Volvo Maintenance Hints for 7xx/9xx - Bill Garland's Nuclear ...

the block or the cylinder wall. Remove intake or exhaust manifold for better access. Drill a hole in the center of
the plug. Using a slide hammer mounted in the hole, pull the freeze plug off. Do not use a punch and hammer:
you risk damaging the flange. For information about installing an engine block heater in one of the freeze plug
holes, see the FAQ section.
Other:
Oil Pan Gasket Replacement. [Inquiry] My oil pan is leaking oil: how can I change the gasket? [Fitz Fitzgerald]
Try tightening the pan bolts first. I've had great success in fixing leaky oil pans and transmissions just by
tightening the pan bolts. I personally use a bit of RTV gasket sealer on the pan bolts (oil pan, transmission pan,
and valve cover gasket) to keep them from slowly backing out due to heat and vibration. LockTite is too strong
to be used here, but RTV works perfectly. Cleaning your flame trap and breather box are also advised since it
will lower the crankcase pressure and decrease the oil's "desire" to escape under pressure. If you still need to
change the pan gasket, see the FAQ link.
Accessory Mounting Bushings. [John Sargent] To replace your accessory mounting bushings, you can use
OEM rubber or harder polyurethane that does not compress over time. The power steering pump doesn't use
them, but you will need four for the A/C compressor and three for the alternator. Total of seven. [Editor] The
IPD poly bushings are of superb quality; others have failed rapidly from poor materials.
Alternator: See the FAQ notes
Air Conditioning Compressor: Remove the splash pan. De-tension the belt. From beneath the car, remove the
mounting bolts. Replace the four bushings and reassemble. The lower rear bushing can be almost impossible
to remove due to pipes off the back of the compressor and you might ignore it. Belt tension is 1/4 inch
deflection under moderate finger pressure.
Accessory Pulley Removal. [Editor] To remove the pulleys on power accessories when installing
replacements units:
Alternator. Use an air or electric impact gun to remove the center bolt, then slide the pulley off. Many auto
stores (e.g., Autozone) will do this for you when buying a replacement alternator. Pounding is not good because
you are likely to bend the pulley.
Power Steering Pump. This pulley is a press fit onto the shaft and is very, very tight. Pounding or trying to use a
gear puller will almost certainly bend the thin sheetmetal pulley. Either have a shop or the store do this, or buy a
special power steering pulley removal kit at an auto parts store (~US$10-$50) which has adapters to pull the
pulley off the shaft without bending it. Harbor Freight has a cheap kit; Lisle Tools makes a high quality version.
Air Intake Box Latch Repair. [Tips from Kerry] I finally repaired my air box after the last OEM
latch broke off. The repair worked great! (I just couldn't bring myself to use a huge wire tie). I
used 4 latches. I should have ordered 5 or 6. The parts I used were ordered from McMaster