Testing our Volvo 940 Head Gasket - Is it Blown?

[@RichieRouge206]

That fluid holder looks just like the ones that my aunt had when she made her own wine back in the 80s 😆 at least with the redblock, it's gonna be a relatively simple job. It's great seeing Mrs Involvo'd getting involved too... definately going to be a good watch fella!

[@Involvod]

Haha yeah now I can't unsee it 😄 Totally, as long as we don't have any internal corrosion or snapped studs we should be golden!

[@Oh-Jay52]

Yeah letting off the gas from the Vino Tinto eh lol nice .....but yeah I see it now hahaa

[@Oh-Jay52]

@@Involvod Take it you have a Torque wrench handy... Might get away with no re-skim if youre lucky and early too ..🚑 = 💖 + 🚗 = 🖖

[@BeardedWrencher]

Hahah man, miss Involvo'd was pretty excited to help out! You're a lucky man! I have never seen that style of head gasket tester before! It is quite interesting! Sucks the head gasket is faulty, but I look forward to seeing the head gasket video!

[@Involvod]

Thanks buddy! Pretty excited is an understatement 😅 I'm lucky to have her. It's a great bit of kit, only €15!

[@JMassengill]

good luck with the repair. Great video.

[@Involvod]

Thanks Johnny!

[@charlie225]

Hey bro, nice to see u and the Mrs working together on Sylvia, keep up the great Volvo content!!!

[@Involvod]

Thanks man!! 😃

[@ched999uk]

I have never seen one of those used, in fact I didn't know the kits were that simple. Great to see you both involvo'd . Looking forward to seeing the head gasket vids. Good luck, hope it all goes well, use lots of plus gas (penetrating oil) the week before!

[@Involvod]

I'm surprised how many people have said the same, I forgot to mention it in the video, but it was only €15! And thanks that's a good idea!

[@bus249a9]

@@Involvod I've never seen one either, pretty cool. Where did you get it? Sorry to hear its the head gasket but looking forward to seeing you replace it.

[@Involvod]

@@bus249a9 Thanks, I got it off Amazon, if you type in combustion leak tester you should get plenty of results!

[@kelvinelks449]

Enjoying the videos Brummie, From Walsall

[@Involvod]

Cheers fella!

[@nobodyimportant7520]

Miss Involvo'd science experiment 1. please more guys. fun videos to watch.

[@Involvod]

😄 So glad you enjoyed it!

[@mortimergladbreath]

You've got this! Looking froward to the videos!

[@Involvod]

Thanks 🙂

[@ianjohnson7835]

Looking forward to see the head job. Enjoy.

[@Involvod]

Thanks, I'll definitely try 😃

[@devinanderson6466]

Good luck with the project! I’ve never had the guts to go deeper than the valve covers.

[@Involvod]

Thanks Devin! I know the feeling, if it wasn't a Redblock I'd probably be the same! 😃

[@Djwally13]

Great video, very easy test. The Misses had me laughing when she got excited to twist the throttle on the engine. 😆 Both you stay warm out there. 👍

[@Involvod]

She's s character isn't she! Thanks mate

[@dbt2787]

It's nice to see you and Miss involvo'd working together on the car. That testing kit looks really useful too! hopefully that head gasket will be replaced in no time, you can do it mate!

[@Involvod]

Thanks mate 👍

[@DeanofMachines]

I like how excited your lady was to rev the car lol. I've never used those testers. I guess we might have expected this outcome. Excited to see the next episode!

[@Involvod]

Yeah she's a character. They are great little kits, not sure if I said in the video, only €15!

[@DeanofMachines]

@@Involvod Sounds cheap enough to keep one on the shelf in case of emergency

[@fannycraddock99]

Little by little bit by bit, Sylvia will rise like a phoenix. Stay safe guys.

[@Involvod]

Thanks 😊

[@upthedubs1000]

I love these vids.

[@carsyoungtimerfreak1149]

Good video. Luckily a head gasket job on a normal red block is not too bad. And you have room to work. I just did it on a Nissan Figaro, a real nightmare as the enigine bay is sort of full. I wish you good luck with the job. Also a very handy tester!

[@Involvod]

Thanks! Yeah so much room for activities in these engine bays 😄

[@travisfoltz517]

Just have yourself a decent 1/2" breaker bar, torque wrench, head gasket kit and you will be set. If you can refresh anything else in the area you will be removing. Like someone mentioned below I would use penetrant spray a couple days before-specifically on any exhaust related fasteners you need to remove. You can do it.

[@Involvod]

Thanks for the support 😃👍

[@JohnDoe-vw3yc]

Special sauce 50/50 ATF/Acetone, best stuff ever for manifold studs.

[@MinxInSinx]

Please do take the engine apart & do a video of your progression. Hahaha I know I'm not the only one here who appreciates your service!

[@Involvod]

Thanks mate!

[@VolkswagenNut1969]

I’m sorry that you need to do the head gasket, but I look forward to seeing the work. 😉 you’ve already jumped into stuff I would never have the guts to do without sending it to the shop. PS: Love Mrs. Involvo’ds cheerful attitude, making even these daunting tasks seem more tolerable. 😁

[@Involvod]

Haha yeah she's great 😄 Thanks for the support!

[@gert-jandejong1832]

Did a headgasket job on two 940's a while ago. While doing that I replaced every gasket, O-ring and vacuum hose etc since everything is apart anyway. Also, cleaned all the engine parts and the engine bay. Looks 10 times better👍

[@Involvod]

That's definitely the right way to do it! I'm going to try and replace as much as possible, hopefully I can find a head gasket set that comes with all the stuff. Definitely need a ton of rubber hose too as the whole fleet need their vacuum lines refreshing ideally

[@gert-jandejong1832]

Such a complete set you're not gonna find, at least not with parts to overhaul things like the oil cooler and pcv system and small bits like the fuel pressure O-ring and rhe throttle shaft rubber 😉 Maybe think of a way to upgrade your 940 in the future: you can raise it and take it to scandinava or built a 300 - 400 hp redblock or modernize it with stuff like wasted spark and a BMW gearbox. Great youtube content👍

[@JohnDoe-vw3yc]

Fun times ahead!

[@gazzebow]

I am also VERY excited for engine action 😀

[@Involvod]

Great to hear it 😎

[@SergSerg-yz9fx]

Great video

[@Involvod]

Thanks! 👍

[@simonhawksley817]

The 940 has a water cooled turbo, I've had the yellow test but compression test ruled out head gasket so concluded a breakdown in the turbo, now stripped and seeking a repairer, what a bastard to remove!

[@mr.bodge.]

Just got my 740 going again, carnt wait to have her back on road

[@Involvod]

Nice! It's a great feeling to be back behind the wheel after some time!

[@mr.bodge.]

@@Involvod yup, just want it polybushed new alloys and lowered now 😁.

[@marcinbujok7388]

Hey! Maybe not so great news about the headgasket, but in case of redblock it's more of maintainance job, isn't it? ;D. Thanks to Miss Involvod for presenting the testing procedure! Thanks for great volvo stuff as always! :D

[@Involvod]

Haha yeah, definitely a straightforward one, just hopefully it goes smoothly! Thanks for the support 😃

[@adi4145]

Always great content. Thanks ill add this test kit to the list. Just to know

[@Involvod]

Thanks! Good luck with yours!

[@MrTeabag58]

Very informative, haven't seen a kit like that before. While I remember- I recently tried to source some valve shims for a B230F and pretty much drew a blank searching for Volvo shims, but found that shims for the old Fiat X1/9 appeared to be available and have the same diameter. Haven't got round to trying them so don't quote me. Just a thought. Looking forward to seeing you sort Sylvia's gasket!

[@Involvod]

Ah thanks for the tip! I'm surprised they weren't available, I think I'll need to do mine as she does sound a bit noisy

[@jfv65]

If it's true about those Fiat shims then the ones from other models like Ritmo, Uno, 128 probably also fit, maybe even Zastava 1100 and Yugo. All the same engine design

[@Involvod]

@@jfv65 but now you've mentioned that, I don't know if I could put those parts in a Redblock 😅

[@davec6724]

While it's to late in this application, I run zero pressure reservoir caps in all of my Volvo's buy removing the internal spring and check valves within the cap. Why? As a car ages internal pressures on the head gasket, water pump bearing and all other cooling components will weaken these components creating pin hole leaks throughout. Pressuring the system is done to raise the boiling point, but enough room can be left in the reservoir tank to run zero pressure cap. Try it out, you'll find that you're not chasing leaks. Best of luck with the repair.

[@Involvod]

Thanks for the info! I'll definitely bear it in mind, that's why I started running a 75kpa cap instead of a 150. Now I think about it I've never seen a Redblock cooling system start to boil over without a cap on

[@pwood5733]

Love it a Volvo demijohn. Are you making lingonberry wine 😊

[@Involvod]

😂 yeah may have to write on the label "May cause tumours"

[@PhilMakesThings]

Perfect timing… my 940 turbo is displaying the same white smoke and has been for a while - It’s called Smokey for a reason… so I’ll be watching with a keen eye on how it’s done.

[@Involvod]

Hopefully yours is okay, my previous 940 smoked a bunch too but the head was totally fine!

[@PhilMakesThings]

Lots of white smoke, even with a hot engine (a few moments after starting) coolant loss out the expansion tank, down on power and (more than usual) awful MPG… haven’t done a chemical or compression test, but the signs are there ☹️

[@Involvod]

@@PhilMakesThings ah yeah, is there alot of pressure when you remove the coolant cap when it's cold? Even the day after? That's how my first blown head 940 was, slight coolant loss and lots of pressure, but never over heated, just kept on going, good old tanks aren't they!

[@PhilMakesThings]

@@Involvod No, when it’s cold it’s just a little fssst. Mines not overheating… solid mid gauge / pointing north. Been like it for three years now 🤣. When it’s hot and running the top hose is really solid… maybe the replacement thermostat isn’t doing it’s job?

[@Involvod]

@@PhilMakesThings i'd definitely get one of these tester kits just for peace of mind, €15 on Amazon and great to have on hand

[@leiflidholm7251]

I love wath you do! And the favoritcar i will always be elderly volvo! Owned a lot but a advice from me is for you to try headgasketfiller! Good luck! Im following!

[@Involvod]

Thanks! 😃

[@larss.3188]

Goodday. nice video. also never saw that test kit. do you have a link where to buy it? keep up the good work

[@Involvod]

Hey, thanks! We got it from Amazon, just €15, if you search for combustion leak or Co2 tester you should get heaps of results!

[@Buffalobulltofta]

On the joyful side of things, probably the engine with the least hassle to do a head gasket job on! This early on you can probably come away without surfacing the head even.

[@Buffalobulltofta]

I now recall it overheated for the previous owner so maybe not. Good thing you live in Germany and Germans tend to drive German cars, must be a machine shop on every street corner 😆

[@Involvod]

Yeah exactly! Haha 😄

[@volvoqq4561]

It is a very easy car engine to change the head gasket on. You will solve that easily😊👍

[@Involvod]

Thanks, I hope so 😃

[@barryswift861]

Have you got a good front driving seat, to fit my K get 940 turbo for sale

[@d.jbrickmocs1637]

Demping matirial in the axost could be damp. Mine has it aswell. Rainy day and the S60 smokes for days. It is the back box. You could drill a litle hol in the box. That salves it 9 out of 10 times👍👍 sorry my enlish is bad to rite it down🙈🤣

[@Involvod]

Thanks! I saw Jessica on Vice Grip Garage do that the other day, worked a treat!

[@d.jbrickmocs1637]

@@Involvod no Thanks👍👍 yes it really helps

[@darrensmith9407]

Volvo survives avalanche...it's actually, avalanche survives Volvo :)

[@ruchmann]

Wow, helpfull video! Just this week i bought one of this kits but doesn't use it yet. My 940 has a lot of presure in water tank even too days after. How much time you have to wait for test it fully? Thanks!

[@Involvod]

Thanks! Once the car is hot and everything is circulating it doesn't take long, maybe a minute or 2!

[@danielebbeling4056]

Do you know what the attachment on the top of the 240 air box was for? Two machine screw tappings and a male nipple that seems like a tube hose connection ?

[@Involvod]

I'm not sure to be honest! Which 240 was it in I've forgotten 😅

[@danielebbeling4056]

@@Involvod In a 1993 240, for sure. Every 1988-93 Volvo in the US northeast region seems to have this ; but not being used. Never seen one of these add-ons being utilized in my recycling yard runs. I wonder if Volvo changed what they originally intended it for. Or maybe a diagnostic port of some type? A mystery.

[@Involvod]

@@danielebbeling4056 ah I see, yeah it's quite strange! I'm going to ask around!

[@herrjonna2007]

Posted 3 minutes ago... damn, I'm already too late

[@Involvod]

😄

[@kenwillekens9894]

Are you going to just place a new headgasket or are you going to have the head skimmed, valve job, valve seals, ...?

[@Involvod]

We'll definitely get it skimmed, I'll check the valve clearances and condition when it's off and go from there, but I think at the least new stem seals would be sensible 😃

[@emootikoah8156]

While you're taking it apart, you may as well build that engine to something beefier and crank up the boost hehe :)

[@Involvod]

Haha yeah I toyed with the idea, wallet said no 😅 But I will turn the boost up anyway and shop for a manual trans

[@emootikoah8156]

@@Involvod was also gonna ask if you'd swap to an M90, inevitable! Will be the most interesting project yet! Stick a big Chinese turbo on the shopping list 🤣

[@Oh-Jay52]

Misplaced happy smiley face !?? , but hey , Rather that than a grumpy mechanic tell you the sad news !! Well done Mrs Involvo'd ( Guys take note : Do what was done here , "Read the mofo instructions !" ) I know so many people wh don't , any wrong doing here and you would've ended up stranded like you quoted .. On the subject of parts being used on other vehicles , Does my Tumble dryers Top panel as a repair panel on a non structural part of my Micra count ? Same guage steel , why the hell not eh ?

[@Involvod]

That's very true! The tumble dryer panel repair patch is 100% Involvo'd approved mate 😂

[@Oh-Jay52]

@@Involvod Ticketty Boo thanks mate !! was trying to think why you a Brummie in Germany wasn't odd, then it dawned on me lol Barry Taylor , Auf Wiedersehen ,Pet ! loved that show ( yeah.I know....... before you say.... you're not in Dusseldorf ) hehehe 👍

[@Involvod]

@@Oh-Jay52 haha a bit before my time but I'm going to check it out as I remember it being really popular 😄

[@Oh-Jay52]

@@Involvod Yeah ? , I'm sure you'll like it !!