A Miserable Day

[nervy]

After 5 years and 60k miles of brilliant, rewarding, reliable, lovable, daily, fast and surprisingly excellent ownership, my glossy black N reg 850R estate has blown a head gasket. It's the first time it's let me down in all this time, and I'm genuinely heart-broken. Poor thing, it looks so sad outside, not being used. I've literally just last week retaxed, MOT'd and put new tyres on him too. It's funny how attached you can become to things, isn't it? I'd honestly rather the wife blew up.

Anyway- homicidal spousal thoughts aside- I don't have the money laying around to get it fixed, and after pulling the head off myself to attempt the job (I'm an engineer by trade) I now realize that I'm out of my depth.

Anything anyone could suggest would be gratefully received. I'm based near Norwich, by the way.

Thanks in advance, please help

Nervy.

[munster732]

Gutted for you mate, hopefully someone on here will resurrect him.

[JamesT5]

Can you not just buy a second hand head gasket or block from a scrappy and get it fixed at a garage? I know money is always the issue but a second hand unit will cost a lot less than a new or recon unit. Just a thought and best of luck with it!

Regards

James

[WillT5]

On the Rover forum i heard this all the time (luckily the clutch went before i had to worry), couple of blokes specialized on the K Series Engine. You can do it Nervy, if you've got the head off isnt it just a case of cleaning it all up making sure the head is flush, if not get a shop to skim it, replacement gaskets and check the water system for failed components and then lumping the lot back together.

Good luck in whatever you do mate,

Will,

[nervy]

Gutted for you mate, hopefully someone on here will resurrect him.

Thanks fella. I know it sounds like the kind of meaningless §§§§ that people say when they're trying to flog something, but I really, really mean it and I really, really feel it. Plenty of 'better' cars have come and gone through this house in the time I've owned my Volvo, and I haven't batted an eye about their departure. I'm actually miserable about this, though. Please someone say they understand, my mates/ wife think I'm nuts. The more they say 'it's just an old volvo' though, the more I want to keep it. This car surprises everyone that goes in it and has always just kept on trucking even when nothing else would.

sorry. bit gushy today. sorry.

[nervy]

Can you not just buy a second hand head gasket or block from a scrappy and get it fixed at a garage? I know money is always the issue but a second hand unit will cost a lot less than a new or recon unit. Just a thought and best of luck with it!

Regards

James

I wish I could, but this has come at the worst time- business is way down, my bike is up for sale, and I literally don't have a pot to §§§§ in. It'll need new gaskets, plugs, oil, etc etc and I just don't have the time or the cash to do it, and I need the space and a way of getting about as soon as possible. However little I get for him (any guesses, anyone?) is going to have to be spent on some crappy old rat trap just to get me to work. I hate this.

[nervy]

On the Rover forum i heard this all the time (luckily the clutch went before i had to worry), couple of blokes specialized on the K Series Engine. You can do it Nervy, if you've got the head off isnt it just a case of cleaning it all up making sure the head is flush, if not get a shop to skim it, replacement gaskets and check the water system for failed components and then lumping the lot back together.

Good luck in whatever you do mate,

Will,

Thanks Will. That's what I thought when I started pulling pieces off, but even the bill for the bits and the skim and pressure test is beyond me. I just really underestimated what it would cost. My last car that the head went on was a Morris Minor 22 years ago, and for some reason I allowed myself to think that this would also be a 100 quid or so to put back together. I always knew I wasn't bright, but at least before I wasn't bright but had an ace volvo.

[nervy]

Am I right in saying that the bloke whose forum this is is local? I seem to remember a nice parcel delivery chap coming to drop something off once and him telling me all about his mad six million BHP T5R. I'd love it if someone like him took him. Bet he'd love him.

[nottsgreent5]

Wish i was a bit more local to you i migjt have been intrested in it out of intrest was it over heating?

[nervy]

No, it just over-heated the once. Pulled up as soon as the needle went up and called the AA, and got it recovered to home.

[JamesT5]

I wish I could, but this has come at the worst time- business is way down, my bike is up for sale, and I literally don't have a pot to §§§§ in. It'll need new gaskets, plugs, oil, etc etc and I just don't have the time or the cash to do it, and I need the space and a way of getting about as soon as possible. However little I get for him (any guesses, anyone?) is going to have to be spent on some crappy old rat trap just to get me to work. I hate this.

Well you may be able to buy another 850 or even a V70 even if it's not another R. I'm sure some will buy yours and you'll still have enough to get another Volvo. Maybe you won't need to get some "crappy old rat trap" after all!

[Jamest5r]

Nervy, i have just off the phone to Emlyn(the flying moose) he has asked for 1st dibs but cant get to a computer till later.

Cheers

Oh and the t5r bloke i believe was Greg.

[nervy]

Nervy, i have just off the phone to Emlyn(the flying moose) he has asked for 1st dibs but cant get to a computer till later.

Cheers

Oh and the t5r bloke i believe was Greg.

Brilliant, thanks James. This sounds promising.

-contact details removed-

[nervy]

Well you may be able to buy another 850 or even a V70 even if it's not another R. I'm sure some will buy yours and you'll still have enough to get another Volvo. Maybe you won't need to get some "crappy old rat trap" after all!

I'd like that.

[Jamest5r]

Brilliant, thanks James. This sounds promising.

-contact details removed-

Cheers forwarded your number now remove it before the mods do mate against forum rules lol

Oh and he's in Norfolk as well

[nobananas]

If you don't find anyone for her I would be interested. I've been looking for an R for years now to replace my old T5 which is getting a bit crusty now but I rebuilt the engine a couple of years ago so have been looking for a nice body to put it in. I've had this one nearly 8 years now so I would be looking long term ownership !

[nobananas]

Nervy, you have a PM.

[nervy]

Apologies for posting name and number etc., I'm an idiot. Thanks for letting me back in

Nobananas, you have a mail

[nervy]

Cheers forwarded your number now remove it before the mods do mate against forum rules lol

Oh and he's in Norfolk as well

Had a really promising conversation with your friend on Friday, but have not heard from him again since. If he's still interested could you ask him to let me know please?

[nervy]

Here's a link to some pics if anyone should want them....

http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/houdini00007/

Please forgive the quality of the pics, crap weather, crap phone camera, crap photographer.