Hello everyone,

I purchased a used 2012 S60, and 4 months after the initial purchase the timing belt slipped and damaged the heads mechanic said replace or rebuild, and that any blown engine should just be replaced. Since then I have been paying for an expensive door stopper, trying to save for a used engine. I am at the point and looking for options to consider and that is where I happened upon rebuild or replace again. I have called around to mechanics and have heard all kinds of quotes, most exceeding the value of the car. I thought about junking it but even that pays relatively nothing, then I happened upon a mention of a rebuild as a serious possibility as I am looking for ways to salvage this vehicle. Now, when I looked for specifics under my make and model there wasn't a lot of information, hence my late night post here, getting desperate.

Has anyone had their engines rebuilt after the timing belt slipped on this type of interference engine? If so what was the turn out? As for replacing an engine, could a novice manage it, I ask because unlike other cars I have worked on it was never anything this new, and there are no videos online showing a swap for this make model or anything near to it. Can anyone give pros and cons of rebuild vs replace, as I am trying to weigh which way I should go.

I appreciate any advice and thank you all in advance.

 

As you have found out - when the belt comes off - you end up with bent valves. The solution is simply a valve job. Not a replacement engine. Of the 50 or so bent valve Volvos my shop has repaired - all have simply needed only a valve job. Remove the head and have a professional machine shop (familiar with volvo heads) repair the head and then reinstall. There have been many who have DIYed this project - but it is a difficult job that requires a few special tools so i would not recommend it to a novice. .

Bad part about it is the cost. I would expect the total retail cost to be about $3500 to a shop that knows what they are doing.

Replacing the engine takes considerably more labor time. You will want to put new seals, timing belt components, pcv components on this "used" engine. And you always run a risk with a used engine - you really don't know what you are installing until you (hopefully) get it to run.

 

I appreciate the information, that is what I was worried about regarding the replace, all the extras that go into it especially since I have looked and the engines run 3K on up for a possible good one, and that is without the parts or tools needed. As for the rebuild I am going to have to call around, as it seems to be the most economically feasible thing for me. Yes, the mechanic showed me on the endoscope that the valves were hit, should there be anything else that could have been effected? Or should the rebuild mechanic know what to look for?

Thank you