So I took a personal day today...

[DurocShark]

...to finish the door panels on the Guac. Guess what I spent my day doing instead?

FIXING A COOLANT LEAK ON THE WIFE'S VOLVO!!!!!!


::hugs aircooled bus::

[Amskeptic]

...to finish the door panels on the Guac. Guess what I spent my day doing instead?

FIXING A COOLANT LEAK ON THE WIFE'S VOLVO!!!!!!


::hugs aircooled bus::

That is so WRONG. At least it was a Volvo. The last time I was so derailed was to replace the rusted off door handles on a clap-trap Ford Tempo. I was whimpering all day because I knew I couldn't SAY anything without unleashing the Time Spent On YOUR Car Harangue.
Colin

[DurocShark]

I do love this Volvo. It's protected my family in two accidents with only cosmetic and bumper damage (one at 45mph T-boning another car).

The car has 300k miles on it, the engine has 250k. I have no gripes about it at all, except...

THE IDIOTIC WATER PUMP AND HEATER DESIGN.

Oh, and can't forget the blower fan. I swear they took that thing, set it on a stool in the factory, and built the @$#%^ car around it.

There's a metal tube that goes from a port on the rear of the pump next to the block, runs under the exhaust manifold, bolts to the block there, and the around the back of the cylinder head to the heater core. The only seal is a rubber donut. Somehow the little flange where it attaches to the water pump and the bracket at the block is supposed to keep enough pressure on it to have it be leak free.

So, of course, the screw from the flange at the block came loose and went byebye. I obviously didn't tighten it enough when I put the new water pump in last spring. And because there was no longer a screw there, the flange bent all to heck.

To repair I had to unbolt the exhaust manifold (of course 6 of the 8 studs came out instead of the nuts coming off), pry the manifold away from the head, and wiggle that @#$^% tube out of there so I could bend the flange back.

Installation is *NOT* the reverse of removal either. I had to do that like 15 times because I couldn't seem to get the flange back where it needed to be. Then getting the nuts off (hammer and chisel... I was tired), getting the studs back in the head with threadlock, etc etc etc.

And after all that, the little rubber seal decided the R&R was too much for it and started leaking. I called around and no shops carried the water pump seal kit, or that seal. Because new pumps come with the seal kit and heaven forbid someone needs to re-seal it. Napa can get me one next Tuesday. FCPGroton can get me one Friday if I pay $$$$ for overnighting.

I broke out the blue RTV and gooped it up. Installed it, took off for a couple hours, came back and filled the radiator. Still leaking, but much less. Added some Bars Leaks and fired it up. Woot! Sealed up tight! Went for a quick freeway drive, and it's all good...

Except for the fact that I failed to torque one of the exhaust nuts.

[DurocShark]

Well, I'm really glad I fixed the Volvo yesterday. The Guac didn't want to go anywhere this morning. Fuel filter again. And I was using my spare. Sigh.

I zipped to Napa at lunch for a new one. Had them order 3 more for me.

[Adventurewagen]

Wow, is your fuel tank all gunked up? I don't think I've ever killed a fuel filter, just replaced ones from miles of use.

I know what you mean about other vehicles like the volvo though. My wife and I have a ford taurus we got from a friend for 100 bucks. The thing is a piece of crap, horrible to drive, but it seems to just keep going and going. I've had to replace hoses left and right and it's left me stranded a couple of times, but its still a pretty good vehicle to get from A to B.

Hopefully someday I'll have all ACVW's as my primary and secondary vehicles. That would be fun.

[DurocShark]

Wow, is your fuel tank all gunked up? I don't think I've ever killed a fuel filter, just replaced ones from miles of use.

Most likely rubber from the decaying filler hose. I just can't seem to get my mind around ordering jsut the one thing from GS.