Hello,


I just finished the valve job on my new 1996 Volvo 850 Turbo Wagon. It took a good week or so to do everything in an attentive manner, working a few hours each day. I cleaned all the gasket surfaces pretty well, but I am having an issue with the integrity of the cooling system.

I tried to light it up last night for the first time. I engaged the starter motor for about 20 seconds. No ignition. The compression is low, because the valve stem is sitting higher in the head then before; I had the valves ground. I opened the cap of the cooling reservoir only to be greeted by a loud belch, and a spray of water. I repeated the episode, just to make sure.

I have not been able to visually observe if the compression is leaking through the head gasket (Watching for bubbles in the coolant tank, as an assistant cranks the engine.)

I do know that there are big blobs of new oil in the coolant tank.

Could the oil cooler have collapsed, or maybe the turbo casting has a hole in it? Or am I just grasping at short straws? There was no mixing the fluids before the teardown. I did raise the car 1.5' with the floor jack on the subframe, twice.


Please advise,
Goatman