Hello BB'ers,

Over the last 9 years, I've accumulated four 93's one of which is gone, but not departed. The BB and its notables have been extremely helpful in providing sane and sensible advise in car repair and maintenance, and I am grateful.

Today I thought I'd canvass the BB for an opinion on whether I should replace the head gasket on red sedan and green sedan. Red sedan with some 330k has been leaking from a spot above/near #3 exhaust for at least 80k miles over the last 3 or 4 years. The leakage rate is about 1 ounce every 75 miles so I keep an eye on the coolant jug and regularly refill the lost coolant. There is no question as to the location of the leak. Similarly, green sedan with 200K has begun to leak at the exact same location and leaks about 1 ounce every 50 miles. Neither car has ever overheated. Both cars are probably worth about $1500 (of course more to me). Oddly green wagon with 282K doesn't leak AFAIK.

At this juncture, I wonder if I should:

1) Replace the head gasket only. I ponder if I need to check the head for flatness as it has never overheated.
2) Use a liquid leak stopper in the cooling system. If so what kind. Keep in mind that these are old cars, so this approach might be the most sensible.
3) Do nothing.

What's your opinion.

Marty Wolfson

Proud member of the 300K club

Hello BBer's,

I thought I'd post about my experience concerning replacing the headgaskets on red sedan 330K and green sedan 207K. Did green sedan first and found not one green stalagtite type green icicle but actually three, and some oil ooze as well.

The job is quite straightforward and resulted in a smoother running engine, without the occasional idle lope or startup rev that was noted. I only had the block resurfaced some .007, the valve stems ground, and the valve seals replaced by the machine shop which originally charged me $200 and then $100 for the second head a week later. Red sedan was quite similar with .006 shaved off. Just as a side-note neither car had, to my knowledge, overheated. Red sedan had a timing belt and water pump replaced as well.

I really found no difference between the Erling and genuine Volvo headgasket and according to Tasca, Volvo no longer offers a gasket kit. Much of the knowledge I used to remove the head and manifolds were obtained from my 9 year BB subscription. Thank you,

If anyone has any questions, I'd be glad to share other details of what I've learned.

Marty Wolfson
Proud member of the 300K club

Hi Marty,

I have a 90 244 w/254K and 92 w/212k-both leaking oil from the head in the same spot-above oil filter.

I see in your first post you mentioned (before taking head to machine shop) that you were going to check the head for flatness. I am just curious, did you check it yourself or did you have them check it?

I have a precision straight edge and feeler gauges on hand to check when I do mine-thought if mine were within tolerance I might skip the machine shop. Though I probably wouldn't on the 90 244 as it has the most miles and could benefit from a freshening with the parts in the Elring kit which I have on hand.

Also-did you just remove the head with all of the internals still assembled or did you take out anything?

Travis

Hi Travis,

I bet you might be leaking some coolant too, besides the oil leaks. I think that when these engines reach 200K-300K some headgasket degradation is probably normal. When I removed the gasket - it came off in one piece - you could see where it was thinner and a different color adjacent to the coolant ports. The machinist, Rick, also commented that he was surprised that the headgasket wasn't leaking between cylinders. This was because when he put his flat straightedge on the underside of the head, he noted that it was out some .005 or .006 at the area between #2 and #3 and #3 and #4. The machinist used a heavy bar that looked like it had been around for 100 years. Keep in mind, again, that as far as I know, the car has never overheated. I think this kind of warpage is probably normal with the higher mileages that these cars attain. You might use your precision straightedge and see if you come up with the same numbers as your machine shop. Again, though, it was in the center where the thickest feeler gauges could be inserted - which he said was normal.

Despite the car never overheating, Rick was quite emphatic about the need for "resurfacing" the head. He similarly alerted me to ensure I had prepared the block properly by removing all traces of the old gasket and gave me a strip of something akin to a scotchbrite pad to go at it with. I tore little pieces or rag and carefully stuffed them in the open ports and when the block was cleaned I pulled the rags out with my hemostats. I brought the head in on a Wednesday with valves and cam in place and got it back Friday. Put the engine back together on a Saturday. I don't think he ever saw "hushers" before. He didn't do any valve grinding other than grind the ends of the stems to compensate for the amount milled/ground? from the head. He did replace the seals - I believe only on the intake as the exhaust valves don't have stem seals. He also commented that in these older engines it is sometimes risky business refurbishing the valves as increasing the compression could impact the bottom end so we decided to leave well enough alone.

There were very few problems with this project. I was lucky to remove all the manifold nuts without any issues. Rick commented that even if I had broken off some of the studs, he regularly sees this and it's not an issue drilling out the broken one(s).

Lots of luck and spray those manifold nuts!

Marty

Thanks for the information Marty!

Hopefully both jobs of mine go off without a hitch also.

On the 90 244 I had replaced the exhaust man. gaskets a little over a year ago so those might not be too bad. Either way with both cars I am definitely going to spray everything down days before hand and several times each day.

Thanks again,

Travis

For a chemical stop-leak, If you decide to try that, Lucas would be my reccom., and IMO of course.

Head gasket would be my first reccom.

If 'do nothing' is where u want to go, just watch temp gauge and coolant VERY carefully. Check belts and 'stat.

Might put a steth' on the water pump, listen closely to the bearing.

IF u go for any R & R in that area, mite as well check when u had the T-belt done last.

Good luck.

Hello My Friends,

I took the head off green sedan (203k - ran fine.....but) today mostly using the Bentley as a guide. FYI, you don't need to take injectors off or disconnect the fuel rail. Just remove the six nuts holding the intake manifold and pull it back and hold it in place with a bungee. The Bentley is a little remiss in this area.

Anyway, when I brought it to the machinist, he checked for warpage and found the area of the head between cylinder #2 and cylinder #3 where he could slip a .004 feeler gauage in. He commented that this is usually enough to develop some inter- cylinder leakage, but I don't believe that occurred. It appears tha?t both coolant passages adjacent to #2 and #3 exhaust side were leaking and there is some oil residue on the block below which makes me suspect some oil leakage too. He is just going to mill about .005 (I think) off and "resurface the head" whatever that means. He commented that resurfacing is necessary with any head job. OK, the guys been building race engines and ran a machine shop for 40 years. Anyway, he will do the milling and replace the four valve stems.

Question, though, I don't know what the "hushers" look like. I purchased both a Volvo headgasket (kit no available according to Matt and Tasca) and an Erling headgasket kit. Should I install hushers if they're in the kit and tell me what they look like and where they go please.

Anyway, things are looking swell so far. Just a lot of cleanup right now.

Marty Wolfson

Proud member odf the 300K club

These are the hushers: http://www.ipdusa.com/products/5763/113329-absorber-husher

they go right on the top of the valves, under the cam followers. Be sure to set the camshaft clearances without the absorbers (hushers) installed, as they will initially push the followers up a bit. After figuring which shims you need, take everything apart again and install the absorbers.

They do quiet things down significantly.

Nate

Glad to hear it, Marty. Can I ask what the machine work is costing?

My '93 sedan loses oil somewhere - about a quart if I let it go till the next oil change. I have often speculated that the minor overheat I experienced during a catastrophic coolant dump several years ago warped the head or damaged the gasket. I have an Elring head gasket kit (thanks to jorrell!) on the shelf, and have often thought about having a spare head prepared so that I could do the job anytime I had the whim.

Let us know how the job progresses!

Hi Sean,

The shop turned my job around in one day. Shaved off .007, ground the valve stems accordingly, cleaned it up, and installed new valve stems (I think intake only as there aren't any for exhaust - or vice versa) along with some grommet to prevent drain back? All for $200. Of course that doesn't include the several times I've stopped by for pointers and questions. Those were free.

I believe they also checked the valves for sealing. Didn't quiz him on how that was done.

Marty

Hi Marty
might as well do it right the first time. sounds like you are doing just that.
i believe you mean replaced the valve guide seals?
Mike

Hi Mike,

i believe you mean replaced the valve guide seals?

Probably. Never having seen the work that they did and not having a decent working knowledge of the guts of the head, valve guide seals are probably right.
Next head I'll have them call me down when it's apart, so I'm not quite so ignorant. The machinist figured out the "hushers" and installed them. I guess they aren't a regular item on Detroit or Asian engines.

Anyway, it seems the job went OK and I finished up last night. I think I have a little exhaust leak somewhere as I hesitate to crank on the manifold to head or manifold to downpipe nuts too much.

Now only time will tell...........

Marty

OK, Gents,

I am convinced that the best approach is to change out the headgasket. I think I will order the headgasket kit from Tasca although I think it's a bit pricey and do the job some time this summer. After all the comments from the Board, I've continued to do some research and also found a nice, albeit long, you tube video on a B230F head gasket change that has been very informative.

I have two academic questions that were generated from my research. Are Volvo headbolts, which "can be used up to 5 times" according to the green book, torque to yield bolts?. Apparently, angle tightening can be employed for head bolts that are not "torque to yield". The second question is why do they call it torque to yield when the angle tightening most often torques it beyond yield. Why aren't they called torque after yield. The implication of "torque to yield" would keep the bolt in the elastic range only.

Well, I've got my initial question answered, and hopefully this followup isn't too goofy for sensible responses.

Thanks to all who responded.

Marty Wolfson

Proud member of the 300K club

Enjoy the head gasket job Marty! You'll do fine with it.

I bought my head gasket kit from TASCA and unfortunately it arrived damaged. But they took care of the problem in the end. It delayed my project about a week longer than it could have taken.

I've viewed those youtube videos you mentioned and they are very good. The videos and a Bentley manual will get you through it all fine as long as you have the tools you need.

I ordered new head bolts from FCP Groton. They aren't that expensive so I figured that woud be one less thing to worry about in the end.

I found it helpful to jack the front of the car up on jack stands. Since I was replacing the timing belt and doing some front oil seals, I was under the front of the car a bunch after the head gasket work was completed.

Report back your success story!

13

Good questions for sure, not goofy at all.
Angle tightening can be used on any screw thread fastener, especially when you don't have access to both ends of the bolt. It's way more accurate than torque, which only infers tightness. Even better is expansion, tightening to a specified stretch. ARP rod bolts are best tightening that way according to them.
Angle tightening produces a more accurate stretch in the bolt. The initial torque value is just to take up the slack. Then angle tightening takes over. The pitch of the thread is a known factor - really accurate.
On a stress-strain graph yield is the point where the line begins to flatten. Yield doesn't mean plastic deformation but it's close. So some fasteners are permanently deformed, and the bolts are replaced every time. Volvo doesn't tighten bolts into that region. The reason for bolts tightened into the yield region is that a change in strain doesn't make much of a change in stress. In the engine that means if the head gasket squishes a bit the clamping load of the bolt remains the same or nearly the same. If the bolts are really stiff they are not as "springy" and any change in the gasket (gets thinner) would reduce the clamping load a lot. So skinny bolts that yield are more common now.
It's good you decided to install a new head gasket - it all adds to reliability.

Although I now firmly in the camp of "if it ain't broke don't fixit".
I have always wanted to crack it open and do it. I usually don't do it due to con$traint$.

I once decided to rebuild a perfectly good BMW 1600 engine a week prior to a road trip. The results were disastrous, BUT the experience and utter joy of rushing it where angels fear to tread was a notable point of my automotive tinkering life story.

If you have the time, space and a$$et$ to tackle this, DO IT! Once accomplished, you will not fear to tackle other items. And I don't mean just automotive things. Although you probably already have all the experience and confidence and you are just looking at the benefits vs costs.

This series of YouTube videos was both enjoyable and inspiring. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRUPgYbk_gE

Whatever you decide, I admire the fact that you have some 240's with that kind of mileage. Mine have about 216,000 and 244,000 now.

All the best. Miguel
--
Happy Motoring! 92' and 93' 240's past cars "74 140, '75 140, '86 240, '87 240 wagon, '02 S60.

I like the advice you are getting. Once you have done one a head gasket on a NA red block is not a big deal.

I would, however, politely disagree about the penetrating fluid not being useful until things are loose. Penetrating fluid is all about helping in getting nuts and bolts apart from the onset.

People seldom allow the fluid the time to do it job before applying the torque in an attempt to remove the nuts. I use either PBBlaster or Kroil and I apply it days before I expect to remove nuts that might be stubborn (or ones that can spoil your day).

I apply it numerous times in copious amounts. Setting up vibrations helps it creep in where it is needed. Once it creeps in some the additional applications provide more penetration. You can provide the vibrations by striking the nut with a flat nosed punch (pin punch)or you could try using a socket on an extension and tapping the end of the extension with a hammer. It does not take long to so all eight manifold nuts and the investment of time will pay dividends.

Good luck,
Randy

Hey Randy,

Just in the spirit of discussion, I have to report my experience with penetrating oil is closer to what Peetz reports. It is very helpful once the nut starts turning. The flame wrench is 100% effective when it can be used. At that point, a birthday candle is what I go for instead of the PB'laster.

The feeling I get about soaking nuts well in advance is that it improves the odds I won't break something. It is like a fall back position, compared to red hot nuts. I still use the stuff, but mostly where a torch won't go. And by most folks standards, I've got an abundance of patience.

:)
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel.

I will use a flame if it becomes necessary, but I consider it my "fall back position". I use what people refer to as MAPP (but isn't any more), but I'm not a big fan of open flames and automotive work. Personally I would be reluctant to encourage people to go that route if I wasn't aware of their experience and skill level- I think it is safe to assume there aren't many 911 calls originating from the use of penetrating fluid :-)

I had seen reference to using candle wax after heating something up, but have never tried it. It seems like once something starts to move, be it from heat or penetrating fluid, the battle is over.

Randy

I am in a camp of just plan your replacement. Pick a time and place of you choosing. Allow for the possibility of sheared manifold studs when picking the time and place. Allow for the possibility that the head is not flat when picking the time and place.

Pull the head
Cheap with a straight edge
Replace the wear items mentioned "while your in there"
Re-install head if the the manifold studs did not shear and the head is flat

Repairs like this are almost a joy when you can do them at your leisure...you get a feeling of accomplishment without the stress of having to do it on the clock.

Both gaskets should be replaced, and other items attended to while you are doing that job. Because they leak they have already failed. That's the only way to look at it. They won't get better only worse, and you have the chance to repair them at your convenience, not at the side of the road when the engine chooses to screw you around, which it will.
The first one will be a bit of a strain if you haven't done one before, and the second will take half the time. You can check the heads for flatness, but both are probably fine.
Don't use leak stopper ever.
Someone advised to remove the heads with the exhaust manifold in place. That's good advice. Then take the heads to someone who has an oxy-acetylene torch set and knows how to use it. Heat the nuts absolutely red hot, allow to cool a bit, and undo them. Then replace the studs. Penetrating oil is a waste of time until the nuts begin to move, which can help a bit then.
Get her done!

with all due respect to those opinions offered, appreciate marty you're not rebuilding the space shuttle. neither of your sedans are leaving earths orbit and to help even more you're driving the simplest easiest to repair engine (or GD close to it) ever built.

if worry about the exhaust studs is a concern rap each one of the nuts hard a few times with a punch or cold chisel first before turning them off.

If you do R&R the head, here's a tip that worked for me...to avoid potential problems with the exhaust manifold studs shearing off, I disconnected the manifold from the downpipe, disconnected the O2 sensor wire, and removed the head with manifold attached. You'll need a new gasket for the manifold/downpipe joint.

The intake manifold studs and nuts are much less likely to be rusted together; I found them easy to work with, using an offset, 12-point box end...13mm, IIRC.

Bonus: with the head off, the oil separator box is right there and easy to remove and service or replace. Also a good opportunity to install new heater hoses, and of course put a new seal on the water pump.
--
Bob: Son's XC70, daughter's 940, my 81 and 83 240's, 89 745 (V8) and S90. Also '77 MGB and some old motorcycles

The only real question you have is when. Do the green car first as it leaks more and is more valuable according to the ODO. It is not terribly difficult so long as the head is flat (which it should be). Doing the second car will be that much faster.

I would be adverse to yanking the head if the only symptom was a loss of s pint of coolant every two fillups. I think you run the risk of doing more damage ( e.g., snapping manifold bolts) than you are curing

I've used stop leak on a small rad leak , worked pretty well. Never tried it on a leaky head.

hi marty

if it was my car i would add bars leak to both and drive them around to see if this greatly reduces the leak from the 50 mile per oz car. then drive to your hearts content.

a hg on either of these car if they have NOT overheated is dirt simple and ought to be accomplished in one day working easily with a nice break for lunch. if no over heating test for flatness and reinstall.

bill of materials:

elring hg.......20?
intake manifold gasket.....10?
4 ex manifold gaskets......12
new cam seal....your choice to do or not....5?
new mushroom seal for WP to head...........2
new valve cover gasket.................10?

that's pretty much IT............60 bucks and 4-6 hours of your time

I too have been monitoring an external HG leak long term(50K plus). Until I get much additional free time or it blows...I shall watch.

Uncles Oleseahorse and The Rod,

An overheat a long time ago may not manifest as a warped head-failing head gasket for quite sometime. The 'footprint,' if you will, between the mighty, Mighty, MIGHTY B19/21/23/230 redblock, with all that Nordic metallurgy iron alloy engine block goodness and the light aluminum alloy cylinder head block, is a big and beef one.

However, the dissimilar alloys between the iron alloy red engine block and the light aluminum alloy means, overtime, even after a single overheat from ...:
- Clogged radiator tubes as some prior mechanic/owner used tap water to mix the coolant. (Always use demineralized or, at least, distilled water to mix up coolant with the proper quality anti-freeze, or use a quality premix coolant. Brands and opinions on the best antifreeze to use abound. I use Prestone green and distilled water, yet there is better antifreeze you can use, like Volvo-branded and the other performance coolant meant for steel blocks, aluminum heads, and brass radiator and heater cores.)
- The stupid vertical plastic tank sided radiators fracture, causing a catastrophic coolant loss, leaving a hot cylinder head at least, or the entire engine water jacket dry, if even for only an instant in a fully heated-up engine.
- The engine was allowed to run at too lean a fuel to air ratio, causing excessive combustion chamber temperatures.

... will cause the cylinder head warp, and, correspondingly, the cylinder head gasket contact interface, to fail.

The steel, excuse me, ferrous-alloy block and the light aluminum alloy head expand and contract at different rates during engine warm-up and cool down. So each time you use the engine with a leaky gasket from a cylinder head warp, that warp opens up a bit each time. Though at a very slow rate. Thanks to the beefy footprint between the cylinder head and the engine block.

With anything electromechanical, if it leaks, the leak, no matter how small, becomes worse.

The leak you encounter as an external leak may open up in ways you really do not want:
- The external coolant leak you see here may open up to dump coolant, under pressure, to drain into a combustion cylinder (experienced as rough running and a lot of tail pipe steam even on hot days)
- Drain into an oil drain channel and into the sump (oil pan).
- Or oil, on the pressure side, may leak out and into the coolant.

The leak may not become disastrously worse instantly, yet if you drive on a very long trip, and the coolant leak does become disastrously worse, causing the engine to not be able to run, or dumping a lot of coolant into the oil at a fast RPM in a hot engine on a long run, you can ruin the engine.

My recommendation is to identify all risks and use the best mitigation strategy(ies). Stop leak may work for a short while. Yet the already warped cylinder head is continuing to flex against the head with each warm-up and cool-down. Doing nothing may work just fine for the remainder of your Volvo 240 with warped cylinder head with a leaking cylinder head gasket.

You may encounter the catastrophic failure of the cylinder head when you presume merely monitoring the cylinder head gasket leak means the same as it never failing as you hope.

I'd suggest you replace the cylinder head gasket. Use OEM or better parts. Volvo parts, most cheaply priced from Tasca parts (near you Uncle Oleseahorse), sells complete cylinder head gasket replacement kits.

Locate the very BEST automotive or mechanical machine shop where they service primarily Japaneses, performance import, and European import components for many thing, yet most especially, aluminum cylinder head rebuilding.

You will want to use NEW OEM or better valve guides. The machine shop MUST be equipped to handle pressing out and pressing in new valve guides. I've seen cylinder head actually crack from pressing out, and more likely, pressing the new valve guides.

If you mean to keep your Volvo 240 until the end of time as I do mine, do NOT use the "knurling" method to return the valve guide inside diameter to the factory specification on diameter and warp. Some knurling methods can cause wear to the valve stem and the valve guide. Knurling valve guides is cheap and silly. Other brickboard and turbobrick members may disagree. Knurling is cheaper and you do not risk fracturing the cylinder head from valve guide removal and replacement.

Also, get the Volvo OEM synthetic rubber "hushers" that ride below the tappet bucket (or shim?). One wonders why Volvo did not use hydraulic lifters like BMW and others Europa makes use on their overhead cam engines. Both solid and hydraulic lifters have their advantages.

I'm forgetting, yet I believe the B230 does make use of the sodium-filled exhaust valves like the B19/21/23/230 turbo engines, yes? These require some special care when lapping the valves with the mating sealing surfaces on the valves seats.

In the instance of any cylinder head warp and corresponding cylinder head, there is a risk of fracture, usually around the top of the combustion cylinder crown or the top of the exhaust port (fractures can show up anywhere in a warp head), doubtful you have these. If a fracture, the machine shop must be equipped and well practiced to weld the light aluminum alloy.

If you need new valve seats as they cannot be lapped to seal with the exhaust valves, and ground on the intake valve side to seal with the intake valves, removing and pressing in new valve seats is a risk as:
- Valve seat replacement can further fracture a cylinder head, or cause an existing micro-fracture to further, uh, fracture.
- Valve seat replacement may be successful, yet the valve seat may regress further into the cylinder head a bit as the valve close and tap-tap-tap the seats into the head more so, requiring another valve adjustment sometime after you've replaced the cylinder head, else you can burn a valve, requiring you remove the cylinder head again.

As you are rebuilding, or using service, to repair your Volvo 240 cylinder head, you can choose to install a hotter camshaft (K, VX, A, and others) over the anemic M cam the normally-aspire U.S. market Volvo redblock engine received for reduced emissions. Be certain all ignition, fuel, and emission control sensors, systems, and the Bosch K-jet (fuel) and Bosch EZK (ignition, and if equipped EGR control), are all up to snuff. A new, hotter camshaft, can that 1993 Volvo 240 quite a spritely Volvo 240. You may want to research whether the hotter camshaft negatively effects emission in your state, like truly silly, old-car-hating, Cally-farn-eeeee-yah and maybe New York State.

While you have the cylinder head removed:
- verify all air intake systems components are in fine fettle, free of air intake leak causing issues (the accordion-like air intake hose, all unions, and such)
- All exhaust leaks, specifically, ahead (upstream) of the catalytic convertor and 02 sensor.
- Verify all sensors work and replace sensors that seem iffy using any test you can use. The 1993 has the engine, or crank, position sensor, and if you have an OEM factory installed CPS with a little yellow band around it, the wiring insulation may be failing by now. The engine knock sensor can fail. If so equipped, clean the EGR system from stem to stern. Replace the manifold to cylinder head gasket.

You may want to check, if equipped with the Bosch Jetronic 2.4+/EZK systems using the OBD-1 black box per your service manual instructions. Hoopefully you have the Bentley Volvo 240 Bible, the Volvo OEM green factory service manual if fabulously mechanically literate, or at a distant third, the Haynes 240 or even the Chilton manual.

The 7900/900 FAQ lists OBD-1 test function with code results at (http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/EngineOBDCodes.htm).

So, I'm saying, if you love, love, love your Volvo 240, and can stand the downtime and expense, replace the cylinder head gasket. And diagnose and re-mediate other matters while the head is out. A cylinder head rebuild, once delivered to the machine shop, should take about a week or two.

If you have a radiator with plastic side tanks and you do not know how old these are, get an all metal radiator. You may want to access your local Volvo equipped junkyard and locate a replaced all metal radiator, take it to your trusted radiator shop, have it inspected, tested, boiled out to remove mineral build up, and use a black thermal, like engine block spray paint, and well seal the radiator exterior with several coats per spray paint directions.

This may be an excellent time to replace the water pump while the head is off or as you are installing it. You want the water pump to sit about as high as it can so the big O-ring seals with the under side of the cylinder head. Perhaps a new quality thermostat, too. Some use a cold temp thermostat. Other use the proper, usually higher temp thermostat for between emission and improved fuel economy.

Oh, and if you do not know when, replace engine bay radiator hoses, all five of them. Replace the expansion tank if it appears to be crazed (covered in little cracks) with OEM. You may get lucky and find a junkyard newly replaced one. You may want to consider replacing the heat controller valve and the coolant hoses under the dash.

Well, that all become very expensive. I'm trying to uncover all points so that you are fully empowered and informed for what conclusions/decisions you make. I may have missed something, so other brickboard'ers will chime in.

It is very IMPORTANT you use the very BEST machine shop. If you decide to use a mechanic service, perform research on the best mechanic service with Volvo/Saab experience. You can use the following resources beyond asking brickboard and turbobricks members for such quality services (at up to 150$ an hour, today):
- http://www.brickboard.com/SHOPS/
- http://www.volvomechanics.com/
- http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/ (The TOC [table of contents] could be better; see specifically anything with the redblock four cylinder engine and head replacement if it is in there.)
- The BBB (Better Business Bureau)
- Your local Volvo Enthusiast Club
- Ask here on the brickboard and turbobricks can help you.

Be VERY wary dealing with mechanic's services. Be certain you receive a warranty from the cylinder head rebuilder (machine shop) and, if you choose to, the mechanic services you hire to replace the cylinder head. Something at least one year and 12k miles from each. Some mechanic's will merely resell you the rebuilt cylinder head warranty as their own. The quote you receive should be detailed. Get several quotes from different machine shops and mechanic services.

I think that does it.

Sorry this is so long. I've futzed with a few cylinder heads. I've had mechanics and machine shops screw me over on Volvo redblock engine and cylinder head rebuilds. No fun. I'm always getting these poor owld neglected Volvo, like abused and neglected children, and want to make them have a chance to live useful Volvo 240 lives (duty-cycles?).

Questions and comments?

I'll forgo the ultra fuzzy short-hair tabby-striped cobby kitty commentary here as I do very much LOVE extra fuzzy kitties! Cobby kitties are the relaxed kitties. Until you slip them some of the nip, the catnip.

Someday I'll have kitty companion or two. They'll chauffeur me around like Tunces, from Saturday Night Live, the cat who could drive a car.

The Earl of Grey Tea (Impra Ceylon black Earl Grey tea today, this Sundae) with hunny and moloko (nadsat or slang Russian for milk from "A Clockwork Orange").
--
Kitties don't make all too good cylinder head replacement mechanics. Something about a missing thumb or the kitty-nip problems some kitties have today with the catnip. They all seem hopped-up on the catnip. All happy and fuzzy kitties all hopped-up on the kitty-nip!
-
Lt. Sulu: "That Volvo 164e. They say she's got TransWarp Drive."

Scotty: "Aye Laddie, and made in Sweden too. She'll be a long and high flyer in ways the Enterprise could not quite hope for. Glad we changed history so all that is Volvo remains owned in Nordica and the Federation and Star Fleet benefit greatly from it. Very nice moon roof and M410 transmission, too."

No, I don't want any.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb, M46 trans, 3:31 dif, in Brampton, Ont.

I take that back. The downstairs resident, that is also the manager of this apartment complex I reside in and hate, smoke some sort of heavily laced cannabis all day everyday. Her recently employed under-abled and non-ambitious live in boyfriend, whom she has supported for years as he remains unemployed, seems to always have the crap by the pound. I'm getting vapor-ed out again.

The crap burns my eyes and makes my throat sore. Now I know what a Cheech and Chong movie smells like, if they smelled.

cheers,

dud.
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WA-state citizenry may have voted it as legal, yet it seems the attitude here in WA, in CO, and in the Western States, are that of a bunch of entitled bastards that are worse than the least polite tobacco smokers I've encountered. I merely want to reside in clean, unfettered air. Well, we'll see.

It was a pot (1.5 quart) of the Impra black Earl Grey tea, with hunny and milk, and maybe a peanut butter cookies or three. I may have had a handful of the bite-sized shredded wheat.

Sorry.

MacDuffy's Tavern.
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Irish Traditional Music, please!