Engine 850: B5254S/2.4/20v: Head Gasket failed, head off.. what next?

[dinky1]

Hi Guys!

I've been absent for several years now - sorry about that - but i still have the safrane parked up outside and up on axle stands.

So last time i was here i mentioned that it had HGF. This was confirmed with cylinder pressures being all out and the dreaded mayo - even after an oil change. I was gutted.

Anyway i put in the spare engine, that ran reasonably well for a while, then decided also to go the same way - white mayo, coolant loss etc. FFS.

Anyway i found the problem which was causing the cooling fans to malfunction - an airlock. I tipped the car up on it's side one day to take photos of the fuel lines and then the fans started working the next day. They then stopped again so it's an airlock in there and having now found the radiator cap needs to be pulled out not just turned 90degrees.... urgh..

Right so the replacement engine has HGF. I've had the head off today, the stretch bolts have rust on the threads. The gasket itself has lots of lovely mayo at the back of cylinders 3,4 & 5.

Cylinders don't seem too bad, couple of specks of mild rust and thats about it.










So whats my options here?
Will the stretch bolt holes be screwed due to the rust?
Also if i get the head skimmed, will the camshafts be ok? - i read years ago on a site elsewhere that a lady had hers snap after a skim..

I can't really replace the head as renault charge silly money for them and they are modified - the renault version has a large engine mount on top that the volvo doesn't have and the bolts go directly into the head:



Also as you can see in this next picture, on the gearbox end of the engine is a lifting loop - which unlike the timing side, is attached directly to the head.



I can't help but wonder now, is the way i've crane'd these in and out the cause? - I've always removed it with the gearbox attached - extra weight on that side of the lower engine & loop / stretch bolts on that side of the engine - which of course as you see in my photos above, are the 3 cylinders with mayo on the gasket.



So whats my way forwards here?

Should I skim? Should autobox somehow be removed first in the future? or should i wrap a chain under it and lift like that to avoid strain on the stretch bolts?

If i skim, will the camshafts survive?

So many if's and buts... sorry lol..