It's late and I am probably too tired but I am stuck on the timing belt cover. The XC90 T6 (2003) cover is not the same as my V70 (2002). On the V70 there is a bolt down the front of the cover that needs to be removed before pulling the cover. The XC90 has a coolant hose that goes through the cover. Can any one explain how to remove the front timing belt cover? Also does anyone know if I need to put additional sealant on the threads for the water pump. The new bolts seem to have a lock titie on them but the manual says to put high pressure sealant on the bolts. Anyone know if that is still necessary with the new bolts? TIA

 

On the coolant fitting, push the whole thing towards the engine while pulling back on the tow notched tabs on either side of the fitting. Should come off.

Two torx screws on top of the engine... and two tabs on the side of the cover.

It's a PITA.

-Ryan

 

Thanks Ryan. I put everything back together until I have two week days free to do the job. If I break that piece I want to be able to get a replacement. Starting late on a Saturday I would have to wait until Monday to get a replacement. I see there are aftermarket replacements with a metal tube and someone even modified their housing (drilled and tapped) to put in some brass fittings.

 

Might be worth getting an aftermaket thermostat housing. They have a metal coolant fitting, whereas the original one is plastic.... and the plastic ones do get brittle.

I actually intentionally broke that nipple (and it broke pretty easy). It gave me the luxury of figuring out how to remove the fitting without damaging it, as I'm 100 miles from the safety net of a dealership.

I also found that snipping a very slight notch for the above in the bottom of the hole for it in the timing belt cover greatly facilitates getting the cover back on/off. It's a tight squeeze in there, and Volvo expects you to move the box of stupid expensive brains without telling you how.

Here are a handful of manuals that I thew up on the web (bottom of page):

XC-90 Stuff

-Ryan

 

I just got a 2005 Xc90, my first Volvo. My dad is changing the timing belt for me. He's an experienced Audi and VW mechanic, but this is frustrating him. I'm not sure if we should invest in VIDA. We've watched many YouTube videos but they always skip this step. Are there any detailed instructions? Does he just break it? If so, where exactly?