2006 S60 2.5T AWD - Radiator advice

Post by **scot850** » 18 Jan 2022, 16:04

I am trying to help a friends son who bought this car about 6 months ago with about 125,000 miles on it.

This is the car I started a thread on due to the rear parking brake shoe support block breaking off:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=99164&p=591700#p591700

They took the car to a repair shop and got a quote for $5000 CDN for 3 repairs including repairing the parking brakes, PCV overhaul and replacing a radiator with a small leak in the plastic join to the cooling section fins.

Having not replaced the radiator in an P2 before I have 3 questions:

1) Do these radiators split their seams with age or do they take help? Are they like P80's and have a tendency to fail on the RHS due to worn torque rods? Do they have a lower engine mount under the crank pulley that fails like the P80 which can also cause this?
2) What brand(s) other than OE Volvo are good? On P80's I tend to only use OE Volvo and Nissens. Is the Nissens branded version good for the P2's as well? The repair shop quoted about $475 CDN for the radiator which seems steep (evenAmazon.ca sells it for $300) as I believe the code is for a Spectra branded unit. I read really mixed reviews for that brand. Are there any other brands to be recommended?
3) If I foolishly offer to replace this is there any special advice (other then don't do it!) that I need to be aware of to swap it out? I will probably replace the thermostat and some hoses while in there as well.

Many thanks,

Neil.

Herb Goltz · Post by **Herb Goltz** » 18 Jan 2022, 20:25

My 2006 XC70 has a Spectra Premium in it, but it was installed before I got it. So far, so good, but I've only had the car for about a year and a half. I was surprised that it wasn't the original rad, as the car had $134K km on it when I bought it! I put a Spectra in my 945T more than a decade ago-- the first one I got had a leaking brass transmission cooler fitting, so I had to do the job twice. It was fine after that until I sold the car. Canadian Tire/Partsource carry them here. I would have preferred the Nissen, but I needed the car back on the road ASAP.

Will you be doing the parking brake repair? If so, I'm interested in how it goes! I did note that Erie Vovo sells knuckle/backing plate/bearing hub assemblies including parking brake on ebay these days for about $150 CDN plus shipping.

Post by **cn90** » 18 Jan 2022, 21:15

If budget is a problem, I guess you can use Nissens (US $150), but some ppl have reported issues with it:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... -1#reviews

Otherwise, Volvo OEM is a perfect fit (US $340 at FCP but $290 at online dealer):
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 56#reviews

https://www.volvopartswebstore.com/prod ... 19056.html

Personally, I'd spend US $290 for a Volvo OEM bc I know it lasts some 18-20 yrs/140K-180K etc.

PS: Does anyone know the average lifespan in terms of yrs/mileage of a P2 factory radiator?

Post by **br0dy519** » 18 Jan 2022, 21:16

I've had a TYC brand radiator in my 04 XC70 for 4 years without issue. I think it was like $80 USD on Rockauto at the time. I use TYC for both my blower motors too with good results. Fit was perfect.

PS. That quote is insane. I would talk to Blacklab467 who's in AB and see if maybe he has a better shop recommendation if you don't feel like doing the work yourself. PCV and radiator are definitely both doable. PCV just make sure you buy the updated Banjo bolt, 4x 12x16mm copper washers for the banjo bolt(s) if you're replacing the coolant/vaccum line, a thermostat gasket, TB Gasket, and new fuel injector o-rings. I Forgot them when I bought my kit and made the job go another day while the Carquest in town brought them in.

Post by **scot850** » 18 Jan 2022, 21:24

That is good to know about Erie, but downside is their cars come from the East coast to. I will try to find what Chapman Motors charge for the same.

Think I'd rather go for the Nissens mainly on price as the same price from PartsAvatar as the Spectra. Moot point until we decide if the repairs are worth it. OE is $500 CDN (400 US) from Volvo of Toronto with free shipping.

With all old cars they have their potential issues. If the back knuckles are bad what about the fronts where the struts bolt too, or the coil springs breaking, suspension parts, has the trans oil ever been flushed and many other questions need answers.

Thanks for your help.

Neil.

Post by **cn90** » 18 Jan 2022, 21:38

Some mixed review on Nissens:

https://www.swedespeed.com/threads/radi ... ce.608695/

PS: Re Volvo rad, maybe you can ask Calgary Volvo dealer to price-match the Toronto quote?
This way you don't worry about shipping and its issues (UPS dropping the boxes etc.).
Simply go to Calgary dealer to pick it up?

Herb Goltz · Post by **Herb Goltz** » 19 Jan 2022, 10:20

scot850 wrote: ↑18 Jan 2022, 21:24
With all old cars they have their potential issues. If the back knuckles are bad what about the fronts where the struts bolt too, or the coil springs breaking, suspension parts, has the trans oil ever been flushed and many other questions need answers.

Thanks for your help.

Neil.

I hear you on all of the above! The rear knuckles aren't bad in their own right, they get taken out by the parking brakes losing their linings and jamming everything up, which ends up breaking things. My 2004 XC70 needed springs this fall-- the driver's side front had a 6" piece break off at the bottom. This car had about 150k km at that point! The spring seats were also toast, and appeared to have already been replaced once before. Now it needs ball joints. The steering knuckles up front are alloy, so apparently care needs to be taken when removing/reinstalling the joints...

Post by **scot850** » 19 Jan 2022, 10:25

I have done the full suspension including the 4C shocks on our XC70 and the bushes in the control arms at the front.

The use of aluminum in main support parts and critical items is completely stupid on Volvo's part unless you insulate the steel parts(mostly bolts holding those parts on) from the aluminum. Fine if you live in warm areas where they don't use salt or de-icing spray. Let me think, where do Volvo as a business reside?

Neil.

Post by **abscate** » 20 Jan 2022, 05:29

I got 5 years 100k out my Nissens but killed it when the rad mount I fabbed failed.

The radiator then opened at the metal to plastic seam as it wasn’t designed to carry the weight

User error, not part failure.

Next one will be FreeCP

Post by **scot850** » 20 Jan 2022, 08:51

Good to know. Thanks.

Neil.