spannerman
Well-known member
For those of you running either of these two motors and are feeling ripped off by their local Volvo specialist, I thought I'd put up the method of adjusting the valves for those who would like to do it themselves. I'd only recommend this for those who have done valves before on ordinary 2 valve per cylinder motors, especially if you are familiar with the 40 series Volvos.
There is a lot of stuff to remove before you can get to the valves so here goes;
Remove the oil filter, then its mounting bracket and carefully bend it out of the way on its flexible hoses. Remove engine main harness at fuse box and bracket with the trim pump fuse and power cables on top of the inlet manifold, if they are in the way.
Then disconnect the pipe between the filter and lift pump and remove the flat plate supporting the fuel filters, ( you can disconnect the plug from the fuel ECU if it makes it easier, you won't lose any data, just carefully pry the flat red plastic clip away from the plug and it will eject the connector from the ECU) now you can swing the filters out of the way, but turn off the fuel if poss or it will syphon out.
Now remove the injector pipes from the pump starting with those outermost first and disconnect at injectors, you can now remove them as a unit with them tied together by the little brackets. Place a bowl under the pump as it will drip from the outlets.
Remove the long injector return pipe and the small pipe around the front of the head that goes back to the pump.Discard the 13 copper washers fitted here.
Now you can remove the valve cover itself, it usually hangs up at the rear where the black air pipe goes to the turbo, you will have to swing it about until you find the right angle for it to come past, in the worst case you can lever the pipe a bit and it will wriggle out. Remove the 6 'O' rings that sit on the injectors and discard them.Make sure you don't lose any springs and washers that sit on the injectors.
Turn the engine so that No 1 valves are rocking and you can then adjust No 6 cyl
( the firing order is 153624, and its always the paired cylinder you adjust i.e.
1-6, 2-5,3-4,) then turn until No 5 is rocking and so on. A standard spark plug socket fits the crankshaft nut.
Now for the technique with 4 valve per cylinder Volvos.
Always assume the valves need adjusting as there is no way to know if the valves open at the same instant from the basic adjusting screw that is familiar to you.
So check there 'IS' clearance at the rocker arm, then slacken the 10mm nut and with one hand press down hard on the bridge which sits over the two valve stems and with a small electricians screwdriver slacken the screw until you feel the bridge is positively down on the other valve, now gently wind the screw in until it meets some resisitance (this is you pressing down hard on the bridge) stop when you feel that point and tighten the locknut.( if you use a big screwdriver you won't feel it contact the valve) Now you have established that the bridge is contacting both valves at the same instant.
Now you can adjust the main adjuster at the rocker arm to 0,40mm (0,016 thou)
After you have done the whole lot then build it all up in reverse.
You will need need the following parts, don't even think about using the old ones as they are guaranteed to leak, I know personally.
6 x Part No 944988 O rings
13 x '' '' 981183 copper washers
When you refit the injector pipes don't tighten them at the injectors, as they will need bleeding.
When you are sure everthing is back in its place, bleed the system as normal then crank the engine until diesel squirts from the injector couplings, now tighten them up and start the engine, it will run a bit lumpy until the injectors clear then it will settle down.
If you have any questions let me know, I have heard of people trying to save time by bending the injector pipes to save some work, but I wouldn't want to be worrying if the pipes are weakened and could crack or split causing a fuel leak or motor to stop just when I need it the most.
There is a lot of stuff to remove before you can get to the valves so here goes;
Remove the oil filter, then its mounting bracket and carefully bend it out of the way on its flexible hoses. Remove engine main harness at fuse box and bracket with the trim pump fuse and power cables on top of the inlet manifold, if they are in the way.
Then disconnect the pipe between the filter and lift pump and remove the flat plate supporting the fuel filters, ( you can disconnect the plug from the fuel ECU if it makes it easier, you won't lose any data, just carefully pry the flat red plastic clip away from the plug and it will eject the connector from the ECU) now you can swing the filters out of the way, but turn off the fuel if poss or it will syphon out.
Now remove the injector pipes from the pump starting with those outermost first and disconnect at injectors, you can now remove them as a unit with them tied together by the little brackets. Place a bowl under the pump as it will drip from the outlets.
Remove the long injector return pipe and the small pipe around the front of the head that goes back to the pump.Discard the 13 copper washers fitted here.
Now you can remove the valve cover itself, it usually hangs up at the rear where the black air pipe goes to the turbo, you will have to swing it about until you find the right angle for it to come past, in the worst case you can lever the pipe a bit and it will wriggle out. Remove the 6 'O' rings that sit on the injectors and discard them.Make sure you don't lose any springs and washers that sit on the injectors.
Turn the engine so that No 1 valves are rocking and you can then adjust No 6 cyl
( the firing order is 153624, and its always the paired cylinder you adjust i.e.
1-6, 2-5,3-4,) then turn until No 5 is rocking and so on. A standard spark plug socket fits the crankshaft nut.
Now for the technique with 4 valve per cylinder Volvos.
Always assume the valves need adjusting as there is no way to know if the valves open at the same instant from the basic adjusting screw that is familiar to you.
So check there 'IS' clearance at the rocker arm, then slacken the 10mm nut and with one hand press down hard on the bridge which sits over the two valve stems and with a small electricians screwdriver slacken the screw until you feel the bridge is positively down on the other valve, now gently wind the screw in until it meets some resisitance (this is you pressing down hard on the bridge) stop when you feel that point and tighten the locknut.( if you use a big screwdriver you won't feel it contact the valve) Now you have established that the bridge is contacting both valves at the same instant.
Now you can adjust the main adjuster at the rocker arm to 0,40mm (0,016 thou)
After you have done the whole lot then build it all up in reverse.
You will need need the following parts, don't even think about using the old ones as they are guaranteed to leak, I know personally.
6 x Part No 944988 O rings
13 x '' '' 981183 copper washers
When you refit the injector pipes don't tighten them at the injectors, as they will need bleeding.
When you are sure everthing is back in its place, bleed the system as normal then crank the engine until diesel squirts from the injector couplings, now tighten them up and start the engine, it will run a bit lumpy until the injectors clear then it will settle down.
If you have any questions let me know, I have heard of people trying to save time by bending the injector pipes to save some work, but I wouldn't want to be worrying if the pipes are weakened and could crack or split causing a fuel leak or motor to stop just when I need it the most.
