I have a 1993 volvo 850 glt love this car very low miles. The timing belt was blown and it messed up my valves I only know this because i took it to a mechanic and he told me in order to fix this it would cost me between 2500-3000 dollars is there any cheaper way to fix this on my own or used replacement parts i can get to get my car back on the road i really need some help i love this car but cant afford 2500-3000 at this point. is there anyway to fix it without breaking my pockets? 
Senior Member
Hey,
It can certainly be fixed yourself, just be ready to put in some time reading up on it and be willing to get your hands messy. I did the exact same job not long ago, here is a breakdown of the costs:
$650 head work. I had 10 bent valves. You might have more or less.
$240 timing set. Replace everything! This was for the complete set including the water pump and tensioner.
$150 Gasket set - no way around this
$40 fluids - cause you need to refill everything.
Anyways, it is perfectly possible to do this yourself (minus the head work) with a bit of patience and some sore knuckles. Find a head gasket tutorial and follow that.
You will need a torx set, a torque wrench, common hand tools, WD-40 and such. Start tearing into it, mark the parts as you remove them so you know where to replace them. Don't overtighen things when putting it back together. Take your time and realize it will take you around 10 hours labor if this is your first time.
Remember, the timing cover cannot be replaced, it is matched to the head, and mixing will ruin your cams in no time. You might want to replace your PCV stuff while you are in there ($150, optional). Plus it is as good of time as any for a full tune up.
Good luck and keep us updated. Look up my thread here. Might give you an idea of what you are up against.
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...r-wagon-71023/
It can certainly be fixed yourself, just be ready to put in some time reading up on it and be willing to get your hands messy. I did the exact same job not long ago, here is a breakdown of the costs:
$650 head work. I had 10 bent valves. You might have more or less.
$240 timing set. Replace everything! This was for the complete set including the water pump and tensioner.
$150 Gasket set - no way around this
$40 fluids - cause you need to refill everything.
Anyways, it is perfectly possible to do this yourself (minus the head work) with a bit of patience and some sore knuckles. Find a head gasket tutorial and follow that.
You will need a torx set, a torque wrench, common hand tools, WD-40 and such. Start tearing into it, mark the parts as you remove them so you know where to replace them. Don't overtighen things when putting it back together. Take your time and realize it will take you around 10 hours labor if this is your first time.
Remember, the timing cover cannot be replaced, it is matched to the head, and mixing will ruin your cams in no time. You might want to replace your PCV stuff while you are in there ($150, optional). Plus it is as good of time as any for a full tune up.
Good luck and keep us updated. Look up my thread here. Might give you an idea of what you are up against.
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...r-wagon-71023/
Administrator
Sure is. Get a used '93 850 head and swap it. Cost should be below $500.
Head Removal and Installation, Volvo 850 / S70 Turbo B5234T, B5254T, Head gasket replacement, valve replacement.
If you need help finding a head let me know, I may be able to get my hands on one.
Head Removal and Installation, Volvo 850 / S70 Turbo B5234T, B5254T, Head gasket replacement, valve replacement.
If you need help finding a head let me know, I may be able to get my hands on one.
Senior Member
Other options: A '94 head should work as well. If you were to go that route, get the crank gear from the 94, and get all the timing components for the 94 as well. Then you'll have the stronger, thicker timing belt! Or a whole engine. I know where a '94 engine is for fairly cheap.
Administrator
Oh, I forgot to tell you, once you pull the head, if you get new cams as Carrot suggested, you can sell your NA cams from your motor in about 1 day. People with turbo cars like to install the NA cams from the '93 cars.
