Calling diesel geeks
 

Hi all,

I've put back on the road a very nice 1999 2.5D. I've had the cam belt and diesel pump belt replaced with all relevant bits. The engine is pretty well timed up mechanically but not dynamically timed.

Where can I get this timed up properly.....either a garage or a fourm member that a Tdi geek.
Based in Cambridge area.

Appreciate help guys.

Where in Cambridge?

Got a soft spot for these, any pictures to make me jealous please?!
:regular_smile:

Location
 

Hi,

Based in St Neots area but more than happy to drive the car to someone that knows exactly what they are doing.....further afield if recommended by fellow members.

Thanks.

Pictures
 

Hi,

I will stick some up soon....its a nice car...I've put nice wheels on it and also a V70 R interior in it. So worth showing off.

Glasgow, I can do all the timing but a little trip for you.
Anytime that crank pulley is off you are using a new bolt and a new diamond washer and used a 1+ metre long 3/4" breaker bar to get the right torque yeah? Otherwise will soon come undone and end up on the scrap. Seen it happen dozens of times!
Cam pulley bolts are less sensitive to it (very well machined/designed taper on them), but still needs done up tight enough, but not so tight it risks the bolt snapping otherwise also scrap lol.

It'll run and not put an EML on anything less than about 7 degree's I think, and be happy enough, but the better you get both top end timing and the cam timing the better it'll be.

Just done a pretty much full rebuild on mine, had 260k on it, main + big end plain bearings were barely worn in all honestly. Needed a cam, hydraulics, valves, valve seats ground back to the right shape, piston rings and a good old internal clean of all the oil gallies etc. Got it back together with some hassle (cam belt wouldn't ride right, done 500 miles now and cam belt riding where it should, weird but there you go) and now runs beautifully again.
Kinda strange having to 'run in' a car with over 1/4m miles on it.


They are worth spending a bit of money on, sort of future classics, but more like cars that folk pick up as they are handy, drive solid, comfy, move out of their own shadow, good on fuel and other costs are very low in the real world.

@brickman 850 TDI's are rare as nowadays and the very few i have seen recently for sale command good money! So they should! Pretty frugal and bomb proof if maintained correctly hence my thread about putting my scabby/Battered 850 TDI wagon running gear into a dead tidy 850 2.0 petrol wagon!

I'd go with https://www.independentvolvoservices.com/ in Letchworth, not too far from you
Joe

I second that. I have owned my 850TDI for 13 years now, use it every day, It has done 245000 miles and still drives almost as it should.(the odd suspension clonk here and there) but it has cost me barely anything in maintenance in that time.
I have a near mint example in my garage that is waiting in the wings for when my other one finally packs up. But now they are so rare i feel that the one in my garage is getting too rare to use as a daily driver.

Hi,

Apologies for the slow reply but life has been very busy recently as I've taken up a new job and been away training for last few weeks.

Thanks for such a lengthy and constructive reply!! Thats good advice the lower pulley and I've heard of them come off so it would be worth them on a ppm schedule.

Well since my first post.. things have changed in the Volvo...strongly suspect that the head gasket is compromised so it will need the head removed for investigation! The header tanks now boils over with lots of bubbles.

It sounds like you are the man with these diesels! To take on a full rebuild on the engine you certainly know what your doing! I wish I was closer to bring the poorly Volvo for diagnostic!

I hope to get the head removed in the coming week and see what's the damage!