2 broken V70 T5 Volvos with complementary failures Topic is solved

[tnkenmcd]

Hi, I got 2 V70 T5's that are broken in kind of opposite ways and I'd like recommendations on what to do.



The silver one is a 2001 year with 200k+, the white is 2002 with 130k+. I'm driving the white one as best I can with the problems.

2001 model:
Blown head gasket - I let it overheat a few too many times from bad radiators and hoses...

2002 model:
Bad transmission - It shifts hard and slips just like all the known trans do when they fail. It actually has done it soo long that the CV joints are failing with the shimmy under acceleration problem people have reported when CV's fail

I'm kind of bummed because I knew the 2001 models had the bad solenoid problem so when I was shopping to get a new one, I went for 2002 year, but didn't realize that some of that year's models actually still had the 2001 model defective trans. Mine is one with the bad serial #

2002 trans


Now here's the rub: I drove the 2001 silver one for a few years just fine and never had any trans issues with it. I bought it used without any maint records, but I think it's trans has been replaced. The gasket underneath where the engine and trans meet does not seem factory; it kind of pokes out a bit and looks like that tan cardboard style gasket. And there is no serial number plate on the transmission. So I think it's not factory or the original and I could use it to replace the transmission in the white 2002 model

2001 trans


So here's the question:
1. Should I put the "good" transmission from the 2001 into the 2002? I'd have to do something about the broken CV's in the 2002 also.

2. Should I just fix the head gasket in the 2001 and keep the good trans in it?

3. Should I fix the broken trans in the 2002 and replace the trans solenoids and CV's?

I'm fine with leaving one of them as a parts car. The silver is kind of a parts car now, but the wife unit thinks it looks better than the white one so she wants to resurrect it...

2001 model:



2002 model:

[SuperHerman]

What is your budget? How big of shoes does the wife have?

No matter what you do - both cars need plenty of work.

HG and hoses is not a bad job on the 2001. You need to look up how much a HG kit is and possible machine shop work for the head (Although you can change the valve stem seals (come with the HG kit) and lap the valves yourself).

The 2002 sounds like you have pounded it into the ground. I would do that second. Check the B4 servo, rebuild the valve body with the TransGo kit and hope that this work solves your issues. Then source some used CV axles once you know the transmission is working. $150 bucks here without the CV axles.

Regardless you are going to have to do some wrenching. Swapping parts to make one good car may save you a few dollars, but it is way more work. Again, way more work! Both cars have their pluses, but you have to spend time and money no matter what you do.

[tnkenmcd]

Changed that B4 servo cap thingy a while ago. What an ungodly pain it was to get that spring c-clip back in place. No help on trans prob.

I don't mind the wrenching part. The cars are kind of worth saving; it was a real pain to find them in my area and I had to drive hours away. That T5 engine is worth. The thing is, the bodies and glass are perfect

Regarding the bad trans, I was thinking even if I rebuilt the solenoid the overall trans would have more damage inside from lots of driving on the hard shifts and slipping; it has bang-shifted in some high-revving and startling ways!

I suppose the most direct path is to just do the HG repair. My concern there was more damage from that overheating elsewhere. I do know I had milky oil at the end when I parked it, but had not driven long when it failed.

All in all, maybe it's time to say goodbye to Volvos for me. I was a huge fan of the 90s models and had 3 of them over the years; real tanks plus RWD. But the 2000+ ones seem like trash with endless series of computer and peripheral failures. And I don't like sitting down soo close to the ground in the P2 models. The ride height of 90s Volvos is really unique.

Ugh

[abscate]

The thing is, the bodies and glass are perfect

Thats the siren song of Volvo - you get a body and hardware that are luxury brand quality, but have to pay luxury brand for good parts to get the car to function.

Too often, people stop here with a $1000 car and then don't want to put $2000 more in, because "I only paid $1000."

A decently maintained, good running Volvo will run $2500-3500, then you can expect it to not need much

[Rattnalle]

Volvo wasn't really a luxury brand i the 00s. They tried but were still behind. Now theyre almost there. But this is compared to other European brands. Don't know about your situation over there.

The RWD Volvos were the 80s models and earlier. They did continue to make them into the 90s but they weren't 90s cars. They were still mostly designed in the 70s..

Ride height in a P2 is decent if the suspension is in shape. They get low when they're worn down.

[June]

Volvo wasn't really a luxury brand i the 00s. They tried but were still behind. Now theyre almost there. But this is compared to other European brands. Don't know about your situation over there.

The RWD Volvos were the 80s models and earlier. They did continue to make them into the 90s but they weren't 90s cars. They were still mostly designed in the 70s..

Ride height in a P2 is decent if the suspension is in shape. They get low when they're worn down.

In 03 with the release of the XC90 T6 and 98 with the release of the S80 T6 Executive were in my opinion Volvo's first attempts to compete with BMW and Mercedes. Although a often overlooked model really was the first truly luxury car Volvo made the 960/S90 Executive. My S90 was a Executive Royal which had one of the best rides of any car I have ever been in. It just lacked power. Had it had a T6 engine it would have been the best luxury car made!

I personally have always thought of Volvo as the rugged tough safe car with just the right image. Not gaudy or ostentatious! June

[oragex]

Head gasket is quite a job (and tricky to adjust the timing), transmission swap is yet another one (don't spend time with the one that slips).

Throttle body was also problematic so keep both of them

The way to keep these cars running cheaper is to have access to lots of used parts - either from the junkyard or at least off Ebay (but there you can't inspect the part before buying it)

Plenty of power and the T5 is a sweet engine, perhaps the sweetest of the bunch. I'd invest in the one that keeps the road the better (suspension, steering doesn't leak, brakes have good power).

These P2 have comfortable seats but indeed seat height of that time was low in almost all brands (try a lexus or a mercedes from the 2000's for example). Nowadays some car makers try to place the seat even lower for some reason (Honda, Nissan). For tall people this is not great because the lower the seat, the higher the knees and the more strain on lower back. I'm tall'ish at 6'1 and the best seating posture is that on some SUV/minivans

[mrbrian200]

The thing is, the bodies and glass are perfect

Thats the siren song of Volvo - you get a body and hardware that are luxury brand quality, but have to pay luxury brand for good parts to get the car to function.

Too often, people stop here with a $1000 car and then don't want to put $2000 more in, because "I only paid $1000."

A decently maintained, good running Volvo will run $2500-3500, then you can expect it to not need much

I had a cousin that bought a used BMW 325i manual coupe (4-speed) back in the mid 90s. I think he paid only a couple thousand for it. A very cute, super fun to drive little car. But he wasn't willing to put money into maintaining it. It got towed after a ball joint failed while he was driving to the store (warning signs -noise and shimmy- were present for at least a year prior). He objected to the pricey parts+labor and got rid of it. From then on he's pretty much stuck to domestic base model crap boxes that are both cheap to buy and cheap to repair. Which are probably a better match for that one.
I considered taking it. But that one...rule would apply...if I'm willing to fix it for myself he'd apply 'well you could fix it for me...for free and I'll just keep it' ...would turn into a viscous cycle of him neglecting the car, then looking to me to save his dumb a-- all the time so I didn't bother.

[tnkenmcd]

The RWD Volvos were the 80s models and earlier. They did continue to make them into the 90s but they weren't 90s cars. They were still mostly designed in the 70s..

I most definitely had a 92 940 which was RWD with inline 5

Ride height in a P2 is decent if the suspension is in shape. They get low when they're worn down.

The nice thing about the prior generation's ride height is when pulled side-by-side at a streetlight, they where higher than other sedans, especially the compacts and such, and just below the window level of pickup trucks. Really an odd height that worked well for me. Getting into a P2 for the first time was like going down to a go-kart. On both my v70s, I can't really get a raised fist under them much.

For tall people this is not great because the lower the seat, the higher the knees and the more strain on lower back. I'm tall'ish at 6'1 and the best seating posture is that on some SUV/minivans

6'7" 250lbs here. My fav cars were RX-7s. Fit like glove and having your butt just in front of the rear wheel was a blast.

[Rattnalle]

940s were only available with Inline 4s. That's what the 4 in 940 stands for. The 5s arrived with the 850. The 940 was a slightly updated version of the 70s designed 80s launched 740.