My 850 t5 blew a head gasket...

[rspi]

[bugs11]

I'm no mechanic and I was able to replace the head gasket on my 1996 850 Turbo, engine runs fine now. There are other issues with the car that I am slowly addressing, but it's basically my daily driver. There are step by step instructions on the internet and this forum is a fantastic resource. I took my time and was very anal about labeling and storing parts as I removed them. I was also lucky in that I had a friend with a shop and tools i could borrow. You'll learn a lot if you tackle it yourself.

[RedRocket850t5]

Yea, I know of robert's diy videos on YouTube. I'm no mechanic either but if it would save me money I could watch a tutorial and maybe do it myself. Which is why the engine swap seemed more appropriate, seems easier? Having a fully rebuilt top engine sounds good too. The motor mount near the transmission probably needs to be switch out for a new one. Along with coolant hoses I'd bet. The turbo was noticeably loud during its last run which I read is bad so it probably does need to be rebuilt also. Is there any other trouble issues I should be aware of? And no this isn't my daily and I'm in the process of saving cash so there's not much of a rush other than myself just wanting it road worthy again. My other car is a Volvo 850 1996 N/A..

[rguzz]

Replacing the entire engine introduces numerous unknowns unless you can be certain it's a good one. You might burn a valve sooner rather than later finding yourself right where you started, so you have to at least find one that you can evaluate while it's running. I had my head rebuilt at a facility that does a five cylinder almost weekly, so lots of experience there. I'm a decent backyard mechanic but wouldn't take this job on. Snapping off head bolt or doing the job over wasn't an option for me. Spend 2500 bucks on the car and get it back on the road. Then tend to the simpler things yourself.

[erikv11]

But an engine swap is at least 15 times easier than a head swap, that's part of the tradeoff. Heavier and therefor more dangerous job yes, but so much less technical. Take the old one out, put the new one back in. Best case is sometimes to get an engine with a good top end (because bottom is basically always good), refresh all engine and trans seals, hook them together, drop them back in and go. Except for those pesky valve stem seals, an engine swap done wisely has a lot of advantages, and the cost is the same.

[sleddriver]

Wish I lived closer to some of you guys who've done this work or are doing this work. This would be a great learning experience!

[bugs11]

When I did my head gasket I also replaced oodles of parts since I was in there; timing belt, water pump, thermostat, coolant hoses all around, new pcv, plugs, vacuum hoses, etc... and I pulled the turbo to check it out and clean it off. The turbo was fine, just covered in an thick coating of sludge from a long standing leaking cam seal leak. I still remember that first start-up after putting everything back together - immense relief.

[RedRocket850t5]

I'm 22 and don't have much experience working on cars. How hard is it to do and is the job doable by a novice? Another option is to have a shop drop a used engine in. Seems everyone is split?? So am I lol

[erikv11]

Without experience or tools, personally I wouldn't recommend either a head swap (too many chances to screw it up) or an engine swap (too many chances to get hurt, requires a lot of space and tools).

To figure out if you would rather pay the shop to repair or replace, a key thing to know is if they have experience working on Volvo's of this era, and if they are willing to step up to use high quality parts. A generic head job with generic parts will leave you with an engine that looks shiny but starts leaking oil in about 9 months, with a litany of small problems to follow. Engine swap is much easier for the shop to get right, but as stated you have to find an engine you are very sure about.

I'd be looking for an engine, e.g. find a Volvo enthusiast with one for sale.

Contact Yellow95 at Volvospeed. He can be kind of a jerk but has rebuilt a couple dozen of these cars and knows exactly what he's doing. He's in Georgia, not sure if close to you. He might have a lead on an engine.