/Aerostar\
New member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2012
- Location
- Boulder, CO
Hey everyone, so this job can be a bit of a chore, but if you take your time, think and limit your mistakes, it's pretty simple. It took me around 8 hours, but I could probably do it in 2-3 next time. The parts you will need and the process to replace your accessory bushings are as follows:
Necessary parts:
Ten new poly accessory bushings, around $30 from www.ipdusa.com
Two tubes of marine grease for poly, $8-10 from www.ipdusa.com
Parts that are a good idea to replace while at it:
New accessory belts (my 1985 needed four), Continental
Air filter
Maybe some o-rings on your A/C compressor if needed...
If your alternator is toast, now is the time to do at least those 3 bushings
Tools:
3/8" drive socket wrench
10, 12, 13, and 14 mm sockets
3" and 6" extensions
Wobble joint (just for the back A/C tensioner nut...you may be able to get it w/o a wobbler)
Large pair of plyers and a 6" C-Clamp, a vice would be nice, and a torch if you're a horse!
UPDATED PHOTOS!!
https://goo.gl/photos/43otYLPwfh28DsPK8
Process:
1.) Disconnect your negative battery terminal (10 mm). Jack up the front of the car, supporting the sweet sweet Volvo with jackstands, high enough to allow you to work under the car. You'll have to remove the under engine tray by removing the four or five 10 mm bolts securing it.
2.) From the top of the engine bay, and starting with the power steering and A/C mount (yes, one big mount), go ahead and loosen the 12 mm nut on the side of the PS pump belt tensioner. Then begin loosening the 10 mm tensioner bolt to allow slack in the drive belt. Remove belt.
3.) Now loosen the through bolt (13 mm), which runs through two bushings and secures the PS pump, to allow the PS pump to move. Leave the lines intact.
4.) You should now be able to reach two of the four 14 mm bolts which hold the PS and A/C mount to the block. There are two grounds running to the top bolt (blue and black/red wires). Remember to bolt these down also when reassembling.
5.) Now with the PS freely movable, if you remove the front of the airbox and the filter, you can easily undo the two 12 mm nuts which are securing the A/C compressor to it's tensioner. I reached the further back one with two extensions and a wobble joint. Once you've done that, loosen the 10 mm A/C compressor tensioner bolt, and remove the two belts running to the compressor.
6.) Get down under your beautiful 2.3 liters of Europe and loosen the two bolts securing the A/C compressor to the mount through bushings. You will need two 13 mm open end wrenches, although a 14 mm wrench may work to hold the bolt, while you use your 13 mm wrench to loosen the nut. Again, there are two bolts and two nuts (all 13 mm) securing the bottom of the compressor. Leave the lines intact (unless you are 100% sure the A/C system is empty, then you could replace some o-rings while the compressor is loosey goosey).
7.) You've set the compressor free, and are now able to remove the remaining two 14 mm bolts which secure the large mount to the block. These are both easily removed with socket wrench and normal 14 mm socket. Thankfully they should not be torqued too tightly. You can now remove the mount.
8.) Moving to the alternator, there is one long 13 mm bolt and nut, running through two bushings, which secures the bottom of the alternator. There is also the tensioner, which is bolted to the engine block, through a bushing, with a 13 mm bolt. More than likely, this bushing will be especially thrashed. The distributor mount is secured with three 12 mm bolts.
9.) The best plan of attack is probably to remove the long bolt and nut, as well as the two bottom 12 mm mounting bolts from underneath the car. Then get up, stretch, and remover the alternator tensioner (13 mm), last mount bolt (12 mm), and then the mount. You will have to support the alternator as you do this, and be careful of the connector and ground. You can rest the alternator on the sway bar, and leave the connectors in (keep in mind though, that grounding wire is fragile).
10.) Hurray, you've got all your mounts out (big, small, and alt. tensioner). Using hand tools, you should little difficulty removing the old bushings. I used a big pair of pliers to remove the majority of them, and a 6" c-clamp to do one or two. A vice grip would help very much. Once you have them all out, you can degrease the mounts if you'd like. Make sure all parts are dry before continuing.
11.) Now, before you dive into greasing and installing one by one, I'd recommend setting up an assembly line, where you squeeze some lube (this stuff is intense) on each bushing, then spread it around, and then install. The idea is limit the amount of hand-wiping, cause this marine grease is hardy. The bushing for the alternator tensioner may be very stubborn to install, if thats the case, you can use a rotary tool or even sandpaper to shave off evenly around one of the bushings. This, and some force, and maybe a 1' extension and hammer will get that bushing in place!
A FEW CAUTIONARY NOTES:
Be aware of how to install the bushings. When installed, the "cap" is larger on one side, and will allow the mounting bolts to snugly fit on the PS pump and alternator (the A/C compressor mounting is not so touchy). In some of the pictures I've posted, I have the bushings incorrectly installed, let me tell the right ways:
- In the below photo, showing the alternator tensioner with a new bushing, I HAVE IT INSTALLED ON THE WRONG END. Like this, the tensioner will not bolt up to the alternator correctly. Install your bushing on the opposite end of the "tube"
- In the following photo, showing the alternator mount with newly installed bushings, I HAVE THESE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY ALSO. They must both be flipped, so that the "caps" of the bushings are facing each other. This will take up more space between them, and allow the alternator to fit snugly betwix them.
-Lastly, in the following photo, the bottom-right-most bushing must be flipped to allow the PS pump to be tightly secured.
12.) Installation is the reverse of removal
Don't over-torque! Good luck 
Necessary parts:
Ten new poly accessory bushings, around $30 from www.ipdusa.com
Two tubes of marine grease for poly, $8-10 from www.ipdusa.com
Parts that are a good idea to replace while at it:
New accessory belts (my 1985 needed four), Continental
Air filter
Maybe some o-rings on your A/C compressor if needed...
If your alternator is toast, now is the time to do at least those 3 bushings
Tools:
3/8" drive socket wrench
10, 12, 13, and 14 mm sockets
3" and 6" extensions
Wobble joint (just for the back A/C tensioner nut...you may be able to get it w/o a wobbler)
Large pair of plyers and a 6" C-Clamp, a vice would be nice, and a torch if you're a horse!
UPDATED PHOTOS!!
https://goo.gl/photos/43otYLPwfh28DsPK8
Process:
1.) Disconnect your negative battery terminal (10 mm). Jack up the front of the car, supporting the sweet sweet Volvo with jackstands, high enough to allow you to work under the car. You'll have to remove the under engine tray by removing the four or five 10 mm bolts securing it.
2.) From the top of the engine bay, and starting with the power steering and A/C mount (yes, one big mount), go ahead and loosen the 12 mm nut on the side of the PS pump belt tensioner. Then begin loosening the 10 mm tensioner bolt to allow slack in the drive belt. Remove belt.
3.) Now loosen the through bolt (13 mm), which runs through two bushings and secures the PS pump, to allow the PS pump to move. Leave the lines intact.
4.) You should now be able to reach two of the four 14 mm bolts which hold the PS and A/C mount to the block. There are two grounds running to the top bolt (blue and black/red wires). Remember to bolt these down also when reassembling.
5.) Now with the PS freely movable, if you remove the front of the airbox and the filter, you can easily undo the two 12 mm nuts which are securing the A/C compressor to it's tensioner. I reached the further back one with two extensions and a wobble joint. Once you've done that, loosen the 10 mm A/C compressor tensioner bolt, and remove the two belts running to the compressor.
6.) Get down under your beautiful 2.3 liters of Europe and loosen the two bolts securing the A/C compressor to the mount through bushings. You will need two 13 mm open end wrenches, although a 14 mm wrench may work to hold the bolt, while you use your 13 mm wrench to loosen the nut. Again, there are two bolts and two nuts (all 13 mm) securing the bottom of the compressor. Leave the lines intact (unless you are 100% sure the A/C system is empty, then you could replace some o-rings while the compressor is loosey goosey).
7.) You've set the compressor free, and are now able to remove the remaining two 14 mm bolts which secure the large mount to the block. These are both easily removed with socket wrench and normal 14 mm socket. Thankfully they should not be torqued too tightly. You can now remove the mount.
8.) Moving to the alternator, there is one long 13 mm bolt and nut, running through two bushings, which secures the bottom of the alternator. There is also the tensioner, which is bolted to the engine block, through a bushing, with a 13 mm bolt. More than likely, this bushing will be especially thrashed. The distributor mount is secured with three 12 mm bolts.
9.) The best plan of attack is probably to remove the long bolt and nut, as well as the two bottom 12 mm mounting bolts from underneath the car. Then get up, stretch, and remover the alternator tensioner (13 mm), last mount bolt (12 mm), and then the mount. You will have to support the alternator as you do this, and be careful of the connector and ground. You can rest the alternator on the sway bar, and leave the connectors in (keep in mind though, that grounding wire is fragile).
10.) Hurray, you've got all your mounts out (big, small, and alt. tensioner). Using hand tools, you should little difficulty removing the old bushings. I used a big pair of pliers to remove the majority of them, and a 6" c-clamp to do one or two. A vice grip would help very much. Once you have them all out, you can degrease the mounts if you'd like. Make sure all parts are dry before continuing.
11.) Now, before you dive into greasing and installing one by one, I'd recommend setting up an assembly line, where you squeeze some lube (this stuff is intense) on each bushing, then spread it around, and then install. The idea is limit the amount of hand-wiping, cause this marine grease is hardy. The bushing for the alternator tensioner may be very stubborn to install, if thats the case, you can use a rotary tool or even sandpaper to shave off evenly around one of the bushings. This, and some force, and maybe a 1' extension and hammer will get that bushing in place!
A FEW CAUTIONARY NOTES:
Be aware of how to install the bushings. When installed, the "cap" is larger on one side, and will allow the mounting bolts to snugly fit on the PS pump and alternator (the A/C compressor mounting is not so touchy). In some of the pictures I've posted, I have the bushings incorrectly installed, let me tell the right ways:
- In the below photo, showing the alternator tensioner with a new bushing, I HAVE IT INSTALLED ON THE WRONG END. Like this, the tensioner will not bolt up to the alternator correctly. Install your bushing on the opposite end of the "tube"
- In the following photo, showing the alternator mount with newly installed bushings, I HAVE THESE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY ALSO. They must both be flipped, so that the "caps" of the bushings are facing each other. This will take up more space between them, and allow the alternator to fit snugly betwix them.
-Lastly, in the following photo, the bottom-right-most bushing must be flipped to allow the PS pump to be tightly secured.
12.) Installation is the reverse of removal
Don't over-torque! Good luck
Last edited:
Is there an exact method for perfect belt tension (aside from the Japanese style "tension gauge")?
