Time for more new parts as the 940’s engine develops a death rattle, but will it be a simple fix?
1997 VOLVO 940 ESTATE
Weird and (not so) wonderful noises emanating from my car used to worry me. My brain would immediately consider the worst-case scenario, filling me with a sense of dread and leading me towards the classifieds to find a replacement set of wheels, should the unthinkable happen. Things have changed though, thanks to my years of fettling in a bid to become more self-sufficient. With experience comes a greater sense of Zen, as one learns to discern some of the more innocuous noises from other, graver effusions that our capricious classics choose to throw at us. So, when the Volvo’s engine began making a troublesome noise, I remained calm.
My now somewhat qualified ear could determine that this particular clatter was coming from one of the pulleys on the front of the block. With my professional engineer's stethoscope (a piece of hosepipe) I set about pinpointing the exact location of the noise by putting one end of the hose to my ear and moving the other end between the various pulleys, quickly discovering that the water pump was to blame. With a replacement ordered, I set about removing the worn-out item – asimple case of draining the coolant, loosening the belt, undoing the four pulley bolts and then removing the six fixings that hold the pump to the block.
Installing the new pump wasn't quite as easy. For a start I had to fix the gasket to the pump itself with sealant to ensure it stayed put when fitting. It was then that I engaged in a struggle of mammoth proport
