P80 P2 Coolant pipe o-ring & install 976045 Topic is solved

[Sveedy]

^ That is exactly it. So left hand on pipe, right hand index finger in water pump side trying to push o-ring around into place. If my hand would fit around the timing cover.. And it would all have to be done by feel.

But your idea of stretching the o-ring before install is golden ! I could put it on the pipe, heat the pipe with a heat gun and let it cool a few times, then try installing it, maybe while it's still a little warm. Lots of Vaseline and it just might work.
If it does, I owe you a beer !

[FireFox31]

Thanks for the pics, bmdubya1198! How do we know how far to push in the pipe? Is there a ridge on the block after the o-ring to stop it, or a ridge on the pipe to catch on the block?

Sveedy, is your engine installed or not, and are you approaching this from above or below? Maybe it's easier to leave the coolant pump in place, fit a new/stretched o-ring, then check for leaks, even repeating this multiple times compared to the labor of removing the timing belt and coolant pump.

I appreciate everyone's insight into this since I'd like to replace a horribly rusted coolant pipe but don't want to do the coolant pump at the same time.

[Sveedy]

I thought that since this is become a bit more involved than I expected, and to not take space from the " What did you do ... " thread,I'd continue the discussion here.

I've been approaching this with the water pump and engine installed. So if a good way of doing this repair can be found, then it would probably be useful for others in the future.

To recap, the o-ring's ( # 976045 ) outside dia isn't quite big enough to keep it firmly installed in its groove, so that the coolant pipe can then be fed through from the block side. It's a bit loose. In fact it's very loose. You can't see if the coolant pipe has gone into the o-ring, or if the pipe has cut or pushed it out of its recess inside of the bore. You might have a better chance with the pump out, but I'm trying to avoid that, for obvious reasons. And of course you don't know if it's right till you put everything back together and fill the system.

I'm going to try to stretch the o-ring by putting it on the coolant pipe and putting it through a few of heat / cool cycles with a heat gun to see if that stretches it enough to keep it in place inside of the water inlet bore. I'm also peening over the sharp cut factory edge on the coolant pipe a little to lessen the chance of damaging the o-ring. That and copious amount of Vaseline will hopefully work.

[Sveedy]

Thanks for the pics, bmdubya1198! How do we know how far to push in the pipe? Is there a ridge on the block after the o-ring to stop it, or a ridge on the pipe to catch on the block?

Sveedy, is your engine installed or not, and are you approaching this from above or below? Maybe it's easier to leave the coolant pump in place, fit a new/stretched o-ring, then check for leaks, even repeating this multiple times compared to the labor of removing the timing belt and coolant pump.

I appreciate everyone's insight into this since I'd like to replace a horribly rusted coolant pipe but don't want to do the coolant pump at the same time.

Engine is installed. Working from below.

Started another separate thread for this issue.

[abscate]

I’ll cull the discussion from the sticky and put it here

[volvolugnut]

A good hardware (like my local ACE) will have SAE and Metric size O-rings in a wide selection of sizes. Trying to stretch the O-ring is not likely to work. Get a larger one. If you have a loose fit either the cross section size is not right or the ID/OD is not large enough for proper fit. I think the standard grade O-ring material you would buy at a hardware will be good for the heater circuit.
volvolugnut

[bmdubya1198]

Thanks for the pics, bmdubya1198! How do we know how far to push in the pipe? Is there a ridge on the block after the o-ring to stop it, or a ridge on the pipe to catch on the block?

Sveedy, is your engine installed or not, and are you approaching this from above or below? Maybe it's easier to leave the coolant pump in place, fit a new/stretched o-ring, then check for leaks, even repeating this multiple times compared to the labor of removing the timing belt and coolant pump.

I appreciate everyone's insight into this since I'd like to replace a horribly rusted coolant pipe but don't want to do the coolant pump at the same time.

You'll know it's lined up because of the additional pipe going to the cylinder head, with the oval gasket.That needs to line up, so that's an easy way to tell that it's all the way seated.

[bmdubya1198]

So just to clarify, you did use a genuine Volvo o-ring?

[abscate]

Coolant pipe info 9172744

WARNING!

The fitment chart is incorrect. Starting in 1999 the pipe extends longer and is angled towards the front of the car, so the lower rad hose is shorter. There are two pipes between NA and turbo models starting in 1999

There are three part numbers of pipe, so choose carefully

Volvo falls it a coolant pipe through 1998, then changes the name to water pipe in 1999-

Ooof

[abscate]

Sketched up cooling flow diagram