V70 2.4T - Timing Belt Service Interval - how far can I push it?

[Jonboy74]

Ok, so.... given all of this thread, how much time should I allow for this job, start to finish. Assume I have all of the tools, and can put the vehicle up on decent jack stands. I'm confident, but I've never done any of these specific jobs before, with the exception of the serpentine belt.

Talking about:

Timing Belt and Tensioner
Cam Seals
Water Pump
Serpentine Belt and tensioner

What else am I missing? (I'll do the PCV on a separate weekend)

Jonboy

[abscate]

I would give myself a 6 hour block on that job. That’s time for breaks. Heat and crack off the 30 mm pulley nut before you take the belt off and recheck the timing marks. Make sure you have the big Torx to get the vvt hub bolts off and don’t overtighten the cam lock bolts. Just ginger tight

[93SCMax]

What exactly do you mean by "engine flush"?

Google "engine flushing". You will get tons of info, both for and against flushing. But if I wasn't clear enough, the crud on the top of your oil cap indicates pretty dirty internals possibly due to high mileage, little service and/or infrequent oil changes/cheap oil. If you starve a portion of the engine of oil (and trash a bearing), a TB kit is wasted $... just my opinion.

I've used Mobil 1 5w30 synthetic every 7500 miles since I bought my V70 T5 in 2001, and at 157k miles, my oil cap is clean as a whistle, and I've never done a PCV service (passes glove test every time). I believe synthetic oils do keep your engine cleaner. Regular oil changes also help.

Also, you don't need $200-300 worth of tools to do the TB. Lots of threads in this forum on how to do the TB/WP/tensioners. I did a kit due to the WP leaking about 5k miles ago. Belt removed was perfect, but WP was shot. Slow going (6 hrs is a good estimate for someone w/some skills). I didn't even take off the crank pulley. I didn't lock the camshafts, but I'd recommend locking them especially if you are replacing the seals. I would try to borrow the locking tool since they are pretty expensive and used so infrequently.

Good luck. Glad to see folks keeping these old cars running.

[volvolugnut]

I would give myself a 6 hour block on that job. That’s time for breaks. Heat and crack off the 30 mm pulley nut before you take the belt off and recheck the timing marks. Make sure you have the big Torx to get the vvt hub bolts off and don’t overtighten the cam lock bolts. Just ginger tight

Note: abscate is a pro at Volvo wrenching now. Allow several times his estimate if you are not familiar with the work. You may need head scratching time, tool purchase runs, questions back and forth to MVS, etc. You may get stuck and not get the car back together for several days. I am not saying don't try to do this, just expect it to take more time.

volvolugnut

[abscate]

I’m not fast, I’m slow and methodical on my good days, on stuff like this.

Lately , I’ve been limiting sessions to four hours to keep my fatigue factor down.