Notes on Timing Belt Change - 1998 S70

sifd324 · Post by **sifd324** » 22 Jan 2005, 17:37

Finished changing out my timing belt today. Pretty much followed the bay13 instructions. Here are some of the things encountered along the way.

Some other posts mentioned cutting the timing belt and thats what I ended up doing. After 15 minutes of trying to coax it past the stop, I finally stopped and cut it near the camshaft and pulled it out.

The timing belt ordered from IPD was too long. I have the mechanical tensioner and the kit on their web page is for early 98 S70's with the hydraulic tensioner. They should probably note it on their website. Another poster had problems and clued me into checking the size right off the bat. Sure enough it was too long.

Called the Volvo dealer and he had one in stock. I also got an ECT sensor since I was getting intermittant P0116 codes. The belt was $44 and the sensor was $75.

Turns out the belt was cheaper at the dealership than IPD's timing belt kit for $53. The instuctional dvd included in the kit is virtually useless unless you have the engine out and on a bench.

On the other hand I did use their intake and exhaust lock. Since this was my first timing belt, I'm not sure if it was worth the added expense. It worked as advertised and kept the intake and exhaust cams stationary during the whole procedure. I also used the serpentine belt tool. It is just a shade too long to get the full range needed to get it to the tensioner lock if the belt is off.

While doing the timing belt, I also took some other advice and changed out the idler pulley, mechanical tensioner and water pump. The idler pulley replacement from FCP Groton was not as heavy as the one taken off. Thickness of the pulley was less. Water pump took the longest due to the ackward position needed to tighten the bolts.

Changed the thermostat according to the instructions on this site. Getting the ECT sensor off proved to be more challenging. The clearance is minimal and the plug had to be disassembled so I could get a box end wrench in the space.

Took about six hours over the span of two days. Can probably cut that in have during the next go round.

With the exception of the timing belt "kit" and tools from IPD, I got the bulk of my parts from FCP Groton online. They shipped the day it was ordered and their parts arrived well over a week before anyone elses. I would reccomend them to anyone.

In this case, IPD gets a lukewarm review. The tools and performance upgrades (struts) were great however the timing belt "kit" dvd was almost annoying. Had it contained more of a real world installation, it may have been worth the additional cost.

With the money I saved from the timing belt installation, I sprung for the Autoenginuity OBDII program for my laptop. Reads the codes and resets the check engine light. The interface is software driven and is adaptable to the GM, Ford and ISO protocalls. I got it on ebay with the CAN adapter for around $250. Not as detailed for the Volvo as some of the other makes, but usefull in tracking down the intermittant ECT fault.

Next up is the ABS and then the A/C

Post by **dosbricks** » 22 Jan 2005, 18:29

sifd324,
When you had the water pump out did you compare the original to the one fcpgroton sells? I have this job coming up on my wifes S70 and have been wondering if I should get the Volvo pump (which is legendary for endurance) or go with the aftermarket one.

Thanks for the informative post (I copied it).

sifd324 · Post by **sifd324** » 22 Jan 2005, 20:20

I used the Hepu water pump. It seemed to be the same except for the teeth on the gear. The Volvo had a pattern where every fourth tooth was missing. Not sure if it makes a difference or not.

Jot · Post by **Jot** » 24 Jan 2005, 12:27

What make and cost was the twin cam holder?
TIA

sifd324 · Post by **sifd324** » 24 Jan 2005, 17:23

I got it from IPD.

http://www.ipdusa.com/ProductsCat.aspx? ... RootID=629

850, 70 series 1993-98 5-cylinder cam locking tool WST850CT $24.95

Post by **lext** » 25 Jan 2005, 15:07

By some coincidence I also did my belts last weekend. Let me give you another perspective (or how to do it the cheap, risky and clueless way).

First off, the whole thing took me about 12 hours over 2 days. A lot of it was spent on getting the serpentine belt off and on. Yes, that's right, that's the longest task for me. The problem is I don't have a toolshed or access to metal shop, just the wrenches and socket newly bought from Sears. The method described here (3 quarters with vice grip) doesn't work for me, and after a while I was really tired of looking for quarters in those dark alleys. I also bent two house keys (using as little metal bar) and various other metal pieces (literally picked off the street) which are all too soft for the tensioner.

In the end the solution was inserting two pennies into the slot (you can use some metal pieces or washer of similar size) to make it thicker, then insert the 1/2' drive and there you go. When you're done the coins will be as good as gone but that's cheap isn't it? With the right tool this job takes 5 mins at most, for me it was like 5 hours. So if you're doing this, be tool-prepared.

Now the changing, for timing belt I also cut it off. I guess with patience there's a way to take it out nicely, but by that time I was already too p*ssed to bother feeling my way out. Inserting the new one is kinda easier.

Now the risky part: I didn't change anything else except the two belts. I was at the dealer and was reluctant to spend $160 for the t-tensioner. Then when opening the belt cover I saw some trace of oil and went back to the dealer but by now they're out of stock. Everything is ready, plus I need the car, so I can't wait a few more days. I take this as divine intervention telling me I shouldn't buy a new one. I went ahead, took the old one out. It still looks decent, resists compression well. Plus the plastic spacer makes me feel much better. I also didn't think of changing any of the 10-year-old pulleys or pumps, trusting instead on Volvo quality (my car has 90K). I cleaned the oil so now if oil appears again I'll know I'm on borrowed time.

Now another time-consuming part: getting the pin out of the tensioner hole. Again with no right tools and weak hands (like mine), you're looking at hours of frustration. In the end I used a pair of bent pliers (is that the name?) to pry it off.

Being chicken about the potential damages, I also spent the time to measure relative orientation of the various sprockets and shaft, use black markers to mark the positions, then take various digital pictures of everything. When it was done another set of pictures was created, then compared to the previous set. I make sure they all match to every milimeter, then turn the crank about 10 revolutions before turning on the key. Naturally with that much care it went well. There's one thing I'd like to add to the guide: when you're putting the t-belt on, make sure the tension on the right (over the idler pulley) is very tight, just like the tension with the original belt before you removed it. You may think once the tensioner kicks in it'll be ok, but the tensioner only works for the left/top side.

When putting the s-belt on, you don't have to wrap it over the top pulley (don't know what it's for). Just put it on the right groove from the left, then turn the crankshaft CW. The belt will fall in place nicely.

The cost: $50 for both belts from FCP including shipping, and lots of time (If I have to do it next time it'll be under 4 hrs for sure).

Post by **dosbricks** » 25 Jan 2005, 19:56

This is a great thread! You guys are saving me a lot of grief for when I tackle mine. By the way, I have the ipd cam alignment tool already.

Thanks for these kinds of detailed posts.