Falling out of love with my P80 Volvo...

[Eddystone]

I had bought the silicone heater hose kit (about $60) to do the heater hoses in the T5. For the V70, I had used a Dremel to remove the crimps on the Volvo hoses (not very hard with a reinforced cutoff wheel) and replace them with standard heater hose (Gates?) with clamps. Worked well, except that it was not that easy to route them in the space available without kinking on sharp corners. The silicone set comes pre-shaped to fit and also requires you to remove the ferrules and re-use the Volvo pipes going into the firewall coupler. As noted in my original post, I haven't installed them yet. It seemed tight down there in the non-turbo 98 V70, but it was scads of room compared to the 2.3 turbo in the 99 T5. It's a wonderful engine, but every time you work on it, you discover another little quirk that's different from all the other engines. For example, if you watch ten videos on replacing the PCV system and memorize the procedure step by step, you'll probably immediately discover nothing's the same.

[scot850]

Very true, but then if you try using a Haynes manual. it will tell you to take it to your nearest dealer...........!

That or they miss the part that to get that ONE bolt out requires dismantling half your car!

Neil.

[MrAl]

I had bought the silicone heater hose kit (about $60) to do the heater hoses in the T5. For the V70, I had used a Dremel to remove the crimps on the Volvo hoses (not very hard with a reinforced cutoff wheel) and replace them with standard heater hose (Gates?) with clamps. Worked well, except that it was not that easy to route them in the space available without kinking on sharp corners. The silicone set comes pre-shaped to fit and also requires you to remove the ferrules and re-use the Volvo pipes going into the firewall coupler. As noted in my original post, I haven't installed them yet. It seemed tight down there in the non-turbo 98 V70, but it was scads of room compared to the 2.3 turbo in the 99 T5. It's a wonderful engine, but every time you work on it, you discover another little quirk that's different from all the other engines. For example, if you watch ten videos on replacing the PCV system and memorize the procedure step by step, you'll probably immediately discover nothing's the same.

Hi,

Oh yeah i used a portable Dremel to cut off the clamps on my SAS on my car when i had to redo the air pump and that little flying saucer regulator valve. The hoses were on with those press on hose clamps so when they come off i dont think you can reuse them. The portable Dremel was really a low cost version so it's kinda strange ot use it because i dont think the shaft turns true, but it didnt take too much just some care because i did not want to cut into the hoses.

I didnt know they made silicone hoses for specific car models though. I bought a generic piece off Amazon. I havent needed it yet though.

[S Carlson]

I've done two heater cores. The first one is tough. The second one seems easy. Everything is relative.

Because my first one (IPD/MTC) was defective (o-ring boss was misshapen and could not seal), I have also done it twice - once to put the defective one in, and another time to put the original one back in! I will have to do it a third time with the replacement before this is all over. The difference is, I did it twice in one day, along with about 3 hours of fiddling trying to understand why it wouldn't seal before I figured out it was defective. THAT is why I hurt.

How many new problems might I cause? I think there is a balance to maintain.

If you've recently replaced the coolant, it will come out clean and can simply be recycled. Doing every single hose at one drain is a lot more work and time than it might seem to be.

It does seem to me that the timing belt (and water pump while you are in there, usually) is the most important thing to stay ahead of. Skipping the water pump would make the timing belt job a lot quicker and easier, but most of us have cars that might last have been serviced at an unknown time and with parts of unknown quality replaced by someone of unknown competence or carefulness. That drives the desire to have replaced everything yourself, but that gets to be a big job best accomplished over time.

I did the timing belt and water pump and coolant change (G-05 coolant and distilled water) when we got the car, about 9 years ago. We don't drive much, just took a peek at the belt, pump, and rollers and all looks fine, but it's on the list. I've done full cooling system overhauls on other cars, so I know how it could be. I would rather get it done and not have to worry, if the parts are good!

I don't know how new you are at this, but I think the most important advice I can give you is to NEVER use Uro rubber parts or ANY Uro parts, for that matter. You mentioned hoses being cheap. Make sure you get decent quality hoses, not necessarily Volvo OEM but at least name brand. I also avoid ANY part containing Chinese rubber which seems to ALWAYS be of poor quality. I have no problem with the quality of many Chinese-manufactured items (including guitars) but would stay away from their rubber and also brake rotors where material quality must be consistent throughout the piece.

Ohh, I am an old hand. I have seen Uro decline! I remember back when Uro hoses were considered ok! I had a 1986 Saab 900 I redid the cooling system on, back in '08 or so. All Uro hoses, many said "made in Australia" (maybe contracted out to Mackay), and they were all fine for a decade after. Different times, back then!

This V70 is about the same age as that Saab was in '08, and the preventative maintenance program I did on the Saab served me quite well, so I was trying to do that over again. Nowadays my Saab is a collector car, and I keep it off the road most of the time!

I'm over my meltdown of the other day.

I understand. I went through all 5 stages of grief when that heater core wouldn't seal and I found out it was defective...

[befarrer]

I want to give whoever designed the heater core install an award for great design. I did it in my 98 a couple years ago, didn't drain the coolant, and did it in driveway, it's an awesome design. Most cars are built where the heater core is the very last part that comes out of the interior, usually full dash gets removed, a/c drained, heater box removed, then the heater core. I also did a timing belt, and it was one of the easiest and designed well to service, even had a little flap in the inner fender to just fold up to access the lower points vs removing the inner fender.