I cleaned up the head. I do not see any cracks. If "burnt valves" means pieces missing from the valve...the valves are not burnt.

However, there is pitting in 3 spots. The pitting is small medium and large. It is uniform in it's 3 locations...just near the bolt holes on the right side of the head.

The car was overheated some 9 months ago. It was a DD before it overheated and a DD until this trouble started.

I need to get a straight edge to check for warping.

 

Seems like your problem is around #1 cyl. How is the head gasket? Do you see any places where coolant may be entering through a breakage? Examine the head for cracks. How significant is the pitting? Pour some gas into the valve seats (valves closed) to see if there is leakage. How many miles on this motor?

 

I paid a $50 deposit to a machine shop for a loaner straight edge and they got ****ing pissed off when I tried to bring it back a week or so late and I got to keep it. I love my straight edge! It's a great tool.

 

Now that you have the head off, you can bring it to a machine shop, or do your own pressure test to measure if the valves are seating properly. It isn't something that you can "see" unless it is really ****ed. Sorry for my French. I am enjoying IPA right now!

 

So the block looks like this...

 

#1 piston close up

 

Close up #2 piston

 

#3 piston close up

 

#4 piston close up

 

Bottom of the head

 

Cylinder 1

 

The large pitting at cylinder 1

 

Cylinder 2

 

Small pitting at cylinder 2

 

Cylinder 3

 

Medium pitting at cylinder 3

 

Cylinder 4

 

With a straight edge running from front to back i can slide a .381mm gauge under the edge between cylinders 2 and 3.

The car has about 250,000 miles on it. I am the 3rd owner..bought it 2 years ago. The 2nd owner spent about $10500 over the 9 years that he owned it having it serviced at an indie volvo shop. The head gasket was done 11years and 100,000 miles ago.
miles.

Last October the water pump began weep. While waiting for parts i took everything off in preparation for putting on the new parts. The car was driven...a little over 6 miles according to the guy that towed it home. After the tow I did the water pump ( and was almost killed while doing it...but thats another story) and said a prayer. Up until now the car ran fine.

I may not be able to bring it back but I've learned stuff that i can use with my '92 940. I've only spent $30 so far on tools.

I used the rope trick for the crankshaft bolt...thnks lev.

I dont have an air compressor...so any homemade tools need to be airless. I also dont have a garage or driveway so an a/c aint in my future.

Ya'll have been a great help as usual...thanks

 

Well, the pitting is probably not crucial--even if you don't address it now there probably won't be any adverse effects for a long time. If you want perfection, get that fixed by a machine shop.

There had been some pretty aggressive sanding/scraping on that head, not good but not fatal... a new HG should be OK as long as the head is not warped, and it probably is not, but check it anyway.

BUT something caused that low compression on cyl. 1! Most likely a leaky valve, a break in the head gasket?

So, if you want a great job, take the head to a machine shop, have them go over it. If you need a quick and dirty repair, just slap a new gasket but make sure the valves are not leaking!

 

runnin late for work. didn't read it all or look at all pics, but WTF is that impact damage? on the top of a couple pistons? Looks like it had a chunk of piston ring in it that dented the pistons a bit! I hope for your sake that I am wrong.

I also see a blown HG between 2 and 3. And also not as much between three and 4.