1998 Volvo XC70 Coolant cap cracked-Over heated-oil in cyli

JNEWK1981

MEMBER
1998 VOLVO XC70
6 CYL
AWD
AUTOMATIC
166,000 MILES

My wife's car has been using coolant and we do know where its going to. No drops in the driveway so I figured she had a head gasket going. Well she has been filling the coolant with water when the light comes on but she must have forgot to last week and the car started to run hot when she stopped she noticed that the coolant cap had cracked and was bubbling over and out. The car does have white smoke but no sign of water in the oil. Car has no fluids running out the exhaust pipe either. After the problem with over heating the check engine light came on so I scanned it and I got codes P0300 and P0302. So I pulled all the wires and plugs and cylinder #2 had lots of oil in it and there was a little bit of oil on top of the engine under the plastic cover. Of course cylinder #2's plug was fouled and oiled up. I need to know what the problem is so I can get to fixing it ASAP. Do you think its a blown head gasket? Cracked head? Seals? Im temporarily laid off from work right so I have time and would like to save the money in labor. I have two friends that are mechanic's who are willing to help here and there but I will be doing most of the work. If you think it is the head or head gasket how I go about removing the head? Does the engine need to be dropped to get the manifold off? Again my wife's car is a 1998 Volvo V70 XC70 Cross Country AWD wagon 5 cylinder 2.4 liter Turbo. Thanks in advance!

1 Reply

JIS001

MECHANIC
3,411 POSTS

The white smoke alone is a good indication that you have a leaking headgasket. Also this type of repair requires you buying special tools and that alone could cost you minimum $500.00

You can do most of the work from the top but it is a very complicated procedure. The cam cover holds the cams in place so you need the special tool to press the cam cover back down on the cams. Also you need to have an organizer for the tappets because they all need to go in the same spot. Each tappet is a different thickness to allow for valve clearance. Also you need to have the special tool to lock the cams in place to remove the cvvt hub and install it. There is no guide pin to install the hub and you will need your friends to be familiar with installing and aligning the cvvt hub. When you have the head out, send it out to a machine shop to check for any cracks and warpage. Most likely your leak is at #2 cylinder where the misfire is happening. I really recommend you take it in to a shop for a big repair like this one. But if you are willing to do this repair then get a repair manuel or see if a Volvo tech will be willing to print out the removal and installation instructions. Also if the head needs to be replaced then you will need another special tool to check and adjust the valve clearance. Good luck to you and if you need any help just send me a message.