Hello all




I know very little about this car, the serpentine pulley or power steering pulley broke off, the car had ran some in this condition, maybe 5 minutes I dont know..does this belt also power the timing belt? should I be concerned with damage? does it need to be re-timed? also the mechanic who is working on it called and said the radiator has a crack and blew up..why all of a sudden does my radiator blowup on him? is it related? is he responsible?

 

I didn't see a note indicating which car you had, am betting an 850, 940/60 or newer.
I have experience only with 850-960, but the serpentine belt does not drive the water pump. However, perhaps it drives the fan, not drawing as much cool air through the radiator as it should. Volvos typically run cold though, so that overheating is not an issue unless a major system fails.


On these cars the timing belt drives the water pump.


First, has the antifreeze been changed recently? Any gunk in it?
The problem can be a blocked radiator too, that was bad and finally pushed to its limit.



With the belt off, you should be able to take the timing belt cover off and turn the crank with a 30mm or 36mm socket - clockwise-- to see if the timing marks line up. If your water pump is ok, and the timing marks line up-- no need for a timing belt redo or water pump redo.


Look instead at the serpentine belt for wear. BTW there's only one size for all serpentine belts tensioner tools for my knowledge, but others here can prove me wrong.


Go to the FCP Euro website and check it out. Then look for one that fits your budget.


I have three of these to do so I am reading and learning a lot before I do anything.

 

If the serpentine belt just breaks, it does not do anything to the timing. However, I have seen them shred and cause part of the serpentine belt get caught in the timing belt and damage valves.

The radiator is unrelated. Common source of leaks on the P2 cars.

 

not uncommon for these radiator to split its seam along the side where the side caps meet the core. Assuming you didn't overheat, you should be fine - but to be sure you can test the coolant system pressure.

While you are looking at the serpentine belt, test the idlers and the pulleys on the AC, alternator and power steering. Its possible one of them locked up and ate the belt. Finally you should pull off the timing belt cover and visually inspect. Check for water pump leaks, leaky seals and any possible damage or wayward materials. It may be a good time to clean it all up at the same time.

 

Thank you all very much!