What did you do to your Volvo today? (now Sticky!!)

[abscate]

Did it say OETTINGER when it burped?

Nice score Bmwdub, that should clean up ? 1996,5 850?

[bmdubya1198]

Did it say OETTINGER when it burped?

Nice score Bmwdub, that should clean up ? 1996,5 850?

Yeah, it looks like it should clean up pretty well. It's a '95.

The owner was talking about it like it was some massive pile of garbage, but honestly it's not that bad. My cousin and I initially wanted to part it out, but after looking it over (although in the dark) it's a pretty straight car. No rust to be found. Might be pretty easy to clean up and get back on the road.
Engine is locked up from sitting for a little over a year, but I'm going to pour some Marvel in the cylinders and try to free it up today. The oil is old, but it doesn't look milky or anything. The PO said it "probably needed a head gasket since it was harder to start in the winter" but I don't buy that. Got any lightly used oil for me?

[Rattnalle]

Replaced a bunch of vacuum tubes that didn't look too well. New ones are also black so nothing much to show. Old ones were surprisingly well inside considering how they look on the outside.

Also replaced the air filter. Vacuumed a whole nests worth of wasps from the filter housing. I'll wait a month with the cabin filter so the worst part of the pollen season is past first.

[WhatAmIDoing]

Today I'm installing new (used) Volvo headlights with reflectors I can actually see myself in. Hopefully I can see at night now.

Have also reached the conclusion that the short in my fog lights is somewhere after the wiring harness, so it's either the socket or the LED lamps.

Lastly, my A/C still blows COLD!! I don't think it's quite as cold as it used to be a few years ago, so it may be time for a recharge. AFAIK, the A/C was never touched in 22 years. Speaking of which, Happy belated Birthday to my 1998 S70, which rolled off the assembly line in Sweden on April 6, 1997!

[bmdubya1198]

Wrapped up the PCV job on the R. I replaced the metal pipe to the PTC valve with some 5/8" oil compatible hose in order to help further relieve crankcase pressure. I'll be drilling out the PTC sometime soon to finish this upgrade.

Shouldn't be blowing out any seals now!

[WhatAmIDoing]

Got my new (used) headlights in. They're not perfect, but way better than what I had. I could stare into my old high beams indefinitely without even affecting my night vision. These new low beams make me wince even in the daylight, so definitely an improvement. Before and after pics to come later as soon as I get them adjusted.

Made one unfortunate discovery. My driver's side turn signal was RTV'd to the headlight assembly. Peeled them apart, and all the clips were broken. Got it back on with some of the handyman's secret weapon stealthily hidden. Both turn signals are cracked, so may be time to find new one.

Lastly, now have a big supply of H7 bulbs. 6 Osram OE bulbs, 1 GE made in Hungary, and 1 Philips made in Germany (looks identical to Osram.

[bmdubya1198]

Tried to get the 850's engine un-seized... didn't really get anywhere. I have a mixture of oil, ATF, PB Blaster, and Marvel Mystery Oil soaking in the cylinder now. Hopefully it'll free up in the next couple days.

Test drove the R after yesterday's PCV replacement. Car still runs well, but it still won't build more than 8 PSI of boost. This is really getting on my nerves now, and Hilton not responding to my emails isn't helping. So far I haven't had the amazing experience with him that everyone talks about. I'm really hoping that there's just a problem with the tune, because I can't find anything at all wrong with my car.

I also replaced the struts, mounts, spring seats, and sway bar links on the XC90 today. It rides a little better I guess, but I don't think the old ones were too bad. I think the slight rebound I feel after stopping is from the rear shocks. The sway bar links were definitely bad, one of the ball joints popped and threw grease on me as I broke the nut loose!
I'll replace the tie rods on that when we're ready to get new tires. Which will be very soon, the front tires are pretty bald. I also have a set of new Volvo spark plugs on the shelf that I need to install, and it's definitely due for a transmission fluid service along with the angle gear and differential fluids.

[WhatAmIDoing]

Got my new (used) headlights in. They're not perfect, but way better than what I had. I could stare into my old high beams indefinitely without even affecting my night vision. These new low beams make me wince even in the daylight, so definitely an improvement. Before and after pics to come later as soon as I get them adjusted.

And here are the pics.

My old headlights: dim and barely a discernible cutoff, light scattering everywhere. Keep in mind I'm on a slightly downhill slope in these pics.

New lights: Look at that cutoff. I'm about 100ft from the wall, facing downhill.

Needed a quick adjustment. Driver was way too high and pass. was low and too far left. I don't think I adjusted them perfect, but I think they're good enough for the time being.

Passenger side low beam is definitely dimmer than driver's side, which is unfortunate, but still way better than my old lights. These low beams look brighter than my old high beams. Can't believe how long I drove with those shot reflector housings.

Road test:

[850 LPT]

Crap, I accidentally got another Volvo. I need to stop doing this...

This one cost me no more than towing it out of the guy's yard. He just wanted to get rid of it, and I was more than happy to take it!

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Nice score!
And a good workout for your pressure washer

[bmdubya1198]

Nice score!
And a good workout for your pressure washer

It certainly will be! Lol