Two scored cylinders (low compression) Is my engine screwed?

 

Most likely. It's very hard to find somebody to overhaul the 850 engines. I had a 94 850 Turbo quit on and they wanted more than $3,000 to replace the engine with a used one. Could not find anybody willing to work on the one that was in there. And you don't want somebody that does not know what they are doing with Volvo's doing major work like that on your car. Your best bet is probably to buy a used engine and put it in, but you are still talking big bucks.

Check out this site for engines and good luck:

http://www.actionsalvage.com/engine/UsedEngineVolvo.asp

 

Did you see the scored cylinders? Do they have the head off the car?

 

how do I see the scored cylinders? I took the head off to check if the valves were stuck and they weren't as far as I could tell.

 

You need to take the head to a very good machine shop and have them look at it. Call a Volvo dealer and ask them who they have work on their heads. Don't let just anybody do it. I would do that before proceeding any further. They will tell you what needs to be done to the head. I had mine planed, one new valve and the valves reseated for around $350. This is not something you can do yourself.

With the head off you are looking at the pistons in the cylinders. How do the piston wall look? Do any of the pistons have more woble to them that the others? In mine #1 had more woble and that's the one that has comression of 120 while the other have 150+.

 

So even though two cylinders (might be) are scored bad enough to make the engine not run, these can be replaced??

 

Do you really have the head off? Are you really looking at the Cylinders? Your questions are not making sense to me for somebody who has taken the head off. The cylinders are under the head and if you are looking at the cylinders you can tell if they are scored. As far as I know the cylinders on these cars can not be replaced if they are badly scored. You will need a new block.

 

Jim, are you saying the block can't be resleeved? I find that surprising, but if the cylinder walls are that thin, I guess it's possible. - AB

 

Well my son in-law is a GMC mechanic and spent three years in the Army working in Humbees and said he never saw walls as thin as the ones in the 850. I really don't know if they can be relseeved or not. I know he was suprised at how thin they were. Definitely no room to bore it out and put in oversize pistons. I would think it would be cheaper to get another block.

 

NO they cannot be resleeved. The coolant ports run all the way around the cylinder. They are Very thin. The engines in these cars run such a small clearance/Varriance on everything it is not funny.