What did you do on your car today?

[scot850]

Most of the forums have his general topic posted to the top. This one does not seem to have one!

Yesterday finalised the parts ordering for the trans swap on my friends 13 XC60 T6 AWD. Man it has been a challenge to identify parts for this due to multiple options and many, many part number changes in the last 15 years since the model launched.

Local dealer had to contact Volvo Technical to confirm the used OE axle supplied was the correct one. Not only that, but once that was done, we found the retaining clip for the LHF axle one the replacement was the wrong one. Correct one is now ordered and hopefully the last part we need. Hopefully!

Now hoping the plan comes together for the swap next weekend, and starting with the car getting dropped off on Wednesday!

Cleaned the used axle yesterday. It came up looking almost like new! That is the advantage of getting used parts for the West Coast of Canada where little if any salt is used on the roads. I'm thinking the boots may have been replaced as they look like new. Removing the incorrect C-clip was a real pain, literally. The clip snapped back catching my nail under it and tearing it. A few 'engineering words' were used!

Neil.

[regent]

Sorry about your nail experience... been there, done that... excuse my French, etc.

In engineering school they tried to teach us that finger nails should never be utilised in lieu of snap ring pliers... (except for the neighbour's mother-in-law's finger nails) That was way back when... but I still remember (please don't ask me why)

[scot850]

Snap ring pliers don't really work well as the ends of this c-clip are not fat enough to give a decent grip. I ended up pushing open end the clip as far into the slot in the axle as I could. That raised the far end up enough to get a small flat blade screw driver under it and leaver it out carefully. The 'round' or mostly round 'standard' clamp I would use snap ring pliers.

Appreciate the help all the same, and nail is now tender and purple. Fairly normal I guess for wrenching........!

Neil.

[scot850]

Well today the 'Eagle' landed! The car was delivered in the early afternoon from the repair shop where the axle was snapped off and they couldn't get it out.

The CAA/AMA (similar to the AAA) picked the car up and dropped it off. The fun part is the access to our garage is a fairly narrow lane, but we were fortunate the neighbor had no cars in their rear parking bay across from the garage.

The driver was very professional and managed to get his truck at a slight angle as I needed to turn the car around to get it in forwards. I am not keen working on cars with the weight of the engine and trans leaning down the slope to the garage doors. Our son was also on hand to help. The car was unloaded using the winch as per their rules.

The car does not move, but it does start. With the LHF axle removed it has no way of driving. We managed to get the car turned to face the garage and then got our son to steer, while the large fit driver and I pushed the car in up a slight slope. Naturally it is the hottest day of the year so far and 34C. The car had been sitting outside all day. I had to get gloves to push as it was too hot to touch!

Car pushed all the way in to the join with out old garage which has a slope up into it. We have to push it part way up the slope to allow another car to park behind it. This is where we could easily have had a 'moment'. Well we did, but only to the fact the transmission in Park does not hold the car when both axles are not in the trans!!

Having not owned a newer Volvo naturally it took a moment to realize it has a electronic parking brake.

Pushed the car back up the slight slope again and applied the parking brake! All is good.

Parts are all here so I picked up the remaining parts and the RMS seal install tool from the dealer so we now hopefully have everything to do the trans swap this weekend!!

Neil.

[scot850]

Prepping the XC60 for trans removal by my mechanic friend tomorrow. I have it on the hoist with front wheels off, all rusty looking bolts for the subframe and others stuff that may need removed have been wire brushed and soaked with PB Blaster. They were not terrible.

This car has had the front fenders replaced under the Volvo corrosion warranty. I had a look today to try to understand why they rust so badly just behind the front wheels on the lower fenders. I think I found an obvious offender! They have these huge foam inserts I'm guessing for reducing stone noise, but they are perfect traps for dirt and debris. What a stupid design. It will absorb and trap dirt and water between the sponge and the lower fender. It is not sealed in anyway to keep moisture out either. I won't know until the inner fenders are refitted if they are covered by them. Either way rubbish design!

Discovered that one of the swaybar links is missing and the other one is missing a locking nut. I also don't know if it should have an undertray for the engine, or if it is missing or broken off. It has the mounts for it, but not the tray?

This is why I hate working on cars that others have abandoned or not finished properly.

Neil.

[scot850]

What's that saying? No good turn goes unpunished?

Final stretch of reassembling the 2013 XC60 with my mechanic friend. You have to disconnect the power steering pump and the header tanks to remove the sub-frame. Re-installing it I managed to unknowingly crack the flimsy plastic tanks. When ewe started to blead the steering the tank blew open and sprayed oil all over. So now we are stuck finishing the job until I can source another power steering header tank. The replacement trans cannot be flushed unless we figure out how to disable the pump. It will now have to wait for the tank which I can fit and then I can fill the trans with oil to make it moveable again.

Still waiting for the missing parts the repair shop did not return including an almost new swaybar end link they had only recently fitted. The other one was missing a nut but I had a correct replacement. The undertray is missing and most of the bumper clips. the owner is on the case!

This will be the last time I help with a car someone else has not finished fully. Way too much work trying to figure what goes where when you didn't take it apart. Fortunately my mechanic friend figured out most of it.

Neil.

[scot850]

Well had hoped to have the car finished completely yesterday, but we were short some parts. Also I managed to damage the power steering pump reservoir refitting it. My only defense is the pipes are really tight on it and you have to lift it high to get it onto the mounting bracket.

That prevented us doing the trans flush as we had already refitted the bumper and I di not want to take it off again to disconnect the power steering pump.

Luckily I looked on line and found 2 potential used reservoirs at 2 places I have not used before. One was a joker, and wander $5 more than a new one from Volvo!! I said thanks and moved on. Called another yard and they pull the parts and charged $50 for it which means we can get it quicker. A dealer one would take a few days and I want the car out of the garage as I have work to do on my own cars.

I was concerned about getting the hoses of the broken reservoir as they are hard to access and 11 year old pipes and connector. It was fiddly but got the old one off and new one on in about 20 minutes. Then filled and burped the system manually. May need to see what it is like when the car is running.

Fitted the missing swaybar end link. The repair shop supplied a new TWR unit which was great. Wheel is back on and now the trans just needs flushed. Tomorrow I will try to fill 4 liters into the trans and then my buddy will be over after his work and we will get the trans done and then fit the undertray. Hopefully all then good, and we can take the car for a proving run.

Neil.

[scot850]

Well the car that keeps taking............................

Got the car put back together with my buddies help. Flushed the trans and then took it for a run to make sure all was good and to derust the rotors as the car has been sitting for about 5-6 weeks. Car ran great and smooth. Trans shifted beautifully.

My buddy tried to was the windshield using the wiper and nearly no fluid can out. When we got back we opened the hood and my buddy looked at the system while I ran the windshield washers. Water was leaking out of the most stupid corrugated tubing to the windshield sprayers. This likes to get trapped under the hinges apparently, and to our luck it was split. Oh, joy. There is possibly a repair kit now available as it is such a common issue with a splice for the split section.

We wrapped it with water proof self wrapping tape and it was mostly sealed as a short term fix. My mechanic buddy left and my friend decided to leave his old car and take this on back instead. He got around the block and turned back as the car was throwing all sorts of faults on the dash, the windows won't go up, the doors won't lock either or the tailgate does not open and close electrically.

So the car is back in the garage and no idea what is wrong with it. Is it:

1) The battery has a fault from sitting for a long time? I have had it on a trickly charger and it registered charged.
2) Is there a bad ground we perhaps did not connect tightly enough?
3) There is a fuseable link on the +ve lead to the battery that likes to crack. Has it failed?
4) Did all that pressurized washer fluid go somewhere and get something soaked?

I'm beginning to hate this car.

Neil.

[matthew1]

Yesterday I wrote about my VW? I think this counts

https://www.alltrackworld.com/denver-to ... ip-report/

Before the trip I checked spare inflation, tires inflation, and fluids. Changed the oil with factory Castrol synth several weeks before, bringing my son in (14) for the first time to help/learn. He actually enjoyed it and said thanks for teaching him. THAT's the stuff that makes being a parent so wildly rewarding.

[BlackBart]

Nice. My dad spent a lot of time up around Ouray and Leadville and those places, doing geology work. My older brother lives near Cortez after a lifetime in Steamboat SPrings.

Is there a grand old brick hotel in downtown Durango? We stayed there once when I was little and it was so cool. I looked down out of the window at traffic going by, and I learned how to whistle!