I have a neigbor who I helped by a 85 740GLE. I am a at home mechanic and was impressed by the quality and relieablity of his car. I came across a 84 760GLE (PRV V6) with only 64,000 miles. Car is in great shape. Interior is like new. Runs good, got it cheap. I knew nothing about this engine before I bought it. It has some issues:
1.Coolant leak in v of block.(I assume pump to head hoses)
2.Strange bearing like noise (alomost sounds like a bad water pump) that goes away when the car is warm.
3. Failed NJ emission for HC.

There are some other things as well. As I check over the forums here, I am wondering if this thing is worth even playing with(this engine seams very ackward and intimadating to the untrained eye.

So my questions are. Do I attempt to work on this original v6? Is this bearing like noise from the cam? Is this engine as bad as its reputation? Can I(semi-easly)swap a 740 (non turbo) in its place? Or should I just part it out or sell it whole?

Thanks
Jake

That V6 (which was designed by three different companies, Volvo, Renault and Peugeot) is probably Volvo's second biggest mistake in their history. The first biggest was when they went to FWD to compete with The Big Three. That engine has less torque and HP than a 4 Turbo and had to be re-engineered more than a few times in it's short lifespan. I personally wouldn't spend any money on it, I would save up a few bucks and drop in a Ford 5L out of a Mustang. I had a 760 wagon with a 5L until it was written off and it was a terrific car. I was a few years ahead of Ford and Volvo as I merged them about 6 years ago!

i have a 760 gle 88 with the newer b280f.it doesnt have much milage on it i suggest you try and get an estimate of work that is needed to be done.The only thing wrong with that engine is bad cam lubrification.if u do your oil changes religiously using synthetic oil and use good fuel and dont beat the engine too much i think its still a great car.After the estimate you should decide what you should do but i dont think you wanna put a N/A 740 engine in there.Beeing a 760 it is heavier than the 740 so youll find the car very weak.Give it a good tune up and change o2 sensor.Im sure in the end its probably worth it but its up to you.If you decide to sell it email me at barducci@hotmail.com

Before I even researched this engine I was intimidated by its appearance. It is the total opposite of the 740's easy to service engine. There are a mile of vacuum and air tubes. Maybe it looks worse then it is. The car does run well at speed and feels almost new going down the road. The last owner told me the valves needed to be adjusted to pass emissions. I priced a water pump at 32.00 from a local sorce.
Are the pump to coolant hoses molded or are they just heater hoses?
While I have the intake off what other things should I do or look for during the process?

Thanks for information. This is a great site.

Jake

Hello Jake:

The B28F is an intimidating motor to work on, and not well understood by non-Volvo mechanics. The valves are solid, not hydraulic, so they do need to be adjusted at regular intervals. Are they making noise? I would look elsewhere for emissions problems unless there is an obvious clatter...

$32 is a great price for a B28F water pump (dealer price is around $150!).

The pump-to-head hoses are molded, and they are a pita to install-- sharp curvature over a small run. For leaks in the V, look at the smaller heater return hose and the gaskets under the junctions going into the heads too. Sealing up the back of the water pump housing can be a little tricky too...

If you have the intake off it is a good time to look at your knock sensor, replace your intake seals and injector seals. Getting at the RPM reference sensor would also be easiest then too. I have read online somewhere about how to change the water pump without actually pulling the whole intake. Do a google search for "B28F water pump replacement" or something like that...

It might be worth pulling a valve cover and having a look at the cam condition before proceeding too far with the car unless you are willing to put a lot of time and effort into the car.

I run high detergent diesel 15w40 oil in my B280F. Change the coolant regularly-- the aluminum internals can corrode castastrophically if you don't causing coolant-to-oil leaks that are a bear to repair.

Good luck with it!

Herb Goltz, London, Ontario, Canada '89 760GLE w/170K mi

Let me preface my post by saying that I know nothing about your V6 engine. But as far as getting parts for this car: find an on-line supplier! I recommend www.fcpgroton.com -- great prices and great service. (they are also one of the sponsors of this forum) In my experience, NAPA, Autozone, Advance, etc. prices are WAY too high -- and you never know what you're getting in terms of quality. On-line, you'll get OEM (or equivelent) for much less money. Case in point: Ignition Control Module - $90 @ NAPA, (and they have to special order it - 3 days delivery - and God only knows who makes it!) From fcpgroton.com - $50 for a Bosch unit, and it was on my doorstep in less than 2 days (using UPS Ground shipping)

Just my 2-cents (arguably worth that).

Jeff Pierce
--
'92 Mercedes 190E (my daily driver), '93 945 Turbo (a kickass family car), '53 Willys-Overland Pickup (my snow-plow truck/conversation piece)

Thanks for all the input!

What should I be looking for when I check the cams. I don't think the noise while cold is the cams(bearings?) because I don't think it would go away once it is warm like it does. It really sounds like a bad water pump bearing but it is not coming from the Water pump and it goes away when the cars is fully warmed up.

I am going to order the WP anyway because if I am going to go through all of the effort to change the pump to head hoses I may as well change the pump at the same time.

I am going to give this my best shot. Worst case is I will post it here for parts. It would be a shame to part it out cause the car is soo clean.

Should I change the knock sensor at the same time?

Jake