T6 Timing Belt Cover Installation

Post by **ddpphx** » 06 Jul 2022, 10:38

This is a little embarrassing. But for the life of me I cannot re-install the timing belt cover on my 2004 S80 T6 (the T6's cover has the hole to allow for the thermostat inlet/outlet pipe). I've got the coolant and power steering reservoirs off. I've got the ECM cover off. I cannot get the two tabs at the bottom of the cover to reach their respective cavities on the car, no less get the thermostat inlet/outlet pipe into the hole on the cover.

Does anyone have any trick(s) in addition to "have lots of light and patience"?

Kind regards,
Daniel

Cees Klumper · Post by **Cees Klumper** » 02 Aug 2022, 00:30

It's been about 7 years since I did this job (to replace thermostat) so I don't recall now how I did this, but I do remember it's very easy to break off the nipple that the coolant hose fits onto and then you have to get a new thermostat housing. Happened not just to me but also to the tech who replaced the timing belt a few years earlier at Volvo Geneve (they actually charged me to fix that mistake I noticed on the invoice in hindsight, thanks Volvo). I glued into the housing (2K epoxy baked in oven) an aftermarket brass nipple to replace the flimsy plastic original one to prevent repeat disaster.
But more to your actual question, I did manage to fit the cover back on somehow, so it's do-able.
Will need to tackle this again soon myself, as the car is due for its next timing belt change.

Post by **ddpphx** » 02 Aug 2022, 12:21

Cees Klumper wrote: ↑02 Aug 2022, 00:30 It's been about 7 years since I did this job (to replace thermostat) so I don't recall now how I did this, but I do remember it's very easy to break off the nipple that the coolant hose fits onto and then you have to get a new thermostat housing. Happened not just to me but also to the tech who replaced the timing belt a few years earlier at Volvo Geneve (they actually charged me to fix that mistake I noticed on the invoice in hindsight, thanks Volvo). I glued into the housing (2K epoxy baked in oven) an aftermarket brass nipple to replace the flimsy plastic original one to prevent repeat disaster.
But more to your actual question, I did manage to fit the cover back on somehow, so it's do-able.
Will need to tackle this again soon myself, as the car is due for its next timing belt change.

Thank you, Cees. The nipple on my therm also had broke and I'd ordered a new therm with the aluminum nipple. I kinda managed to get the cover on after some not-so-elegant maneuvering, but it's old and flimsy and I can hear the belt rubbing up against it. In short, I don't have a well-articulated technique for getting it on. Good luck when the time comes around for you to change your belt.