Volvo 960, what Have I done!

[CNicholson]

Its a bit of a pig to get off, you have to make sure everything comes off straight so you don't crack any of the alloy, so lift everything up evenly, and to get the cam cover off pry it carefully with a 3/8" wrench evenly around, then use nylon wedges and a soft hammer to lift it evenly off the main casting (I don't have any special tools).

The biggest pain in the arse was the nut under the inlet manifold needs loosening, Not a job to be undertaken if you have a bad back, or arn't feeling agile. You have to climb in the car kneel on the engine and reach both arms around the manifold, then blindly undo the nut.

Make sure you have all the tools you need to hand and take your time.

Here is a picture of the head just after I removed it, you can see the bent valves lifted from their seats.

[atco]

thats fantastic to see your self having to put this back on the road mate i take my hat of to you.i also will not be giving my v90 to the local garage to fix due to the price they will be charging.in time i will be looking to get some one local to cardiff to have a look at in the spring.wish you lots of luck and keep us info on all the progress.cherrs

[AllHailKingVolvo]

Originally Posted by CNicholson

Its a bit of a pig to get off, you have to make sure everything comes off straight so you don't crack any of the alloy, so lift everything up evenly, and to get the cam cover off pry it carefully with a 3/8" wrench evenly around, then use nylon wedges and a soft hammer to lift it evenly off the main casting (I don't have any special tools).

The biggest pain in the arse was the nut under the inlet manifold needs loosening, Not a job to be undertaken if you have a bad back, or arn't feeling agile. You have to climb in the car kneel on the engine and reach both arms around the manifold, then blindly undo the nut.

Make sure you have all the tools you need to hand and take your time.

Here is a picture of the head just after I removed it, you can see the bent valves lifted from their seats.

Damage aside (and I'll be watching this thread with great interest, you have my absolute admiration for your hard work on this!), The head is beautifully clean, clearly the car was running cleanly with the mixture bang on before it suffered the tensioner luncheon...

[tofufi]

I've nothing to add from a technical perspective, but wanted to say good luck!

[Terje1]

Did the same back in 2004.
All 24 valves were bent.

Lucky for me i had a spare cylinderhead.
Timing belt snapped,but two days later the car was back on the road.
Replaced the cylinder head included gaskets,waterpump,tensioner++

[CNicholson]

Hello again,

I spent a bit more time on the head this weekend, Unfortunately haven't had a huge amount of time to work on it this week due to work and other stuff.

Removed valves , below is a picture of the worst affected valves. Quite bent! as you can see.


Here is a picture of the worst affected piston crowns, whats the general opinion, is this sort of damage ok to run with? I am very tempted just to file the burrs off and leave them.



Then started cleaning the bits up, first just giving them a quick cleanup with some engine de-greaser, then I will take them to work where they have a parts cleaner. I will take the inlet manifold off and clean that at the same time as its a bit grubby.



Unfortunately one of the valve guides has cracked, this is a real shame because it complicates the job somewhat. I will need to press it out after heating the head up in an oven, then install a new one. I will make sure I take pictures of this.

So now I have inspected the head I need to order a load of parts.

>> Whats the general consensus when buying valves? If you look online you can spend anywhere from £3 for a valve up to £35. What is a respectful brand of aftermarket valves? I want to change all 24 of them so don't really want to spend £30 odd on each one!

>> I am going to buy a gates belt kit with water pump, I have also found a guide to upgrade the cam sprockets, so will incorporate this mod too. Are there any brand recommendations for timing belt kits?

>> Head gasket kit, and stem seals. I am looking at getting a Elring kit, again any recommendations based on experience would be welcome here.

>> Sundry items - the volvo sealant compound for the valve cover, acetone, oil, coolant, filters, general service items, spark plugs etc may as well do a bit of a service whilst I am poking about, is there anything else I should do whilst I am at it?...

>> I broke the timing cover by accident! will need to replace this, probably off a scrapped vehicle.

I will update this thread as I go so as to help others in a similar position, my plan is to do it without using any special tools, only stuff the average DIY mechanic might have to hand. Only job where I might need some industrial help is the cracked valve guide, but I am sure I will think of a way of doing this job.

[atco]

great work mate .eny chance of some photos of the cracked valve guide.if poss thanks

[CNicholson]

Yes once the castings are fully clean I will take more photos.

I have been looking into changing the valve guide, some suggest forcing them out with a power hammer, however I am worried this may damage the bore, and I don't really want to be faffing about with reamers for oversized guides. I think the best way to avoid damage is with a hydraulic press and some drifts.