New 850. What stuff are a MUST to replace/repair if the maintenance history is unknown?

[eightfifty2x0]

Search youtube for "RobertDIY". He has fantastic videos on nearly everything related to 850 volvos as well as timing belt tutorials. Its important to get the timing correct to avoid damage to the engine. Watch the videos and then decide if you're up for it. Most if it can be accomplished with basic socket set but you will need the ability to remove the passenger wheel and you will need a way to release the tension on the serpentine belt. Lots of creative diy methods on here. It took me 2 afternoons to change my water pump, tensioner, timing belt the first time around.

alright, you are right, i should have watched Roberts' videos first.

[xHeart]

How tricky is to replace the timing belt and the water pump? Does it require extra mechanical knowledge? What tool does one need for the job?
Because i asked at a workshop that specializes on Volvos and they said that for a timing belt and water pump change they charge 350€(almost 400 dollars). Is it worth it to take the car there?

$400 with parts is a good deal. BUT, you do not want aftermarket parts.

DIY this car else mileage and age will drain your pocketbook. It is best to use OE/OEM parts for critical service, such as AISIN for water pump, INA for pulley and tensioner, and something like Conti for belt. Include serpentine belt and tensioner to0o

This may help some https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/faile ... ilure.html

I was thinking getting the timing belt done at the workshop and all else by me.
Btw, you didnt answer on the timing belt change

Timing belt and water pump is a lot simpler than imagined, but it takes attention to detail – be meticulous. DO NOT RUSH.
In your case, I'd include replacing camshaft seals due to mileage and age.

I collect OE/OEM parts and proper tools for few months, breakdown the job in smaller tasks rehearse start and complete each task.

[amblerman]

How tricky is to replace the timing belt and the water pump? Does it require extra mechanical knowledge? What tool does one need for the job?
Because i asked at a workshop that specializes on Volvos and they said that for a timing belt and water pump change they charge 350€(almost 400 dollars). Is it worth it to take the car there?

$400 with parts is a good deal. BUT, you do not want aftermarket parts.

DIY this car else mileage and age will drain your pocketbook. It is best to use OE/OEM parts for critical service, such as AISIN for water pump, INA for pulley and tensioner, and something like Conti for belt. Include serpentine belt and tensioner to0o

This may help some https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/faile ... ilure.html

I was thinking getting the timing belt done at the workshop and all else by me.
Btw, you didnt answer on the timing belt change

Is $400 a good deal? It's hard to tell because as eightfifty2x0 mentions you don't know what brand/kind of parts will be used OR how many parts will be replaced.
eightfifty2x0 mentions various pulleys and tensioner. Do you know if the $400 will include all those parts?

Here's a link to what MIGHT be the right kit for your car (do not trust my random search as I don't know your exact car).
I'm posting this link just for a discussion point.
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 252wp-oega

In that link you can see that the price for these quality parts is close to $300. At least that's what I'd have to pay. Maybe your mechanic gets a discount.. or maybe your mechanic was going to use different brands or not replace some of those parts.
Note: The link above also includes a serpentine belt which isn't really required (but good idea if needed) to be replaced during a timing belt job.

With respect to your question about what tools are needed and how hard is the job, I'd start here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47793

There is an entire timing belt section with a number of DIY tutorials that list out tools and over all procedure.
I will add in one item from my own job.
Several of the tutorials show the job being done with the crankshaft pulley left on the car. I could not do that. No matter how hard I tried I could not get the belt off without either cutting it or removing crankshaft pulley. That might have been due to the fact that I have a 99 s70 which is slightly different than your car down in that part of the engine bay.

So as you read through the procedures, also remember you might need to add removing the crankshaft pulley to the steps.

[amblerman]

How tricky is to replace the timing belt and the water pump? Does it require extra mechanical knowledge? What tool does one need for the job?
Because i asked at a workshop that specializes on Volvos and they said that for a timing belt and water pump change they charge 350€(almost 400 dollars). Is it worth it to take the car there?

$400 with parts is a good deal. BUT, you do not want aftermarket parts.

DIY this car else mileage and age will drain your pocketbook. It is best to use OE/OEM parts for critical service, such as AISIN for water pump, INA for pulley and tensioner, and something like Conti for belt. Include serpentine belt and tensioner to0o

This may help some https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/faile ... ilure.html

I was thinking getting the timing belt done at the workshop and all else by me.
Btw, you didnt answer on the timing belt change

xHeart, you said "I was thinking getting the timing belt done at the workshop and all else by me. "

Just in case "all else by me" means you would do things like the water pump youself, i wanted to mention that you can't replace the water pump without doing a timing belt replacement. You may already know this and perhaps "all else by me" means other repairs other than the water pump but I wanted to explain that just in case you didn't realize that.

If you already knew that, please ignore this post.

-A

[eightfifty2x0]

Is $400 a good deal?

it is a good deal, other brands require 700€+
i have to ask what kind of stuff they might put in the car. Could be that their work is not as expensive as the material.
Plus, FCP is really expensive. Skandix has got cheaper stuff. Plus, yeah, these dudes might get % off

[xHeart]

Is $400 a good deal?

it is a good deal, other brands require 700€+
i have to ask what kind of stuff they might put in the car. Could be that their work is not as expensive as the material.
Plus, FCP is really expensive. Skandix has got cheaper stuff. Plus, yeah, these dudes might get % off

I soon learned that the shop only replaced the timing belt, neither the tensioner nor the pulley. But they did replace the working Volvo water pump with Hepu, which failed in 12,000 miles. However, the bill said, replaced "Volvo Timing Belt Kit".

[RollingThunder]

Thats why I always try and do everything myself - I've been stung like that too many times. If you do the job yourself you know exactly which parts have been replaced, and which brands have been used.

To the OP - I've renewed the cambelt twice following RobertDIY's youtube video. Once on an 850R and once on a 1998 V70R - both P80 platforms. I didn't need to remove the crank pulley on either - it IS tricky and you'll need to be very patient, but it can be done. Allow a day to do the job - it doesn't take anything like that long, but sometimes you need to walk away and have a coffee break, so that you come back to it with fresh eyes/attitude.

I'll be doing the job on my (yet to be delivered) 1997 S70 T5 soon. Its not a job that thrills me with excitement, but its not terrifying either. I DO have the iPD cambelt changing tools though - the camshaft lock (https://www.ipdusa.com/products/5127/10 ... 573-t850ct) and the serpentine belt tool (https://www.ipdusa.com/products/5830/10 ... ipd-105058). These make life much easier and I highly recommend that you get them. The serpentine belt tool is worth its weight in gold - I'd knocked up a backyard tool originally but this is so much better. And the cam lock - you really should be locking the cams when changing the cambelt, its so easy to have them move a fraction when you're installing the belt.

One last comment - make sure that you rotate the engine at least TWO full rotations after changing the belt BEFORE you fire it up. If you feel resistance (having removed the spark plugs) then double check the alignment marks on the camshaft gears and crank pulley to make sure they're still correctly aligned. If you skip this step and fire it up with a misaligned cam, you could be looking at a replacement engine.

[abscate]

In 1999 the crank pulley shield changed and I don’t think It’s possible to put the timing belt on without removing it or putting it through a horrible distortion. The crank pulley zips off with a 30mm and an impact pretty easily, especially if you do it before you pop the belt.

[eightfifty2x0]

I soon learned that the shop only replaced the timing belt, neither the tensioner nor the pulley. But they did replace the working Volvo water pump with Hepu, which failed in 12,000 miles. However, the bill said, replaced "Volvo Timing Belt Kit".

so, better bring your own material?

[amblerman]

In 1999 the crank pulley shield changed and I don’t think It’s possible to put the timing belt on without removing it or putting it through a horrible distortion. The crank pulley zips off with a 30mm and an impact pretty easily, especially if you do it before you pop the belt.

Yup, I came to that conclusion after trying for 45 mins to get the belt off with the crank pulley on.

Once I took the pulley off, it was clear I was never going to get the belt on/off with the pulley on.