Quote:
Originally Posted by igor9212
I guess I'm excited about the journey, but dont mind paying someone else to do the repair work. Kind of admire from afar, and be able to enjoy it once its running.
The previous owner ( who had it sit in the shop) states he changed headgasket, fixed the timing, but it was running too rough, because he didnt have the correct tool to get the timing set up.
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That story of not having the tools/know-how to do the final timing steps is a classic "end of the road" for a diesel Volvo.
Odds are good that person also didn't have the tool to correctly torque the big bolt at the front of the crankshaft, which is the other common end of the road when that bolt loosens up and the engine comes out of time and destroys virtually every moving part inside it.
Both outcomes of course very easily avoidable simply by doing the work correctly. Nothing about the correct process is difficult at all, and as Bogford above noted it can be highly satisfying for someone who understands what they are doing and has the right equipment. BUT many folks believe they know better or will attempt time-tested shortcuts that worked out well on other engines, and try to get away without following procedure. That always leads to tragedy and disaster.
All of this is a cautionary tale regarding your idea about finding a shop to do the work. That could be a good path IF you could find the kind of shop capable of it. It would have to either have an employee who knows these rare (and nowadays even rarer) engines very well, or is smart, humble, patient, curious/interested, not pressed for time to complete the job, and willing to learn from non-professionals such as those on this forum and/or carefully study the manual so as to climb the considerable learning curve. Preferably this person would be someone who has deep knowledge of VW diesel engines such as TDI. It WILL NOT help much if they know big diesels well (such as diesel trucks) so a typical "diesel shop" is probably to be avoided. Techniques that work well on say, for example, a Ford Powerstroke pickup are not good for working on this Audi-based diesel in the Volvo. Different principles and philosophies.
And of course that shop or person would also have to have ALL of the correct special engine tools or be able to acquire/borrow them.
If any of the above were not the case, all that would happen taking it to a shop is you'd spend a load of money ... perhaps rebuild the engine if it's indeed seizing on the pistons ... and ultimately end up exactly in the same place as the last fellow who reached a point where he could go no further and failed to reach successful completion due to the timing process.
None of this is meant to discourage you from saving the car -- quite the opposite. It's just a warning that "saving" it will first require careful effort to ensure the car lands in the correct kind of hands, either someone who can do the work properly for you, or a different owner who can take it on themselves. The car looks great and absolutely it should be revived one way or another. But an ill informed attempt to save it will result in failure and waste of your time and money.
Are you familiar with Tom Bryant in Maine? He is one of only a handful of folks in the country who you could hire to successfully do this for you ... and he's not far from you!
Or, if it seems like more of an undertaking than can be done with the resources that are available to you ...... the best thing would be to find it a caring home with an enthusiast who can work on it for fun and has the knowledge to do it. Starting with Goteborg who inquired in a post above.
