Vintage Newsletter: May-June 2009
Page 5: OIL CHANGE: Tools

It’s amazing how often we hear from owners of old Volvos who don’t regularly change their fluids.  It’s as though gasoline and the occasional oil change are all their car needs.  These are usually the same owners who end up replacing parts more often than the owners who follow the ‘ounce of prevention’ approach.  There are mild annoyances and there are big annoyances.

First, your Volvo needs gasoline.  All you have to do about this is drive around and fill the tank when it’s empty.  You can run regular or mid grade if you like, but your engine prefers premium.  Running out of gas is a mild annoyance that will cost a few bucks and take a couple hours to correct.  Just add more gas.

Engine oil.  This should be changed every 3000 miles (we change it at 2500) and should never be allowed to fall below the “minimum” line on the dipstick.  Change the filter (only use Mann or Volvo filters!) at the same interval and use a new copper washer with the drain plug.  Running out of engine oil is a big annoyance that will cost lots of bucks and take many hours to correct.  Just rebuild or replace the engine.  You can buy a whole lot of oil for the price of one engine.  We’ve got the right filters, the crush washers, oil filter magnets, magnetic drain plugs and Rhino Ramps to get the job done right.

Coolant.  Change it every two years.  Good time to change the thermostat and hoses also.  Keep it filled!  Running low on coolant results in overheating.  Mild overheating is a little annoying; substantial overheating can destroy an engine, which is a big annoyance (lots of bucks).  Consider using antifreeze with a bittering agent if you have pets or kids.

Transmission fluid.  Whether you have an automatic or a manual transmission, make sure the fluid is topped up and clean.  Simple enough - if it’s black, it’s dirty.  If it’s full of little gold flakes, the brass internal parts are degrading - make arrangements to replace or rebuild.  Consult your shop manual for proper lubricants (if you don’t have a shop manual, get one!).  Running a transmission out of fluid leads to metal-against metal contact and dramatically increases wear.  If you want to rebuild your transmission (which isn’t as hard as it might sound), we have most of the gaskets and seals for both the 4 speed and the 4 speed with Overdrive trannies.  Hard parts (like synchro cones) are getting scarce - best to rebuild before you suffer a dramatic failure.

Differential fluid.  This provides lubrication to the final drive gears.  The inspection cover gasket (on the back) is easy to change; the pinion seal (on the front) is a little more difficult.  If either is leaking, replace it as soon as possible.  Keep the differential topped up to ensure proper lubrication - rebuilding an axle is expensive and requires exotic tools that most of us don’t have.  And removal/installation is a full day’s job.  Use Rhino Ramps to get the car safely elevated, and remove the differential cover to drain the old fluid and to pump in the new fluid with our fluid syringe.

Hydraulic fluid.  All Volvos use it for the brake system, 122s and 1800s through 1968 use it for the clutch as well.  Not only does hydraulic fluid get dirty, it attracts water (which then begins rusting the insides of the lines - this can cause failure of the clutch, or worse - brake failure).  Master cylinders, slave cylinders and wheel cylinders are easy enough to replace, but aren’t exactly cheap.  Replacing the steel hardlines isn’t too hard IF you can find new ones.  We use and sell ATE fluid, the original supplier to Volvo; and we like to use the pressure bleeder on those cars with plastic fluid reserviors.

Grease.  New cars don’t have grease fittings like our old Swedes and many ‘quick lube’ shops won’t bother looking for them.  Again, check your shop manual for location of these fittings and load them up with fresh grease at least once a year.

Changing all of these fluids can easily take up most of a Saturday.  That’s a small investment of time and money when compared with the frustration of dealing with a component or system on the Volvo that has dramatically failed because of a lack of maintenance.  Keep your Volvo happy and it’ll keep you happy.  Abuse your Volvo and it’ll leave you by the side of the road.