What did you do to your P2 Volvo today?

[Krons]

Kids 2002 S60 2.4t got a fresh oil change and $250 stainless system via eBay from Northeastern Exhaust. Removing the rusty original flange bolts were a pain, lots of grinder work and chisel and hammer to separate the flange. Fun doing it on ramps/jackstands in the garage. It’s for 203,500 miles and starting to look a bit rough on the interior—he’s hoping to keep it alive another year or two. Pretty good for a car I paid $1500 for 5 1/2 years ago with 158k.

[dikidera]

I just wish to say that while I was changing my auto transmission, I also decided to play God and open up the steering rack, which was leaking like a quart per several hundred miles or if not driven long distances over the course of say 10-14 days.

I removed the input shaft, then when that is out, you need to hammer out the pinion from the casing. Once you do that, you will notice the pinion has a single seal on the botton and beneath it a bearing.



In my case that seal + bearing were fine, there was no indication that fluid was entering the space where the pinion meets the rack. My problem was the upper part where the input shaft connects to the steering column.

The problem occurs in this location in the casing



There is on there, a washer(sits directly on the opening), a seal beneath it held by a metal washer that is hammered inside. You insert in that opening shown in the image a deep socket 17 and hammer forcefully, everything will fall out with enough hammering.

The biggest issue comes from the seal, once you replace it, your leak is almost always eliminated, the washer however is hard to come by it has to be that specific shape.

It has to be exactly this one. I believe this washer when it doesn't seal properly allows dirt and water through the seal which eventually grinds it away. Cars that lack the plastic covers underneath the engine are probably most vulnerable.


In my case I had to re-use that rubber part.

The tricky part comes when re-centering the rack. Mine is a non-speed sensitive ZF rack with the o-ring press-fitted hoses. The ZF rack unlike other racks has an uneven number of turns. I measured it at 2.75 from one end to the other, this makes re-centering very very tricky. You have to max turns and then 1.375 back. It's very easy to be a tooth out, which I likely am, because in terms of degrees, all the way to either side is 990 degrees and then back is 495. In terms of revolutions, you can easily do 1 backwards, but the .375 becomes tricky.

When re-installing the pinion in the rack itself, there is an important orientation, that is to say you can be 180 degrees out from the steering column, so you need to re-install the pinion such that is the most closest to the bolt connecting the steering column to the input shaft. This is to avoid having your steering wheel 180 degrees to the other side.

[dikidera]

Another day another issue. As I was driving the PNP switch decided it would leave the chat. I should have transferred my own original one to this replacement transmission...

Turns out that some antifreeze leaked inside the PNP switch connector while I was replacing the transmission. It has massive corrosion on the connector rather than the PNP switch pins.

[vtl]

Another day another issue. As I was driving the PNP switch decided it would leave the chat. I should have transferred my own original one to this replacement transmission...

Turns out that some antifreeze leaked inside the PNP switch connector while I was replacing the transmission. It has massive corrosion on the connector rather than the PNP switch pins.

PNP switch replaced by dealer on my 02 V70 for nearly $700 (part was under $200) in 2010 was how I started working on cars myself =)

[dikidera]

For me it was when my current S60 had a head gasket problem and everyone told me to junk it or that it would cost a lot of money(mostly because the engine block needed machining). That is when I started.

[vtl]

For me it was when my current S60 had a head gasket problem and everyone told me to junk it or that it would cost a lot of money(mostly because the engine block needed machining). That is when I started.

That's a hard start, baptized by fire. My first repair was alternator replacement.

[dikidera]

None of the repairs I have done were easy. From head gaskets, all the way up to auto transmission replacement. My S60 is the very definition of a money pit.

[Krons]

None of the repairs I have done were easy. From head gaskets, all the way up to auto transmission replacement. My S60 is the very definition of a money pit.

Tough decisions. My three Volvos in the family fleet have 175k, 205k and 204k miles. The 08 S60 at 175k is nice enough and drives well enough I could justify major repairs.

The 02 S60 and 05 XC90 are pretty rough and would be tough to justify. I am prepping to do suspension and CV shafts of the XC90 to make it drive a bit nicer—only because the mechanicals still seem solid. If only the plastics didn’t get so brittle as it seems the interior bits are constantly falling apart.

When compared to new car payments though the cost per mile is still pretty cheap.

[Blacklab467]

It was a full day of wrenching on the XC70 today! Used angle gear from a 2002 resealed and installed, I was waiting on a output flange seal to come (2002 has a different flange and seal ID) Had to put my 2003 flange on after the seal was changed. Did a final level check on the Haldex, reinstalled the propshaft, changed the oil and filter, and put the summer tires on. I made a special press to seat the collar sleeve on the transmission, I'll add a picture of it tomorrow.

Parts.jpg (113.12 KiB) Viewed 7056 times

[br0dy519]

The only XC70 with a functional AWD north of the USA! Give you props for the all the work but I could never be arsed for it. The thing is such a tank in the snow and we get so little of it here anyway