Thinking of buying 99 V70 XC... valve job?

[gigemlee]

Hello all,

My 98 V70 (170k) was rear ended last week and totaled. I now have an insurance settlement check of just over $4000.

Today, I looked at a 99 V70 XC with 122k miles on it. The guy is selling it for $2000. It's in great shape. The body is perfect, and the interior is good. The only issue is that there is a cylinder misfire on cylinder 3, and he says his mechanic that the compression is zero. When driving it, I can tell that it's misfiring. And, I'm pretty sure that it's a damaged exhaust valve.

So, two questions. Should I go for it? And - should I go for doing the valve job myself? I'm pretty good with a wrench, and am patient enough to do the job well. In H.S. I rebuilt the head on my pickup.

Like to hear your thoughts before I proceed.

[precopster]

You will need to manufacture some "special" tools to hold the cams and prevent engine rotation. You won't require a lathe, just a vice, some wood and some flat bar.

You will need to send the head away for the valve repair as a standard valve spring compressor cannot release the valve collets as the valves are recessed, unless you know someone who has a special head press. (your local machine shop may release the valves for you and re-insert but most want the whole job) Also the head will need to be shaved to ensure a good head gasket seal. Make sure you factor this into your purchase price.

You'll at least want to perform a vacuum test on the head after replacing the valve to ensure there is a good seat-to-valve interface. As this is at least a thirty hour job for a novice you'd want to be sure the head is in good condition.
Pls let us all know if you decide to proceed.

[JRL]

Why?
You got 4K from insurance
So why buy a car that's mechanically damaged (big time) for 2K???
Do the math, buy a good 4K car if you don't want to spend extra for a newer/better Volvo.