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I THINK IM SCREWED, I MIGHT BE IN THE MARKET FOR A HEAD 850 1995

I RECENTLY BOUGHT AN 850 TURBO WAGON, 3500 HUNDRED BUCKS AND I THREW IN A PRETTY BEAT UP 88 240 WAGON, I DROVE THE CAR A FEW DAYS AND IT GOT VERY HOT, IT WAS ABOUT 5 BELOW AND THE CAR OVERHEATED, LET IT COOL OFF AND REFILLED THE OVERFLOW TANK, THEN NOTICED THE GREEN SPOTS WHERE THE RADIATOR HAD BEEN LEAKING IN THE SNOW ON THE DRIVEWAY, A VERY SLOW LEAK, I WATCHED THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE RELENTLESSLY BECAUSE I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR, IT NEVER RAN HOT, WHEN IT PEGGED I CAUGHT IT, I THOUGHT, IT WAS LEAKING SLOWLY WHERE THE PLASTIC AND METAL ARE CRIMPED TOGETHER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RADIATOR, I STILL DROVE THE CAR DAILY AS IT WAS A VERY SLOW LEAK, SO I TOPPED IT OFF EVERY MORNING AND WENT ABOUT MY DAY, I TALKED TO THE GUY I BOUGHT IT FROM (VOLVO CERTIFIED MECHANIC) HIS WIFE BOUGHT IT IN ATLANTA AND DROVE THE CAR HOME TO NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND HE WORKED ON THE CAR AND THOUGHT HE HAD IT READY TO GO, SO I JUMPED. THEN THE CAR STARTED USING A LITTLE OIL, FOR SOME DAMN REASON I THOUGHT THE FLAME TRAP MIGHT BE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM SO WHEN I HAD THE RADIATOR REPLACED I BOUGHT ALL THE REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THE FLAME TRAP AND HAD HIM DO THAT TOO. IVE BEEN DRIVING IT 6 DAYS, STARTED TO SEE SOME WISPS OF SMOKE OUT THE EXHAUST, MOSTLY WHITE WISPS OF SMOKE, THERE WERE SOME BLUE SMOKE BEFORE THE FLAME TRAP REPLACEMENT, THAT SEEMS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF I THINK, IVE BEEN WATCHING THE TEMP GUAGE LIKE A HAWK, NO OVERHEATING AT ALL, THEN TODAY SMOKE AND STUFF STARTS COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR, AND IT WAS STILL LOSING A LITTLE WATER EVERY DAY SINCE THE NEW RADIATOR WAS INSTALLED, NOT MUCH BUT NOTICEABLE, WELL A BAD HEATER HOSE WAS THE REASON FOR TODAYS DRAMA, WHY DIDNT THE TEMP GUAGE WORK? IVE ALREADY GOT ANOTHER 1000 BUCKS IN THE CAR SINCE I REPLACED THE FRONT STRUTS, SPRINGS AND SWAY BAR WITH THE RADIATOR AND FLAME TRAP WORK, IVE BEEN TOLD THE HEADS ARE VERY STRONG, ARE THEY? IM STARTING TO NOTICE A HUM IN WHAT I THINK IS THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL, IVE LOOKED AND SOME HERE HAVE ADDRESSED THAT SOUND AS A WHEEL BEARING ISSUE, OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED THE HUB, PRETTY SURE IM GONNA BE BUYING A HEAD FOR THE THING, IF THAT ITS MAYBE I CAN LIVE WITH IT, HE SAID THE CAR WAS READY TO GO, IVE BEEN DEALING WITH HIM FOR 4 YEARS NOW AND I BELEIVE HIM TO BE AN HONORABLE PERSON. HE GOT 3500 A PRETTY BEAT UP 88 240 WAGON THAT I DROVE, ANOTHER 400 IN LABOR, IM OUT THE 3500 THE EXTRA GRAND IN PARTS AND LABOR AND HEATER HOSES THAT ARE GONNA RUN ME ANOTHER 75 TO A HUNDRED BUCKS, ANYWAY ANY IDEAS OR SUGGESTIIONS ABOUT THE WHEEL NOISE IS APPRECIATED AND IF SOMEONE CAN BE AS SURE AS MY MECHANIC IS ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF THE ALUMINUM HEAD IT WOULD BE VERY REASSURING, (THAT IS TOUNGUE IN CHEEK} I HAD TO REBUILD A 760 TURBO MOTOR WITH ONLY 127,00O MILES ON IT, LOOKS LIKE IM UP A CREEK








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    I THINK IM SCREWED, I MIGHT BE IN THE MARKET FOR A HEAD 850 1995

    Do us all a favor, and turn CAPS off! Thank you.

    I am surprised that you changed out the faulty radiator without doing the top and bottom hoses. That is SOP.

    If you are afraid that the head gasket is gone, get a compression test. With a cold engine reading and a warm engine reading. Pulling the head is not and easy task.

    Your rear noise could be the rear brake shoes touching the drum?

    Klaus
    --
    The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)








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      I THINK IM SCREWED, I MIGHT BE IN THE MARKET FOR A HEAD 850 1995

      sorry about the caps, the head gasket was replaced when the flame trap work was done, and the hoses were replaced, it was one of the heater hoses that ruptured








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        I THINK IM SCREWED, I MIGHT BE IN THE MARKET FOR A HEAD 850 1995

        You might have confused the head with intake manifold gasket. Pulling the head is a major task and not one that is SOP.
        A leaking heater hose is not common, but it does happen. Then it drips on the exhaust and causes a lot of smoke.
        Get a compression test anyway, they should all be around 150 or at least close to one another. If they are even around 130, so long as all of the cylinders are about the same, then no big deal.

        Klaus
        --
        The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)








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          I THINK IM SCREWED, I MIGHT BE IN THE MARKET FOR A HEAD 850 1995

          when i called the guy i bought it from and told him the car was still smoking, he asked me to check the AMM turbo hose that runs under the heater hoses before it connects to the turbo, he wasnt sure if he tightened that clamp all the way!....turns out the hose wasnt connected completely to the turbo, as the heater hose dripped fluid it evaporated and the turbo was sucking all that back through the exhaust system hence all the smoke, i replaced the heater hose. BUT when i unclamped the old one from the firewall a couple of the o rings from the coupler came with it. i stuck them back on the new hose and plugged it in, listened for the "click" and was back in business. when i drove it about 20 miles the hose popped out from the firewall. so i went to the boneyard and dug out a coupler from another 850 took it home and pulled the o rings out of it, the ones on my car were stressed by this time, it seems there is a sequence for those four o rings,
          1> thick hard black
          2 softer rubber black
          3 hard yellow
          4 softer rubber black ( the same as #2)

          The first time i put it back together i put the hard yellow o ring on last, i guess thats why the hose popped back out. my thinking is now that the o rings should not have come off the first time i pulled the hose out, so my coupler is compromised, im hoping i luck out, its running great now, especially after having replaced a couple of cracked vacuum hoses connected to the sensor on the airbox, no leaking, no burning oil. if this doesnt fix it, ill just buy a new coupler and heater core and pay him to fix it, replacing the heater core and coupler, even if i have to pay for labor seems like it maybe enough hassle to get my revenge for buying a car with a faulty radiator and trashed out struts








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            I THINK IM SCREWED, I MIGHT BE IN THE MARKET FOR A HEAD 850 1995

            Replacing the heater core is easier than replacing the coupler that goes through the firewall. There are 2 writeups at Volvospeed, with pics, that show both procedures.

            Klaus
            --
            The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)








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    I THINK IM SCREWED, I MIGHT BE IN THE MARKET FOR A HEAD 850 1995

    There have been very few mentions of any 850 head problems here but there aren't many engines that can run very long with low or no coolant. Has anyone done a compression test for you? If you have to buy a head you may as well sell/give the car back to the mechanic. Maybe he'll give you your old 240 back? Seems like he's taking alot of money from you for a car that was "ready to go"!!








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      I THINK IM SCREWED, I MIGHT BE IN THE MARKET FOR A HEAD 850 1995

      I agree. The miles determine the value to a degree as well as condition, but overall I would say if this car was advertised as "ready to go", for $3500 the new owner should have done better. Of course my car was high miles, but it was ready to go (literally) and I got less than that.







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