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

coolant breakdown, so make sure you change the coolant every three years or so. Use
ONLY Volvo Type C blue coolant and distilled water. Do not under any circumstances use
orange Dexcool or "all applications" coolants. For more information about leaking blocks, see
the link.
960 Spark Plug Removal. [Inquiry] How do I change the spark plugs on my 960?
[Responses: Carlos Torres/Tom Irwin/Warren Bain] The plugs are on the middle of the engine.
● Remove spark plug access cover. (Black cover on top of engine.)
● Once you have the black plastic cover off, number the coil packs with a magic marker 1 -
6 front to back so you can correctly replace them.
● Coil packs are held in with a pair of 10mm bolts (A and B in the illustration. Later 960s
have only one bolt at A).
● Once you have the bolts out the pack should just
pull out. A little twisting may help as there is an
"O" ring seal at the top of the valve cover and a
big boot at the spark plug.
● Remove coils from spark plugs. Do NOT
B6304 Coil Pack
disconnect coil wires. (VERY IMPORTANT)
● Inspect the condition of the wiring going to the
coil pack. Look for crumbled insulation or
charring. See 960 FAQ file for information on
failing engine wiring harnesses.
● If you have comprssed air blow out the plug
cavity before you take the plug out. As an alternative use a vacuum cleaner and brush to
clean any "stuff" out of the hole to avoid having it fall into the cylinder.
● Remove spark plugs. Use a good quality, rubber insulated spark plug socket. Once they
are unscrewed, you have to haul them up out of the hole.
● Check and adjust spark plug gap to: 0.030" (.75 mm)
● Install clean, "un-oiled", spark plugs and torque to: 18 ft. lbs .
● Refit ignition coils.
● Reinstall spark plug access cover.
960 Parts Sources. [Tips from Rafael Riverol] Don't pay dealer prices for parts such as rebuilt
heads, pistons, piston rings, and the like that are sometimes necessary for your 960 after a
timing belt failure or overheating incident. Check the following for exceptional prices, service,
and willingness to source in Sweden if necessary:
● Import Parts Specialists (Idaho) http://www.importpartsspec.com
● Foreign Car Parts of Groton (Connecticut) http://www.fcpgroton.com
[Note from Tom Irwin] There is some evidence that Volvo OEM brake rotors for 960/90 cars are