What did you do to your P2 Volvo today?

[scot850]

Finally got the brakes done. I have now ordered OE Volvo brake bleed screws for next time I do bleeding on this car. The aftermarket ones work, but why can't they just make them the same size for the head and the drain nipple?? Nice to have that job done. I think the next time around I will have to bite the bullet and replace the flexi-hoses. The rubber parts look good, but the metal ends look crusty. I have new ATE pipes ready for that day.

Also got the under belly cover refitted after gluing the cracks. Also sprayed some rust protectant film on accessible nuts and bolts for protecting against our winters. Still have the rear suspension and arms to do, although I may go further and paint them first if time allows.

Realized I had forgotten to order a fuel filter, so ordered that and a new bolt, washer and mount as the current ones are really crusty.

Next on the list is the spark plugs depending on access to the car. Also need to get on organizing the timing belt and pulley swap.

Neil.

[abscate]

28 seconds of propane heat on a bleeder will ease them of those chemically bonded rusty threads. Even these guys…

[BlackBart]

Is that strut chemically bonded, or becoming gradually UNbonded?

[bronco]

28 seconds of propane heat on a bleeder will ease them of those chemically bonded rusty threads. Even these guys…

I was cutting a front axle out of a 69 bronco one time and a piece of molten metal from the cutting slag landed on the rusty paper thin shock and it blew up. A ball of fire a few feet in diameter came out of the pin hole.
the blob of molten metal burned thru and ignited the pressurized oil and the pressure I believe atomized the oil into a mist which went thermobaric on me.
The bronco was on my trailer and I was standing in front of the bumper so off to the side of the fireball. It didn't burn for more than a second and went out before I reacted . I didn't know that could happen but I've avoided aiming fire near shocks or struts for the last 30 years.

I later reconstructed the event after playing around with one of those plastic medical irrigation syringes , filling it up with thin oil and squirting it at an open flame.
You can't light oil with a match easily but as a mist it becomes a fireball in the same way. you can do the same with flour in the right conditions


I wondered if something similar happened to Rudolph Diesel ?

Of course if I touched the same shock with my stick welder the same thing would happen much more reliably

[dikidera]

I have a few things that have slowly creeped up now that need to be done. My CNG tank is expiring and as such I need to figure out if I will rip out the system and replace with LPG with a separated lpg computer, or if I will have to modify the system to accept LPG(this will take the longest time and my petrol tank is only 28 liters which is abysmal)

Secondly, my MOT is approaching and I don't have alignment or new tyres. This in of itself requires I replace any broken parts such as wheel bearings, end links or whatever else. Then I need new tyres and only then can I get an alignment.

Lastly, engine mounts, I plan to buy genuine Volvo, but this means shelling a lot of money. Overall, $1000 for the things I listed, maybe more as a new LPG system can cost as much..

[volvolugnut]

Today I replaced the upper and lower (transmission) torque links on my 2001 V70. They were way loose and I had not noticed until recently. This helped smooth rough shifts but not entirely.
This is not difficult, but on the T5, you have to remove the tube over the engine to get the center screws out of the coil cover to access one of the top mounting bolts.
I also did another drain and refill with Mobil 3309 ATF, The fluid is getting cleaner, but still dark and has some fine particles settle in the drain pan.
volvolugnut

[Xc70MPoD]

First post! PCV Job on 2007 xc70 for the past few days. Thank you to MVS for all the help and awsome posts! The block outlet was filled with crud! That lower intake mounting bolt removal was easy enough (remove PCV box hoses and reach sideways under the intake with a 10mm thinner wrench). I ended up removing the thermostat housing to be able to torque that 10mm bolt. Putting that thermostat housing back was absolute insanity on the bottom blind t40 bolt. Ended up using a screwdriver t40 bit taped inside a socket, with a 2 inch 1/4 extension with a hex head in the back of the socket I then used a wrench to turn that! I used a flashlight at night to visualize the bolt!. In hindsight, next time I will come prepared with a 8ish inch long t40.

After everything was buttoned up, my hands bleeding, I poured in the coolant only to hear immediate dripping. Turned out to be the crush washers in the kit I bought were too big for the banjo bolt machined surface on the block and did not seal, so I ended up going to O'Reilly's and getting Dorman copper m12 oil plug assorted gaskets. One fit the machined surface (though was big on the bolt) and it worked!! All in all, my surging idle is solved.

At the end of the job I decided to change the HID lamps because my headlights are hideously bad. The driver side went fine. The passenger side was an absolute nightmare. The square part of the bulb was somehow wedged in the housing. When I finally turned the lock ring and gently finagled the bulb out I realized that the headlight was totally trashed. The thin metal cash that holds the bulb in was smushed and distorted. I realized the headlights were not pointing in similiar locations. There were pry marks on the bottom of the assembly. Part of it was melted. Multiple clips were broken. And the reflector was totally loose rattling around. I spent hours attempting in vain to find that headlamp assembly anywhere, but when I put the part number in chatgpt it gave me the newest part number which yielded 2 salvage ones. for $280. I wept salty tears. So when that arrives, hopefully in good shape, I'll button it up and get it inspected. If it arrives in poor shape, I'll have to do some more research on an HID ---> halogen downgrade.

[matthew1]

Welcome to MVS, Xc70MPoD.

[Xc70MPoD]

Welcome to MVS, Xc70MPoD.

Thank you so so much! Been using this amazing site since 2011 when I bought a 2002 v70 with 220k on the clock with a strange whistle (pcv)! For the record, I'd do that v70s pcv all day no problem compared to the xc70 money pit of death. It's at 330 now with my FIL. These cars are so funny. They either are manufactured to perfection, lasting forever despite hideous levels of neglect or no matter how you treat it and love it, it requires ungodly sums of money to perpetuate its safe existence. I've come to the conclusion that I just need a non-turbo v70 2004-2006 with no extra frills and nothing special!

[dikidera]

On my previous Aw55 transmission, changing the oil at one point yielded no benefits. And when I say changing the oil, I do mean 40 actual quarts over a span of a year. At some point I replaced it.

My "new" transmission is somewhat better and I think it's the first where I've seen a benefit to changing the oil, but we will see, I've usually observed that any benefits are usually temporary. And the broken torque mounts have definitely exacerbated any bad shifting.

I did a 3.4 quart change with genuine Volvo Jws3309 oil. There was some slippage when going very very light throttle, barely touching it, but after going 300km, it does seem to have improved.