Rescuing my Volvo after 3 years parked

[v8volvo]

Originally Posted by jbg

Wow, it's been another 3 years! The forum tells me I last logged in today, 03-31-2020. The car is in the same situation as it was before. But this time I have 2 plastic bins full of tools and fluids, a FSM, and (possibly) a helper. The plan is the same as before, get the hood open, take an inventory, check fluids, bar the engine over, replace the battery, etc.

Good to see you again!

This time we'll try to hold you to it.

Sounds like a good plan and look forward to hearing how it goes getting it back on the road. Keep us posted with photos and updates. That's a good way (for me at least) to keep project momentum going.

As noted in the discussion a few years ago -- but even more critical now that additional time has passed -- the viability of the timing belts (front belt most importantly) would be a serious question due to age. If it were me, with a front cam belt that is at best 16 years old and maybe older based on what you wrote before, I wouldn't even engage the starter until after changing that belt. Spinning the engine over by hand with a wrench would not be risky but you would hate to do anything else and have that belt break and trash the engine. Lots of stories on here of folks resurrecting old cars that got running very nicely but then bit the dust mere days later due to an ancient timing belt failing. The belts are really only trustworthy up to about 7-8 years, maybe 10 years at the most. Visual inspection doesn't tell you much.

I suffered tragic engine damage in my 745 TD a few winters ago due to risking it with a belt I knew was questionable due to age, ruined the camshaft and cylinder head on an otherwise great-running healthy motor. Had to overhaul the entire top end, what a waste of time and good parts. I'm still mad at myself about it! In my case the culprit was a belt with low miles but a lot of years on it, including time spent sitting. Not unlike your case. The belt "looked" fine, right up until it snapped with no warning..... So again, beware.

[jbg]

Sorry for the delayed response. I have had a busy week so far. I did get back to the Volvo on Wednesday and I did make some progress! First discovery was what I left in the trunk:



As you would expect the poor car is covered in years worth of twigs, pollen, leaves, and general natural detritus. The tires are partially sunk into the ground. The tree that was once "near" the car is now trying to envelop it. The first 30-40 minutes had me cleaning off this stuff and trimming back the branches.

The hood again would not unlock. But thanks to the comments in this thread over the years from ngoma, v8volvo, and RedArrow, I was able to get it open! I clamped a small vice grip on to the cable behind the red lever and pulled (hard) and I heard the hood pop. That was a big relief! I think that indicates two things: 1) the cable likely needs a course and/or fine adjustment, and 2) the latching mechanism needs to be serviced. Opening the hood was tricky as the hinges were very stiff but I managed to get it lifted enough to expose some of the hinge apparatus and spray some PB B'laster in there. Working the hood up and down it became easier and finally I could open it fully.



What I found was an engine compartment that looked just like it did in 2017. There were twigs and detritus on the perimeter where the hood gap allows. But other than a small vine growing near the air filter housing everything was fine. I was fearing that a squirrel or mice had made a home and well everything would be covered in everything else.



I removed the fan and fan shroud so I could sneak in the Volvo special tool to rotate the engine. I could not easily get to the crank screw from below as the car was sunken in a bit. I also removed the upper front timing belt cover to make sure nothing had made a nest in it.

I then started checking the following in no particular order:

• Engine stuck? - No
• Front timing belt? - Looks "okay"?
• Can the turbo spin? - Yes
• Coolant level - Low
• Oil level - Low
• Transmission fluid level - Good!
• Power steering level - Low
• Battery (was disconnected) - 3.1 volts
• Throttle pedal - moves
• Brake pedal - does not move; I did not force it

I topped off fluids and got them to acceptable levels. At this point I wanted to check if the engine could turn over.

Originally Posted by v8volvo

If it were me, with a front cam belt that is at best 16 years old and maybe older based on what you wrote before, I wouldn't even engage the starter until after changing that belt.

Yes, I totally hear that v8volvo, and it makes perfect sense. But I just wanted to hear a "rah-rah" from the engine and I would be satisfied. To do this I hooked up the battery, my jump pack, disconnected the injection pump fuel cutoff solenoid, and turned the key in the ignition switch. I got nothing. Dashboard lights lit but when going to the starting position everything went dead. I removed the jump pack and disconnected the battery and cleaned the battery terminals and cables, and connected everything back up. My volt meter showed that I had ~12 volts. I turned the key expecting failure again and what I got was "rah-rah rum-rum-rum" and in a panic I turned the car off. It had started on 2 cranks of the starter after sitting since 2017!

I ran to the back of the car and there was the smell of diesel exhaust. Faint but it was there. This result really surprised me as I assumed it would be a struggle to get it going again. Plus I disconnected the fuel cutoff solenoid. In my mental "but hows" and "what thes" I went to the engine compartment and disconnected the jump pack. I found that the positive cable of the jump pack was very warm, hot even. I turned it off and removed it. My first thought was that the glow plug relay was on. Likely the entire time. My second was that I had disconnected the wrong connector on the injection pump. That was true.

This brings me to remembering the following about the car:

• In the 10 years I have driven it it has needed a new battery twice
• If the car was to sit for a week I would disconnect the battery, or it would be low
• Sometimes the glow plug light would not illuminate when starting and I would need to tap on the GP relay to get it working

I have known that the car has a battery drain condition. More of an annoyance as the Volvo has always been a third car. However I wonder if the GP relay has been to blame the entire time? That day when I had the key in the "pre-start" position I noted that the glow plug light was not on. This further convinced me that the engine would not start and to my surprise (and horror) it did. It is surely possible that there is another source of the flat batteries, like an interior light being on, or something else. But that GP relay has been troublesome to me for years. I have a Volvo Green book and it has a good description of the glow plug circuit and its operating modes. I've been reading that over to aide in troubleshooting.

Other general observations:

• There are chunks of oil in the coolant reservoir from when the oil cooler ruptured several years ago
• The PS return hose is wet and brittle and likely the cause of the fluid level being low
• The engine harness has several wires lacking insulation
• There are cobwebs in the interior
• The radio is broken (but it was before)!

A buddy and I flushed oil out of the cooling system one summer several years ago. But I now believe a more thorough cleaning is in order. I have a used engine harness that I think I bought off Anders a few years ago that should be an improvement.

I am happy with the car's condition. It could have been much worse! I plan to be back there in about 2 weeks. It's parked on a lot that I own across the street from my parent's house. So I can kill two birds with one stone: work on the car and see the folks. I want to focus on:

• Field or bench test the GP relay
• Remove the master cylinder and free the stuck plunger; perhaps bench bleed it
• Inflate the tires and move the car out of the ground
  

Last picture is of the engine compartment after using a battery-powered leaf blower on it.

At that point I will need to decide if I am going to get the car towed to my house, or drive it. I can see pros and cons to either situation. I really don't want to change the front timing belt there, but driving the car home would be a great victory for me and the car.

Thanks for reading this far.

[ngoma]

Originally Posted by jbg

[*]The engine harness has several wires lacking insulation

All too common (Volvo used Bosch biodegradable wiring in these years) and high probability this is the source of your parasitic electrical drain. On our own '84 760 it was the cause of GP malfunctioning (on when it wasn't supposed to be, other times would not energize when required), starting issues (IP fuel cutoff solenoid intermittent wiring), shorts/opens with the altitude compensator wiring, also problems at the fusebox.

Your replacement wiring loom should remedy.

Originally Posted by jbg

[*]Remove the master cylinder and free the stuck plunger; perhaps bench bleed it

Might just be a futile effort; plan on replacement and full system flush. As v8volvo mentioned above, be ready to replace calipers as needed.

Avoid depressing the plunger past its normal travel range, you'll kill the MC further by forcing the piston seals into the rough section of cylinder bore.

I know it's tempting to drive it away, esp. since it started so easily. What is the TB history? How old and when last changed?

[jbg]

Originally Posted by ngoma

All too common (Volvo used Bosch biodegradable wiring in these years) and high probability this is the source of your parasitic electrical drain.
Your replacement wiring loom should remedy.

I have also seen 90s era Mercedes-Benz vehicles having similar deteriorating wiring. It's a shame but it is what it is. I'll have to pull the spare harness out of storage and give it a critical eye.

Originally Posted by ngoma

Might just be a futile effort; plan on replacement and full system flush. As v8volvo mentioned above, be ready to replace calipers as needed.

I'll take a look at it. If I can rebuilt it I would like to. Mainly to learn how it works and whatnot. I've seen my fare share of YouTube videos which gives me some confidence.

Originally Posted by ngoma

I know it's tempting to drive it away, esp. since it started so easily. What is the TB history? How old and when last changed?

IIRC the front timing belt was replaced "just before" the car was bought by me in ~2007. So that would make the front belt ~15 years old, with ~10,000 on it. I certainly do plan to replace it prior to starting it. My concern though is torquing the crankshaft bolt to the ~400 ft. lbs. that some of the D24 Gurus claim.

Our own v8volvo posted recently to the D24 mailing list that cleaning the bolt and clamping surface (very well), and using lite oil on the head and threads could result in applying lesser torque with more of that torque going to tightening the bolt, instead of overcoming friction requiring more (and more) torque. This makes sense but I can't help but feel that as a small dude I may not be able to get the required torque on the bolt and risk destroying the engine. I have the crankshaft counter hold (9995187) tool and the 27mm wrench extension (9995188) tool. So I guess I use those, plus a 1/2" breaker bar, with a 6' or so long pipe for more leverage. Any thoughts on that?

[ngoma]

With special tools 5187 and 5188 you use a torque wrench, not a breaker bar. Torque to 255 ft lbs. The 5188 extension inline with the torque wrench amplifies the 255 ft lbs at the torque wrench handle to ~350 ft lbs at the bolt. Give it a shot, I bet you can do it.

BTW the greenbook specs 332 ft lbs tightening torque at the crankshaft bolt itself.

[jbg]

I don't own a torque wrench that goes to 255 foot pounds. That is also an issue.

Oh, okay, good to know. The green book says 255 foot pounds but I was never clear that the extension "juiced" it to 100 additional foot pounds. Interesting, thanks for that.

[bigvolvoboy]

I didn't have one either but harbor freight sells this adapter that's apparently pretty accurate and is rated to a crazy 750 ft-lb. https://www.harborfreight.com/34-in-...ter-58707.html