So it appears that I'm in a pinch.

I took my '94 850 Wagon to the mechanic yesterday for a couple simple things. First, I accidentally sent a coffee grinder through the rear glass and needed a fix. Also, an alignment.

Received the call today telling me that before I could get an alignment, the following needed to be done:

Both front Control Arm bushings
Right engine mount
left CV boot
Drive belt


The control arm/bushings seem to be giving my mechanic a hard time--and thus the main subject of my post. According to him, they are not manufactured anymore and so the car will need to be refitted with new spindles in order to complete the job.

A) Though I trust him--is this the case? Can I find OEM or used parts anywhere?
B) Is it worth it? I know the answer ultimately is yes. I love the car, it's been cared for meticulously (albeit said grinder through window) and she's only got 147K on her.
C) Is the drive belt something a fairly inexperienced person can do by themselves with a bit of perseverance and cursing?
D) Why me? Why now? Especially since I just bought a 95 with potentially similar issues...

The estimate: 1500 to 2K

HELP!

Thanks--Joe

 

Not manufactured anymore? WTF? um... control arms fail all the time on these cars- it's a very common item, and replacements are readily available and not that expensive. www.fcpgroton.com has them in stock, most auto parts stores should be able to get them in a day or so. The arms come with new bushings already installed, and if you're on a budget, fcpgroton's aftermarket ones are $35.00 per side, and they're not the problematic "scan- tech" brand, either.

And... there is NO reason why the shop can't do an alignment without changing a drive belt. The belt isn't particularly hard to change yourself... the tensioner can sometimes be a bear to pull back, but otherwise... standard serpentine drive belt. As for the engine mount... which one is it?

And all of these repairs- CV boot or shaft, drive belt, and control arms, if you have the shop do the work, shouldn't cost more than $750 including parts. If you supply the control arms from FCP, you should be able to have it done, including labor, for $600 or so. I actually went through and did a rough estimate for the job, including parts, and assumed a labor rate of $85/hr.

 

Thanks, Carrots--

I should have clarified--the drive belt wasn't necessary for the alignment (obviously) but it was strongly recommended since the car was already in the shop. I asked them for a breakdown on each job, and what needed to be done in which order of importance--should hear back tomorrow.

I'll certainly be bringing a printout of the available parts from the website you suggested--thanks--and questioning why so expensive. This guy is generally really good with me, and I've given him a lot of business so not sure why there's such a discrepancy in cost. His labor rate is 95/hr--so not too far off the mark.

The right engine mount is the one that needs replaced. I'm also really interested in trying to do the serpentine belt myself...but again I am a novice. I did recently pick up both the Chiltons and Haynes books, so hopefully between the books and this forum I can get through the job.

Thanks again for your help--I appreciate it!

 

The accessory belt (serpentine belt) is a pretty easy job and does not take any special tools. The control arms, trans-axle and engine mounts are not hard with the correct how-to. You can find the how to for all three jobs below.

HOW TO: Replace Front (Passenger) Engine Mount

HOW TO: Replace Worn Control Arms

HOW TO: Replace a trans axle.

You can find all the parts you need in the links below.

Left Control Arm

Right Control Arm

Accessory Belt

Engine Mount

Driver and Passenger Side Axles

 

Thanks very much--what a helpful site on how-to's. Carrots informed me of your parts website as well, and I think you'll be getting quite a bit of business from me in the near future.

I'm slowly learning here--until a few months ago I had never so much as changed my own oil. However, after being in a foolish rear-end accident, I decided it was my responsibility to fix the damage I had done myself--so I replaced the header panel, lights, pulled out the dents on the hood and replaced the grill. Took me the better part of the day, but now I've caught the fever! Looking forward to learning how to do all the repairs on my car, however it will take some time, tools, and better weather (28 degrees in my garage today) in order for me to get there.

With friends and resources such as these forums--I should be a different man this time next New Years Eve!

Thanks again.

 

ahhh, yet another one that has been volvoized. good luck with it!