S70 1999 Head gasket.....

Post by **lewismug** » 04 Jun 2009, 12:08

Some of you may remember me, some of you may not. It has been a while since I have been on here positng any problems with my car. I think the last may have been the ETM or maybe about an oil leak. Well, my trusty S70 is now sitting on 270,000 miles with a blown head gasket. I have definitely gotten my moneys worth out of the car, and I believe it still has many, many more miles left. Since the car was already leaking oil to the tune of one quart a week, has a cracked radiator, in desperate need of motor mounts, needs the flame trap replaced again, and is WAY overdue for a timing belt, I figure I will take care of all of it's aches at once. Having never torn into this engine with the exception of removing the intake manifold for the flame trap a few years back, I may need some pointers and guidance along the way. I plan to begin the work in a few weeks or maybe early next month. In the meantime, my Jeep will do the heavy lifting. This S70 has easily been the best, most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. I have abused it in more ways than any of you could imagine. Oil and filter change maybe once every three years or so being one of the ways. Daily trips through rush hour traffic "at speed" is another. I have never had another, and will probably never find another vehicle that has held up under my foot for so long. I look forward to bugging the crap outta you guys for tips, tricks, and just a shoulder to cry on when I break the first bolt off. I hope the work that is about to commence will help to propel the odometer way past the 300,000 mark.......hopefully.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 04 Jun 2009, 17:53

Good luck and we'll try to help in as many ways as we can.

On a side-note, but related. Met a '95 850 owner yesterday who has over 500K miles on his car- he was not even aware that the Timing Belt needed changing and his odometer quit on him over 100K miles ago...we read his true miles from the diagnostic box under the hood...he said something similar- doesn't even change the oil or filter- just adds to it when it's low and drives the hell out of it. I think after I talked to him about it, he's ready to change the belt, tensioner, pulley, water pump, etc. and try to hang onto this car as long as possible. Just, wow! Amazing cars, really.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 04 Jun 2009, 22:35

From what you have posted I think you can get by with doing all of the maintenance without yanking the motor but it depends on where your oil leaks are. If the RMS is leaking you might be just as well off pulling the motor since it makes everything else (timing belt, head gasket, cam seals, etc) very easy.

Your story reminds me of a car I once had. I was working for a schmuck lawyer when I was 17 and one of his clients owned a Lincoln-Mercury dealership. They had a '76 Cougar lease car that had been abandoned on Hilton Head and they cut me a deal where if I went and repo'd the car I could drive it for free through the remaining term of the lease. I had zero money invested in the car since they bought the plane ticket from KC to Savannah. I never, ever, changed the oil or did any other maintenance on the car.

It got so bad that the oil light would come on but when I pulled the dipstick out it had a trail like honey. It did, however, read full so I just kept driving it.

I pity the poor guy that got it after me.

To your point, the Haynes manual is actually quite a good help for what you are beginning to do.

...Lee

Post by **lewismug** » 05 Jun 2009, 08:40

I knew if no-one else replied, you two would! How have you guys been? Good to see you guys are still around!

I know I have seen posts in the past that described removing the engine from the bottom instead of the top. Which would be easiest? Should I pull the tranny as well, or is there even enough room under the hood to leave it in place and just pull the engine? I have a sneaking suspicion that any gasket that can leak, is leaking. I plan on replacing the rms either way. With my luck, if it's not replaced, it will let loose within a hundred miles of getting it all back together. I don't like working in tight spaces at all, so the engine will come out. I have noticed a groaning in the front end while turning the car, especially while sitting still. What could be the cause of the groan? Now that I have a garage to work in, I will be taking my time on this project. I plan to pull the engine and do all of the work outside the car. It may sound funny, but the thing that worries me the most about what's ahead is the flame trap. I want to be absolutely sure it's done right. I want to get rid of all of these leaks once and for all. They have been one of the reasons for not changing the oil. Hell, it has fresh oil added weekly! Maybe once this is all done, I will treat her a little better....but then again, more than likely that will not happen. Thanks for your replies guys. It feels great to know that I am not the only person who treats their vehicles this way, even though it is a bad thing!

Post by **vegasjetskier** » 05 Jun 2009, 09:28

lewismug wrote:Hell, it has fresh oil added weekly!

Yes, but you still have the buildup up of wear metals, acids and other nasty crap in the oil, not to mention that the oil filter can become clogged. You should change the oil anyway, even if you have to add a lot between changes. Not changing it may be one of the reasons for the leaks.

JFO · Post by **JFO** » 05 Jun 2009, 10:10

lewismug wrote:Yes, but you still have the buildup up of wear metals, acids and other nasty crap in the oil, not to mention that the oil filter can become clogged

+1...You are rolling the dice as a I learned the hard way. We had a '92 V6 Camry that seemed to be able to go forever. My wife and the kids drove it and I mistakenly thought they were changing the oil! When the engine seized, it still had oil in it, but the filter and pan screen were plugged with sludge. Many of you will be familiar with the call that starts with..."the car started making a funny noise and just stopped running"

Jim