What did you do to your 850/X70 today???

[StatusRed]

Originally Posted by turboboy

I was lucky then. Failed MOT on offside front hose but decided to replace both sides while I was at it. Replaced offside hose no problem. Fortunately tried to loosen the bleed nipple on the nearside before I removed the hose but, like yours, was well and truly seized. Managed to move it about one eighth of a turn but no matter what I did it wouldn't undo further. Finished up buying a new caliper but at least it was only one.

Only other item was one of the front drop links needed changing. Again I bought two but only managed to replace the faulty one as the otherside had different size nuts and had previously been replaced and was O.K.

When I was getting my C70 back on the road over the summer I had to replace 3 out of 4 of the calipers due to seized bleed nipples.. These cars seem prone to it!

[Bob Meadows]

I replaced all the brake bleed nipples on a ’97 V70 last year- kept soaking them for a couple of days in releasing fluid but two still proved a little awkward but all eventually came out.
To avoid the same for the next time I’m thinking of using a small rubber boot (extended dust cap) or something similar that slides over the nipple and retained as an interference fit-- filled with copper slip will prevent the item from rusting once replaced ( works fine on a much older classic)
Bob.

[Dancake]

Passed the MOT retest no problem today. I've attached a pic of one of the offending hoses. Glad they're sorted now

[StatusRed]

Originally Posted by Bob Meadows

I replaced all the brake bleed nipples on a ’97 V70 last year- kept soaking them for a couple of days in releasing fluid but two still proved a little awkward but all eventually came out.
To avoid the same for the next time I’m thinking of using a small rubber boot (extended dust cap) or something similar that slides over the nipple and retained as an interference fit-- filled with copper slip will prevent the item from rusting once replaced ( works fine on a much older classic)
Bob.

I think it's not really a problem so long as the brake fluid is changed regularly (meaning the bleed nipples are opened up etc..) and replaced maybe every time you bleed the brakes or every other time. What I think happens is that cars often go 5+ years without the brakes being bled then this happens.

Originally Posted by Dancake

Passed the MOT retest no problem today. I've attached a pic of one of the offending hoses. Glad they're sorted now

Same thing was happening with my hoses, hence why I upgraded the fronts to braided steel since it needed doing anyway!

[ASt85]

Originally Posted by StatusRed

I think it's not really a problem so long as the brake fluid is changed regularly (meaning the bleed nipples are opened up etc..) and replaced maybe every time you bleed the brakes or every other time. What I think happens is that cars often go 5+ years without the brakes being bled then this happens.



Same thing was happening with my hoses, hence why I upgraded the fronts to braided steel since it needed doing anyway!

As you say, regular fluid changes or bleeding makes a huge difference, but if you soak the nipples with PlusGas every few hours for a couple of days, you will be surprised as to how easily they will then wind out if you use a socket or box spanner that fully fits the flats.

[Luxobarge]

As above, for me the important lesson here is that if the bleed nipples are that badly seized, it MUST mean that the fluid hasn't been changed properly in ages. Many garages will just suck the fluid out of the reservoir and replace with new, which is near to useless, as the contaminated fluid is that which is in the calipers, not the reservoir, and this can only be effectively changed by a proper full bleed procedure. When this is done regularly (i.e. to schedule) I've never had a problem with seized bleed nipples.

[Dancake]

Replaced both front control arms on the 850 over the weekend using Meyle HD units. If only they were all that easy.

[Dancake]

Replaced the timing belt, water pump, auxiliary belt and all associated pulleys and dampers on the 850 today.

[Clogs]

The rear door was dented by someone reversing into it in July 2018, and I got a replacement door from a scrappie (£50+£30 carriage) - but it was black and had a small dink while the car is burgundy red. A respray would be more than a replacement door. At last I managed to get another door the right colour from a different scrappie and after getting a bag of assorted plastic fasteners on eBay (500 for £4.95), to put back the door card on properly, the door was hung yesterday. A bit fiddly getting it right but it's been put on successfully. Now the car looks better without one black door, all for £50 plus £25 carriage! The colour match is excellent as it has faded a bit the same as the car, as the Volvo paint with colour number is redder than the car today, 20 years later. Result

[Richard_TD]

Sunday's attempt to change the thermostat ended like this. I've ordered a replacement housing but I can't imagine it'll get here in a hurry at this time of year.


The local breaker's yard doesn't have any petrol five cylinder Volvos at all at the moment, but they did have a 2001 V40 so took the housing from that in the hope that it would be the same.

It wasn't the same, the temperature sender is fatter and there's an undrilled boss that would be for the vent to the expansion tank. The stud pattern seemed to be the same so I offered it up to see if it would fit. It wouldn't, the fat boss for the temperature sender was in the way. A few minutes with a file freed up enough clearance space and I managed to bolt the housing in.

The next problem was fitting the V40 sender. I chopped the plug off a spare 850 sender and soldered it to the V40 wire. The gauge sat at the bottom and climbed when I heated the sender with a blowtorch so I decided it would do.

Amazingly the lash-up seems to hold water, the gauge appears to be reading correctly and the heater now seems to be working properly. It'll keep me mobile until the proper part arrives.