I recently took ownership of a ’93 960 and will need help from you all in getting it back in shape. The timing belt on the car broke at some point and the car has been parked for some months. Considering that I have a little experience in working on my own cars in the past, I decided to buy the car for a fix up project. I’ve done timing belt, water pump and headgasket on my Acura Legends and Accord and figure that working on a rear wheel drive will be much easier. However, not having even a Haynes manual or any repair manual for guidance has kept me from proceeding with the job. I have searched online and found a few information, but I need more basic instructions that that. A Haynes manual will show me the location of the bolts to remove to be able to remove the timing belt cover. I have no idea on how to remove the serpentine belt on this 960. I have now found information that says that electric fan needs to come out. I am assuming that is the first thing to do, right? Then what next? Remove 2 bolts holding timing belt cover? I have no idea where these bolts are. I don’t know if the crankshaft pulley needs to come out too? I have shopped for repair manual and not having much luck from Haynes (they don’t make one for 960. 740 yes). The parts store guy says that Chilton is more intermediate instructions and doesn’t show detail. It tells you remove t-belt cover, remove drive belt etc, but does not show you how. I am very new to this engine and will need someone to really hold my hand and walk me through. My plan is to replace the timing belt first, crank the car and determine if any valves are bent (running poorly/miss). Then a compression test will further isolate the bad cylinder. I can then determine to pull the heads or source replacement engine. So the first thing is to open timing belt cover, remove broken belt and cleans things out, check tensioners etc, replace T-belt and do a compression test. So far, all I have been able to do is open the hood, stare at the engine, get overwhelmed, close the hood and walk back to the house with my head down. The best info I’ve found online is here
http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/EngineSealsBeltsVent.htm#960TimingBeltChange
Can someone please help me get this job going? How long will a T-belt change take for a novice like me? Is Gates belt ok? Is my engine a B6300? Any advice, pointers, scans off your repair manual will be greatly appreciated. Start with serpentine belt removal, please. I am new to the underhood of the Volvo.

I took the shredded timing belt off and discovered that it broke due to a collapsed tensioner. I took the tensioner off and it didn't even pop up to even need compressing. I bought a new tensioner and installed it today. I finally found the timing mark by sprayng the oil pump area clean with brake parts cleaner. The mark was there as described, but just covered by oil and dust. I installed the timing belt and spun the engine around about 5 times and there was no resistance from valve piston contact. I installed the drivebelt and did a compression test. All 6 cylinders gave zero compression. I can't seem to believe that all 6 cylinders will experince bent valve. I would think that maybe 2 or 3 cylinders could, but not all 6. Is it possible for all 6 to give zero compression from a broken timing belt? I am suspecting that something is wrong with my test gauge, but I have used it for the last 3 years and it works all the time. The car was out of fuel, so I added 2 gallons and tried to crank it some more. It spins over fine and the timing is correct. Is there any thing to check for that may be keeping it from starting, assuming that the compression reading is not really zero? When I turn the key On, the Check Engine light comes On with all the other dash lights, but does not go off until you start cranking. My experince with my other car is that the Check Engine light will come On for 2 seconds and go out. If it stays On, you can crank all you want and the car won't start. That's because the fuel relay did not pressurize the system. I can hear the fuel pump buzz when I turn key to Ignition On. What do you guys think is wrong here?

From the information you posted, unfortunately all 6 cyls probably have bent valves. I think this is pretty common for timing failure on the 960.

good luck
Justin

Which cylinder is number 1? Is it the first sparkplug closest to the front? I once saw a diagram that lists the cylinders as number 1 through 6 counting from the front going back. Which means that number 6 cylinder is the rear most one. To change timing belt, you are supposed to set number 1 piston at TDC, right? TDC is when the number one piston is at its up most travel before starting to go back down, right? Well, I took the front sparkplug out today and inserted a long plastic straw through the hole so that it rests on top of the piston. The crank and cam pulley were all lined up to there mark, but as I started to turn the engine at the crank, the straw started to rise. The crank pulley was about halfway around before the straw stopped rising and started to go down. This has left me with the belief that the notch on the crank pulley where I lined it up yesterday was not really TDC for number 1 piston. This will explain while I got zero compression across all 6 cylinders, right? I have read somewhere that going by the timing marks is not 100% reliable, especially if someone has worked on the car in the past and changed things up. Is it ok to use the straw in plug hole resting on top of piston method to determine TDC, then move cam pulleys left or right to line them up to the V notch on the top timing belt cover? I noticed that with number 1 piston at TDC using the straw method, rotating the cam toward one direction may get to a point where resistance is felt due to valve meeting piston in one of the cylinders. Going the opposite direction may allow cam to get to where it is lined up properly. I planned to put back timing belt on and then rotate the engine at the crank and see if they move freely without resistance ever being felt, but it got dark on me by the time I found my large C clamp and pressed the tensioner back in. Can someone please help me confirm the TDC determining process I described above and maybe shed some light on some of the questions I brought up? I just want to make sure that all 6 cylinders are rightfully giving zero compression, and not due to a timing error on my part.

I am almost done with removing the head off my ’93 960. I have the exhaust off and the intake off. I am ready to start removing the cam cover bolts and then the head bolts. I am stuck at the instruction which says to “from the rear of the engine, remove camshaft position sensor, switch mounting bracket, ground terminals 1 & 2, temperature sensor connector and rear coolant hoses”. I don’t see how anyone can do that, considering the limited space between the engine and firewall. I have searched online and can’t find any explanation as to how to go about removing these things from the back of the engine. Please, can any of you who have done this head removal Please, can any of you who have done this job please tell me how to remove the items? I need to have the head out tomorrow so I can put it in the shop this week. Also, where do you buy head
bolts from?

Greg

I am almost done with removing the head off my ’93 960. I have the exhaust off and the intake off. I am ready to start removing the cam cover bolts and then the head bolts. I am stuck at the instruction which says to “from the rear of the engine, remove camshaft position sensor, switch mounting bracket, ground terminals 1 & 2, temperature sensor connector and rear coolant hoses”. I don’t see how anyone can do that, considering the limited space between the engine and firewall. I have searched online and can’t find any explanation as to how to go about removing these things from the back of the engine. Please, can any of you who have done this head removal Please, can any of you who have done this job please tell me how to remove the items? I need to have the head out tomorrow so I can put it in the shop this week. Also, where do you buy head
bolts from?

Greg

I took the head off this weekend and discovered why I have zero compression across all 6 cylinders. Of all the 24 valves, only 4 intake valves escaped being bent. All the exhaust valves were affected. I am having a hard time getting good prices for the parts that need replacing. Does anyone know a Volvo parts place that have good prices for Intake and exhaust valves, head bolts and head gasket? Secondly, if the car didn't run hot, what is the need for having the head skimmed? Does anyone remember how to get to the post about making your own special tools (valve compress tool)? What is the advice on reusing your head bolts? I read somewhere that with the hydraulic lifters out of the way; one can use degreaser and hot water at the car wash to clean the engine out. Anyone done that before? Your response is highly appreciated as I need to put the car back together this coming weekend.

Thanks!

You can remove the head with the opposite ends of the heater hoses undone. If you are replacing the hoses just cut them. The cam sensor, is a 40 torx if I remember correctly, us one that attaches to a socket wrench, use only a high quality bit. The us a 1/4 inch open end wrench to loosen at the shaft of the bit. There is no room to have it on the socket handle, use alot of penetrating oil too.

DanR 94 964 317,000 miles (83,000 on the new engine)
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DanR

Yes, cylinder 1 is in the front, but you are not to have it at TDC. The way to do it is to line up to your marks. Setting the crank to the proper mark allow one turn fully the valve train. Beside mis timing the engine, setting to TDC may not allow you to turn the valve cam around enough to hit it's mark. There is no TDC on interference engines for valve timing.

DanR 94 964 317,000 miles (83,000 on the new engine)
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DanR

Thanks everyone for the prompt informative response to my post. I am making progress slowly. Ordered timing belt will be in tomorrow (Friday) and I plan to start work on the car Saturday. I plan to install timing belt, remove sparkplugs and do a compression test. If it passes, I'll do oil and filter change and try to crank her up. I see that the cam wheels have the timing makes etched in them. I guess I just need to identify the corresponding mark on the rear timing belt cover. Since the timing belt broke, both cams have moved around and will have to be lined up individually. Regarding workshop manual, I went to the public library here in Houston and asked for Chilton manual. The reference desk attendant said that they used to have them, but not anymore. Something to the effect that it takes up too much space. He said that they do have Alldata online and that it has everything you will find in Chilton, and even diagnostics. I logged on their computer and sure enough, I pulled up Volvo 960. I printed out instructions for oil change, sparkplug replacement, timing belt replacement and tensioner replacement. They have step by step guidance with pictures to illustrate. Looks like I won't be buying a manual for a while, since I can get to this one freely at the library. Where is the timing mark located on the crank pulley? The Honda engines I've worked on have them cut into the inner edge/lip of the pulley and there will be a corresponding mark on the outer plastic belt cover. When they say to lubricate the tensioner, what lube do you use? I have removed the timing belt cover and withdrawn the shredded timing belt. Do I need the cover back on to line up the crank pulley? Your assistance in getting both cam and crank pulley lined up will be highly appreciated. With luck, I might have to come back Saturday to deliver the good news that there was no bent valve. I understand that depending on the rpm when the belt broke, the valves just might be fine. Fingers crossed!

Greg

The crank mark is between one the four bolts that hold the pulley on. The crank pulley is actually two parts, the black outer part that is a weight, and the hub that has the cogs for the timing belt. There is a line that is raised up between one of the four bolts that hold the two pieces together, this raised line is on the hub part of the crank pulley, difficult to see, need a good light and get your head down in there to see it. At the end of the raised line, there is a very small notch in the hub part, that will get you at the exact location.

What you might try first is to get the crank in proper position and then try to turn the valve pulleys. With the crank in position, all of the pistons are out of the way of the valves, so you should be able to turn the pulleys freely. If they won't rotate, then you will know that the valves are messed up and you may just start tearing it down. I don't recall anyone on this board ever escaping a broken timing belt and not needing to repair/replace the head.

Good luck,

DanR 94 964 317,000 miles (83,000 miles on the new engine)
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DanR

I found out that a failed tensioner was the reason the belt got shredded. I took the tensioner out and it stayed down and didn't need to be pressed in. The fluid leak out of it is also evident. I have the cam pulleys lined up using the V notches on top belt cover. I have also located the raised notch on the crank pulley. My problem is determining where it should point. At 12 o'clock mark (straight up) or the one or two o'clock mark? I noticed a white mark on the rear belt cover around the 12 o'clock mark, and also a red mark on a raised area around the 2 o'clock mark. The area was dirty from the fluid leak from the failed tensioner, so I called myself spraying it clean with a carburetor cleaner. Now the white mark is gone. So, where do you all point the crank pulley mark to? 12, 1 or 2 o'clock mark?

There is a mark on the oil pump, a small 1/4" line the runs up and down around the 12 o'clock position. That is where the small notch at the rear most part of the crank gear lines up to. If you found the raise part, then look to the very end of the gear and look for a small notch. Line that up with the mark on the oil pump.
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DanR

From my experience in the past, the cam does two full rotations for each full rotation of the crank (or is it the other way around??). If this is the case, after lining up the crank pulley, how then do I determine that the lined up cam is not on the first loop but have completed the second correct round? (360deg rotation of crank pulley equals 720 deg on Cam pulley) If either cam was on the first 360degree and timing belt was installed, I would expect that when I go to rotate engine at the crank bolt, the piston and a valve will soon meet and resistance should be experienced, right? Hopefully there is an easier way of confirming that the cam is at the 720 degree rotation.

A quick update on the excellent 'play by play' timing belt removal instruction by Larry Jacobson. For Step 20 where he points out that Volvo recommends you make the crank turn two complete revolutions to make sure all timing marks are still in place, I just want to add that removing all six sparkplugs before manually rotating engine at the crank will make the process almost effortless. The reason why it is hard and jerky is because you are compressing the air in the cylinders as you turn the crank with sparkplugs in place. With sparkplugs out, air just escapes as the pistons get on their upward travel, hence no pressure to fight against.

Interestingly, the ALLDATA instruction for the timing belt replacement refers to the engine as transmission. For example, after belt installation, it says to insert tensioner mounting bolts, torque 25Nm (18ft lb), remove locking pin, mount front transmission cover, turn crankshaft two revolutions and check ... Instruction to start the timing belt removal says; Turn crankshaft clockwise until timing marks align on camshaft pulleys/transmission mounting plate and crankshaft pulley/oil pump and housing. Remove upper transmission cover. Check timing belt tension. After belt installation, it says "Install ignition coil cover, vibration damper guard, splash guard under engine, front transmission cover". This last part tells me that it knows there is an engine (splash guard reference), and that the transmission is the timing belt and the pulleys and tensioners it wraps around. Has anyone else observed this being referred to as transmission? I must admit that I had to read the instruction over to understand that we are not talking of transmission/transaxle as we know it. Looking at the ALLDATA tranny fluid replacement printout I got from the Library, it starts by says "1. Remove drain plug from transmission pan, then allow fluid to drain into suitable container". So it rightfully refers to this as transmission also. To change your tranny fluid, do you all install the transparent plastic hose; add 2 quarts, start and idle engine, stop engine when bubbles appear in tube. Add another 2 quarts and repeat the process? Or is it ok to drain and add 4 quarts then top off later? My apologies for going on and on. I am doing all this (T-belt/tranny fluid/sparkplug) tomorrow and want to clarify/get all the information I can before starting.

You maybe putting too much thought in the cam crank relationship, with each on it's correct mark don't worry about the number of their rotations. You only have to worry about the 360 degree rotation.

DanR 964 317,000 miles (83,000 miles on the new engine)
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DanR

If your belt broke, chances are you at least need a head rebuild if not replacement of the whole long block. In either case here are the service manuals you need.
B6304 rebuild green manual

Timing belt info on pages 7 and 15.
960 service manual

If you need in depth information, down load VADIS from Mininova. Its s 4gb program with every volvo since 1974 but well worth the effort. It is the best 960 manual out there bar none.

Good luck
Justin

You will need the Volvo factory manuals, as indicated in another post, probably a new or remanufactured head (check how much from Nick at www.fcpgroton.com who is totally reliable andf has the lowest prices) and perhaps even new pistons (also available from Nick). Good luck because you have a major project ahead of you.

Check out this thread for a resource.

http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/index.htm?id=1117960

DEWFPO
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1998 S90 077,400 and 1995 964 154,100

I would venture to say that the head on your engine is toast-the sad and awful truth is that when ever the timing belt breaks on one of these engines it takes out the valve train as well. Ther you will need to remove the head and I'm talking about a major disassembly. You may find a later model engine from a wrecked car to fit in but you will need to use your electrical system that is on the car now if you do that(there will be some retrofitting.) If you decide to remove the head and do the fix-the is a place on ebay that sells reconditioned heads for 400 bucks plus your old one as a core charge.
Hope that helps
Poolman

The 960 "run" is far smaller than the 20/700/940 run that covered the red block 4-cylinder engine (a few V6's but that's another thread). Manual makers therefore (IMHO) don't see much of a market for a whole-car shop manual.

Therefore the books with any real value are the Volvo Sevice Manuals. Ken Cook Publishing handles them. Visit www.volvotechinfo.com or call 1-800-25-VOLVO for human contact (after a menu). The books are for car sub-systems, not a whole-car manual. You may want more than just those related to the engine.

Look around the archives here, and do a search. Check the V90/S90 forum, too. There are a number of 960 owners here who really know their stuff. I own one, but I am still learning.

Source a replacement engine, too. B6304, and maybe some year-specific info too. Significant improvements were made for the 1995+ models, I don't know if that engine will retro-fit.

Bent valves, messed up cam carriers, one even reported crushed piston rings.

Maybe there is a way to learn the valve condition before investing the time and money in a new timing belt.

Good luck,

Bob

:>)