I'm having a lot of problems with my Volvo - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

dannym · #1 10-20-2008, 09:35 AM

I know there are a lot of Volvo people out there and I need some advice.

Me and my girlfriend bought a 1989 240DL for her daughter about a month ago. It started to smoke a lot out of the tailpipe with the unmistakeable odor of antifreeze.
So I go and buy a head gasket kit and go ahead and replace it. I get it all back together and start it up and it ran and sounded great!
So I'm thinking good job, well done. BUT we decide to take it for a test drive and it starts to smoke again.

A little off topic for a minute, but my son's Ford had it's head gaskets go out on him. It had a coolant leak and crapped out the heads. We replaced them this past weekend. My son's girlfriends Dad owns an auto repair shop and he let us use his shop. What impressed me was he totally rebuilt the heads. He put them on a belt sander to flatten them out. He grinded down the seats and the intake valves. And replaced the exhaust valves.

OK back on topic. I decide to pull the head of again and exhaust port #3 was full of antifreeze. So I'm thinking I should take the head to the auto shop and have it rebuilt. But there is a problem. It looks like some of the coolant passages on the head are blocked. See attached picture. I tried to drill the holes out but when I saw they were filled with aluminum I stopped.
Someone told me that sometimes passages are blocked on purpose from the factory. But I looked at some head pictures on Ebay and none of them were blocked.
So I don't know what to do. Should I rebuild the head or go to a junkyard and get a new one to rebuild?
Money and time are kind of an issue but I need to get it done right once and for all.

Also what is really weird is the engine never overheated when it started to smoke.

So what should I do?

Danny

thorsen · #2 10-20-2008, 01:04 PM

If you are taking the head off, it usually makes since to let a machine shop check it for flatness, inspect for leaks, and check the valve seats.

dannym · #3 10-20-2008, 01:12 PM

Yeah, thats what I want to do. I was wondering if it's worth it to work on this head with the holes plugged or if I should get a new one from a junkyard?

I just don't know about those blocked holes. I'm leaning towards going to the junkyard.

Danny

Jim B. · #4 10-20-2008, 02:08 PM

If you want it right don't get one from the junkyard.

I used to have a Volvo 740, different body, same engine, and they are sturdy little 112 hp b*stards, but I went the junkyard route and it failed again, and the wife got mad and I had to get her a new Honda Accord LX and get rid of the Volvo.

(Within a year after that, I got rid of the wife.)

...so to speak.