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My questions are:
* Where can I get valve springs for the car without paying dealer prices or tearing into engines at a junkyard? FCP Groton doesn't list them on their site.
Well WorldPac carries them 9135130 @ $5.12 ea. They also go on to say that the original springs that went in at the factory are no longer available and that this is what Volvo supplies. If your vehicle is running the original you will need to change up the washers too, uppers and lowers #'s 9135131 & 132
* Should I replace all of the valve springs, or just the one that broke? Should I replace the spring keepers and split collets as well?
Back in the day when we saw more of these at the dealership level we were initially changing out just the busted spring. They eventually came out with a bulletin that said warranty would pay for a full set and that you must do all of them and not just one. DO THEM ALL. I have never found it necessary to replace the keepers, unless you lost one but that is another story.
* If the valve clearances are in spec now, will I need to reshim after replacing the springs?
Techinically you should not have to but don't be suprised when you do.
* Can I reuse the head bolts, and what torque should I use when tightening them? Also, what torques should I use for the exhaust manifold, intake manifold, and camshaft cap bolts?
If the headbolts are not coke bottled then it should be ok to reuse them. Clean them real well and inspect them carefully, if just one is stretched into the classice hour glass or coke bottle shape then put them all in the trash and get new ones. The head gasket torque on that is 15 ft. lbs., 45 ft. lbs., and then a 90 degree angle torque. I recommend you get a manual for the rest of the numbers. There is more to torquing that stuff down properly than just making the wrench click, especially the head and the cam.
* Apart from the timing belt, head gasket, intake gasket, exhaust gaskets, and the heater hose that's buried behind the engine (and which I had to cut to remove), should I replace any other parts while the head is off?
Go ahead and do your front engine seals, rear cam seal, thermostat and gasket, and reseal the water pump if it looks like the rubber seals are getting eaten up. Oh yeah, hang an new oil fill cap gasket and go through your oil trap and breather system from head to toe.
* Am I better off using stock gaskets, or is the Elring stuff that FCP Groton sells ok? This is not a job that I want to do more than once.
The Elring stuff is mostly ok, I would run factory front engine seals, I personally have seen the Elrings seals take a crap. It is worth the extra money to get the good engine seals. I have had no problems with the other gaskets in the set.
* Should I bother cleaning off what little carbon deposits there are in the motor? What's the best method - wire brush + drill?
I always clean the piston faces off real good before I reassemble the head. I use a wire brush or a 3M disc. There is plenty of truth to what Jorrel says about abrassive grit getting into bearings and other places you really don't want it. I am always pretty judicious about how I use that stuff and I always do an oil and filter change on those kind of jobs after I have started them up an run them and before they leave my shop.
Take heed to what Jorrell is telling you on sending this whole thing to a machine shop and having a pro go through it, his advice is solid. Normally I would recommend just hanging the new springs and get on with it but in this instance you have gone the extra mile and taken the head off. You might as well capitalize on it and get it done right. Get the head hot tanked, decked, pressure tested, seats cut, valves ground, new valve seals, new rubber cushions on top of the springs,check the guides, and have the shop set the valves up right. To ge this done you will need to find a shop that is familiar with Volvos, not just any shop will do what you want. Case in point is in the valve shim set up; if you send to just any shop they will grind the valves and cut the seats and guess what this does to the clearance where the valve adjustment shim goes? In a good shop they will not only trim the valve stems so they are within adjustment they will trim the tip of the stem so that the shim required is as close to 4.0mm as possible. To do otherwise you will end up using the thickest shim in the box and still have too much clearance or the thinnest one in the box and still have it be too tight. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen customers cars come in like that over the years. Look around and find someone to do it right, spend your money on it and only spend your money once.
Mark
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