I need to get parts to replace head gasket and timing belt on a 2005 S40.

who would anyone recommend to buy from? I am in Kansas City area and want to ensure I get good quality parts and preferably in some kind kit form so I get all of the miscellaneous bits and pieces that o should be replacing at same time.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Easy enough to shop online for kits. My short list:

FCP Euro
IPD USA
EEuroparts (new management - good prices but their catalog has gotten smaller)
Tasca Parts ( dealer web store, best prices for genuine Volvo parts)

There are other dealer stores out ther as well as other Volvo friendly stores. I like to reseach to find the Volvo factory part number, then do a search on that to find what's compatible and what market price is.

As to the parts themselves, you have a choice between genuine (ie Volvo name and part number on the box), OEM (Volvo's direct supplier's name is on the box) and finally after market (suppliers who manufacture or rebuild replacement parts with no guarantees on meeting or exceeding Volvo's specs/standards). Note some actually do sell better than original quality usually those are from speciality shops.

 

Thanks for the reply. I continued to read up and went ahead and bit the bullet with IPD USA. Looking forward to getting my parts. Thanks!

 

Out of curiosity, what happened to the car that it needs a new head gasket? Often the head gasket blows when the head is warped during an overheating episode (and the head will need to be machined before replacing the head gasket).

 

It did blow during an overheat situation. I’m in the middle of pulling the head and plan to check the head and block for any signs of warping. I’ve heard the same... could require head to be surfaced but have talked to a couple people who said it is equally as likely that it did not damage the head.

Out of curiosity... I have a cam alignment tool kit but have an issue. The intake cam at drivers side has a torx volt holding what I assume to be part of the VVT assembly... I’m not sure if I buggered it up while popping the cam cap out or if someone had done work before did. See attached picture. Any advice on getting this off? It’s not a reverse thread or anything is it?



Please let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!

 

Good luck on that head. You might well get lucky (but be ready to have the head milled, just in case).

I'm 99.9999999% sure you didn't do that to that Torx bolt pulling that cover off (unless you used explosives). ;-) I'm not familiar with the VVT mechanism, but my first thoughts would be to clean it up a little, then I'd hammer in a Torx impact socket as deep as it will go and hit it with an impact wrench (check to see if that will have any effect on the rest of the VVT mechanism, or figure out a way to render the part that's showing immobile first). If that fails, you could grind a slot in the Torx bolt and use an impact screwdriver of the appropriate size.

 

I’ve always trusted Torx until they get messed up and then worry they will strip out. Pounded a new driver in and got her to break loose. One less obstacle.

if it comes down to milling the head, Will I need to worry about compression? I’m assume it all depends on how much milling necessary but know it can affect things.