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What to do, who to trust?

bazerk2k4

New member
Joined
Mar 19, 2004
Location
Texas
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I know this is a long story, but i SERIOUSLY need some advise.


Okay so my car has been sitting im the drive way for about three months. Monday we finally got it started, went to look to see if all fluids were good, and the oil and coolent were really low. Both were topped off. We had a hard time getting it started, but it finally cought. the next day i had a really hard time starting it up (about 15 min.).

So i decide to take it to a certified Volvo spcialist and they tell me

1)all the coolent is gone and that i have water in my engine
2) i either have a blown head gasket, or the "engine is fried"
replacement of a head gasket will cost me $700 to begin with
a motor swap would be "around 3 grand"

so i get a second opinion

a GOOD friend referes me to a mechanic, i tell him what the other guys told me. So he checks the oil and says that they were feeding me a bunch of bullshit. he said i have none of the problems mentioned above. I wont say exactly what he said since this already a long ass story, but he said it was a coolent system problem.

What shold i do?
The car is a 1990 Volvo 740 Turbo
 
coolant and oil loss

Well, the first thing I'd try to figure out is where the coolant is going if you are using it up quickly. It's got to be leaking or going somewhere. I'd say a pressure test of the cooling system is in order if you can't find where it's going. Even with a bad head gasket if you didnt' try to drive it the motor usually is fine.

Maybe the heater core or the heater control valve is leaking?

If you haven't used a phosphate free antifreeze you can get corrosion in your cooling system that would corrode the head gasket and make it go bad. My first Volvo had that problem and
was fine once I got a new head gasket on it. Do you see any gray milky mixing of antifreeze and oil in the oil or oil in the coolant?

Best regards,
 
Well, the first thing to do is get a compression test on the motor. That will tell you right away if the motor is fried.
And while your at it, get the cooling system pressure tested for leaks.
This stuff is pretty standard test procedures for someone making those kind of claims. It will either put you at ease, or tell you which way to go.
A used motor (long block) is about $400-600, and maybe another $400 to make the switch. I recently helped a fellow CV Brickster find a good used motor for his '84 245 Turbo (very similar to your) and he paid $450 for it after he did the compression test.
 
Don't ever go back to that shop. $700 for a head gasket job is a rip and a half. If you know what you're doing you can do a HG job in a few hours. My dad could do a HG job on a 122 in 30 minutes.

That's assuming it is the HG, which it probably isn't if that shop was trying to extort so much money like that.
 
I have a friend who just bought a '85 245 and I helped him do a brake job. I said he should go to a shop (A very reputable shop, I might add, one I actually recommended) and get the brake system flushed and bled. (I was really too lazy to do that for him).
The shop was going to charge him $400 for the flush and told him if he flushed and bled the brakes that he would need a new master cylinder. Then they tried to tell him he needs a new ps pump and that would be another $400 (there was a tiny leak in a hose)
What Crap!!!
He called me from the shop and I told him to get the hell out of there and don't ever go back.
You can't really trust anyone these days. I even know the owner and have gone to VCOA meets with him. Sadly dissapointed. Money grubbing. Never again.
 
Peter in Texas said:
Well, the first thing to do is get a compression test on the motor. That will tell you right away if the motor is fried.
And while your at it, get the cooling system pressure tested for leaks.
This stuff is pretty standard test procedures for someone making those kind of claims. It will either put you at ease, or tell you which way to go.
A used motor (long block) is about $400-600, and maybe another $400 to make the switch. I recently helped a fellow CV Brickster find a good used motor for his '84 245 Turbo (very similar to your) and he paid $450 for it after he did the compression test.


Thanks for all the advise. A compression test was done today and two pistons have low compression, and the head needs to be rebuilt. The quote for everything was $1100. Is this a agood price? So if your saying a motor would roughly cost 400-600 and another 400 for install, wouldnt it be cheaper to just do that instead of the head??
 
I would like to add that I have read several places that when it comes to rebuilding the motor, if you are going to do the head, you need to do the block as well so that they wear the same way. I would say the best bet (in my opinion is to get another engine - or hell, maybe another car that is junk on the outside, but good on the inside for cheap, mine was $200 and swap that.)

Thats just my take, I would read what Peter and dlot have to say to your latest reply and then make a judgement.
 
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