'05 XC70 Engine pull @ junkyard--any suggestions?

[VolvoDJ]

Hello,

I hope this post finds everyone well. About 18 months ago I posted about the 2006 XC70 that my wife ran without oil (that post is here: viewtopic.php?p=601919#p601919). Based on the replies to that thread and the diagnosis of destroyed main bearings, I decided that pulling the engine and replacing it was the best course of action.

Well...life has gotten in the way of that project and the car has mostly sat for the last 18 months. It still runs, though, and I've now freed up some time to tackle the swap. Also, I have found a likely donor at our local pick-and-pull--a 2005 XC70 that was wrecked last August. Mileage per Carfax four months before the accident as 111,071 miles. It appears to be in very good overall condition aside from the severe body damage. See attached pics.

I've never pulled an engine in a yard before, but as I discussed in the prior thread I believe my skills are up to the challenge. I have a full complement of wrenches and sockets/drivers/extensions, good battery-powered tolls (impact driver, sawzall to cut through all the bent metal, etc.) and assorted prybars and the like. Haynes manual has been studied and bookmarked. Yard will provide hoist and cart to get the engine out and onto my trailer. I think I'm up for this.

Am I missing anything?
Any tools you would recommend that make the job easier/safer/smarter?
Any advice from those who have done this before?
Any concerns with the front-end damage? The wreck doesn't appear to have damaged the engine, and airbags didn't deploy which makes me think the car may have been parked at time of impact. It also looks like the wheels were not hitso drive shafts appear straight.
Since I have to yank the engine and transmission together, and the donor car has 50k fewer miles than the vehicle it's going in to, should I just swap out both?

Assuming I go through with this, I'll start another thread about what to do to the donor engine and trans before it goes into the other vehicle. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and suggestions.

donor1.jpg (48.69 KiB) Viewed 474 times

donor2.jpg (40.17 KiB) Viewed 474 times

donor3.jpg (49.62 KiB) Viewed 474 times

donor4.jpg (56.67 KiB) Viewed 474 times

[jonesg]

with a buddy you can do it , snag the steering rack too....and drive shafts , heck i'd buy the whole car.
i'd do the timing belt unless verified new.

[Blacklab467]

That's a shame, great looking XC before the accident. I've never pulled an engine on an XC but I'm sure others will chime in. I'd definitely take the the transmission and angle gear and swap the whole lot. I'm guessing you're taking it out the bottom? I would also go to the effort of changing the transmission internal filter.

[yanga001]

Check oil and coolant on it. Coolant empty is fine but milky oil is not. Sometimes people leave engine running post crash and you end up with a cooled engine.

[VolvoDJ]

Thanks for the comments so far. I'm taking it out the top, or more correctly, out the front as I'll have to remove everything that's left of the front end to get at the engine.

Can't check the oil or coolant--fluids are drained when the put these cars in the wrecking yard. I'm thinking the vehicle wasn't running due to lack of airbag deployment, but that might be wishful thinking.

My Haynes covers the V70, not the XC70. There is no XC70-specific manual--I'm wondering how that will change the extraction. Guess I'll be learning that one as I go. That's part of why I'm pulling the engine from the donor instead of getting one shipped--I want to practice on a car before I do it for keeps on my own.

I'm working solo on this, don't have a buddy who can help. .

[BlackBart]

That was a nice car! Looks like it got hit hard and spun into something at the LR.

So, is it inside on that nice slab out of the rain while you work? That would be a huge difference from out in the mud in the yard. Is there a time limit on how long you can work on it?

[VolvoDJ]

Nope, it's out in the yard--I'll take pics next time I go. Conveniently, it's on the end of a row with great access. Time limit = operating hours of the yard, 8 to 6. No rain, just cold--highs in the 30s.this week..

[BlackBart]

When I put an engine in an Audi A4 in my cold garage through a winter, I bought some thin brown cotton gloves at Ace. $5, just throwaways, but they lasted and worked well. I got attached to those gloves.

[volvolugnut]

When I put an engine in an Audi A4 in my cold garage through a winter, I bought some thin brown cotton gloves at Ace. $5, just throwaways, but they lasted and worked well. I got attached to those gloves.

For the nasty work you might put the thin plastic gloves over the cotton gloves. Better than wet gloves.
volvolugnut

[BlackBart]

THAT's for sure!