Sad

[DWM]

Many thanks all.

I'm afraid it's all happening rather slowly. I've done nothing since last weekend - it's just not realistic to hope to do anything in the week, given work and the brevity of daylight in November.

I may make some progress tomorrow and Sunday - it depends a bit whether my boys find it interesting or deadly. But I'm content with the idea that the job - even if all goes well - may take me well into December - as a teacher I have a good-length holiday then.

So - I'm very grateful for the offer gatos but I'm not nearly ready to take advantage of such kindness yet.

[gatos]

Offer is there, so feel free if need be. It shouldn't take me more than an hour to remove it, so not a problem. They charge £40 for the head. Main block is only £30!!!!!

[DWM]

You're kidding, right?
On both matters...

- That it only takes you an hour to get the head off?!
- And that it's only £40?!

At that price I'm thinking that I've really nothing to lose by saying yes please...

[gatos]

Ermmm.... no, not kidding. The thing that takes the longest is the rocker cover and its 300 or so bolts. However, with a power impact wrench it can be a lot faster...... No need to lock camshafts, or support the engine properly. Stanley knife to cut the belt... etc.

If it is was my car, I would take a lot longer. I will have to check and make sure that the head gasket is fine and with a bit of luck it will be in good nick. So see how you get on and if you want it, I can try to get it next weekend.

[DWM]

That's wonderful - thank you so much.
I'll try to press on and - in any case - let you know.
Not sure how to thank adequately in the face of such offers.

[gatos]

Not a problem DWM. You are a regular and valued member here, so it is not a biggy. I wouldn't offer if you were a newish member.

[tt82]

Originally Posted by Dog_Book

Yeah ok but isn't the 2.0D the engine everyone says to steer clear of as its the poo Ford engine? Also people moan about the electrics on those cars no?
Admittedly my Vectra has now had all the things that they are renown to go replaced now and yes alot earlier than and more issues engine wise than my old Volvo.
I weighed up the odds and bought a cheap car which after its over servicing lol it still cheaper than less spec's cars from a dealer which after a year or sooner would have the same issues and its lower miles to
I just gave up thinking i can buy a car that's going to match the V40 for reliability so got a cheap nice one with known issues oh and some unknown lol

Like ive told anyone, its been longer than i can remember where ive had to replace an alternator on a car.... battery's yes suspension and bushes yes brakes yes... But also at the end of the day ive got a rapid big estate that's sporty and i can wire things into etc for alot less than if i had gone for a low mileage V50 D5 which i would have looked for more if they didn't have that stupid stereo that you cant take out

Yeah as I said before I was amazed at how much you had done to the Vectra. Hopefully you should now have a good solid car which will repay you with good reliability over the next few years.

Still hope to see you back behind the wheel of a Volvo in the future though.

[Dog_Book]

When you take your head of try and leave the loose bolts in place so it's easier to work out where they all go when the new head goes on will be a lot easier with a swap as your not taking the cams out
If you need help putting it back together I don't start my weekend door work till 14th dec that's unless I get a random call

Looking for a new car made me mad, even with a lot of money (to me) to buy one they all seemed a bit crap. My vectra goes better than the 220 bhp audi a4's I tried! And like in other posts £8000 for a car with very few toys and 75k miles!!
A few months back a mate who I work for in doors a clever ex car racer years ago bought a lovely passat 1.9d it really is nice fast and great on mpg. He got it at a cheap knock down price from a local vw dealer and took out vw warranty. Let's put it this way if he hadn't then he would have been in same boat as me. I know it's been in for broken springs engine lights and a few other things not really big but you still don't expect it from a low miles 08 car would you?
Just a shame the v50 had that stupid stereo oh and none of them have true sports seats like mine other wise if have got one.

The list of parts my car has had isn't to bad really and it's common fault parts lol but yeah my old v40 beat it in terms of how many years old it was before half of these things went south lol

Inlet manifold (cambelt forced change was a year old)
Battery
Alternator
Both rear shocks
Front down pipe
Inner cv gaiter

The rest of the work is getting it how I like it ie load guard stereo mapped etc and a thorough service not letting it out the garage until it's right.
Still need to sort the rear heater vent, USB charging points, sun strip and blue dash led conversion

[960kg]

Originally Posted by gatos

Checked VIDA and there is nothing at all about torque settings for the P1 2.0......

On another note, a friend told me that a scrappy fairly local to me has a complete P1 2.0, so if you need a complete new head, let me know and I can remove it next weekend. Their prices are quite reasonable too, so it would not cost an arm and a leg.

I think this is what you need!.....

I still do not understand having a Volvo program that concerns ALL Volvo`s to date when all we own is up to 2004 on this forum section.

The lesser program shows all about the earlier models.

[DWM]

Just so you know how very very slowly I am proceeding:

I've now got the fuel rail off (or if I'm honest, not quite off but nicely out of the way), and also the throttle body. I think I've just got to release an annoying-looking black hose (engine breather I guess...? - but who cares what it is?!) that winds its way through a hole in the inlet manifold and I will finally be in a position to take that manifold off. And then there's some irritating metal pipe that snakes its way out of the top of the cam cover that stands in the way of my getting the uppermost metal brackety thing off the top of the engine... but I think I can see how to deal with that - I just need to pick up a slimmer torx driver tomorrow.

So, very slow, by the standards of anyone experienced. But pretty good by mine. After all, I also drained the coolant, and undid lots of little connectors to sensors and similar things that, in the past, I would have regarded as pretty major jobs for me. (And of course I am taking zillions of photos because I'm scared of getting muddled, which slows me down a bit.)

So far, I've managed not to get stuck, and I am happily seeing the way to making some further progress next weekend. May even get a bit of a go on Tuesday afternoon.

(I don't think my boys have that yearning to become junior mechanics just yet. Watching Dad shouting at the car and stamping his feet in the cold is not, I suppose, very much fun after all. When bigger bits start coming off, I think they may be more excited. They did like the throttle.)