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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
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    123

    Default are my pistons viable? 2007 v70 xc

    not sure if this is a *new* thread but I needed your attention. Thanks in part to this forum and an article that I finally did find referencing how to setup timing and adjust a dual VVT T5 I got my 2007 (which I bought with a broken valve) running like a dream. She took from the line and shifted up to 80 MPH like a brand new car, and smoother and faster than any vehicle I have ever owned. My 2014 flex has a twin turbo v6 with 350 HP (give or take) and is fast, but not smooth like this.

    Before the test drive, I had been working for 7 hours after an 8 hour work day. I was greasy and exhausted. I started her up and heard a hum from the timing belt, thought I should back off the tension a little bit. I did so, hum disappeared and we took our test drive. Got to the store, got a 6 pack to celebrate, came back out to start her and heard a sound like a man with a garbage bag full of tin cans shaking violently. Popped the hood, wife ran starter and, you guessed, this idiot writing this down, did not retighten the timing belt tensioner. I should have wait waited till the next day, rested, cleaned up, and done a final check. Timing belt was bouncing all over and cams were turning randomly.

    Between Friday and yesterday I tore the engine down (I've gotten quite good at this work by this is my 2nd of these cars I have redone, the 1st one took 3 tries, this one 2). Almost all valves are bent. But I'm not worried about that. I will either have that fixed at the shop or, as it happens, my first rebuild (a 2001) was totaled by my daughter during a front end collision and I kept the wreck. And that engine is fine but the car is totaled. So if I can't afford to repair this head, I believe I can use that one (although that is a question I'll ask you as well). It's the pistons I'm worried about. They were clearly impacted, but look scratched to me, not more. But before I undertake this rebuild again, I'd like to know how to test, or if you can tell from the attached pic.

    question 1 - is the 2001 T5 cylinder head going to work to replace a 2007?
    question 2 - how to tell if piston heads are viable and/or can you tell from the pic?

    Thank you

    drGian (the idiot)
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails v70cyliners.jpg  
    current lineup: 2001 Volvo v70 2.4 Turbo, 2014 Ford Flex AWD, 3.5 V6 Turbo, 2017 F-150 3.5 V6 Turbo

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Virginia Beach
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    Default

    I once had a piston like that. Oldsmobile V-8 that swallowed a screw.

    I replaced the head. Piston looked fine. Just a bit scratched up...not quite as gouged as yours.

    Engine threw a rod 50 miles later.

    Turns out that the piston had been damaged where I couldn’t see it....it broke up and the rod came loose.

    You think pistons hitting valves is loud? You should hear a wrist pin slapping the inside of an iron block...

    However, that anecdote doesn’t really answer your question.

    To be very honest, I don’t know how to assess piston damage visually, but for me, I would not trust a block with that kind of damage.

    I would hope someone like Hoonk will chime in.

    I am so sorry that this happened... I really don’t know what to say...
    Current Fleet:
    2016 Tundra Crewmax 4WD 1794
    2005 MB S600 (126K, Michelin AS4, HPL 0W40)
    2005 MB SL600 (55K Michelin AS4, Mobil 1 0W40)
    2004 V70R (143K, six speed M66, HPL 5W40)
    2004 XC90 (235K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-XC (295K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-T5 (225K, IPD bars, Bilsteins)
    2001 V70-T5 (125K, IPD downpipe, cat back and other mods)
    1932 Packard Sedan (straight 8, dual sidemounts, original paint and interior, Shell Rotella 15W40)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
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    123

    Default

    don't be sorry this happened, it was my mistake. I had the patience guts and grit to do this really hard rebuild. If I wasn't a crazy person who refuses to give up, I never would have finished her. And I would have been more careful before taking her out.

    I appreciate your advice, but to not trust it means (I believe) to dump this car. I don't have a lift, a hoist, or any way to replace these pistons. I do have another of the same vehicles my daughter wrecked by rear ending someone. So if I *do* rebuild the top and the pistons blow, I have the option of swapping the lower ends. I do not know how to do this, I have never done anything like it (except on a motorcycle) but with an engine hoist wouldn't I be able to detach the lower end from the tranny and hoist her out and drop her in in this car? From what I can gather the 2001 and the 2007 have the same cylinder heard and valve cover.

    For what it's worth I have a friend who is friends with a local shop owner who does a lot of work on Volvos. I was able to get him to come out and look at the pistons and he believes are OK. There is a dent on the piston surface to accommodate the valve in the case of as catastrophic failure such as I had. You an see the valve indeed landed there, but as the valve bent, it moved and impacted elsewhere on the piston head.

    His advice was to rotate each piston to the top, smooth out the rough edges with 60 grit sand paper and scotch pads and he believed I'd be OK. I'll attach a close up of the worst one.

    Please give me your advice on how to swap the lower end (just the broad stokes) if you don't mind. I'm just evaluating if it's feasible or not.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails SinglePiston.jpg  
    current lineup: 2001 Volvo v70 2.4 Turbo, 2014 Ford Flex AWD, 3.5 V6 Turbo, 2017 F-150 3.5 V6 Turbo

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    GA
    Posts
    1,420

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    Quote Originally Posted by drgian View Post

    question 1 - is the 2001 T5 cylinder head going to work to replace a 2007?
    question 2 - how to tell if piston heads are viable and/or can you tell from the pic?
    #1 I doubt if an 01 head will work on a 07 (single vs dual vvt) -

    #2 My shop has done at least 100 valve jobs due to timing belt or overheating problems on the 4,5,6 cyl aluminum block engines since 1992. Most of the broken belt pistons look just like that, dented. Have not had a piston failure on any of those valve jobs - a couple of destroyed heads, the early 6 cylinder cars would crack the block and have water leaks (the first 6 cylinder engines had a 20k belt change interval!) - but no piston problems.

    I always use new head studs. (bolts)

    and I'm sorry to hear of your loss -
    Last edited by hoonk; 09-17-2019 at 08:44 AM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
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    Default

    as far as I can gather from googling, the 01 and 07 heads are the same. the dual VVT is all associated with the valve cover and as far as I can tell has nothing to do with the head.

    but we'll see! and I always use new head and exhaust studs too.
    current lineup: 2001 Volvo v70 2.4 Turbo, 2014 Ford Flex AWD, 3.5 V6 Turbo, 2017 F-150 3.5 V6 Turbo

  6. #6
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    Dec 2009
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    GA
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    Quote Originally Posted by drgian View Post
    dual VVT is all associated with the valve cover
    The cam bore (in the front of the head and cam cover) is much larger to accommodate the VVT hubs. Single VVT engines have a smaller cam seal and the seal rides against the cam, Dual VVT the seal rides on the VVT unit. The oil passages to power the VVT are not present in an 01 head/cam cover and the 01 is a 5244 engine - 2.4 liters, the 07 is a 5254 engine - 2.5 liters.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    Virginia Beach
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    I’m glad Hoonk weighed in.

    With his experience, I would keep the block as is and fix the head.

    I wouldn’t try to fit an ‘01 head on your ‘07. Just the missing VVT is going to make the computer unhappy and it may not run right (different mapping for the larger displacement and VVT).

    Find a good rebuilder - or call up Erie Volvo and see if you can get a good used, ‘05 - ‘07 head.
    Current Fleet:
    2016 Tundra Crewmax 4WD 1794
    2005 MB S600 (126K, Michelin AS4, HPL 0W40)
    2005 MB SL600 (55K Michelin AS4, Mobil 1 0W40)
    2004 V70R (143K, six speed M66, HPL 5W40)
    2004 XC90 (235K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-XC (295K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-T5 (225K, IPD bars, Bilsteins)
    2001 V70-T5 (125K, IPD downpipe, cat back and other mods)
    1932 Packard Sedan (straight 8, dual sidemounts, original paint and interior, Shell Rotella 15W40)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    123

    Default

    I am very grateful for this response. I have a very good shop I have used twice already for this same job here in West Michigan and I dropped the head off there yesterday, I'm waiting for his call on the price but I'm expecting $$$. Yesterday I cut off the front bumper and removed the rads on my 01 wreck figuring it would be too expensive to rebuild the 07 head. But what are saying makes total sense, the 01 has no intake cam and while I could probably rebuild without it the computer would have no idea what was happening and it was be a 1/2 assed job at best.

    So let's assume it's going to be way too pricy to fix the 07 head at the shop, can you guys tell me what year heads are compatible so I can start shopping around?

    again, don't be sorry, it was my own idiocy that caused this. However, my in ability to give up (I have no mechanical training whatsoever, I learned over years of small engines, motor cycles, vw rabbits, Hondas and now Volvos) is the same reason I could not post-post the test drive until she had been properly checked out to make sure I didn't forget anything, when I get hooked on a job I cannot stop. I found 4 other missing or loose bolts or hose clamps when I pulled the head. None would have been catastrophic, but I was too exhausted and should have come out the next day, cleaned up and checked her first. It may prove to be an expensive lesson, but it's one I will never need again.

    Thank you,

    drGian
    current lineup: 2001 Volvo v70 2.4 Turbo, 2014 Ford Flex AWD, 3.5 V6 Turbo, 2017 F-150 3.5 V6 Turbo

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Virginia Beach
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    Default

    I’m pretty certain that it’s 2005-2007 that are the same head. 2.5 liter dual VVT.

    A call to Erie Vo-vo would be very worthwhile. They part out Volvo’s and so, in addition to perhaps having a head in stock, they would know the compatible years.
    Current Fleet:
    2016 Tundra Crewmax 4WD 1794
    2005 MB S600 (126K, Michelin AS4, HPL 0W40)
    2005 MB SL600 (55K Michelin AS4, Mobil 1 0W40)
    2004 V70R (143K, six speed M66, HPL 5W40)
    2004 XC90 (235K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-XC (295K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-T5 (225K, IPD bars, Bilsteins)
    2001 V70-T5 (125K, IPD downpipe, cat back and other mods)
    1932 Packard Sedan (straight 8, dual sidemounts, original paint and interior, Shell Rotella 15W40)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    123

    Default

    I will call them! thanks.
    current lineup: 2001 Volvo v70 2.4 Turbo, 2014 Ford Flex AWD, 3.5 V6 Turbo, 2017 F-150 3.5 V6 Turbo

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