How's it going,

I recently found a 245 wagon with around 300,000 miles , so it says, for 900$. It has problems overheating, and the water pump whines and needs replaced. It could also possibly be a head gasket or thermostat. How hard is it to replace the head gasket, and is it even worth the money and time for that high mileage?

 

WAIT! I would suggest replacing the water pump and the thermostat first. Then clean the radiator outside with a strong hose and inside with radiator cleaner (the new products are not as effective as the older products of 25 years ago and might be left in for several days of driving). For the moment replace with just water. Also check that the air preheat box is either working correctly or deliberately disabled and that the throttle position sensor TPS is working and adjusted correctly. You might check the fault codes (position #2) and diagnostic function (position #6). You need a Bentley Service Manual by the way: you will enjoy it. I am a humble 240 owner with 425000 miles and going strong.

 

Don't replace the head gasket as the first step. How does it over heat? Does it warm up and then just getting hotter until it boils over? If the heater is turned on full blast/max heat/fan does it still overheat? Have you checked for hydrocarbons (unburned fuel) in the coolant bottle? The thermostat is an easy check to see if it is broken and stuck shut. (2 bolts, after draining enough to prevent coolant from leaking onto your distributor cap).

Not knowing where you are located but - in warmer climates simply an old clogged radiator will cause overheating. The car will warm up quickly to the thermostat temp - (mid-gauge) then creep up slowly until you decide to stop and let the car cool down. The only solution for a clogged aluminum radiator (if you are in a hot climate) is a new radiator, don't waste your time/dollars on "tune up in a can" for that. A copper/brass radiator can be unsoldered and "rodded" to clean the passages, if you can still find a radiator shop that does that.

In answer to your question - a head gasket is an easy DIY project on that car. However - exhaust studs might/will break and can be very difficult to repair properly. With that many miles you will end up doing a valve job when the head is off. Check the easy stuff first.

 

All that's good. As far as value, at this point these cars are getting shabby when it comes to interiors, plastics, etc. The mechanicals are simple and easy to sort out, parts are readily available. The overall condition of the body is most important, rust, paint, dents etc. plus the trim and upholstery, all that is becoming NLA and expensive as they become "classics" 30+ years old... So, if this $900 240 is pristine but has an overheating problem, it's well worth it! if it's average for a 30 year car, beat up and neglected and needing cosmetics all over, then not so much.

 

buy it, worry about anything else later.. the parts are worth more than that...

 

Im located in North Carolina so we do have some hot weather. There is coolant in the oil, and the hoses have some rust in them, so im pretty certain it is a head gasket.Ive already started the tear down on the motor, ive removed the radiator, coolant hoses, and the air box. Your talking about the exhaust studs on the manifold right? I know there is a certain order to remove them but i cant seem to find any answers?Ive also removed the heat shield already too.

 

Check the compression. Check the transmission fluid. Look at the condition of rubber seals, mounts,and hoses. Suspension and exhaust.
If you can't do it yourself, find a shop who can and give you a detailed estimate. $100 in my area to find out first before you cry later.
If you don't have experience and tools it can get very expensive very quickly.

 

Boarwagon: There is no order for those nuts, just try not to break them or the studs, you never know how they come out (the stud with the nut or just the nut). The best way to loosen them is to try to do it after running the engine when they are hot. you can at least try to soak them with PB Blaster or similar before trying to get them loose... If you break any studs just take the head to a machine shop, they will take care of the problem, charged me $20 for a broken stud removal last time I had this problem.

 

Mapp gas if you don't have acetylene on corroded nuts. Cherry red. Loose juice all too often is a waste. Gentile,gentile tell the 300Kg space alien welding a 3 foot cheater on the breaker bar.

When playing with fire have multiple extinguishers handy. Avoid gasoline too I have been told.

 

What do you mean "there is coolant in the oil"? Do you mean there is chocolate milkshake stuff on the dipstick or the bottom of the oil cap? That is not from a blown head gasket - that is from many, many short trips where the oil does not heat up enough to boil the moisture off. (maybe someone took the thermostat out in an attempt to compensate for the clogged radiator) When an engine cools down cool (moist) air is pulled into the engine - if the engine does not get hot enough - that tan foam forms on the dipstick when that moisture condenses. BTW - Volvos DO NOT blow head gaskets like Jap cars do - the coolant does not mix with the oil. The oil passages are too far away from the coolant passages on the block/head surfaces.

Yes the hoses will have rust in them - the engine is 3x years old! I'm certain the owners have not kept a perfect 50/50 mixture of coolant in the car the past xx years - It's a $900 car!~As I mentioned earlier DO NOT take the head off unless you know for sure that will fix something that is needed. Use your hard earned dollars for something the car really needs - and it will need a lot. I would guess that if you are messing around with a $900 car - you don't have a whole lot of extra money to spend on transportation -

Certainly if you remove the oil drain plug and the oil is a light chocolate milkshake - you have coolant mixing with the oil - if that is the case you will have more serious problems with crank and rod bearing - water does not lubricate.

 

I recently did a head gasket job. I had the head surfaced, cleaned, and valves adjusted accordingly. I have put it all back together, and the engine cranks but does not start. I have spark and fuel, so im not really sure what it is, could it be the timing? It will crank and crank but nothing happens. Im going to take it back apart and make sure the timing belt is on correctly, but is there anything else i should be looking for? The engine started perfectly before hand, and ive replaced all belts ,thermostat, and water pump but i didn't mess with any of the intake stuff.

 

Yeah - re-check all of the timing marks on the crankshaft, camshaft and half-shaft. I suspect one of them is off.

 

+1 on the timing possibility. If you did nothing else during the HG job, that might be it.
Did you have any head work done? Even if something was off there, it would still start.

 

You were correct. I adjusted it and she runs amazing now!