Engine: D5244: Replacing thermostat D5 163hp tips

[R-P]

Hi,

While searching (100's of posts with "thermostat" in it), I came across a posting from 2014 (!) claiming I would replace it shortly

I remember looking under the hood back then and seeing a sensor high on the engineblock with sheer inaccessible torx nuts, and then other issues in my life took precident (and the temp-sensor worked OK again most times).

But yesterday it wouldn't go past the most left mark AND we couldn't get the car warm (-3ºC outside), so that was proof enough for me it is indeed the thermostat.


So two questions:
- should I find the illusive replacement from Toyota (my other car is a Prius) or the Gates version, or is it a lot wiser to simply replace the whole housing given age and state of the seals? Price is roughly 30 vs 90 euro, but I have come across posts stating to only use ORIGINAL Volvo housings (I lost the post claiming it is made by another manufacturer selling it with the Volvo imprint filed off). I don't have liquid seal lying around.
- is there a good walkthrough with pics or video? Preferably of a LHD if that makes any difference.

[oragex]

I don't trust the Febi brand after my spring seats cracked in less than 1 years

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-G...0AAOSw5dNWtjM0

You can split open the housing by tossing the power steering pump without disconnecting it's hoses. Careful not to round the torx bolts, press well on the socket while turning it. The small pin on the thermostat must stay at the top.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4ctUJY_nnA

Use some thermostat rtv around the seal (not much just a smear, on both sides of the seal).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/RTV-CLEAR-I...ds=rtv+coolant

[R-P]

Thanks!

I saw that video yesterday, but didn't lookfurther once I saw it wasn't a D5.
Just ran out to the car, and it makes a lot more sense now, including that my memory of it being "inaccessible" unless I cut a torx-bit in half and use my bitratchet, is easily circumvented by indeed removing the steering-pump.

I know my limitations, so if not needed, removing such a pump is not something I will voluntarily do, but with step-by-step instructions, I have a lot less reservations attacking such a task*.

What would you think of a Gates complete with housing (94euro)?
TH39290G1 (housing+thermo) is 93.90 and the separate TH35991 (just thermostatvalve) is 94.90. Makes no sense whatsoever, but that is what one of my standard-orderingplaces is quoting...







* although I do remember replacing the control-arms where we spend several hours (!!!) getting the driveshaft back into the wheel-hub: it isn't even remotely possible, yet a YouTube video did it in less than a second (I think they actually SKIPPED it: one moment is was not in, the next it was...) hence my reservation in attempting such a task unless I have a good idea of what I am getting myself into...

[oragex]

Originally Posted by R-P

* although I do remember replacing the control-arms where we spend several hours (!!!) getting the driveshaft back into the wheel-hub: it isn't even remotely possible, yet a YouTube video did it in less than a second (I think they actually SKIPPED it: one moment is was not in, the next it was...) hence my reservation in attempting such a task unless I have a good idea of what I am getting myself into...

only 30 seconds, at 1:10, it just a matter of matching the splines between the shaft and the bearing. But maybe the splines on the bearing side had some loctite on it which made the splines slide much harder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o028fLkbl5k

I would also drain the coolant behind the block if the D5 has such drain like here at 18:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37u_oQ0Q0Gc, at the radiator the peacock is in plastic and it's quite fragile and may break

[R-P]

[offtopic]

Originally Posted by oragex

only 30 seconds, at 1:10, it just a matter of matching the splines between the shaft and the bearing.

I remembered incorrectly. I had issues with the driveshaft (the balls popped out of the joint), but the main problem was bending down the control arm to fit the bolts in WHILE the strut/suspension was still in place (two big M12 bolts or so) and the hub still attached to it. Supposedly you don't need a wheel alignment then.
What happens here at 2:16 is simply NOT possible... Even with a 6ft breakerbar, I could not bend the control arm low enough to fit the outer joint, let alone do it in the order they do it. At 2:36 it seems his controlarm hangs down enough just by its own weight to pop it in. Unless he has different coils, or has his coils compressed (which there isn't room for), this is simply not possible. Period.
I eventually did remove the large bolts and had a 4 wheel alignment at the Volvo STEALER, where I specifically asked them to change the bolts (even though it is also in the VIDA instructions). They charged/stole 170 euro's from me but failed to change the bolts (I know for sure as I lost one official nut with an extra rim and replaced it with one without. It is still on there to this day...).

[/offtopic]

[oragex]

Originally Posted by R-P

[offtopic]



I remembered incorrectly. I had issues with the driveshaft (the balls popped out of the joint), but the main problem was bending down the control arm to fit the bolts in WHILE the strut/suspension was still in place (two big M12 bolts or so) and the hub still attached to it. Supposedly you don't need a wheel alignment then.
What happens here at 2:16 is simply NOT possible... Even with a 6ft breakerbar, I could not bend the control arm low enough to fit the outer joint, let alone do it in the order they do it. At 2:36 it seems his controlarm hangs down enough just by its own weight to pop it in. Unless he has different coils, or has his coils compressed (which there isn't room for), this is simply not possible. Period.
I eventually did remove the large bolts and had a 4 wheel alignment at the Volvo STEALER, where I specifically asked them to change the bolts (even though it is also in the VIDA instructions). They charged/stole 170 euro's from me but failed to change the bolts (I know for sure as I lost one official nut with an extra rim and replaced it with one without. It is still on there to this day...).

[/offtopic]

Yes, he edited the video so he didn't show then he removed the lower strut bolts. Maybe that video was more to sell the Scamtech brand (the old name of now called ProParts Sweden, same abysmal quality if quality can even be called on these parts), than to show a DIY. As for the camber geometry at the strut, I've always pushed the hub the most towards the strut then tightened, it gives the most positive camber, and my wheels do wear well.

[R-P]

Found a Gates thermostat and a gasket for the thermostat housing ('on sale' for 12 and 6.5 euro respectively), so I think I'll order those.

Thanks for your help!

[oragex]

Originally Posted by R-P

Found a Gates thermostat and a gasket for the thermostat housing ('on sale' for 12 and 6.5 euro respectively), so I think I'll order those.

Thanks for your help!

Great price!

[jnmonaghan]

Originally Posted by R-P

Found a Gates thermostat and a gasket for the thermostat housing ('on sale' for 12 and 6.5 euro respectively), so I think I'll order those.

Thanks for your help!

Is that web site available in English.
I would like to use it if and when the need arrises for my--
2003 V70 D5

Jude

[R-P]

There's a bunch of different country flags at the bottom of the main page. The link in the last sentence links to the housing gasket, just to check if the price was about the same. (5.65£ at the time of writing this vs 6.46euro, sounds about right).

I just ordered them, apparantly I had ordered from them before, they might be the company that I still have to return the very poor fitting van Wesel condensor* to. I ordered a Hella this time, even though they say there are two that fit my car (one with VIN number below 350000 and one for above 500000. It will come as no surprise that my VIN is ~400000 )

And I ordered a gasketkit for my turbo, so I can finally take that off to see if that thing is the reason I have been driving a sluggish car for a decade



* Van Wesel condensor: angle on dryer is wrong so solid tubes need bending before they will fit..., parts of it press into the intercooler, mountinghole is smaller than the tube coming from the AC-compressor, etc.