We have been having problems with our GLT loosing coolant and can not find a leak other than the coolant tank trying to boil over. There is no coolant in the oil, however there is an oil ring in the coolant res tank. There doesn't appear to be oil in the coolant though.

I keep thinking that there is a small breach in the head gasket but don't know how to be sure. I hate the thought of tearing a motor down in the parking lot of this apartment building but I'm not shure of what other choices I have. This has been going on for several months. May go through a gallon of coolant in a month. The car has overheated once but that was only when it was low on coolant. Any ideas? I'd like to get this taken care of while my daughter is home for the summer.

 

Since you're in an apartment I doubt this will help, but if you have an air compressor and a leak down tester that will tell you if there's a leak in the head gasket. Might be worth while to take it to a shop and have them do a leak down test to see. Shouldn't be too expensive.

 

I have a couple of friends with a compressor. How is that done?

 

Ok, I went out to the car this morning to see what exactly was going on and here's what I found.

Open the hood cold: Level at the min mark.
Drove the car about 10 miles and while running it was at the max mark.
Drove the car another 5 miles and it was over the max mark and almost up to the cap.
Drove the car 7 miles and it was up to the cap and seeping out of the overflow hose at the res, dripping down the back edge of the res tank.

I think it's safe to say that I have a head gasket breach. I guess I can run a combustion gas test just to feel good about having a bad head gasket, if that is possible, any other thoughts?

No one, I do mean no decent mechanic shop wants to do a head gasket job on this car.

 

Basically it's like a compression test, but without turning over the engine.

There's an adapter that attaches to the air compressor and threads into the spark plug hole. You put the cylinder you're testing at top-dead-center on the compression stroke and then use compressed air to pressurize the cylinder. Then you can check to see where the air is leaking from. Air bubbles in the radiator would indicate a bad head gasket that's leaking into the coolant passages. Air from the intake or exhaust indicates bad valve seats and air in the crank case means bad rings.

The adapter looks like this....

 

If I had bad valve, that would not be messing with my coolant would it?

 

No it would not.

 

Ok, the other day I ordered a head gasket kit from iPd and the next day I picked up a coolant reservoir tank from a car in the jy, it looked pretty new. So, yesterday morning I installed it because the one that was on the car looked like it as about to explode and it was leaking from the cap (I think) and the overflow hose.

When all this first started I changed the cap with one from the junk yard and that didn't help (at least I think my daughter changed it - I shipped it to her at college). Well, since I changed the tank the coolant hasn't overfilled once. It has stayed between the min and max mark (just a few short trips). So, I'm going to drive it across town and back on the freeway at about 70 mph and see how it looks then. I may be sending that kit back

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Took 20 mile trip down the highway and make a quick stop at the bank drive-through. Got back to the apartment popped the hood and the coolant level had gone from the min mark to the max mark in the reservoir. Took a closer look and seen fresh fluid on top of the tank and some had leaked down the side. Darn. I guess it had maxed out while on the highway. Then I looked at the level again and within 2 minutes the level was back at the min mark.

My guess is that I have a real small leak somewhere in that hg system. SMH

 

Ok, I'm grabbing at straws here but I know something is wrong. So, I'm doing some searches on head gasket jobs and I run across this pic:



When I look at this picture the seal/gasket I see is NOT in the kit I ordered from iPd. So I'm thinking that this gasket is part of the head that is usually NOT taken apart when a head gasket job is done??? Is this a gasket that is replaced when the head is actually broken down?



So, my new question is... Is it likely that I have a leak in this gasket? If I'm getting compression gasses in my coolant? The guy at the head shop said that they will pressure test the head and let me know if the head needs any work other than the head needing cleaned up and leveled/surfaced.

So, I'm thinking that I have a leak inside the head, not actually the head to block gasket. Is this likely and possible?

 

That's the cam cover. Has nothing to do with the headgasket. You don't see the gasket for it in the kit because it is not a physical gasket. It's a liquid gasket that you roll onto the cam cover.
You have to remove the cam cover/cams to get to the bolts that hold the head to the block.

That gasket right there doesn't have any contact with coolant, it's all oil.

 

Ok, so I guess I have a really small head gasket leak that I need to deal with. I think it's so small that no other damage has been done yet. Maybe I'll have a good report from the shop when I send the head to the place that will check it out for me.

So, to pull the head I'll have to remove that cover? Then I'll have to get that stuff to put it back together? More work I guess, where do I get that stuff?

 

More answers and more questions. I guess that's why we often tell people to read through a thread before asking ALL KINDS OF QUESTIONS.

So, the top of the head comes off. This also holds the cams in place. Then, you take the bolts out to get the main part of the head off the block. Yes, that sealant is a roll on and comes from Volvo. Something else can be used but it's not advised.

Now I have read that I need some kind of head compressor to "draw down" the top of the head with the cams in place. It ever ends. LOL

My head is at the shop and will cost $390 to get it back. It was "severly warped" to 12,000th's I was told. They believe they can straighten it out for me so I had to take the head cover with some bolt so them, along with the cams. I'm starting to understand why labor is so much on this job.

 

All done. Thank you Lord for Tracy, Tech, and all you guys that helped me through this grueling process. I guess there was some purpose for the 100°+ weather.

 

Drove the car on several short trips and 50 miles. Changed the oil again and it was nice and dark like oil with no coolant in it should look.

I do have a P0116 cel code. I'm hoping that it will clear up soon. I installed a new temp sensor 3 weeks ago so I can't see how that is bad.

 

Just ran the cost of doing my own head gasket.............................. $842.13

 

Do it yourself get a quality gasket set and go for it...it's really not as difficlt as it seems, if you have a mechanical ability , put it to good use...that's a crazy price....just did 2 out of 4 volvos I own. saved myself 1500.+ and both the cars are running great...and you don't need all kinds of fancy tools if you know how to improvise a bit.

 

I didn't realize you had already done the job, my fault...pics look good hope it's runnng great.

 

Ok, I have a quiz...

In the pic below, there is a seal in the top left piston slot. What does it go to?


I asked several people and no one knew, even the folks at iPd. It just hit me what it goes to.

 

Here are instructions I put together from this HG job.
Head Removal and Installation, Volvo 850 / S70 Turbo B5234T, B5254T, Head gasket replacement, valve replacement