850 - Replace your own timing belt

[TAFinley]

I just replaced the serpentine and timing belts on my 850 T-5 for the first time, and am writing to share the experience. I'm basically a shade-tree mechanic who's been working on his own cars for the past 35 years or so.

First, thanks to the Bay 13 folks and their contributors. I found these links especially helpful:

http://www.volvospeed.com/Repair/timingbelt.htm
http://www.volvospeed.com/Repair/850_serp.pdf

Basically, everything you need to know to do this job (and save yourself a considerable amount of money!) is in the above-mentioned links, so I'm not going to reiterate the instructions or post any pictures (the ones in the links are better than any I could take, anyway). My purpose is to give a few extra hints and a bit of encouragement to those who may be reluctant to undertake this endeavor.

Hints -

1.) You'd better have good lighting. Those little marks on the gears are really hard to see and align, especially the one on the crankshaft pulley.

2.) Use small tools for the work you have to do through the wheel-well. I found that by sitting cross-legged on the ground facing the brake rotor and using a 1/4" ratchet and sockets, I could easily remove the tensioner and guard plate. I could not see the guard plate bolts, but they were easily removed by feel only.

3.) The only real difficulty in removing the old timing belt and installing the new one is getting it past that darned setoff that protrudes from the engine almost to the large crankshaft pulley. If you're a little patient, you can twist the belt and slip it through the gap. Once I did that, mine just sort of fell out. It's easier to get the new one in because the new one will be somewhat more supple.

4.) Follow the Bay 13 instructions exactly for installing the new belt. Be sure to align the intake and exhaust pulleys before you start. I was a bit concerned that there seemed to be a bit too much slack between the intake/exhaust pulleys, but this was taken up as soon as the tensioner engaged. Use the bungee cord!!! That was a big help.

5.) Installing the serpentine belt is almost a no-brainer. As suggested in the Haynes manual, get a piece of 1" x 1/8" bar stock and cut about a 1-1/2" piece as a tool to release the tensioner. Also, I cut a 4d common nail in half and found it to be perfect for holding the tensioner once I had it rotated out of the way.

6.) My Craftsman 4-1/2" bench vise was perfect for compressing the timing belt tensioner. Be sure to align the piston holes with the external tensioner holes before you start and take it easy.

Finally, if you have some basic tools and even half-way decent mechanical skills, this is a job you can do yourself. Just be sure to follow the instructions exactly. Remember, the 850 engine is an interference engine and you will have a disastrous repair bill if you don't do this job properly.

The whole job took me about 4 hours.

Matthew - When are you going to do your timing belt?

[Kimo]

TA

Since no one else will, I'd like to thank you for the awesome in depth piece on timing belt replacement. The links you posted were great...complete with the little life saver tricks that make or break a repair like this one. I have about 15,000 miles to go before mine needs to be done, but now I'm almost looking forward to it in a sick kind of way!

[matthew1]

Yes, I thought I had thanked you for this TAFinley.

Thanks!

Kimo, that is sick, yes.

[potroast]

yes, rather sick. I have to do mine in approximately 6000 miles, which will take no more than a few months. I know I can do it (have done it on other interference engines before) but I think it's worth the $200 to just have a shop do it, lol.