To make a long story short, my dad's S90 that he's had for four or five years has a dead cylinder. Someone dropped something metal into cylinder 6 before we owned it. I took the head off and we fixed the valves, but I figured it was only a matter of time until the gouged piston in that cylinder messed things up.

Compression test on cylinder 6 is 30psi...

Anyways, we're looking at getting a used engine and dropping it in this summer. What else should I consider doing at the time? The car is otherwise in great shape. I'll probably do the timing belt and water pump on the new engine, but other than that, should I just shove 'er in?

Appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.

Once it's out, if anyone would like a rebuildable engine really cheap, let me know.

Nate
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1997 850, 1979 242GT, 1990 740GL

replace the rear main seal before putting it in.

the 1 thing to make sure of is-get the same year as the car you have. there are a few variations on those motors and you might need a hole for a sensor, switch, etc. the early cars had a different oil cooler setup and makes it tough to deal with unless you catch the problem outside of the car.

replacement stuff-plugs, all the belts, hoses, especially heater hoses 'cuz it's easier with the engine out. when doing the water pump and timing belt, do the tensioner and idler bearings, too. unless they're fresh on the tired motor. good luck, chuck.

Only thing I would add is replace the oil trap (its under the intake) and a pain to do while the engine is in the car. Use silicone along with factory seals, if you doing this..

The rear cam seals are also something I would do while the engine is out..

If my engine went I would seriously consider doing a 2.9 twin turbo swap out of a S80.. The engines can be found for cheap, but its a bit more work to do rather than just a straight swap. It has been done, check turbobricks
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1998 Volvo S90 SE (Black Cherry) 264,000+km