Cylinder Head Replacement

Post by **JDS60R** » 11 Feb 2010, 10:21

This is an awesome write up - Thanks for doing this.

The piece on the trans is the breather. It allows air/moisture to leave the trans as it heats up. The tube can be replaced with any line that can withstand trans fluid. As a note Volvo moved the breather up to just below master cylinder height . Probably to keep the plastic breather away from the air that flows over the engine. In mine they tucked it behind the airbox so it doesn't get dirty.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 11 Feb 2010, 14:54

IMHO if the tensioner is leaking at all it should be replaced. The plastic spacer that snaps in after it is installed is supposed to prevent a catastrophic failure but it rarely works. Darrell Waltip Volvo will sell you an OEM tensioner for around $80.00. If you have any question at all I would replace it so that you don't go through all of this again.

Really great pictures, keep them coming!

...Lee

Post by **wheelsup** » 12 Feb 2010, 15:35

General engine questions...

What are you doing in #5 putting oil on the round metal tabs? Are those the valves?

How do you ensure correct timing with the cams?

Post by **cattledog** » 12 Feb 2010, 16:32

I love your home made tools, especially the cam cover hold down!

Post by **cattledog** » 12 Feb 2010, 16:45

djm850 wrote:Need opinions. I've compressed the timing belt tensioner (very slowly) and it had tons of resistance. I noticed a couple days later that some oil had seaped out around the piston. I cleaned it up and have seen a little more but not as much. It still shows plenty of resistance and is actully bowing the drill bit holding it in place. Is it normal to see a little oil after compressing?

Absolutely replace , it's cheap insurance.

Post by **kcodyjr** » 12 Feb 2010, 17:00

wheelsup wrote: What are you doing in #5 putting oil on the round metal tabs? Are those the valves?

Those are the upper side of the valves, the camshaft contact side. I think they're still called cam followers, but that's a holdover term from the days of pushrods and rocker arms IMO. I only mess with this kind of stuff when I'm close to broke and something breaks. Last time that happened the car did have pushrods.

The oil is there to prevent metal-to-metal contact when the engine first starts. That's a high tension, very important spot, and one of the last to get oil pumped up from the pan.

- Kevin

Post by **wheelsup** » 12 Feb 2010, 17:31

Thanks for the info!

9394volvo850s · Post by **9394volvo850s** » 12 Feb 2010, 18:40

Ozark Lee wrote:.
Your exhaust valves were toast for sure. Do you run premium, or at least mid grade fuel? Low octane fuel is death for a turbo and it always rears its ugly head on the exhaust valves.
...Lee

its a non turbo you can tell by the MAF facing forwards not the back. still shouldnt run 87 gas.

Post by **djm850** » 12 Feb 2010, 21:20

Thanks everybody! Today I timed it. When I put the tensioner on it was finally dry since I kept it upright in the box since the last time I checked it. However, when I went to pull the pin to actuate it the pin broke off. I had to unbolt the tensioner, compress it in the vise a little, remove the pin and make another. After the new pin was in place, I noticed it was leaking a bit of oil again, I assume after compressing it again. I went ahead and reinstalled it, released the pin, it tensioned the belt, I added the spacer and turned the crank over many times and it's tight and the marks are spot on. However, after reading Ozark and Cattledog's posts, I'm very apprehensive now on re-using it. While I’m not one to rush, I’m feeling the heat from the owner of the garage I'm using to get the car out this weekend. Please, can you guys give me a feel for if it's OK to fire it up and get it home (30 miles) then replace the tensioner once I get the part, or should I order the part, wait, deal with the fallout and not risk it.

Wheelsup, those metal cylinders I'm oiling are the tappets (lifters). They're between the tops of the valve stems and the cam lobes. They're hydraulic and have little pistons in them that give a little between the pressure from the cams to actuate the valves. Since they’re filled internally with oil, they have to remain in oil when removed and be noted as “Int/Exh” and kept in cylinder order of 1-5 so as to go back into the exact order as they were removed. After I replaced them all in the exact order, I bathed them in fresh oil to keep them lubricated until the engine is fired up and the oil pump supplies them with fresh oil.

Cattledog, thanks for the nod on the pull down tools. Remember, the cam(s) locking tool was mailed to me by Fordman, but I made the top cover pull down tools from the instructions in the Haynes (Euro manual) with 3/8" threaded rod (12" long), some bracket steel, and some old plugs with ceramic tops knocked off flush then welded onto the rods. Nuts/washers hardware additional.

OK, I finished the timing, rotor/distributer/plug wires/cam sensor/top torque arm today. Tomorrow, snow permitting, manifolds & peripherals hook ups, then fire-up. Again, if I SHOULDN'T FIRE UP WITH THE TENSIONER to get it at least home, please respond. Thanks for the support guys. Here are a few pics...

Post by **djm850** » 12 Feb 2010, 21:36

Sorry, fighting the process...

Cylinder Head Replacement

Re: Cylinder Head Replacement