Just curious TECH...............as I truly know nothing about Volvo mechanics as I fund the dealer's childrens education fund. I use the Volvo as my winter beater............indeed, the tag reads: SNOWBTR.......but re: oiling head bolts. How do you get a correct torque reading if the bolts are oiled? The autos I've done head work on have never been oiled or lubed.............indeed, I have always taken great pains on keeping the bolts clean. For the 50 years that I have torn down the British and German and American engines I have never heard of oiling the bolts for the reason I stated above.
Reg

 

And what was the torque spec's and angles on them?

The newer cars After getting top the torque specs you have to go either 90 or 180 degrees.
The lube helps it go and not break the bolts.

 

From the specs I got on the head bolts, you torque them to 44 ft lbs and then turn 130 degrees. Is this right?

I did not oil them becasue I had never heard of that before. On rolling the sealant between the head and the cam cover, should we roll it on the head and then put the cam cover down on that? We have been applying it to the cam cover so we avoild clogging the oil passages, but if we roll it I can see where putting on the head would be easier.

Thanks again tech!!

 

Jim, I would do yourself a favor and buy some new head bolts as well. Whenever you have a 'stretch' head bolt (torque to x and turn it y degrees) it's seating and stretching the bolts. When you reuse them, they won't get to the same torque with that method.

In regards to lubing the bolts, It's not to keep them from breaking. It's done to keep you turning it 'y' degrees smoothly. Otherwise, a dry bolt will creak and catch will turning, thus making you potentially overshooting your 'y' degrees.

- AB

 

I bought new head bolts when we started. You think I should buy them again? Not sure how much they were, but they were not cheap. I got them from the Volvo dealer just like everything else I have bought so far. Except for the two intake valves I bent and had to replace. The dealer was not able to get them so the machine shop got them from some place in California. They were $25 each vs. $60 for the intake valve that was Volvo.

 

If you bought them new prior to rebuild, you should be ok. I know some people reuse bolts that are already 100k+ old, which in my mind is insane. Head bolts are not cheap. My Celica head bolts were $14 per bolt and there are 10 of them

Hopefully everything will go smoother for you this time around Jim. - AB

 

The spec from my Cheater book are close to yours. Stage 1 15FTLB stage 2 44FTLB then 130 degrees.

I always roll it on the head to make it easier.

 

That's what we have done starting with the center bolts and working to the outside. I just read somewhere yesterday though to only go 90 degrees. That's why I asked the question. I'm going to try to take the head off myself this weekend. Nick is busy with a house is buying and he has National Guard Duty this weekend. I hope I learned enough watching him to be able to do it.

Thanks again.

 

YOU CAN DO IT!!!

I will be here if you need me.

 

I got it off, but don't see anything obvious wrong. I'm taking it to the machine shop tomorrow to see if they can find anything. I'll let you know what I find out. Maybe just putting a new head gasket on will fix the problem. The head bolts seemed much tighter this time than they did the first two times, and the pick stuff you put between the head and the cam cover was everywhere. We put too much on, I'm sure.

 

Hopefully all is well!!

 

Nothing wrong with the head. Guy at the machine shop said I need to bleed the lifters which is something he did the first time I took the head in. I didn't take them the 2nd time of this time. Said if I bring them in they will bleed them for me at no cost. Is this something that is easy to do? Can I do it myself? It would save some driving if I didn't have to take it to them.

 

I always leave them soak in oil then install. Then crank the car for a few minutes to let them bleed up.

Thats how I know how to do it. Im not sure how they do it. If you didn't hear any tapping then they should have been pumped up.

 

I'm confused then. They basically said that having them not bled is why I don't have compression in that cylinder. They they will bleed them down then you put them on and they will come back up when you run the car. Said you should hear some tapping until they fill back up. That's kind of the opposite of what you are saying and what the Volvo dealer said.

 

I Guess then Im confused. Thats the way I have done it for 5 years now and everyone where I work has done it that way since the 850 has been out.

I guess I don't know then. (Not trying to be rude)

 

Well what you are saying is the same as what the dealer is saying, and you guys know Vovlo's way better than the machine shop. I might just go ahead and have them bleed them, then soak them in oil so there is no air pockets. It's only going to cost me the time to drive to the place.

There is now way I would take anything you say as being rude. If it wasn't for your help, this car would have been in shop and I would have spent $1,000's more on it, and I might be wanted for murdering the SOB that sold me the car. See you are keeping me from being a murderer. haha I feel bad asking you so much man.

 

Don't feel bad thats what I keep coming here for!!!

 

I think what he is infering Jim is that we can beat him up a little bit more than what we have in the past.
Reg

 

A true gluton for punishment.

Well I got the head back on along with the intake manifold. I spent more time just cleaning the head and the head bolts than anything. The holes where the plugs go had quite a bit of crap in them. The look clean now. I do have the lifters in the machine shop being bled.

The said they have seen cases where the lifters get too full and will not allow the valve to go completey closed. They recommend after having them bled, put them in, put the cams over them, tighten the cam down, then put the oil in. That way they will fill with oil and conform to excact size needed for where they are positioned. It does kind of make sense, and these are some good old boys that do this for a living every day. It's a real big shop that is really busy.

 

Keep me posted on how it goes.