rear wiper - head gasket 850

Hi, I have an 850 estate T5, the rear wiper has become very slow and
sometimes stops halfway across the window so I have to get out and push it
to the park position. Before I take things apart, can anyone offer any
advice as to what the problem might be? Bigger question, has anybody changed
the headgasket on an 850, and is it a huge job?!
Grateful for any advice!
Thanks
Paul

 

Mine doesn't work at all, neither does the electric lock - the cable is
broken at the hinge, but too lazy to fix it right now. I don't even want to
think about head gaskets.

 

Headgaskets...oh dear, lots of potential for a bodge job here. Do not
attempt to do it on the cheap- you'll have worse problems than before you
started!

Its not an easy nor quick job on a T5, the turbo has to come off the head
before you can remove it- catches on the bulkhead- and that means potential
for sheared off studs etc. If the car has done big miles and you intend to
keep it (150k or more) consider having the turbo overhaulled as its a total
pig to remove at a later date.

I would be prepared for this, as you will need a machine shop at your
disposal to give it a light skim (even if it checks out as not warped) and x
ray it for cracks, and re-tap the odd thread which has sheared off, which
there will be! (exhaust manifold is a favourite)

Aside from that, you'll either need a set of stretch bolts, cambelt,
tensioner, idler, probably waterpump and the volvo tools or make them
yourself a) to hold the cams properly aligned in the top secton of the cam
cover as you lower it back on, and b) a set of pullers to pull the cam
section back onto the head against the valve springs.

There is no gasket between the head and cam carrier section (liquid gasket
from volvo and a short hair roller- do NOT use silicone)

Likewise there are 2 headgaskets depending on which breed of the B5234T you
have- check the cam belt cover.

Hope this helps abit!

Tim..

 

Actually, I found the turbo comes off quite easily - aside from the
broken stud problem. You can avoid broken studs by heating each nut on
the exhaust/turbo cherry red before removal. The exhaust manifold can
stay on the head while the turbo is removed, although it will have to
come off for head work of course.

When separating the upper part of the head (cam carrier section), you
absolutely must pull straight up. If you pry one end up with a
screwdriver or prybar you WILL break the casting.

And the potential for oil leaks if you don't use the proper sealer and
apply it with the proper roller is astronomically high.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

The rear wiper problem is likely to be corrosion inside the pivot. You
should be able to remove the assembly, push the shaft out of the pivot
and clean off the corrosion and relubricate. I've never done a rear
one, but have done several fronts.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

Good advice Mike, I should have said about pulling the cam carrier off
squarely (they are very tight) and more importantly, pulling it back down
squarely too.

I've never had oil leak problems but then I always use the proper sealer
with the shorthair roller.

I would add to your info though, that exhaust manifold removal *is*
necessary before head removal on our UK right hand drive cars because the
brake servo is in the way, which it isnt on LHD cars.

To the OP- I would be wondering why you have HGF, as it is pretty rare on
the B5's unless there is an underlying problem like a failed cooling fan
(pretty common) thermostat or other circulatory problem.

That said big mileage cars where the coolant has not been changed every 2yrs
do suffer with head problems- corrosion and porousity spring to mind. You
may find your head is scrap cos its porous or cracked if the motor has
seriously overheated.

Tim..

 

OK, I should have thought of the right hand drive difference given the
word "estate". I can agree that a booster and master cylinder in the
identical spot on the opposite side will cause a little grief.

If you have some studs that are long enough, it is possible to pull the
upper part of the head down evenly - however removal is a little
trickier.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

The tools I have fashioned a-la Mr Haynes are 3 sawn off spark plugs with
threaded bar welded in, a drilled cross piece and a nut on the thread
against the cross piece which spans the cam cover.

Installed at no1, 3 and 5 spark plug holes, you can pull the cam carrier
back down in complete control and parallel to the head section.. Removing it
in the first place is not as easy though!

Tim..

 

Appreciate all your advice Gentlemen! Ok, so the head is a bit of a
nightmare! Going to have to give that some thought - not sure whether there
is a problem there other than the water always seems dirty and I have a
little emulsification on the top inch of the dipstick. That could be due to
moisture maybe? Engine did get hot once due to failed thermostat but was
only on the first edge of the red zone! I will certainly start with the rear
wiper - I should be able to manage that!
Many thanks again!

 

A little of that stuff on the top of the dipstick is not that abnormal -
the water vapour that exists inside the crankcase that condense up there
due to the remote location in the cold airflow. If the PCV system is in
good working order (not clogged) this will be minimized. Unfortunately,
the oil trap will need to be changed if clogged, it located under and
requires removal of the intake manifold. However that's not too hard to
do, certainly a lot simpler than a cylinder head! The PCV hoses go
under the intake manifold, under the distributor behind the engine and
down to the plastic hose at the turbo inlet. These also need to be
clean, as well as the heated nipple on that inlet hose.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)