Keaton85 Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 I diagnosed it just fine, thank you very much . I purchased the parts, I had the money and I had the good mechanic. I did not have a lift, all the correct tools or all the know how to get this work done in a timely manner. RMS and Axle seals are no picnic. Basically I wanted it done right the first time. I do plenty with this car, electrical, exhaust, endlinks and other suspension parts, etc... I flushed and filled all my fluids my self, plus an jerk load of items on the web site. I don't like it when a so-called Volvo guy gets on someone for not being an expert mechanic with his car. Others besides you have taken this position here also. It's snobby and rude. Believe me I would love to be that good of a mechanic, and I learn more here every day, but this is my daily driver, and it need to be on the road. Besides I'd rather fish, be with my friends, and drive my car fast with confidence. I'm not an 18 year old welp with a wish list. I am 48 and have the money, resources, and desire to get stuff done to my car the way I want it before I get too old to enjoy it!. What model and year Volvo do you drive? When was the last time you did an RMS without a lift and tranny jack? I bought the car with 125K, went thru it, noted all problems and causes, put together a priority list and went to town. aside from the springs and struts this is the first dime I paid a mechanic and it was worth every penny to me. While he was banging his knuckles and swearing for 3 days I was fishing and drinking expensive vodka around a campfire with my best friends . I think I have my time value/ time mangement figured out rather well, don't you?Feel the Funk!!I'm not saying to learn how to do everything yourself! just keep in mind this is coming from a 21 year old with little to no resources so i have learned to get the most out of whatever i have. Yes i would love to be out doing things with my friends and what not but when it comes down to thousands of dollars i dont mind spending a few hours here and there getting what i needs to get done and knowing its 100%. You dont need many tools to do most of the things on your list. As for replacing the RMS, The last one i did on a Volvo was a couple months ago and i just did one last week on a my Subaru which i did out in the pouring rain, on dirt, with an engine hoist! I could do the same on the Volvo with just an engine hoist and basic tools. As for what i own, I have a 99 Subaru Outback Limited 5spd that i dont have on the road because i work and basically live on a Schooner so i have no need for a car at the moment. Why dont i have a Volvo? well i got the Subaru for 1/3rd its value for a beater till I finish building the Volvo i want!I do get where your coming from though, I think differently because I was a full time Volvo/Audi/VW mechanic so i think of these things as mundane. I just want to let you know that there was a better way of doing things in a sense and you can still learn more to save your time and money thats all. On a side note......If i had no way to do things myself i would have had the mechanic....- Do the timing at 140K (replaced both pulleys, belt, and possibly the hydraulic tensioner)- Replace PCV ASAP at the 125K miles.- Do the RMS IF the PCV did not fix the issue.- Replace only the top mount bushing and front motor mount (below t-belt) since the hydraulic left & right mounts hardly ever go bad.- Oil pump? will never touch that on any 850 or x70.- Replace axle seals only if they were leaking.- Replace endlinks with QBM!- I would switch to full synthetic ASAP!!!!!!!!!If I was doing it myself...- Everything stated above other then I would replace the tranny with a 5spd since i was taking the engine out anyway.As for performance...- Install either a 18T or 19T- Full 3" exhaust- Boost and A/F gauge- RICA tune- FMIC- Call it a day.....What comes out to do the RMS.. the tranny? or the engine?The tranny if you have a lift or can do if fast on the ground like this...The engine & tranny as one if you dont have a lift and you just have a engine hoist(this is easier if you are just doing this on your own and replacing other parts as well like the timing belt) .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pops Racer Posted May 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 I'm not saying to learn how to do everything yourself! just keep in mind this is coming from a 21 year old with little to no resources so i have learned to get the most out of whatever i have. Yes i would love to be out doing things with my friends and what not but when it comes down to thousands of dollars i dont mind spending a few hours here and there getting what i needs to get done and knowing its 100%. You dont need many tools to do most of the things on your list. As for replacing the RMS, The last one i did on a Volvo was a couple months ago and i just did one last week on a my Subaru which i did out in the pouring rain, on dirt, with an engine hoist! I could do the same on the Volvo with just an engine hoist and basic tools. As for what i own, I have a 99 Subaru Outback Limited 5spd that i dont have on the road because i work and basically live on a Schooner so i have no need for a car at the moment. Why dont i have a Volvo? well i got the Subaru for 1/3rd its value for a beater till I finish building the Volvo i want!I do get where your coming from though, I think differently because I was a full time Volvo/Audi/VW mechanic so i think of these things as mundane. I just want to let you know that there was a better way of doing things in a sense and you can still learn more to save your time and money thats all. On a side note......If i had no way to do things myself i would have had the mechanic....- Do the timing at 140K (replaced both pulleys, belt, and possibly the hydraulic tensioner)- Replace PCV ASAP at the 125K miles.- Do the RMS IF the PCV did not fix the issue.- Replace only the top mount bushing and front motor mount (below t-belt) since the hydraulic left & right mounts hardly ever go bad.- Oil pump? will never touch that on any 850 or x70.- Replace axle seals only if they were leaking.- Replace endlinks with QBM!- I would switch to full synthetic ASAP!!!!!!!!!If I was doing it myself...- Everything stated above other then I would replace the tranny with a 5spd since i was taking the engine out anyway.As for performance...- Install either a 18T or 19T- Full 3" exhaust- Boost and A/F gauge- RICA tune- FMIC- Call it a day.....The tranny if you have a lift or can do if fast on the ground like this...The engine & tranny as one if you dont have a lift and you just have a engine hoist(this is easier if you are just doing this on your own and replacing other parts as well like the timing belt) ..I did all that just a little late on tbelt stuff and pcv, all tensioners etc. all synthetic from day one, QBM end links go in as soon as my rubber boots arrive. I went 2.5" exhaust, oil pump seal and axle seals were leaking as well as RMS. Both hydraulic mounts were shot as was front mount. upper, lower and firewall mounts being replaced with QBM models. I was not going to ECU the car but was talking to IPD about it. It may be in the future with 3"DP. By the way I am not a very wealthy man other than my health, friends and family,... and VS of course!! I came into a little money, sold off a bunch of fishing gear I don't use, a couple of group buys, skimming the lunch money and staggering purchases allows me to get it done(wanna buy a fly tying kit?). 2 rod and reel combo's got me my sway bars and my end links! I was a standard tranny guy for years but have enjoyed driving with a cup of joe and not driving off the road while trying to shift. You sound like an outstanding young man, with a good set of automotive skills. I however do not possess those skills. I like the " do it in the mud " attitude you have , were you in the infantry? I'm suprised you don't make a decent living at it. And your living on a boat? Sounds like the good life! But who wants to work at his hobby? I'll be working in the engine bay, hoses and electrical stuff plus new hardware from Volvo. Too bad you don't live closer I would have paid you to knock out some of these services! ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pops Racer Posted May 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 Don't gag on the number, man!!Just as a point of conversation what did you pay for your rims and tires? what else did you pay to make them fit? my $2500 went to ;PCV kit by FCPtiming belt/ overhaul kit by FCPnew timing belt coversserpentine beltboth hydraulic engine mountsIPD swaysRear suspension cross member anchoragesRMSoil pump sealaxle sealsMisc hoses and hose clips, fluids and a general indepth inspection all the labor and the peace of mind knowing an expert ,dedicated Volvo mechanic with an interest in the performance side did the work with proper torque , hardware and lotsa wuv! sounds inexpensive to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pops Racer Posted May 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 I gotta agree with binglax09 on this one. Stage 0 should be called "maintaining your vehicle" - but shiat man - if you have the money (like you said) to spend to have it all done for you while you were livin' it up - power to ya! I'm envious. Chatting a $20 bottle of vodka around a campfire with budds is living it up to me. Some people think living it up is a bottle of DOM and a fillet mingon, and a Broadway show. That's a $1000 night, or a set of good tires, or a turbo ,or FSD suspension with springs. Boogie on brother... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RussB Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 Dr Funk,Don't let the kiddies get you down, you've done your car just fine! ...maybe we'll see you at a local meet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
850_olaf_nz Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 I'd been wondering what this 'stage zero' thing is.I'm in a similar position to dr funk. a forty-something guy, with some reasonable mech skills, a bunch of tools... in my case I'm a family guy with young kids, no garage, and little time to work on the brick. I'm taking it slow, fitting maintenance in to the family budget. My '97 855 T5 is now 146k kms, and was fully Volvo dealer serviced. I determined the timing belt was changed at 80k kms, but not the tensioners. It was replaced with a Conti item that Volvo dealers here back for 100k kms. So I plan to do the belt and tensioners, and water pump at 160k kms.I had to do the transmission inhibitor switch (PNP switch) almost as soon as I bought the car - used a good independent mechanic, as it was just before xmas. The sorry tale is spread out in another thread. The car's now run for nearly 2000km with no transmission issues, thankfully. I had some good advice from the folks here.TAILGATE: I replaced the tailgate struts at xmas time. Oh how my back and neck are thanking me! I got the instructions from bay 13, the parts from FCP, and the tools from my workshop. yeehah!OIL: new filter, and full synthetic. Mmm, runs much better. it took me a bit longer to change than my japanese cars. oh well. And a new oil filler gasket/seal eliminated the gentle leak that had been messing up the top cover. sweet.PCV: I've just ordered a PCV service kit from FCP Groton. It's fuming a little - both from the dipstick, and the exhaust. It seems like the right thing to do. I'll assess the job, and if I don't feel like doing it, I'll give it to the mechanic to do.HOT: It's running a little hot up hills at lower speed - especially if I've been boosting. I don't appear to be losing cooling fluid. I figure the right place to start is to replace the thermostat, O-ring, and housing gasket. (it's not stuck shut - the heater's working fine, and helps cool it down). Parts again from FCP. I'll replace the top and bottom hoses, as well as the overflow pipe to the reservoir tank, because hey, they're 10 years old and are feeling a little soft. If this doesn't improve things, I guess the next step is a radiator specialist to remove the rad, flush, test, and comment on re-core (if it's not working well). Hopefully I won't have to replace the water pump, forcing my hand with the timing belt and tensioners early. Why? next item:SUSPENSION! My Nivomats need replacing, and the fronts could use a change out too. The tail is a bit saggy - it's like an aging German Shepherd, with bad hips. USD305/side ain't cheap. by the time I freight them here with a pair of rear shock mounts, it's a grand in south pacific pesos - that's a lot of coin for a ten year old car, and we've not done the front yet! I think I'll need to do that work myself. And the fronts, when I get to them. At least I still have a pair of spring compressors, from my younger days. On top of all of that, the AC is pooched. If my car is ever going to have cold air again, it'll be a weekend in a friend's garage, with me doing the wrenching. NZD1800 for a full changeout is too rich for my blood; as the wife says "we'll just have to use the windows".So why did I buy what turned out to be a hobby car? I don't know. I really don't have time for working on cars - I'd rather spend the time with my kids and wife. The problem is, I like the 850 so much. I like how solid and safe it feels; I like how quiet those double door seals are. I like that it's a sleeper - a real old-guy's pipe-and-slippers wagon - yet it hikes when the loud pedal is squeezed. My friend calls it 'the swedish battle tank". Yep, the 850 has got its needle into my arm, dammit. Why else would I have just successfully executed the 'hacksaw open your own glovebox to get the radio code out, and repair the cheap-assed volvo design failure in my workshop' repair? I blended two repair descriptions I found on the web (one- how to open it, and two - the drill-it-out and put in a allen bolt repair) - and presto, I feel really good about my achievement. Never mind it took me around 5 hours of faffing around. Man it's good to have tunes after 5 months with the glovebox door broken and "CODE" on the stereo.That's what this (somewhat lengthy) post is about - there's a great on-line community for these cars. Any other car that gave so much trouble would be written off by most folks as a lemon, and consigned to history. Not the 850. I think that's pretty special. I've had loads of help here and on matthew's, that just isn't written down in the manuals.So I read this thread with interest. I can really appreciate Dr Funkensteins position. I applaud the well-reasoned and well-intentioned responses from binglax09 and others here. It's pretty refreshing to find a corner of the web where people help each other; other sites where fok are passionate about a subject seems to bring out a competitiveness that's pretty unattractive. VS avoids that.Anyway, if anyone has some suggestions as I slowly find my way to 'stage zero', let me know.cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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