98 S70(NA) Blown motor,engine swap..love this car shoud I?

[S70RED]

Hello everyone,

Here is my situation any suggestions or insight are greatly appreciated.
I have a 98 S70 with a B5254S motor(vin 55 6th and 7th digit). This car is interior/exterior wise is in excellent condition. Being garaged its whole life, except for the last 5 months it has been in mechanics yard while I have been deciding what I want to do.

Well long story short I messed up and timing belt went destroying the motor. A week prior to this I got all new rubber, brakes, suspension etc...I put a good amount of money into getting my S70 right. That next month I had plans to do timing belt(my bad). So basically I have a 98 S70 Volvo that looks great in and out and is solid all the way around(minus an engine).

My question is should I put a new heart in this car? I found a motor with 150k fairly local in the $500 range. I have seen motors 60-70k miles graded A at the 1000-1200 price range but then I would have to have it shipped 3rd party which add more expense.

I have the money to do this but is it wise or should I just go buy another newer Volvo and fall in love all over again?

I really would like to bring this one back to life my questions are as follows:
-am I crazy for wanting to do this?

-if I do go through with this what things to I want the mechanic to absolutely change out or check over. Seals...etc

-what is a good ballpark figure money wise for a mechanic to do this swap(low end, high end?) I have spoke with one mechanic my wife family uses and he thinks the motor with the 150k higher miles if truly grade A rating for $500 would be the way the way to go vs a low mileage motor than cost of shipping.

I really appreciate any info/suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[precopster]

How many miles are on this motor? Was it burning oil (if it were it may have been hardened valve guides)

Are you aware that 99% of cam timing belt problems result in only minor nicks/cuts in the piston tops?

There's a really excellent guide here on replacing the head on a B5254S.
You can remove the head & send your head to Clearwater Heads (around $450) and use the guide for a DIY or have a mechanic refit the head. Cost including refitting would be under $1, 200 if you choose the right guy or a DIY inc gasket set for around $750

I'm not big on having mechanics replace motors. You won't know condition of gaskets, PCV system, thermostat and oil change history. Usually mechanics will slap it together without the care required and labour is in the 14 hour category. To determine cost you'll need to get some rates. Mechanics generally charge around $70/hr.

[S70RED]

190+ miles on the existing motor in car...99 percent highway. That's 3/4 of my problem I recently moved so my car is at other end of state. Up where I used to live I had an excellent independent Volvo mechanic. If it were up that way I would go with the direction he suggested. I figured the advantage of a whole new heart transplant would make it easy for all involved and gives me a warranty. I just don't know what I should ask mechanic what seals etc I absolutely want to see changed out and what the cost (low end/highend ballpark) I should be expecting. I think I have found someone competent to do the job based on word of mouth/reviews. I just want to make sure I make sure they take care of what is need while right there and what a reasonable price range would be.

Thank you for you help!

[S70RED]

Sorry, and yes it was burning some oil towards the end.

[precopster]

190 K miles is low for these motors especially if it was highway miles.

ALL other seals would be included in a gasket set if you were just replacing the cylinder head. Gasket sets are around $115.

When replacing a motor the rear main seal MUST be replaced to avoid another $800 in labour.

If you replace the motor and you want it done properly I would insist on at least the front and rear cam seals to be replaced as well as all timing sets and PCV. Extra parts would come to around $380

If there are any new timing gear on your existing motor this would save some money.

You'll likely run into an engine mount that's bad or some other thing like a weeping water pump. Add $120 for these.

[rspi]

I would just have the head replaced.

[E Showell]

I think it really depends on how long you intend to keep the car. If it were me, and I wanted to keep the car for a long time, then I'd opt for the lower mileage engine, despite the increased cost. I would still do all of the parts and seals Mike mentioned. Rear main seal is a no-brainer and any mechanic who did not recommend it should be looked at questioningly. PCV, all new timing parts, water pump, cam seals, etc. all good advice. The cost for having someone do it for you is significant, probably the equivalent of replacing the car on the used market, albeit with one in lesser condition. If the body and interior are first rate, I'd be inclined to keep the car whether you go with a head replacement or engine swap. Bear in mind that, from a labor standpoint, there is little to choose between a head replacement and engine swap. An engine swap might be an additional 2-3 hours labor depending on the mechanic. When I had to make the same decision a couple years ago, labor for the head replacement was quoted as c. 15 hrs. while the engine swap was about 18 hours if I remember correctly.

P.S. I opted for the engine swap at 229,500 mi (burned #3 exhaust valve) and with a bump or two on the road along the way, just turned the car over 270,000 this weekend.

[xHeart]

I drive 97 NA, it gets better each time.
I would take on Robert and Mike as coach anytime.

[cn90]

Ebay has some cylinder heads for $300-$450, ready to install:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-s70-Cylin ... 04&vxp=mtr

Make sure you use new TB, WP, Pulleys etc.
Look for the DIY I wrote sometime in Dec 2012, it has all the details.