people did amazing things to their oil pans and windage trays with simple cleaners, brushes, and time.

[scot850]

Is the engine still in the car? If you have access to it, and all the stuff on the front of the engine is off, it is worth cleaning the oil return tube from the PCV catch tank to the oil pan. It is difficult to do from the front of the car when doing the PCV clean as it takes a hard turn downwards. Worth checking it is clean if you can.

Neil.

[erikv11]

You can see the oil return tube in the pics, looks very clean in both the block and the pan. But I agree!

[smacknab]

Thanks guys, good to know it's in decent shape. I got the pickup tube down for cleaning and it seemed pretty good but I did find some metal shavings in the screen. Maybe that's also normal for this age?
Anyway thanks for the tips and the reassurance that the engine is in ok shape

[xHeart]

Servicing oil pan with these many miles makes total sense, but not if you're not servicing the crankcase aka PCV. You want to take time and read through this entire thread for what fits your situation viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31236.

Clean the pan as best as you can but clear the passages for max flow. Always use Volvo seals and sealant for critical jobs.

While oil pan is off MVS Mavericks would say to check the bearing rod for wear.

[smacknab]

Servicing oil pan with these many miles makes total sense, but not if you're not servicing the crankcase aka PCV. You want to take time and read through this entire thread for what fits your situation viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31236.

Clean the pan as best as you can but clear the passages for max flow. Always use Volvo seals and sealant for critical jobs.

While oil pan is off MVS Mavericks would say to check the bearing rod for wear.

I'll look up how to check the bearing rods, I found some side to side play where the bottom of piston rod attached to the crankshaft (I think I got all those names right) but I read that was normal? Otherwise I did the PCV when I did my head gasket a couple months ago and I still have the Volvo sealant from that job. Thanks for the note I've been using this thread as my main source

[abscate]

Big end journal axial play is the number we are looking for

It’s normal to have some feelable back and forth here, so 1-6 “mil” , or 0.1-0.2mm is ok.

I had. A quick look in all data but didn’t see it, will keep looking

Quote from jimmy

those are loose. .08 to .24 mm/ .002 to .010 inch. Nothing pushes rod laterally and there is no flange on rod berings. That is the clearance between rod big end sides and the radius of rod journal on crank. The escaping rod brg oil fills it. No loss of oil pressure by that clearance.
The rod caps are cracked so you HAVE TO BE careful to put the cap back where is came from in the right direction. I would pull a couple of the rear rods for inspection. Rod bearings have no tabs so if one falls out installed it centered left-right.
Pick up screen is likely the issue but the diesel sound you described is worrisome.

[JimBee]

The rod cap bolts are inverse torx so you'll need the right socket for that. I've forgotten the size of the bolt heads (10 mm?). Those are stretch bolts, btw, but can be reused as long as they retain their original length. So tightening them will be measured torque plus number of degrees. They'll squeak, making you nervous but that's how they're made. There's a spec sheet somewhere on MVS.

Then I would check the bearings one at a time, carefully like Jimmy 57 says, ensuring that you replace the bearing inserts exactly like they were, not flipped around (you'll see that the rod cap is dimpled to accept bearing inserts that have the dimple, but Volvo didn't use a dimpled insert, so the insert can be fit either way. There should be no wear on the bearing's running surface (no uneven coloration, copper showing, etc., just nice consistent gray?).

And, of course, the crankshaft journals should be perfectly smooth and mirror clear.

Smear a dab of engine rebuilding grease on the insert before replacing.

[ZionXIX]

I am interested in dropping my oil pan and inspecting bearings. Is there a specific brand that should be purchased? An difference between engine models?