It has been a while sense I have posted any thing . Well my 1997 850 wagon the water pump seized and spun the timing belt after 329,850 miles and I be leave I bent a few valves. The question is would I be better off trying to find a used motor or head? I want to put it back together for my son that just got his learners permit.I am trying to find the cheapest way out or is it best just to junk it and buy him a new one . any input would be helpful.

 

Was this the original water pump?

 

I have never replaced the water pump there was no need to there was no leaks or noise. I purchased the car with 143,000 on it and I replaced the timing belt when I got it ,air pump,alternator, full tune up hoses anti freeze ,ect. and oil changes every 3000 miles . The car has been my commuting car and very well taken care of its been all highway miles sense I purchased it which is about 120 miles a day to and from work.

 

Before you go out ad buy parts, get the head off and see if there is any damage to the pistons/cylinder walls. That will at least give you an idea of what directon you need to go with it.

 

It really depends on the condition of the rest of the car. If the rest of the car is fair to good, I'd get another head, timing belt kit, and put her back together. If the seats are all torn up, the suspension is worn out and it leaks everything from water to tranny fluid, junk the thing.

It's sad that the water pump didn't give you a warning. Grrrrr

Someone just told me that most of the 850 heads are interchangeable so you can go to a jy and pull a head in 2 hours. Will likely cost about $100. If the car was wrecked the head should be good. If it doesn't look to carbon'ed up, have it cleaned up and slap it on. I would have the head rebuilt, that would cost about $175 (have new valve stem seals installed). Since you changed oil all the time the lower end should be good.

Head Removal and Installation, Volvo 850 / S70 Turbo B5234T, B5254T, Head gasket replacement, valve replacement.

 

I hate it when that happens.

If the rest of the car is in a good shape, it is worth getting a rebuilt motor (I would make darn sure that all accessories, timing belt component, PCV system and the rest are of new OEM parts). If not, I would junk it.

This thread may give you an idea as to what to look for on an 850:

https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...s-s-v70s-9266/

I will change the notes on the water pump.

JPN

 

Yes, absolutely, no need to change the water pump at all. What could possibly go wrong?

Good to know that a Volvo water pump will go almost 330,000 miles. Guess it was overkill when I changed mine at 80,000. Your timing belt did well also at 180,000 miles and counting.

 

Well, I guess I maybe should make it a point to change my water pump at my next belt change. I now have 220,000 and changed the belt and 1 roller at 205,000. My normal policy is to only do the water pump if it leaks but maybe I'll do it every 210,000 now (every 3rd belt). I believe it's pretty rare to loose a water pump in that fasion but heck, I guess it's better safe than the alternative. I have had pumps leak at 80,000 and some hold up beyone 280,000 so heck, I don't know. Sometimes I let them go leaking for months. I guess I have been rolling the dice.

 

Bingo!!

 

For some reason, I alway think that there will be no cylinder wall damage. Piston damage will be easily seen when the head comes off.

 

Cylinder wall damage won't be likely, but it's not out of the realm of possibility, either. It all depends on if the valve snaps off and gets banged around in such a way that it hits the cylinder wall hard enough to put a ding in it or take a chunk out of it. Also, it's possible to have a valve damage a piston in such a way that the piston wrecks the cylinder wall.

 

Pulling the head to see where you're at would be step one. Replacing the head with a used head would be the cheapest IMHO but for all the work to R&R the head and money for gaskets I'd take the new used head to a machine shop and have them check it out (more $$).


That's why it's best to do it with each belt. If you want to roll dice, then replace it every other. For someone who buys the cheap pump, definitely every belt.

Trust me, I've seen a lot of people lose a water pump because they didn't do it with the belt. Some didn't know, others knew but thought it was just an upsell and some were just too cheap. Many were lucky and didn't have interference engines. None of us have that luxury.
Some will leak and they don't pay any attention and some the bearing will seize without any warning.
I think the reason you don't come across this type of failure that often "here" is most of the people here pay more attention to their car. I'm a little more used to dealing with the person who doesn't care until there's a problem.

 

The body and interior of the car is perfect.There was no indication that the water pump was on its way out, I guess i should have just replaced it . when it let go i was pull out of the bank parking lot and there was a stop sign like 20 feet away and the car just shut down and rolled to the stop sign.I had to be towed from there home. I got under the hood to find the belt off and the water pump seized. so I replaced both of them had all the timing marks set tried to start it but you can hear it just firing out the exhaust so I think that one of the cylinders might have bent the valves. Well I won't know till I that off the head and go from there

 

When these cars die due to a belt failure, there simply is NO forgiveness. Of all the belt failures, there is another thread going now, I have never read where they dodged the bullet. The thing is that the cams are always open somewhere in the motor and when you try to start the car, the pistons will find them. If not when the belt breaks, when you try to restart the car. Not one escape. Sad deal.

As for the repair, pull the head and if you don't see piston damage, you can get a used head, have it serviced and drop it on there. BoxPin does them cheap, like under $200.

 

Thanks rspi, well I think that at least a couple of valves are bent by the way its firing through the exhaust . Now I just have to find the time to tear down the engine. I will post back the final exam of the engine .

 

From what I have seen with interference engines the damage varies. There are people who have little to no damage to the pistons and there are people who have had valves physically embed themselves in the pistons! It's always best to take it apart then make your decision on what to do next. Probably better (cost wise) to get a used head and service that one instead of trying to rebuild one that has had a timing break incident. JMO. Sorry to hear man.

 

Well, technically all we know is that this particular one may have gone 187k. Based on the posts, we don't know what the PO did. It could have been changed at 142,998.

I've twice had a T5 overheat (1 850, 1 V70) and both times I've put them back together without a new water pump. Both times I regretted that decision. Overheating seems to have caused damage to an otherwise good pump, and it didn't take long in both cases for the pump to fail.

Change the pump, every time the belt is changed. It's cheap insurance.

 

I wouldn't bet my engine on my water pump outliving my timing belt by twice. You can likely do a pump every other belt but do you really want to bet YOUR engine on his pumps history ??

Belt and pump is a maintenance service. Saving the $30-$60 bucks on a pump between belts just doesn't make sense in my world when you figure how much per month, mile or year that replacement adds to your cost of tearing down the front of the engine to do the timing belt alone.

Do you really want to be going to the salvage yard looking for a head and the down time just to save a few bucks when you know it's an interference engine and you'll likely take the head out if it snaps ??

I like my 850 and I'd rather replace a good part early then do a head job later. IMHO that's just the way I think. I'm running an Oreilly lifetime pump.

 

Lifetime for 70,000 miles? Lol, I do appreciate you guys input but not being able to work a real job or full time for over 3 years makes it real hard to toss a good working part in the trash. I do realize that the tb path is critical but these parts are better than 70k.

Having had Volvo parts last 300,000 miles, maybe I have to much faith in them. Come to think of it, I am known to be a little frugal too.

 

I never said the car over heated . the car was running tops, the bearing in the water pump seized. It never over heated the temps were normal there was no noise or leaking at all. I guess I must have just dropped the ball this time and I have to pay for it to stay in the game.