I recently did the job on my V70 following advice given on the UK Volvo Owners Club Forum www.volvoclub.org.uk. It is not too difficult, and can be done from underneath without disconnecting the pipes. Allow yourself a day, although it only took me 4 or 5 hours. I repeat below my post on the forum after I had done the job, which you should be able to follow. Also have a look at some other posts on the subject on the same forum.


Following Chris’s instructions – see his posts 13053, 19749 and others, I did the job on my V70 last Sunday. Piece of cake – NOT!
As Chris advised, allow a few hours to cope with minor problems. While they are fresh in my mind I will describe those and make a few points, which might make the job easier. I am repeating most of Chris’s instructions for completeness:

Basic tools required:
Socket set & flat/ring spanners,
Ideally a long (300mm) 14mm ring spanner to release the auxiliary belt tensioner pulley
One 6mm bolt 40-50mm long,
Three or four 5mm bolts 50mm long (or use studding)
Some 5mm nuts & washers
Micrometer or vernier gauge
Long feeler gauges

First measure the current clutch gap and calculate what thickness of shims needs to be removed to bring it down to about 0.40mm.

1. The 5mm threaded holes are in the clutch inner ring and can be seen in situ with a mirror. A substantial and accurately made puller plate is important. My first one of 1/8” (3mm) mild steel was not accurately drilled enough and bent under pressure because the clutch was very firmly attached. I made up another using ¼” (6mm) mild steel. This is just a square or any shape, at least 5cm across, with three holes each 33mm apart, forming an equilateral triangle. The holes should be a good 5mm clearance. If you get a piece of metal ready, it doesn’t take long to drill the three holes after you have got the compressor off and checked the dimensions.

2. I bought a length of 5mm studding and cut off some 5cm lengths. This did work, but when cutting studding, even when running a nut down the cut end, it is not easy to leave a clean start thread. If your puller is accurately drilled, it might be better to use 5cm long bolts, with ‘clean’ ends (see later.) Sorry, I did not take any photographs as requested, but it will become obvious once you get into the job.

3. Unplug the electrical connector to avoid damage. After removing the splash guard, it is not too difficult to undo the four 12mm mounting bolts – two from underneath and two from above. If you can remove them completely while the compressor is in situ, then do so, because it makes manipulation easier. Because of their length, I found that three of them met obstructions and had to be removed later. Make sure that they are replaced as you reposition the compressor.

4. Release the auxiliary belt tensioner using the 14mm long spanner (see Haynes) and slip the belt off the compressor and tuck it out of the way. Manipulating the compressor to get access to the end of the clutch is fiddly, the cable trunking and other bits get in the way, as do the bolts if they are left in, but it can be tipped at an angle to work from underneath. I had difficulty undoing the 6mm centre bolt (10mm head) it made no difference with the clutch electrically engaged. I eventually fitted one of the 5mm studs and jammed a screwdriver between that and the socket head to lock the clutch while undoing the bolt. (The stud bent and had to be discarded, which is why you might need four 5mm bolts or lengths of studding.)

5. Replace the short 6mm centre bolt with the longer one. If you use 5mm screws as I have suggested, first run some nuts up to the heads, followed by washers (to stop the bolt from turning later) then insert them through the drilled plate into the three tapped holes in the clutch. Tighten up the three nuts evenly, forcing the puller plate against the protruding centre bolt until the clutch plate releases. Once it is loose enough, remove the puller and centre bolt and then the clutch plate, holding something underneath to catch any loose shims.

6. Measure the thickness of the removed shims and discard enough to reduce the gap to not less than 0.40mm. (I had just two shims of different thickness and removed one.)

7. Replace the remaining shim(s) refit the clutch plate and pull in tight using the original centre bolt. Chris suggested using nutloc – I forgot. Check that the pulley spins freely, check the gap and electrical operation (remove the clutch relay, back left in the fuse box on the left of the engine, and short the two larger left sockets – no need to turn the ignition switch - replace the plug on the compressor and earth the compressor frame by touching it to its mounting bracket.)

8. Replace the long bolts as necessary and manoeuvre the compressor back into position (some temporary insulating tape to hold back some of the bolts while positioning the compressor may be useful. They tend to get in the way.

9. Replace the relay and refit the auxiliary belt (see Haynes.)

10. Keep Cool!

My thanks again to Chris for his advice on this and my other problems.


GrahamB

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Graham