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What is that box under the engine (8"x8") and can it be altered? V70-XC70 1999

posted by  someone claiming to be Bill Salopek on  Sun Nov 11 09:49 CST 2001 [RELATED]

I have a 99 V70 XC.

There is a silver/aluminum-colored box just to the rear of the engine in the center of the car...right behind the oil drain plug...looked in the Haynes manual and found no mention of it.

Looks like it's in a VERY vulnerable spot for damage.

A couple questions:

1) What is it?

2) If it takes a hit from big rock (or even a small rock) on the "high center" of a dirt road, is it easily damamged? And if it IS damaged, is the car still driveable? And about how expensive is it to repair?

3) It also has this "flange" on the front, point down at a 45-degree angle...again, looks like it is just ASKING to be caught by something on the road and ripped off.

Can I remove this flange permanently? Or can I reverse it and put it to the rear of the aluminum box? Or can I just bend it upward so that it is more out of the way?

Thanks...







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    Re: What is that box under the engine (8"x8") and can it be altered? V70-XC70 1999

    posted by  someone claiming to be Bill Salopek on  Sun Nov 11 15:39 CST 2001 [RELATED]

    OK...I got three different answers so far :

    1) The Intercooler (this is actually the one I would have guessed based on other stuff I have read in the forum).

    2) A "vibration damper".

    3) Part of the tramsmission to help cooling.

    Well...

    A couple more clues:

    a) It has a bit of an oily film on it (OK, not much of a clue).

    b) It has, uh, 5 or 6 small screws (one of which is stripped) holding what appears to be a "cover" on the bottom...and it's on to this cover, that the "flange" pointing down and forward at 45 degrees is attached.

    More thoughts?

    Thanks...

    P.S. I live in New Mexico and travel on dirt roads probably MUCH more often that the average XC owner living in other parts of the country...I would not call what I do "off roading"...most of the dirt roads are in good shape and fairly smooth for what they are.

    Still, some of those roads are NOT so smooth and I can see getting onto a road with a "high center" now and again...I just want to know how careful I should be about this box under the engine, and if there is anything I can do to improve the situation...skid plates? I didn't know Volvo made these for the XC, I was considering getting them custom made.







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      Re: What is that box under the engine (8"x8") and can it be altered? V70-XC70 1999

      posted by  someone claiming to be Chris on  Sun Nov 11 16:47 CST 2001 [RELATED]

      The box under the car is the vibration dampner to the angle drive gearbox. the ONLY modification that can be done is removal of the air spoiler. If you remove the "BOX" you WILL have a driveline vibration and cause severe damage to the $1800 driveshaft and/or $3500 angle gear box and in few causes to the $2500 viscous coupling. suggest: leave it alone. buy a skid plate>>>







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        Re: What is that box under the engine (8"x8") and can it be altered? V70-XC70 1999

        posted by  someone claiming to be Bill Salopek on  Sun Nov 11 18:28 CST 2001 [RELATED]

        Chris,

        Is there ANY disadvantage to removal of the air spoiler?

        I agree, a skid plate is a much better idea. Do you know about what they cost? Is there just the one available? Or is there more than one location a skid plate can be attached?

        Thannks...







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          Re: What is that box under the engine (8"x8") and can it be altered? V70-XC70 1999

          posted by  someone claiming to be Steven--- on  Mon Nov 12 04:08 CST 2001 [RELATED]

          Hi Bill,

          Do not remove the air spoiler. It divers air on to the transfer-case causing it to be cooled. Remove of the air scoop will cause the transfer-case to overheat and some possible damage might occur.

          Note: The box is a vibration dampner.

          Steven---







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    Re: What is that box under the engine (8"x8") and can it be altered? V70-XC70 1999

    posted by  someone claiming to be Oldeman on  Sun Nov 11 14:22 CST 2001 [RELATED]

    I have the Volvo skidplate which fits under the engine/transmission. It's interesting that this is a dealer-installed option because my previous SAABs had skidplates as standard equipment.

    When Road & Track tested the XC, they punched a hole in the intercooler, so it's probably not meant to go seriously off-road.







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      Re: What is that box under the engine (8"x8") and can it be altered? V70-XC70 1999

      posted by  someone claiming to be Bill Salopek on  Sun Nov 11 15:41 CST 2001 [RELATED]

      I didn't know Volvo made XC skid plates.

      Do you recall how much they were? Easy to install yourself?

      Thanks...







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        Re: What is that box under the engine (8"x8") and can it be altered? V70-XC70 1999

        posted by  someone claiming to be Kele' on  Mon Nov 12 03:05 CST 2001 [RELATED]

        Bill,

        I have the IPD version on my 97 GLT and yes the folks at the dealership did use it as a reason for not doing work, bla bla, I'll write you the details if you want. I have the Volvo one with the bars (on XC 2000)like Big wrote, It was VERY easy to install. I have the Rino ramps for oil changes that was all the "lift" I needed.

        Good Luck, Kele'







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        Re: skid plate V70-XC70 2000

        posted by  someone claiming to be Big on  Sun Nov 11 18:52 CST 2001 [RELATED]

        Both Volvo and IPD offer a front skid plate for the 1998-2000 XC's. The Volvo "engine protector" (#9192498) is tubular steel, easy to install, and around $125 mail order (I got mine from Volvo World). The IPD skid plate (#ME5370AWD) is aluminum plate and sells for $225 (www.ipdusa.com).

        The IPD skid plate looks like it offers better protection, although previous posts indicated that some Volvo dealers might not work on the engine unless the plate was removed. I've subjected the stock protector to light off-roading and it has done the job; with the meager clearance of the original XC, it scrapes fairly often on rutted or rocky roads.

        For the kind of driving you describe, either unit will give some peace of mind. Then you can focus on worrying about the passenger car tires and the unprotected gas tank!







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          Re: skid plate 850 1995

          posted by  someone claiming to be Ching-Ho Cheng on  Mon Nov 12 06:24 CST 2001 [RELATED]

          Hi Big,

          Did you install the skid plate yourself ? If you did, how hard was that to remove the existing eyelet bolts in the front of the sub-frame ? I had purchased the Volvo skid plate, but when I looked at the 2 front eyelet bolts on the sub-frame, they looked rusted to me. I don't think that there are much room under the sub-frame to allow me to remove them easily!

          Thanks for your suggestions.

          Ching-Ho Cheng







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            Re: skid plate 850 1995

            posted by  someone claiming to be Jeff Lesperance on  Mon Nov 12 16:48 CST 2001 [RELATED]

            I had the dealer install the Volvo skid plate, after I tried to loosen those eyelet bolts. No Way! I was moving the car, not the bolts. It took 3 or 4 guys at the dealer to get them off. At least I got my money's worth for labor! Unless you have a hoist and/or breaker bar, it was worth 50 bucks to have the dealer do it.







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    Re: What is that box under the engine (8"x8") and can it be altered? V70-XC70 1999

    posted by  someone claiming to be Sin on  Sun Nov 11 13:20 CST 2001 [RELATED]

    It is a part of your transmission. And the flange you speak of is necessary to prevent over heating.







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      Re: What is that box under the engine (8"x8") and can it be altered? V70-XC70 1999

      posted by  someone claiming to be Brent on  Sun Nov 11 14:47 CST 2001 [RELATED]

      It's a vibration damper ,does make a pain to change the oil (especially when hot) But what cha gonna do?






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