The BoneWagon

[RollingThunder]

A bit of a mixed day today really. The Disco belt was a piece of cake so I was able to crack on with finishing the PCV service. Finished that at last and replaced the vacuum hoses, cleaned the throttle body and IAC. Started up the beast and after a bit of churning (no fuel in fuel rail of course) she fired up. Relief! I'd started the job a couple of weeks ago and was afraid I'd forget something Anyway, onto the next job, the cambelt. Bugger me sideways if I couldn't find the damn wheel locking bolt key. Checked everywhere for it, even stripped the floor out of the boot, so that stopped that job dead. Plan B, oil change. For that I need to warm the engine up, which meant refilling the coolant. Could I find the new radiator drain plug? Again, searched high and low for the bugger - I eventually found it, exactly where I'd looked initially! So, fitted that - carefully - and went to get the coolant. As I got it out of the garage I remembered - these engines don't like OAT coolant, only the older silicate type. Poo. By this time everywhere was closed so I called it a day and gave it a good wash. Hopefully I'll be able to carry on tomorrow!

[jamesy12345]

A bit of a mixed day today really. The Disco belt was a piece of cake so I was able to crack on with finishing the PCV service. Finished that at last and replaced the vacuum hoses, cleaned the throttle body and IAC. Started up the beast and after a bit of churning (no fuel in fuel rail of course) she fired up. Relief! I'd started the job a couple of weeks ago and was afraid I'd forget something Anyway, onto the next job, the cambelt. Bugger me sideways if I couldn't find the damn wheel locking bolt key. Checked everywhere for it, even stripped the floor out of the boot, so that stopped that job dead. Plan B, oil change. For that I need to warm the engine up, which meant refilling the coolant. Could I find the new radiator drain plug? Again, searched high and low for the bugger - I eventually found it, exactly where I'd looked initially! So, fitted that - carefully - and went to get the coolant. As I got it out of the garage I remembered - these engines don't like OAT coolant, only the older silicate type. Poo. By this time everywhere was closed so I called it a day and gave it a good wash. Hopefully I'll be able to carry on tomorrow!

Drain plug is on the nearside of the radiator, through a hole in the tray....be gentle with it!! Good idea to get a spare from the scrappy

[RollingThunder]

lol, thanks James I sheared the one on HotRod when I changed the coolant a few months ago - so I nabbed one off BoneWagon to get HotRod back on the road and ordered a replacement, Its the replacement that I'd misplaced. Wasted so much time looking for that bugger and eventually found it in the box of new Volvo bits - which is the first place I went to originally! In my defence, it had got stuck inside another part... Still happy with the work completed yesterday, its one major job ticked off.

More annoying is the lack of the wheel bolt key. That could be a major issue if it isn't a Volvo part. How the hell do you get them off if you haven't got the key???

Off to the motor factors shortly to get some silicate coolant as I'm out of that. Got loads of OATs, but since I sold the Disco I don't need that stuff anymore - all the cars I currently have use the oldskool Silicate stuff now.. But on the other hand I've got about 30 litres of synthetic 5W40

[AshDVS]

Looks like the project is coming along really well!

The V70XC grille is a huge improvement over the normal one. Getting rid of some chrome is always a good thing.
Not sure about the V70XC front bar. In my opinion, it's a bit 'clumsy' looking and doesnt suit the lines of the car. But, that's just personal preference type stuff.
It might suit a black car really well, with all of the normal grey bits colour coded, etc.

More importantly, it looks like you're blazing through the to do list and thanks for the sanding tip for the seats. I'll give it a go.

[AcidicDavey]

If it helps Sam the 2 sets of locking wheel nuts I had were exactly the same! I wouldn't be surprised if just one set were used for the whole range of these cars...

[RollingThunder]

Had a good day on Sunday - Filled the cooling system with tap water first and ran it for 10 minutes with that in it, then drained it all off - nice clear water came out, so no old coolant left in the system. Put 40% coolant in, all went fine, no leaks. Then put some engine flush in the oil and ran the car for another 10 minutes. During this time the sticking tappet was released (no more tap-tap-tap-tap!) and drained that off, changed the filter (put a genuine Volvo one on) and refilled with F.u.c.h.s. 5W40 fully synthetic.

This was one of the big gambles I'd taken - when I bought the car it was described as having a screechy noise at startup at the belt end of the engine but only until the engine warmed up, and it wasn't any pump, tensioner or idler. I've only come across this once before where it wasn't a bearing/belt, and luckily for me, I think this is a second time...

What am I on about? The oil filter*. When I saw it had a crappy Unipart filter on the car my hopes were lifted - what happens in these cheaper oil filters is that the non return valve fails. When the oil is thick it causes the valve to shriek until the oil thins and the valve settles down. Hence me fitting a decent filter seems to have resolved the issue. It may still be oil pump gasket related, but the noise seems to have disappeared for now - fingers crossed!!! I'll have to try it again tonight with the engine and oil fully cold again... All the same I'll run this oil for 1000 miles and then flush and renew it again just to be safe. That'll finish off my supply of F.u.c.h.s. sadly. I thought I had another 20L container but I must have used it

* I'd previouslu used a stethyscope to confirm the noise was coming from the oil filter - but that may have been just relaying the noise, it may still be internal...

Did a quick very basic pre-MoT check which looks promising - all lights, wipers, horn, working, seatbelts all good, screen ok, etc etc Got the code reader on it - no faults recorded, no lights illuminated on the dash. Just need to swap the exhaust over and get some decent tyres to pass the MoT. Plus I'll need to drag the brakes on the way there to clear off the rusty scale that has built up on the discs - they're in good condition, no lips, so they won't need replacement. I'll fit the braided lines and renew the brake fluid all the same. I reckon the calipers will need a descale and grease too as the car hasn't been driven for quite a while. Once the rust has been scrubbed off I'll fit the new Police spec pads - no point contaminating them with the rust, I'll happily sacrifice the old pads for that.

Still no luck in finding that locking key, so I may have to resort to hacking them off - they don't look like Volvo locking bolts to be honest. Dave, thanks for the tip - that was my first thought too Unfortunately they are quite different and i reckon BoneWagon has some cheap aftermarket ones

So annoyingly, its all at a standstill now, as I can't get the wheels off, so can't do the cambelt or rear brakes! Time to ponder the options - I might have to call out the AA, I'm sure they have calls for lost wheel keys all the time...?

[jamesy12345]

intersting about the screeching noise, i have that now on mine. Thougt it was the AC compressor but i think it does have a cheap filter on it

if you take the car into any tyre place they should be able to get the locking nuts off. Why not post a pic with some dimensions, someone may have a key

[stribo]

A 12 sided 19mm socket beaten over the locking wheel nut should get them off, it worked on my C70.

[RollingThunder]

Well thats the tyres sorted - bought 4x Uniroyal RainSport 2s from http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyre...zr17-87w-46390 . £77 each and free 48hr delivery

I was hugely impressed by the RS2s on my 850R, so much so that I bought RainSport 3s for HotRod, but I'm less impressed with those, so after some hunting I found the RS2s. I was thinking about some Continental Sport Contact 5s, but as the RS2s are cheaper and a known entity I plumped for those in the end. Anyone want 4x chinese ditch detectors?

I've also found a number of locking bolt removal tools, so I'll measure up the bolt heads and get one of those at the weekend. Oh yes, I love it when it starts coming together

[jamesy12345]

A 12 sided 19mm socket beaten over the locking wheel nut should get them off, it worked on my C70.

misspent youth also?

[stribo]

misspent youth also?

No, it's a tip I picked up off of MRP, he had the misspent youth.

[RollingThunder]

Well I'm delighted - and relieved - to be able to report that the noise was indeed caused by that cheapo oil filter. I started the car from car tonight and not a peep, just a beautiful T5 rock steady idle. No noisy tappets, no squeaks, nada. Wow, that was a gamble that paid off I was half expected an engine strip down to be required...

The news on the locking wheel bolt isn't so good though. Judging by the description of these virtually identical bolts, they have a hardened rotating outer shell to resist being removed by force



Just as well I found that out as I nearly bought a Laser tool - which wouldn't have worked. I need to think about this a bit more... I might have to try that 19mm socket Stribo!

[stribo]

Ah, mine didn't have the rotating outer shell, so not sure if it'll work, worth a try though. Strangely the S60R does have the rotating shell, but haven't tried removing them by force. MRP is the man to ask, it seems he's been very naughty in the past.

[craigoodwood]

you could weld a 19mm nut onto the locking bolt, itll make a mess of your alloy but it'll get them off

[oblark]

I`ve used a 7/8 AF socket to get my locking wheel nuts off.

[RollingThunder]

Thanks for the tips everyone... I now have to bow my head in shame. I found the key... It was in a 'safe' place lol. Very embarassing, but at least I can crack on now...

[RollingThunder]

Just spoke with my trusty spannerman - he's going to fit the 18T for me Having seen how tight it is at the back of the engine (its an AWD remember) I've bottled it. Trying to do that on a driveway is a step too far - too masochistic even for me lol. He's going to put the Jetex exhaust on while he's under there, so thats 2 jobs I haven't got to worry about

[RollingThunder]

Look what was delivered this afternoon



Oh yes, I love those tyres. Won't be long boney, it won't be long..

[RollingThunder]

Got the Birch steering wheel this weekend Its a beaut. I'll post some pics once I've fitted it. Wow its going to be stunning

[RollingThunder]

I went to pull the wheels off the BoneWagon last night so that I can take them to the powdercoaters this weekend. Luckily, my neighbour has an old 2.0l 850 that has been laid up for a couple of years so I was able to borrow the wheels off that while mine are off the car - there was no way I'd stick it on bricks lol. Around here thats a green light to strip a car to the shell!

If you're a quick thinker, you'll already have realised that the 850 had 15in wheels, while my V70R has 17s - as soon as I tried to swap the front wheel over I realised the flaw in the plan... no way were 15s going to clear my calipers!... sigh. So that plan was abandoned. However, overnight I've remembered that I have two 17in spares (one in each V70R), so I'll put the spacesaver wheels on the front and a pair of 15s on the back. I don't think the rear brakes are any larger on the V's so that should work...

While I was out there, I have to admit to sitting in the car holding (ex)Frankie's Birch steering wheel. Its a beaut and is going to finish off the woody upgrade perfectly. Just got to find some time to fit it! Pics will follow in due course And I also fired her up from cold once again, and thankfully that noise is still absent, so I'm 99% happy that it was only the oil filter that was fubar'd. I'm considering dropping the sump to give it a clean out too - I'll feel happier if I know there is no sludgy crap sitting in the sump waiting to be released at an inopportune moment...