What did you do to your Volvo today? Topic is solved

[ZionXIX]

Got all the exhaust manifold bolts removed, all but 1 stud came out with the nuts. Now the coolant lone is giving me a lot of grief. How do I remove this lower bolt? I can get a 10mm box end wrench on but it's touching on both sides so you can't actually turn the wrench. Sockets will fit but the ratchet is too wide. I assume I cannot remove the head with this in place.

Screenshot_20230429_172021.jpg

I wasn't able to remove the coolant tree without removing the exhaust manifold, due to the bolt closest to the drivers side in your pic.
As I recall it was tucked up behind the manifold.

It was an exercise in frustration. I spent like 2 hours getting that lower bolt off. Now I'm hoping tomorrow will be full speed ahead and finally remove the head. I think for re-assembly I'm going to try a 10mm socket/universal joint combo. That looks to have the lowest profile with the greatest amount of articulation. Or I could try a socket cap bolt as Blackbart suggested.

[bmdubya1198]

People often complain about socket cap bolts due to how easily they can strip (if you don't properly seat the socket, or if the socket/bit is worn out or low quality), but I really like them for instances like this. Look at VW with their triple squares everywhere. Easier tool access in many cases.


I've been trying to figure out why my V70R is running a little rough while sitting at intersections, and I noticed my fuel trims were a bit lean (13% or so). After checking for vacuum leaks (none to be found), I decided to check the fuel pressure. It was bouncing around rapidly, but it was right around 43-47 PSI. After some searching, this is too low for a turbo '99-'00. It should be closer to 55-57 PSI. Then I realized something... when I swapped the FWD rear end into this car, I used a fuel line from an NA '99 S70, which of course contained the pressure regulator.
So I guess I've been running this car lean for well over a year now. For some reason, it didn't really become a noticeable problem until recently. There could be other things going on I guess, but this is the major issue.

All that said, why the heck can't I find a fuel pressure regulator for these cars? The part just seems to not exist. I take it that Volvo only sells it as part of the fuel line. Looks like I'm going to the junkyard this week.
Funny, I just diagnosed a rich condition on my E46 as a faulty fuel pressure regulator, which was only a year old. It was running about 10 PSI too high.

[Sveedy]

Well I set about installing the undercarriage bling, er, I mean brace, and after getting Sveedy up on her wheel cribs, I discovered a problem.
When I installed the IPD exhaust, I had to pound a little dent into the topside of the pressed metal cross member so the 3" pipe wouldn't touch. No amount of adjusting would pull that pipe up to give me the needed clearance. But the topside of the C70 brace is reinforced with a solid steel plate, so no way to clear the exhaust pipe by making a dent as before. Figuring I could do one of four things:

1)Take off the exhaust pipe, and smack it with a BMF hammer ( pipe is 3" s.s. ) to flatten it out a little on the bottom.
2)Use a couple pieces of bar steel to shim the cross member down, and drop that section of the brace.
3)Take it to an exhaust shop and have them bend and install a new section of exhaust pipe to clear the cross member.
4)Try and find a local therapy group for my on going " tinkeritis ", and hang the brace up on the shop wall as a reminder.

I think #3 would be the proper way of handling this, but it would cost some $ and since I am still skeptical of the benefit, #4 is currently ahead.

[scot850]

I agree, #3 is the way to go, so maybe ask how much it would cost and then go from there. Hey they could probably fit the brace while under there?

Neil.

[Chuck W]

Well I set about installing the undercarriage bling, er, I mean brace, and after getting Sveedy up on her wheel cribs, I discovered a problem.
When I installed the IPD exhaust, I had to pound a little dent into the topside of the pressed metal cross member so the 3" pipe wouldn't touch. No amount of adjusting would pull that pipe up to give me the needed clearance. But the topside of the C70 brace is reinforced with a solid steel plate, so no way to clear the exhaust pipe by making a dent as before. Figuring I could do one of four things:

1)Take off the exhaust pipe, and smack it with a BMF hammer ( pipe is 3" s.s. ) to flatten it out a little on the bottom.
2)Use a couple pieces of bar steel to shim the cross member down, and drop that section of the brace.
3)Take it to an exhaust shop and have them bend and install a new section of exhaust pipe to clear the cross member.
4)Try and find a local therapy group for my on going " tinkeritis ", and hang the brace up on the shop wall as a reminder.

I think #3 would be the proper way of handling this, but it would cost some $ and since I am still skeptical of the benefit, #4 is currently ahead.

What exhaust is on the car? I ran into a clearance issue on one of our cars with the 3" AM pipe and the mid brace.

I shimmed the plate down at that time.

With new motor mounts and careful assembly of the OBX/MBX exhaust, we have the big exhaust pipe and the convertible mid braces on the cars with no interference or shimming.

[454cid]

Drove the 850 to get coffee this morning at the Circle K. Was disappointed to see bird poop on it already, as I just got it washed yesterday. While getting my coffee, two LOUD women were verbally fighting in the store. It started outside. An older guy looks at me and says something to the effect, "The women are getting worse!" They were so loud, you really couldn't hear much else. I quickly paid, and escaped back to the tranquility of the 850.

Do 850's (96) and S70 (99) use different spring rates, or is the suspension tuned a but different in some manner? The 850 feels slightly sportier... it's not an R, but just an NA. Maybe slightly more "crisp" in the way it feels. I'm considering lowering it with aftermarket springs and maybe new struts/shocks, but have not done any research on it yet, besides looking to see what parts are available.

[Sveedy]

It's an IPD. When I installed it, it was a bugger to get lined up as good as it is. Anything more will require taking off the downpipe, and widening the holes on the flange to see if things could be rotated up a little. Mounts have apx 25k on them, so I think I'm still good there.

[Sveedy]

Drove the 850 to get coffee this morning at the Circle K. Was disappointed to see bird poop on it already, as I just got it washed yesterday. While getting my coffee, two LOUD women were verbally fighting in the store. It started outside. An older guy looks at me and says something to the effect, "The women are getting worse!" They were so loud, you really couldn't hear much else. I quickly paid, and escaped back to the tranquility of the 850.

Do 850's (96) and S70 (99) use different spring rates, or is the suspension tuned a but different in some manner? The 850 feels slightly sportier... it's not an R, but just an NA. Maybe slightly more "crisp" in the way it feels. I'm considering lowering it with aftermarket springs and maybe new struts/shocks, but have not done any research on it yet, besides looking to see what parts are available.

The thing I noticed most in the way of improvements, was adding a strut tower brace. Felt like a different car when I went through the first roundabout. At the time it was only about $100. Best bang for the buck.

[scot850]

I always felt out 93 850 GLT handles the best of the P80's we have owned. It seemed to ride flatter in the corners or long sweeping bends. Also the suspension was not harsh which was great. It certainly handles better than my 'R' which has a strut brace and IPD rear sway bar (I removed the front one as I got tired of the greasing the poly bush mounts and them groaning. So removed it an fitted a new correct OE Volvo 'R' swaybar. Should maybe swap the rear one for a standard as the stiffer rear one may upset the balance. I even had the rubbish finish of the IPD front and rears removed and powder coated as similar color. Even have a set of Energy Suspension greasable front poly bush mounts if I even get the notion to refit the IPD unit. IPD recommend greasing the bushes every 5k miles. That's a laugh as you have to drop the rear of the sub-frame to torque it up correctly. I never did and torqued it by feel.

Volvo has a myriad of spring rates on the P80's for each model based on what your Vin plate lists on it.

Neil.

[bmdubya1198]

Volvo installed a couple different springs and sway bars in these cars. There were sort of "sport packages" on some of them, but I don't think they were ever marketed as such. They did a very Volvo type of thing, and just randomly slapped whichever part they had on each car.