Hi all, long time no post? I had a 1995 850GLE I had to let go 5 years ago, and I miss her still.

I just picked up this little beaut for $750CDN as is, she's a bargain in my books, even though I haven't had a test drive as it was unplated and uninsured when I checked it out.

I took a chance on it because the owner had at one point 4 Volvos in his driveway while I was there between his 3 other family members. He needed to get rid of it to make some space.

The engine starts easily, runs quietly and cleanly, from my quick whiff of the exhaust and smell of the engine oil.

Here's some photos of the body:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/leftside.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/.../rightside.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...8/940/back.png

... and the engine:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...940/b230ft.png

Should I worry about that little bit of oil seep from the valve cover?

There are a few things that it apparently needs to certify and get it on the road (I'm in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada). Brakes, parking brake cable, and a new headlight lens.

I'm on a very restricted budget at this time, so for now I'll concentrate on just getting it on the road and passing safety. I'm trying to do this all myself so it's a no-tow situation, and then take it to the shop for the certification with temp insurance.

There's also a bit of a sense of urgency, since my current car is not running so well, and like many, I have to drive to get to work.

Brakes and parking brake cable are the two I need a little advice on at this time.

I'm doing this myself, while I've got the car on blocks and I can get underneath it. I have a complete socket set, johnson bars, long ratchet, and various specialized bits (don't have the large hex bit for the front calipers though). Also have an electric impact gun and sockets, though it's large and won't fit in very tight spaces like the inside of the wheel well.

I am told by the previous owner that the car's brakes work well, but the car sat in the driveway a few months, as the light surface rust shows in the photos below. The car was towed here by flatbed.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/brakes01.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/brakes02.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/brakes03.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/brakes04.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/brakes05.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/brakes06.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/brakes07.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/brakes08.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/brakes09.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/brakes10.png

I felt the rotors with my bare finger, and the grooves are not deep, and the rust very light; in certain places where I brushed with my finger the rust was wiping off easily.

Do you think I can get away with cleaning up the surface rust on the rotors myself using one of these and my drill?
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...nylonbrush.png

I've never done a parking brake cable on any car, so that's new territory for me too. Can I get away with grabbing a used one from a U-pull junkyard?

I have VADIS, which helps me with the procedures, but I don't have any Volvo tools.

Also, do I need to replace these bushings immediately to pass safety, or can that come a little later?
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/bushing1.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0/bushing2.png

Thanks everybody, I appreciate any advice/heads-up you can offer!

 

I would do a thorough brake fluid flush first, then as long as the pads have sufficient material, just drive it, and apply the brakes lightly repeatedly, slowly increasing the braking force, that will clean your rotors better than any brush will.

plan on new pads at some later time.

I don't know what your safety inspection entails, but that front anti-sway bar link bushing isn't really a critical safety item. the car would drive safely without ANY anti-sway bar, it would just lean too much for comfort on hard turns.

you must live in the rust belt, I've not seen the undersides of ANY car around here anywhere near that corroded ever, but it doesn't snow here, they don't salt the roads.

re: the oil on the valve cover, that looks like old spillage from adding oil.

 

Hi, I sure am in the rust belt, most cars here start turning to rust before their 10+ years of useful life. In this area lots of salt is applied to the roads, sometimes in combination with sand and other treatments.

There's plenty of pad left all around, so I'll focus on the parking brake, which is definitely a certification requirement in this province.

How do I go about flushing the brake fluid? I've never done that before.

 

first, note... you have to be very careful not to get any brake fluid on paint as it will damage it immediately.

the poor man's version is... use a turkey baster to suck out as much of the old fluid from the reservoir as you can, then top it off with fresh fluid. hook up a clear hose to the drain tap at each brake caliber, starting with the back wheels(*), release the nipple and gently pump the brake pedal, and tigthen the nipple (yes, this takes two people, one to pump, one to do the thing at the brake), topping off the fluid reservoir as needed with fresh DOT4+. at each wheel you repeat this til all the old fluid and bubbles are gone.

better is to use a mity-vac or similar vacuum sucker, with a brake fluid capture container inline, and suck the dirty fluid out, but you should still pump the pedal, slowly, once or twice on each brake

the best way to bleed is with a brake bleeder machine that screws onto the reservoir in place of the cap and pressurizes the system, while adding more fluid automatically.

(*) volvo says ABS up to and including 1987, you do the front wheels first. all non-ABS and ABS from 88 on, you do the rear wheels first, one at a time, then the fronts.

 

Thanks for the tips, I'll be sure to follow the procedure.

It was only parked for a few months, judging by the minor rust buildup on the rotors.

Is the flushing of the brake fluid required before I take it out on the road?

Going to check on the parking brake cable now, before I take the car to the shop. I may be able to do the adjustment/repair myself and save a few bucks on labor.

 

ah, I got the impression it was a year+

the brake fluid should be changed/flushed every 2 years or 30000 miles.