Hey so a few months back I bought an 1996 base model N/A 850 wagon with a 5-speed and a fair amount of miles on it (224k, now 228k). Now, I know these things can run forever if maintained right and the 2 previous owners (both old guys) did a pretty good job at that, a tradition I would like to keep. That being said, there are a few things which need to be done and I found finding some of the parts to be confusing, so I was wondering if the more astute 850 guys on here could help me find parts that aren't crap and/or overpriced. And keep in mind I am trying to DIY as much as I can (I'm a broke college student lol). Anyways, here's what I need:

Front CV Joints, previous owner informed me at purchase that they were going bad. Might possibly need some rear cv axles as well but I can't 100% remember.

Exhaust Manifold, or maybe at least the mesh part before the flange, it's riddled with holes.

PCV System, mine doesn't seem too bad (the little pipe next the oil fill cap is a bit hard but when I did the glove test it barely filled at all, still probably a good idea to replace it as it's the #1 maintenance item most here recommend). Can't seem to find a great kit for my car though.

Door Moulding, two of the black trim pieces on the right side of my car came off after a camping trip, after that I pulled all the others off because it looked like crap with only some of them on. Needless to say I can't find any decent replacements online.

EVAP? Occasionally my check engine light will come on and my car will throw code P0455 for EVAP, that being said I cleared it and have since put 400+ miles on it with no further issues since I last saw it. Guy at the autozone recommended I get it smoke tested but idk.

Any links to parts or tips with doing these fixes would be much appreciated, I love this car and I want to keep it on the road for years to come.

 

No CV axles on the rear. For the front, just replace the axle assembly (easier). Downpipe will be a junk yard item as well as the door mouldings. PCV system can be had from ipdusa.com or eeuroparts.com - check out Robert DIY on YouTube for tips. for the P0455, check your gas cap to see if the seal is okay.

 

Thanks for the help, unfortunately according to car-part.com the closest exhaust manifold to me is a 12 hour drive, and even then the prices are barely cheaper then a brand new one. Other than that, is the PCV kit from ipd good? reviews aren't the best.

Also about the evap code I suspect the gas cap might've been the issue, I ordered a new one and I am more mindful about screwing it on now and that's probably why the CEL hasn't come back.

 

On the PCV kit you have two choices. Use the IPD kit or go OEM Volvo. I put the IPD kit on one of my 850R's and it's working fine (although it is slightly different piping). What pricing are you getting on the manifold?

 

Is this a good PCV kit for the N/A?

Here's also one that claims to be 'genuine volvo' from FCP

As for the exhaust manifold I'm seeing prices all over the place (lowest new one I saw was a no-name brand on ebay for about $120, Pro Parts Sweden seems to be selling them new for $160 (heard mixed opinions about that company though - and weirdly the same Pro Parts model costs about $40-$80 more on sites like FCP, but FCP stuff always seems to be more pricey). Dorman sells one for about $270. OEM ones are hard to find. To be honest, I don't know how good of one I really need considering it's just metal piping at the end of day. Anything is better then what is currently in there.

Oh yeah also, while I'm here I might as well include a picture of the 'glove test' as well as what the top of my engine looks like. Do you think I need do a PCV job now? Or do you think I can get away with putting it off? I also drove for awhile and when I pulled the dipstick right after I didn't see any smoke or pressure release (a normal symptom for PCV).





Thanks.

 

I did use the PCV kit from IPD although mine came with fewer parts because it is a turbo. The FCP kit is OEM Volvo and I know a few folks that only insist on genuine Volvo parts for these cars. The exhaust manifold is a tossup; just depends on the quality you want. If this car is a daily driver, I would go with as many OEM Volvo parts that you can afford. The top of your motor looks pretty clean so there are no leaks from the oil cap or PCV hose. Another note, when I did my PCV kit I also did the injector seals and spacers (you're in that far, why not). With 224K on the car, you should also check all of your vacuum hoses, coolant hoses, heater core and heater hoses. When was your timing belt, water pump and tensioner last changed?

 

PO told me that the timing belt and the water pump were both done in the past 2 years, I don't know about the tensioner belt though, I'd have to take a good look at it. It is also possible that I have a vacuum leak, some of the hoses look worse for wear. I also notice that sometimes my car has an uneven idle, which could possibly be caused by a vacuum leak, the PCV, or just a plain old dirty throttle body.

As for the exhaust manifold I'm leaning towards cheaping out on it because I doubt it could cause any serious problems down the road aside from just needing a new one.

I'll make a note about the injector seals and spacers, that's probably a good idea.

 

I used to have an 850 N/A too; the only thing that goes bad on that exhaust manifold is the flex coupling breaks eventually, as you've experienced. You don't need to replace the whole manifold; you need to find a decent exhaust shop (that can weld SS IIRC) and have them cut out the old flex coupling and weld in a new one. The coupling itself should be < $50 and maybe $100 or so in labor. Taking a risk going with an aftermarket one as it may not fit very well.

 

Alright that makes sense, there's a good shop down the road from me that welded on a muffler to my old Camry before so I could probably go with them.

 

Actually I think a part of the leak is on the pipe itself, just above the flex coupling. But, the flex coupling is pretty bad too.

 

I have that manifold here if you really need it. Let's say $50 plus shipping. It's just as old as yours, though. I'm not sure how they ever expected that flex piece to be servicable, but in all my cars I've never seen one go bad.

The PCV, everybody buys the whole setup new. Whether you go OEM or cheaper is all on you. I would just go by IPD and FCP descriptions.

This is sorta bad news, but the 5 speed cars had a little different axles than an automatic, and I am not convinced anybody has them. The automatics will fit, and that's good enough for that car. I drive a T5 manual so I am mildly concerned about it. Rockauto shows that somebody "Trakmotive" offers the manual. Could be a lie, you know? They know it's interchangeable. It used to be possible to get people to rebuild your personal axles, and maybe you still can. I have a 2nd set of manual axles here but they are in very bad condition. I thought I might take a chance on having them overhauled someday. I'm not sure you can buy just the joints. I didn't look at IPD/FCP and try to figure out what's actually in stock.

I am not like the other volvo owners in that i would happily slap on a $50 axle with a lifetime warranty. It wouldn't bother me a bit. But most guys here don't do that. These Trakmotive axles (never heard of them) are under $100 brand new.

 

one other thing about PCVs - you probably will want to "rod out" the ports since once the hoses clog, the sludge can build up in the block ports. Put on new hoses and guess what - you're still clogged. Some suggest dropping the oil pan as part of the job to really clean up the bottom end, others suggest a Seafoam treatment just prior to doing the PCV job. Since the intake manifold needs to be lifted out of the way to reach the hoses, its best to do all the work you can while that's out of the way - all the hoses, cleaning ports, check evap components etc. +1 with firebirdparts on getting the full kit and do it right, and be good for another 50-100K miles.

 

now that you mention it, I do drop the oil pan, and that's a big mess, but on the other hand, it gives me the chance to replace the oil pickup tube o-ring. So I think it's worth it. Sometimes they're clean. The pan will come off without moving a lot of stuff around. I do have to bend some doo-dad on the frame. I think it's something that was a gauge reference on the assembly line, as it clearly doesn't have a purpose on the assembled car.

 

You wanna dm me about that manifold? I'm interested. Also, axles aren't something i'm super worried about (especially on a well used car like mine) but If I were to buy them I would definitely want to know how to retrofit them to make sure I don't run into problems.

And thanks for the knowledge btw, this is the reason I came to the forums, I didn't want to just go buy parts ***** nilly and I especially didn't want to just drop it at a shop and pay them to do this research.

 

I have a friend who's done a PCV job on an 850 before and I think i'm gonna do it with him. My cars a good runner and I intend to keep it that way for as long as I can.

Thanks for the info though - especially about the o ring, I remember seeing a guys 740 throw a rod because he didn't replace that $10 part. BTW, anything else you suggest doing while it's all out of there?

 

There's a good "new owners" thread in the 850 forum. We've probably already mentioned all the stereotypical repairs in this thread. They don't like to get hot. The heater core will leak and that killed a lot of them. Replacing that's an easy job.

 

RobertDIY's vids on Youtube are a great resource as well. Just do a quick search on his name and you'll find a long list (including fixing the PCVs on 850/V70s)

 

I've already seen a lot of his videos, he's cool