Anybody can advise on how to change/renew the valve cover gasket (camshaft cover) on 850 ? My understanding is that I need to use a liquid gasket from Volvo, but is there anything I need to know before I take the top off ? I do not want anything to pop-up from the engine on me....(I did this on many other cars, but they all had standard gaskets and needed just to remocve teh holding screws, replace the gasket and voila...it was done...)
Thanks.

First off, there is no valve cover gasket, per se. The block splits at the centerline of the camshafts. Quite a big job. I think you may be refering to the spark plug cover (say's: "Volvo 20 Valve"), held on with 6 #30 torx head screws. take it off & clean up the oily mess. Don't split the block. If your car is leaking oil at the camshaft seam, you'll need major engine overhaul to repair it.

RussB in CT
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'93 850GLT - '91 940T

It isn't a fun thing to do. Get a Haynes manual for some referance... you'll appreciate having it.. trust me.

You need to remove the timing belt as well as the cam sprockets, sensor and distributor. You'll neen to replace the front and rear cam seals as well as the timing belt as you can't reuse them (best to get the parts and pink goo right from Volvo). Also you only want a very thin coating of the pink stuff.

The hardest part is lining up the cams for reinstall. You really need a special tool to do it. I don't know how much they cost from Volvo and am trying to locate one myself. It's possable to line them up by eye to get it to run... but to run right you NEED the tool. I posted for tips on what people here have used or fabricated but it went unanswered.

The cover will not want to snap down because of the resistance of the valve springs and you'll need patience to slowly tighten the bolts down a turn or two at a time. Then install the front cam seals and sprockets... remove the tool and install the rear seals... then timing belt etc.


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'94 855 5spd 'Drew' 205,500 Miles *** Never assume that your factory timing marks are correct UNLESS you know for a fact WHO has been in there and WHAT they have done!! ASK ME HOW I KNOW!!! ***

Rarity:
Do you have to do all this to get to it ? The oil is seeping around the valve cover...I was hoping that it is similar to all other cars I worked on - just remove the screws from the top of the valve cover, pop the cover, put a new gasket in and put the cover back on....I am not sure if i expressed myself correctly in the original question, but if Ireally have to do all this just to replace the gasket, then it won't be fun at all...
Thanks.
:-(

There is no gasket. The liquid sealant is the seal. It's and the application roller are available at your dealer. The Haynes manual describes how to make, and shows pictures of, the special tools you'll need. One to hold the camshafts in proper orientation and two to pull down the top cover.

Machined into the top cover are the upper camshaft bearinga and the oil gallerys for the camshafts and hydrualic lifters. You don't want any sealant to block these passages.

If you have a little seepage, I'd leave it alone until it got really bad or you need to change the t-belt in which case you'ld be halfway there anyway. As there isn't any oil under pressure at the edges of the cover, you might get by by just cleaning the area well with brake cleaner and dabbing a little RTV on the seep. It's not pretty, but won't likely be visible anyway.

In any case, I'd suggest getting the Haynes manual. It's not perfect but anyone with a bit of DIY experience can work around the shortcomings with the help available online.

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Erwin in Memphis, '95 855t