After the 86 245 overheated the other day in traffic to 250 F, I ran a compression check and found the the cylinder compression to measure: 180, 175, 190, 185 so the good news is that the head did not let go. A new, 3 pass radiator has been installed, and the intake manifold removed for easy access to the ECT sensor (21 years old and needs to go!) and the heater hoses, which, by the way, are $27.00 ea from Volvo. That was the problem anyway; the hoses rotted and one let go so it would make good sense to put those hard to reach items on a scheduled change (about every 15 years!) to keep the old car running.

It looks like it is a good time to replace the wiring harness and get it out of the manifold for future access, clean out the oil separator, and do some other basic maintenance. I'm just glad the damage was not more severe, more like a wake up.

Regards,
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Will Dallas, www.willdallas.us, www.willdallas.org, www.willdallas.com 86 245 DL 222K miles, 93 940 260K miles, 88 765 GLE 152K miles