I was under the impression that the cam holder had the slots above and below the center of the bolt hole. (pic 1, right slot above/ left slot below) and the cams are the same, just each has a different part number. I must be missing something? Wallet in photo to block flash, that I can not fig how to turn off.

 

Yes they are offset. The exhaust cam is flat but off center down. The intake is offset up.

 

Ok, so I took the timing belt off, and could not move the cams by hand (A bad sign?) So I decided to tear the top half of the head off, to get to the cams, I have everything loose, ready to pull the cover off, but it seems nothing will budge it, is there a secret to getting the valve cover off without marring the surface? The book says that a rubber mallet will loosen the dowels, but I cant get that thing off, Is there a trick to unseating those dowels?

 

There is like square looking parts on the top section and head that are close to each other. You can use a screwdriver to start moving the camcover up. There should be 2 up front and 3 in the rear. If you have a big blade screwdriver you can slide it between the 2 tabs and work the screwdriver some to get it loose.

 

There are parting lugs (pic below) everywhere there is a dowel (5 locations as noted above). I took two regular screwdrivers, laid the blade of one flat on the bottom lug, placed the other screwdriver blade on top of the first and pryed upward against the bottom one. This touches none of the "sealing surfaces." Oh, and once the gap between got bigger, I could fit the male end of a 3/8" extension on top of the screwdriver blade and do the same. Hope this helps.

Tracy

 

Very much so, thank you so much, I will report back when I get that thing off

 

Ok, I just wanted to report back, I am down to the cams, got that cover off, I took a socket extension and a large screwdriver and pried with the tip of the screwdriver touching the extension and not the aluminum, so as not to score the cover as bad, after the gasket broke loose it was easy sailing from there.

I bought the leak down tester today, but I need to go and get my friends air compressor today to do the test. If you have any tips on how to do a leak down test, I would much appreciate it. I have the haynes book, so I am going to read it this evening and see if it has how to test it.

Will report back on my progress, thanks so much!

 

I just wondered, if the crank is lined up, and I put the cams back in, and it looks like this, then that is close to in time? If I lock the cams in this position, and bolt that cover back on I should not bend anything? Of course I plan on doing the leak test first, but, do the pics look correct?

From passenger side: http://shared.pho.to/E3DA1022-15B9-D...8-E047BF1174EA

From Driver side: http://shared.pho.to/FDD5030B-E76E-9...E-406A2F97BEBE

I forgot to mention, I also marked the cams in relation to the cover to mark where it was when they tried to time it. As you can see, it was ALLLLLLMOST in time, the intake cam looks a bit off the mark, but its close, do I now have a chance at not such a bad bent valve case?

Here is the pic, my finger is showing the mark, its white and can barely see it now.

http://shared.pho.to/0661DA24-436B-B...8-D10B051E4BA1
http://shared.pho.to/D237BE2A-BD91-5...E-396DCBC255DF

 

Yes, that looks correct. Don't go by old timing marks though. You just want to make sure the slots are parallel to the head and the lobes are up on cylinder one. And don't forget to make sure that you scrape ALLLLL of that old seal off before you apply the new seal and close it back up.

 

I have done several timing belts on Toyotas, with this (head gasket job) being the first timing belt experience I have had on our Volvo that we just got last summer. I have to say, I am impressed with the engineering and design of almost everything I have encountered (cough cough ... PCV system) on the Volvo 850. But the timing stuff is not (to me) as straight forward as on the Toyotas I have worked on. If you do a timing belt job on a Toyota, the timing marks are so obvious and easy-to-use that Stevie Wonder could get it back in timing. On the Volvo, there are the very hard-to-see markings on the camshaft sprockets and "sort of" difficult to see marks on the crank sprocket. But mainly, I do not understand why the camshaft sprockets have slotted holes in them that allow the sprockets to have "play" in them. To me, that seems to introduce a wider margin-of-error into the whole timing, versus the Toyota camshaft sprockets that will only go on one way (keyed) and in one position with no "play" in that position. I may see something that explains it all as I reassemble this stuff tomorrow, I don't know. I have read the whole Volvo procedure about getting the bolts centered in the holes with only two bolts on each sprocket and pressing hard twice between cams and then between exhaust cam and water pump. I'll see when I get there, but (for now) those slotted holes have me very curious.
Tracy

 

I have been at it with a plastic scraper for about an hour now, and all the gunky gasket is off the top of the head and the valve cover.

I also did a leak down test and I think I am good to go, all cylinders were within spec (I think) and they were all very close in PSI to each other, and I heard very little hissing, not crazy leaking like it would sound if there were a large gap. (I tested what the sound would be if I pressed down on one of the valves and opened it, and after hearing that sound, I am fairly sure there is nothing wrong, thank god.

So now that I have no bent valves, I guess my next step is to head to volvo stealership and get me some more valve cover liquid gasket. I will set the crank tomorrow, put on the gasket, and bolt her down, that is after I make the cam locking tool, I just hope it is all worth it, I have high hopes though.

 

The timing is simple. Don't pay attention to the sprockets like I have said 50 times, they have nothing to do with putting it back in time. Crank TDC, lobes up on cylinder one/down on five, and cam slots parallel to the head. Done. In time. You don't even need the sprockets to put it back in time. And the gaps are there for adjusting the cam timing. These cars don't come factory TDC, the cams are set according the model.

 

Cool ... and I fully understand what you're saying. I know the correct positions of the camshafts when in time (as I have said in this thread I think).

What I am saying is -
Once the components are "in time" as they should be, and I am tightening down the camshaft sprockets (which are what interfaces with the belt for the camshafts/lobes to "do" anything) it seems like there can be different possible positions for the sprockets to be tightened at, thus changing the dynamic of how they interface with the belt and camshafts/lobes. Just tighten them at the furthest counter-clockwise rotation (ensuring the belt is tight as can be between camshafts and crankshaft)? I am sorry if I am not making myself clear, but the "play" when you tighten them is what has me wondering. It may be painfully obvious when I do it tomorrow.

 

It doesn't matter the orienatation of the sprockets, the cams are at TDC and that's what matters. The play in the sprockets are to allow for the ability to advance and retard the cams (advance for greater low end power and retard for greater high end power). 850s come factory with the cams slightly advanced if I remember correctly. The slots allow for 7.5 degrees of play in either direction, but yours will be at 0 degrees if done correctly, and unless you have a special cam timing tool, that's what they'll be at, which is completely fine. All you have to do is make sure the cams and the crank are at TDC when you put it all back together, then adjust the sprockets to either the factory timing marks, or put your own timing marks on there for future reference.

 

OK. I already have everything together back in time (using the method I described on here a couple of times), just like it was when I dismantled it to do my head gasket (and everything else while I'm here). The position to tighten the sprockets at was all I was wondering about, but it won't matter from what you're saying. Thanks

 

Just an update. I have all the timing stuff back together. I put the slots in the camshafts exactly like they were (parellel to the head seam) with two holes on top on the intake side and one hole on top for the exhaust side on the timing belt end. I had the crank in the original position (TDC). When I put the belt on (starting at the crank) and fed it up to the camshaft sprockets, I looked to see what position I should tighten/anchor the sprockets down. At one end of the "play" in the sprocket holes, the marks lined up on a tooth that was one tooth behind my marks, and at the other end of the "play" it was one tooth ahead of my marks. So I split the difference and tightened them in the middle of the "play" or "travel" in the sprocket holes. I rotated two revolutions on the crank and everything still lined up. I did it again for good measure and it all lined up the second time too. So I was good to go with the sprockets in the middle. But when I stop and think about it, I don't think it would really matter as long as the belt was good and tight between the cams and crank. Kind of like it doesn't matter if you start a one hour time period at 8:00am or 5:32pm, as long as you advance exactly one hour, it is the same amount of time.

 

You guys are my hero's I wish there was some way I could pay you, I most certainly would.

It runs, although it will not start at the moment, It started 3 times, but now wont, not sure, too late to diagnose this evening. I will try and tie up any loose ends tomorrow, but that sound i will never forget, the purr of that sweet engine after 1 agonizing month.

Any idea why I would not be starting now? I had a weird problem the second time starting where everything went dead as if I pulled a wire from the battery. I noticed some loose wires there and re-did the connection at the terminal.

Any ideas?

 

#1 battery - try jumping, test cc amps at advanced for free
#2 Fuse - pull check
#3 does it have gas - add fuel
#4 intake flooded - starting fluid, and hold open throttle. burn that crap out
#5 ignition wire reconnect. is it cranking?
#6 starter died- was it cranking fast or slow and dying out?
#7 it's done - check no oil in coolant or vice versa

 

I have a new battery, so it was cranking at full amps, no coolant in oil and vice versa.

It is cranking, starter seems ok, tried it again this morning, so I dont think it was flooded.

Just strange, because the first 3 times, it started right up. I realized I had the ground disconnected, so shut down, hooked up the ground, went to start again and would not.

I will check my fuses, as that electrical problem may have blew one...

 

Just a quick question, as I have yet to get this thing to start again, no matter what I try.

Here is what I have done so far:

Starting fluid in the air intake.
Checked the fuel rail, do in fact have fuel
Checked fuel injectors with a light, the light blinks when starting.
Checked spark on all cylinders, and have spark. (one or two had a white spark and not a blue one??)
Air cleaner not clogged, etc.

Am I missing something?