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Broinkrist's 2005 S60 T5

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#1 · (Edited)
Broinkrist's 2005 S60 T5 M66 with 4C

So I figured it is about time to start my own thread about my first Volvo.

I purchased the car in September of 2010.

Car was listed for sale here on swedespeed, but i purchased it from Volvo of Princeton, New Jersey. My best friend and his family had and still have a very good relationship with the dealer (purchased 4 vehicles from them over the years), so I had no worries about the price I was paying, or that I would be completely covered in the case of anything.

Car was previously owned by JoshV70, or Josh@TKI. Seems like he never really drove the thing since when I purchased it, it only had 22,000 miles on it.

Listed for sale here:
http://forums.swedespeed.com/showth...-Warranty-located-in-NJ&p=1565212#post1565212

Summary of car specs:

2005 Volvo S60 T5, 6 Speed
4C Optional suspension (C/S)
CPO extended till Feb 2013 or 100,000 miles
Factory Lip Kit
Purchased at a hair over 22,000 miles.

So over the past 8 or so months, I have the car up to 37,000 miles now. Purchased a set of Blizzak LM-25 tires with generic tire-rack wheels, also found here on SS. All service has been performed on time either by myself, or Volvo of Princeton. Was in for Check Engine Lights twice, and both times went under the knife for warranty work, first time to replace the brake pedal position sensor, and the second time to replace the fuel pump.

Car has been great so far. I do have another car for the bad weather days, but I usually choose the Volvo because it is much more comfortable and enjoyable to drive in many ways than my Integra, which is just harsh all around.

As far as plans for the future, I pretty much just plan on driving it. The only real modifications I plan on doing in the near future is adding a boost gauge and ipd sway bars.

When the exhaust rusts away, I'll replace it with an EST downpipe and most likely make my own cat-back, with magnaflow mufflers and dual exits. But that is down the line. I also will be getting the ipd softloader with stage 2 tune, and am hoping to figure out a way to take the real-time datalogging feature and having it display those parameters in a more usable way, using the factory nav location for a screen for virtual gauges. It's a semi-tall order, I know, but I should be able to manage. If the 4C suspension goes, i'll probably keep it since it is nice to be able to switch between comfort and sport on the fly, although the KW Variant 2's have caught my eye...

A little about me, Engineer with a Bachelors and Masters in Mechanical Engineering from The Cooper Union. Spent several years specializing in the field of Automotive Engineering, mainly chassis and suspension design. Have my Master's thesis on chassis development for FSAE vehicles. I now work down in Princeton Junction at an Engineering firm that designs industrial gantry systems and other robotic scanning systems.

Anyway, the S60 has been great so far. I plan on keeping it for a while to come, taking care of it as well as I can, and hopefully it will last me for several years to come.

And some pictures to leave you with:

Vehicle registration plate Automotive side marker light Car Wheel Vehicle


Wheel Automotive side marker light Car Automotive parking light Tire


Automotive tail & brake light Vehicle registration plate Car Plant Vehicle


Comments/Criticisms welcome.
 

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#34 ·
Reference the linked thread. I have a list of parts that I purchased.

Got the Scosche kit from amazon and had to machine off the entire inner bezel to have the Nexus sit flush. The opening is not sized exactly right (needs to be a little bit wider than the standard DD cutout), but was close enough so I did not enlarge the opening at all. You really will need a milling machine for this as it will almost be impossible to do it consistently with a dremel.

the plastic piece surrounding the nexus 7

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#35 · (Edited)
So a 3 year later update. Not really on here much anymore because I have no time.

Car now has 122k miles.

Finally got a free day to detail the car. Clay and Sealant.

Wheel Tire Car Vehicle Sky


IPD F&R Track Sways
IPD Sway endlinks
New Windshield
TRS Bi-Xenon Retrofitted R headlights still going strong
Back to OEM radio with Bluetooth IMiv
Left vent-pod with ipd boost gauge
Custom trunk LED lighting
IPD Downpipe
IPD Oval Exhaust
Timing Belt+Water Pump replaced
Front wheel bearings replaced
Rear shock mounts replaced
Finished a set of Continental DW and Blizzak LM-25's
Now on a new set of Continental DW's and Blizzak WS80's

Upcoming things for the future in no particular order:
repaint and remount sideskirts
reinforcing front lip and making a custom splitter
seal up rear bumper with a custom diffuser
wrap side mirrors
wrap interior components that are peeling
open headlights and remount projector bezels and relevel projectors
boost gauge dimmable gauge lighting
Hilton or Stevo stage 2 tune
Re-tint the rear window
Custom wiring for phones and such
New Steering rack needed because of leak
New ETM needed because of intermittent P2111 code and resulting limp mode
KW V2 coilovers when the 4C goes out
Clutch and flywheel possibly next year
While the trans is dropped add an LSD in there (if I can get one)
Repaint front and rear bumpers (NYC/Brooklyn Parking has taken its toll)
R Brembo Caliper upgrade when the current brake rotors+pads need replacing.
New wheels, just not sure which.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Still ticking away those miles, although much slower these days than years past. Currently at 136k miles. It's a great 20 footer. Needs some work close up though.

Wheel Tire Car Sky Vehicle registration plate


All interior plastics wrapped with Carbon Fiber Vinyl
Headlights releveled and resealed
Rear windows and sunroof retinted
Boost gauge illuminated
Custom wired phone chargers in radio pocket
Auto-Vox X1 rear view mirror LCD back-up camera with front/rear video recorders
Yellow Fogs
LED DRLs
Super bright Reverse LEDs
Custom trunk LED bar
Custom trunk cargo netting
Bluetooth OBD2 to Dashcommand on vent mounted Note 8

To Do:
R caliper upgrade in the works
Snabb/IPD Intercooler and piping upgrade
Stage 2 tune from contrast
 
#37 · (Edited)
Got a chance to wash and clay and seal the car a little while back. It's still looking good for a 13 year old car. Needs some paint work on the front and rear bumpers from NYC drivers that SUCK at parking, but that's expected.

Automotive side marker light Automotive parking light Car Wheel Land vehicle


Bi-Xenon Projector Retrofit up close. Parts from TRS
Automotive parking light Car Automotive side marker light Vehicle Automotive lighting



Car's getting a pretty nice shoe present.

Helmet Cuisine Wood Food Dish


R Brembo Caliper set purchased from a part-out on here.
Also purchased new Brembo rotors, SS brake lines (FCPEuro) and a set of rear dust shields also from a part-out on here.

Also since the original Orpheus wheels won't fit anymore, some new shoes for her to sit on too.
Automotive tire Bicycle part Alloy wheel Wheel Automotive design



Orpheus wheels offset wasn't enough. So instead of getting 12mm spacers, new set of wheels. FC04 in 17x8 +35 in Titanium. Thanks EST!
Pair that with a standalone TPMS system to bring this car into the 21st century.

Gonna be a fun installation!

So anyone looking for some Orpheus wheels and/or a 305mm rotor/caliper upgrade, look out in the marketplace.
 

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#38 ·
I know this to be true about NYC drivers, this is where my car came from. Original buyer was from around White Plains, bought at Red Bank Volvo in NJ, and she drove into the city for work. Door dings and paints chips a plenty. Actually surprised it's not worse.

BTW, yours is looking great!
 
#39 · (Edited)
Love the car, so much that I am a proud father of your childs sibling...

Might have to ping you in the future regarding issues you might have experienced so far.
Just cleaned my throttle body due to it getting stuck and throwing the error code.

Cheers!
-Danny
 
#40 · (Edited)
#42 ·
Not that bad. Hardest part was getting the projector shroud to fit correctly as it requires shaving on the bottom and then fixing it to the housing.

Second hardest part was figuring out the wiring as halogen equipped cars' headlights are driven by PWM and you have to filter that out before making a custom wiring harness.

I should do a write up of how I did the whole system but just don't have the time.
 
#43 ·
Wow! You car is super sharp and tastefully modded indeed! I will keep an eye out for it as coincidentally, I also work in Princeton Junction. And another fun fact is my car also came from Volvo of Princeton.Do you commute to work in the T5 in the winter? I don't. the brine on the Interstate is awful.
 
#44 ·
I'm not in Princeton Junction anymore unfortunately. I moved back to NYC and have been in Brooklyn for the past few years. May move back though at some point. I drive my car year round in any weather. Blizzaks for the winter works wonders.
 
#47 ·
That's some great info and great to know!! I wonder if the PWM is present on say a pre-face lift S60 like mine if I were to try to go to post face lift headlights or even ABLs... But I'm thinking that PWM is inherent to the car itself rather than the housing used. The S40 PWM issues are with the 2004.5 and up models. My 2001 that I used to have did not have that issue fortunately.

Anxious to see what you plan and come up with the 4C system, keep us posted and keep up the great work! :cool:
 
#48 · (Edited)
As is with any car after having it for a while and doing lots of mods, I've been considering listing the thing for sale.

Some things I need to take care of for maintenance related items this spring such as suspension bushings, a clunking sway bar linkage, steering rack boot, and other misc things.

And I also never got around to do a stage 2 tune.

Any thoughts on what I should list this for? Anyone interested a super rare S60 T5 M66?

2005 S60 T5 M66 with 4C
Silver Exterior over Black Interior
1/72 S60 T5 M66's in 2005. Even more rare since this one has 4C. (Have heard of maybe a handful of 4C cars in 10+ years on the volvo forums)
136k miles (Purchased in 08/2010 with 18k miles)
Prior owner was Josh@Tki Motorsports who owned the car from new. Car was previously listed on Swedespeed also.

All maintenance since 20k miles done by me (Mechanical/Automotive Engineer)
Oil change every 5k miles, always with Pennzoil Ultra/Platinum Full Synthetic + OEM Volvo Filters
TB/WP/Serpentine Belt Done in 2015 at 108k miles
Several Sets of tires, brakes, wipers, spark plugs, air filters, cabin filters, fluid changes, etc.
Windshield changed out at 120k miles.
New Pass Front Wheel Hub/bearing (121k miles)
New Upper Rear Shock Mounts (121k miles)

Exterior is in ok condition. Body has some small dents and scratches (shouldn't be an issue to get them out) F+R Bumpers and Side Skirts need some work and paint as the car is street parked. Paint always protected with sealant. Not a garage queen by any means.

Front 4C shocks replaced under warranty at 80k miles, along with some other small things (have receipts)

Sport Kit all around
Pretty nice interior, no rips or tears or any real wear
5% tint on rear pass windows, rear glass, and sun roof
Matte Carbon wrapped vinyl interior trim pieces (vents, steering column, dash surround)
IPD DP + Oval Exhaust
R Calipers F+R and Rotors + SS Brake Lines and new Parking Brake Shoes
FC04 17x8+35 wrapped in Continental DW tires with TPMS (3k miles on new wheels, 8k miles on tires - 2 years)
Sport Edition 17x7.5 wrapped in Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 tires (beat up winter wheels, 8k miles on tires - 2 years)
Snabb Intake Tube
Snabb Short Shifter Stalk and Delrin Bushings
IPD Track Sway Bars F+R and IPD Endlinks
Custom S60R headlights, retrofitted with projectors and LED DRLs, along with custom wiring harness and separate fuse and relay box
Custom wiring for USB-C Power
Custom wiring for Avox X1 (front and rear dash cam + reverse camera in the rear view mirror)
Custom LED strip in the trunk

Probably a ton more things I'm forgetting that I'll update as time goes on.

Any input welcome.
 
#49 · (Edited)
I've been getting a max boost pressure of 5-6psi lately in all gears with a pretty big dip in power at >50% throttle in the 2-4k RPM range, so it's about time to overhaul everything now that I have close to 140k miles.
Also the 4C suspension is on its way out. ~60k on the fronts and ~140k on the rears. Replacing the whole system with 4C just doesn't make sense as it'll cost around $1400, soooo.....

Things are about to get a lot more...interesting...

Vehicle Car Transport Rallycross Compact car


KW V2s for T5 cars. Scored a pretty good deal on a set from the marketplace.

Also ordered a large box full of stuff from FCP to fix everything that needs replacing. Rather do it all at once while I'm in there.
Volvo PCV Beather Kit - KIT-504286
Volvo PCV Nipple - 30731007
Volvo PCV Banjo Bolt - 31325709
Volvo Copper O-Ring x2 - 11994
Lemforder Tie Rod Kit - KIT-511410
Snabb Intake Manifold Spacer - 31430474
Snabb Throttle Body Spacer - 31430474
Boost Pressure Valve - Pierburg 30670449
Side Engine Mount - Hutchinson 3074881
Front/Rear Engine Mount - Hutchinson 30778951
Front lower control arm rear bushing - Volvo 8630605
Front lower control arm front bushing - Lemforder 9465971
Front lower ball joint - Lemforder 274548
Forge CBV with Yellow Spring
Replace all Boost Pressure Lines

After this, all that's left are rear suspension bushings, replace the exhaust clamps, then Stage 2 Tune.
 
#50 · (Edited)
Spend a day to tackle the PCV job on my 140k mile 2005 S60 T5 M66. Turns out everything was pretty clean and clear so it most likely didn't need to be replaced! :facepalm: I followed the FCPEuro video suggestions/tutorial and it wasn't that bad.

Auto part Engine Vehicle Car Fuel line


Auto part Automotive engine part Carburetor Engine Metal


Tips for anyone planning on tackling this job:
1. Spend the money and buy a 10mm wobble socket extension before doing the job. That lower left intake manifold bolt is literally impossible to reach.
2. The PCV Banjo bolt can be reached with a standard 17mm socket/Wrench after you unbolt the intake manifold and angle it up slightly to reach the back side. I bought stubbies to try to reach it but couldn't get enough space to wedge my arms under the IM.
3. If you plan on replacing the gaskets (intake manifold and throttle body) with thicker ones from Snabb or other, you will have to grind off some of the intake manifold around the lower left intake manifold bolt. There was no space in there to begin with to reach the bolt, and with a thicker gasket, there is even less room. I ended up notching the intake manifold around the flange head bolt removing about 1/4" of material to make it fit.
4. All different length 1/4" drive extensions are your friends, as well as as many types of wobble fittings you can get.
5. An electric or pneumatic impact driver makes things much easier and faster.

Also replaced all the exhaust clamps on my IPD oval exhaust with new SS ones from here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
as all the ones supplied by IPD were completely rusted and crusting apart, causing the exhaust to come loose and leak.
I've had the exhaust for 4 years now on the car, through Northeast winters, salt, etc. I had to cut them off and they basically fell apart in my hands.

A few weeks ago I took out most of the top engine stuff to replace the CBV with a forge unit with yellow spring, as well as switching all the boost lines to silicone as well as installing a new OEM TCV. When digging into my boost leak, I found a good size hole in my lower intercooler inlet hose (passanger side) so replaced with a new volvo unit, so boosting back to 14.7psi feels great.

Next up is to change the fuel filter, all the motor mounts, refresh the suspension with new bushings, top mount bearings, and KW V2s, then time for a Stage 2 tune!

After that a full paint correction and eventually respraying the front and rear bumpers, as well as taking out some dings in the body from all these years of NYC street parking.
 
#51 ·
Great write up and tips on that job!! Not quite to where I need to do that yet, but of course eventually. Sounds like from your write up that you just pull the I/M back, but not completely off, correct? Also besides reduced heat transfer through it, any advantage to the thicker gaskets?

Sent from my Huawei Mate 9 using Tapatalk
 
#52 ·
Yeah, after the intake manifold is loose, you can tip it "forward", the flange away from the block and you can get a 17mm socket under to remove the banjo bolt. You have to be careful not to tip the IM forward too much as you can snap the small hard line that the banjo bolt goes to (that you have to replace during the PCV job anyway).

As for the benefits of the Snabb IM and TB gaskets/spacers, besides thermal transfer, I don't really see much benefit. I did it because everything was going to be removed anyway so I figured why not. There will now be a change in how air flows between the TB/IM and IM/Head ports because the gasket isn't port-matched, but neither were the original steel gaskets. In the end, if the system doesn't leak, then I'll leave them. If I do develop any leaks in the IM area, I can always replace with stock gaskets (that I also have from the PCV kit)
 
#53 ·
Sounds like you're taking good care of your T5, it looks great. I gotta get me a factory lip kit!

I like the look of the projector headlights and wouldn't mind doing that but with black housing, however I have zero wiring experience.

Keep up the good work!
 
#54 · (Edited)
Thanks! Every now and then I think of selling the thing but can never get myself to actually post up a for sale ad. So many other cars I'm looking at trying out in the next couple of years but the cost vs benefit ratio never works out in favor of something newer. 3rd Gen CTS-V, W463 G55, E60M5, RS7, E63s Wagon, etc.

Lip kit will be difficult to find unless you buy new from somewhere like Viva, where it gets really really pricey. Does completely change the look of the car though. Makes it look quite aggressive which I really like. Down side is the front is really low so you have to be pretty careful everywhere. S Florida may be fine but up here in the Northeast, I need to go diagonal up and down everywhere, not to mention the roads up here are definitely the worst collectively of anywhere in the country.

As for the headlights, it was kind of a pita to do. The wiring side of it isn't that bad as it's all 12V wiring which is pretty hard to mess up since you have relays and fuses everywhere. But retrofitting the projectors took some creativity and removing and reattaching the glass lenses onto the housings was nervous and careful work. I also went a step further and made my own relay harness for both low beams and DRLs all wired with automotive plugs, braided sheathing, shrink wrapped ends, remote mounted fuse/relay box with crimped terminals. Light output is night and day when comparing the two. I would never be able to go back to the halogen setup, even with a P&P HID kit.
 
#55 · (Edited)
Hi All,

So my time has come to leave the swedespeed family. I've been here for nearly 10 years and it's been quite a journey.

Moved 5 times, 2 different states, 3 different jobs, countless roadtrips, ~120k miles. I'll post up a more comprehensive overall review of my ownership, costs for everything over the past 10 years, and such for all newer/future owners who want a better glimpse of what ownership is like.

Won't be selling the T5M66 immediately, but plan is to fix up a few nagging things so the next owner has a good platform to start for the next 100k miles. Will list it on here in probably a month or two when the craziness of the world starts to settle down. Feel free to PM if you or anyone you know would be interested.

But for now, I'll leave you with a few pictures of its replacement:

Tire Car Land vehicle Wheel Vehicle registration plate


Wheel Tire Automotive parking light Car Land vehicle


Tire Wheel Automotive parking light Car Vehicle

2005 G55 90k miles. M113k 5.4L Supercharged V8, triple lockers, etc.

Lots of plans for this truck. It needs a good wash, chrome delete, some rust removal/coating, some minor paint work, lighting improvements, etc. It'll be sitting until the NJ DMV opens again in a few weeks (hopefully)
 

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#56 · (Edited)
Well, how things can change in 2 months.

Looks like I'll be keeping the Volvo for the near future. Plan is to have 2 cars now as the family will be moving out to Jersey and looking for a house. Sometimes crazy situations have a way of kicking you in the rear to get things moving, but it's a good thing in the end. Also I'll get to go garage shopping with a house attached.

A few things that need to be fixed on the T5M now that I have the space, tools, time, and a second car.

- Replace the Clutch Position Sensor
- Oil Change
- Replace Front Lower Control Arm Bushings
- Replace Front Right 4C Accelerometer
- Replace All Engine Mounts
- Replace Steering tie-rods
- Figure out how to swap in a rebuilt or used steering rack, or rebuild it using new seals
- Install softer suspension than the 4C system. KW's are probably overkill for what I need so those are for sale. Maybe go with Bilsteins and call it a day.
- Finally get a Stage 2 tune from Contrast or Steveo.
- Repainting the front and rear bumpers after almost 5 years of NYC street parking
- Full paint correction on the car, and removing a few dents + ceramic coat
- Refinishing the winter wheels and mounting TPMS sensors
- Maybe add a small 6.5" or 8" sub+amp to round out the bottom end of the system. Custom enclosure maybe inside the full size spare or on the side of the trunk.

I'll start getting through this list over the coming weeks to put the T5M back to a solid Stage 0 before the Stage 2 tune.
 
#57 · (Edited)
Wow it's been way too long and I really haven't done anything with the T5M since a year ago. That whole list one post above never happened, unfortunately, but that changes starting now! I've never been one to regularly update this thread, but I've been pretty good with the truck, so should continue the trend for the T5M. Aiming to get all of this done this year before winter rolls around.

Now having a second vehicle, a house, and a garage to work out of, no more excuses to not get all of these projects done.

Finally was able to take stock of of the random Volvo parts, new and old, I've collected/ordered over the years. Lots of things I forgot I had and lots of duplicate items I ordered when jumping from one location to the next. This is only the smaller things. Larger boxes are all still in my parents' garage.

124366

Windshield wipers, fuel filter, oil filters, engine mounts, ball joints, suspension bushings, gaskets, inner/outer tie rods, sway bar linkages, PA300 amp+wiring harness, spare interior vents, S60R leather door pulls...

124367

Liquid moly goodness and a new air filter and used K&N on the left side. Right side is all G55k parts and stuff.

145820 miles and counting. I started to use the car to commute into NYC for work a few days a week, so it's seeing regular miles now for the first time in years.

Started today with a quick wash.

124362


To recap the to do list:
  • Replace the Clutch Position Sensor
  • Oil Change - Liquid Moly Additives
  • Drain/Refill Transmission Fluid
  • New Brake Pads for R Brembo's F+R
  • Replace Front Lower Control Arm Bushings
  • Replace Front Right 4C Accelerometer
  • Replace All Engine Mounts
  • Replace Steering tie-rods
  • Replace Steering Rack
  • Install KW V2's
  • Install PA300 Amp
  • Install HU-850 and possibly replace all the speakers
  • Add load resistors to the HID circuit to get rid of headlight BOW
  • Readjust the IPD exhaust tips to sit centered in the bumper cutout
  • Sound deaden as much of the car as I can. It's pretty loud on the highway so anything will help.

Longer term to do list:
  • Do88 Drop-in Intercooler
  • Stage 2 tune from Contrast or Steveo.
  • Repainting the front/rear bumpers + side skirts after 5 years of NYC street parking dings and dents
  • Full paint correction on the car, and removing a few dents + ceramic coat
  • Refinishing the winter wheels and mounting TPMS sensors

Any other suggestions on things I should tackle? I don't think there's really that much more to add. A Stage 2ish is about as far as I want to take this car to maintain reliability, but still have some fun. Also need to split my car modding budget between the T5M and the G55k.

More to come...
 
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#58 ·
Had some time today to spend maintaining the Volvo. She's been neglected for a long time now, so today is the first step getting her back up to spec.

127089

LiquiMoly Oil Change Kit 5W40, LiquiMoly Engline Flush, Ceratec, Fuel Flush, Air Filter, Spark Plugs (will do this some other day), Fuel Filter, Windshield Wipers, Fuel Filler Cap Retaining Strap, Clutch Position Sensor

Getting everything done wasn't that bad. Took maybe 2 hours.

When under the dash replacing the faulty clutch position sensor, I found that the steering shaft boot had come off the floor. Anyone else ever have this happen before? I pushed the needle bearing back on the shaft and reattached the bottom of the boot to the floor cutout, but this may have been some of the steering clunking I have been hearing.
127090


Oil Change all went by without a hitch. Added the LiquiMoly Additives so will see how the engine responds to a cleaning.

Replaced the fuel filter - I have to say I may be guilty of actually never changing the fuel filter. I looked through my records and saw that I purchased the Bosch part in 2013 when the car had 82k miles. Being that I purchased the car when it had 22k miles, the most likely scenario is the removed fuel filter had 147k miles on it. Sure looks the part.
127091


Hoping my MPG's start to get back into the high 20's/low 30's with this part changed out.

I don't know if anyone is curious, but I snapped a picture of the aux fuse/relay box I installed for my bi-xenon projector retrofitted R head lights. I tapped into the headlight sub-harnesses and rectified the car headlight PWM signal to a steady state 12V. The setup has everything fused and on relays, controlling the low beams, high beams, and LED DRLs. Everything is soldered and run through wiring sheaths, with ends all terminated using shrink wrap. All connections are fed through the bottom of the aux fuse/relay box with correct crimp terminals to connect directly to the fuses or relays. All of this is tied down under the false panel next to the air box. I've had this set up exactly like this for ~4 years/22k miles and have not had any issues. Prior to adding the fuse/relay box, I have been running the retrofitted projectors for ~7 years/45k miles and besides bad relays, they've been issue free.
127092


Next up:
  • Spark Plugs (possibly coil packs)
  • KW V2 Coilover Install with all new rubber parts and bushings
  • LCA bushing replacement
  • Front lower ball joint replacement
  • Steering Rack replacement
  • Delrin Subframe Bushings
  • All 4 motor mounts
 
#60 ·
Steering rack has a slow leak (sometime fast leak) from the passenger side boot area. I am guessing it's the shaft seal. I would attempt to rebuild it myself but have never done so before and don't want to purchase specialty tools for a one time use, nor can I find a good writeup on what I need to purchase/how to do it. It's been leaking for a long time now, maybe 5 years, so I'd like to take care of it since I'll be dropping the subframe and refreshing all of the suspension anyway.

Pretty sure the leak started when my front passenger side wheel bearing went. I drove on it for a while and I'm guessing everything on the suspension corner heated up pretty badly, making its way down the steering tie rods, and messing up the seal. The leaking steering fluid also ruined one of my subframe bushings, thus the need to replace that also.
 
#62 ·
Just to add a note:
  • I was having a low RPM stumble from time to time that caused the car to bog down while setting off from a stop. The oil change, additives, new air filter, and new fuel filter seem to have gotten rid of this issue. My guess is the new fuel filter is the main reason. - Changing out the spark plugs should make this even happier.
  • The engine overall is much quieter than before. Much less mechanical noise overall, but just as much exhaust noise (IPD exhaust).
  • I've been hitting full boost (1bar) quicker than before. Overall signs that the engine is much happier than before.
  • I have cruise control back!
  • I hooked up the car to VIDA and crawled through everything and cleared codes and browsed through the stored codes from the past year or so.
  • I got a CEL the other day for a possible faulty Evap Purge Valve. Cleared the code to see if it comes back.
  • I need to replace the front right 4C accelerometer as its voltage is out of range, but that whole system will be going when I install the KW's anyway.

Anyone have any idea which steering rack is the correct one to order for a 2005 T5? Non-R, non speed sensitive steering. I read somewhere a while ago that they changed rack design (fluid fittings) somewhere in the middle of 2005, which is the main reason for confusion.
 
#63 · (Edited)
So the T5 M66 has been down for a few weeks now. 147k miles. Catastrophic failure of the rear shock mount.

I did a lot of research about this and didn't find any reference to Volvo shock towers failing unless rust was the main culprit.
My issue was a complete failure of the rear anchorage top cracking off, and also cracking the inner trunk metal panel mounting points. Definitely bad and ugly. This happened relatively quickly, as I inspected the area for suspension creeking/squeaks maybe 100 miles before I found this:

130784
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Took a while to plan how to tackle this as it's not a trivial fix. Also took a while to figure out which parts I needed to order as no one really knows much about FWD cars that have 4C from factory. Since I have been planning for a while to switch over to KW v2 coilovers, as well as replacing my leaking steering rack, I figured this was the time to do it all for a full suspension/steering refresh to give this 147k mile super rare 2005 S60 T5 M66 car originally with 4C a new lease on life.

Steering rack has been leaking for a long long time now since ~4 years ago (25k miles) when my passenger front wheel bearing failed and heated the whole area up past its limits, and melted some seals in the steering rack. I've just been refilling the power steering fluid every time it got low since it started leaking and always cleaned up the leak area every time I had the wheels off. Large mess with caked on dirt over all the suspension components.
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The steering rack leak also continually soaked the subframe mount, which has made it very very soft over the years, so those will be swapped out also.

I've been collecting parts for a full suspension rebuild for over a year now, but now is the time to put it all to good use and get it out of my storage cabinets/shelves. FCPEuro has definitely taken a lot of my money. Here's a bulk of it stacked in/on/around other random car/garage/house projects and parts:

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KW V2 Coilovers for FWD P2
Delrin Front Subframe Bushings from Viva

New Front Lower Trailing Arm Bushings Front and Rear (XC90 Design)
New Front Swaybar Endlinks
New Front Lower Ball Joints
New Front Strut Spring Top Mounts (XC90 Design)
New Front Strut Top Bearings
New Front Strut Top Washers

New Rear Anchorages (L+R)
New Rear Upper Shock Mounts
New Rear Trailing Arm Bushings (Powerflex poly)
New Rear Spring Upper and Lower Isolators
New Rear Swaybar Endlinks

Used Steering Rack from Erie Volvo (80k miles, Lifetime Warranty)
New Inner Steering Tie Rods
New Outer Steering Tie Rods
New Steering shaft Lower Coupler
New Subframe Plastic Washers

New Front Motor Mount
New Rear Motor Mount
New Side Motor Mount
New Poly Inserts for the Front Transmission Torque Mount

To repair the inner trunk panel area, I'll be welding the cracked areas back on.

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This inner trunk panel area isn't really under any load since the shock force is supposed to be taken up by the Anchorage along with the Upper Shock Mount. This the process I'll use:
  • Tack Weld the broken parts back on
  • Drill holes at the end of the cracks
  • Use angle grinder and trench out the cracked area
  • Fill all cracked areas with weld
  • Cut a donor panel from a wrecked car and spot weld it on top of the cracked/welded parts
  • Tig weld everything and then paint to protect the whole area, top and bottom/inside and out.

I have about 2 days over the past few week digging into everything and have removed most of what I need.
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Removed everything shown above. I left the front struts in the car to hold up the knuckles but those will obviously also be coming out. I didn't want to have to disconnect the brakes or remove the axle bolts, so leaving the strut in there holds everything together for now. I also left the rear upper Y arm and the rear toe arm as I didn't plan to replace them, nor any of the associated bushings. All the bushings in the rear look pretty good with the exception of the Front Trailing Arm bushing, which I'll be replacing with a Powerflex Poly one. I'm doing this to avoid having to drop the rear subframe as it's unnecessary at this point. I also didn't want to remove the rear brake lines.

Here's a closeup of the Rear Anchorage failure. FCPEuro and Volvo said they have never seen a failure like this, so hoping that documenting this helps someone else in the future.

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I had to purchase a bunch of tools for this job including an Engine Hoist (Harbor Freight Pittsburg 2 ton) and a second pair of jack stands (Harbor Freight Daytona Aluminum). I had to get better lines and fittings for my Air Compressor to run my 1/2 impact (Harbor Freight Earthquake XT) that made removing all of these parts a breeze. I'll be using a 12 ton press to remove/install all of the bushings. This definitely added a good amount of extra expense to this project, but it should all be worth it and I know I'll be using all the new tools in the future.

Sourcing the correct steering rack for my car was a tricky task as I found a ton of old and unreliable data on the forums. I was going to go with a rebuilt rack, but decided I didn't want to chance it and potentially have to do all this work again, thus I went with a used rack from Erie Volvo out of an 88k mile 2006 car that comes with a Lifetime Warranty. I gave Erie a call and they walked me through identifying which rack I needed - in my case a speed sensitive rack with clamp fittings. Super easy process and I was able to order directly on the phone and the rack arrived 3 days later well packaged in a large box with inner and outer tie rods (that I'll be replacing anyway) for $325 including shipping.

The only bolts/nuts I had trouble removing were the steering tie rods from the knuckle. Mine were completely seized, and since I'll be replacing everything there anyway, I cut it off with an angle grinder.

Removing the front subframe was a real pain. I would not recommend it unless you really have to. Some issues I ran into:
  • Grab a friend to help as it's a ton easier with a second person.
  • You have to support the front of the car from the pinch welds. If you have the optional Aero Kit side skirts, these have to come off as the plastic panel under the side skirts covers the pinch weld.
  • Rear engine mount lower bolt was impossible to get to. I have larger IPD track sway bars so I wasn't able to squeeze in a swivel socket like the FCPEuro video shows.
  • Rear engine mount upper nut requires a lot of extensions and flex joints to get from the top of the engine. You'll need 2 people for this.
  • Fuel return line was snaked around the subframe and UNDER the steering rack and sway bar.
  • Power Steering front hard line mounting bracket on the front of the subframe was very difficult to reach so I just ended up cutting it and will replace (generic rubber isolated mounting clamp)
  • Front Passenger brake line runs behind the steering rack and is a tight to bend out of the way when dropping
  • Exhaust mounting bracket on the back of the subframe cannot be removed and gets in the way of a lot of things. 1 mounting bolt is located under the steering rack.
  • Large wiring bundle is attached with a bolt to the front of the subframe and is difficult to access

For reinstalling everything, I'll be doing the following:
  • Cleaning, removing all the rust and repainting all suspension arms and the subframe with Steel-it Gray
  • Replacing any suspension bolts that doesn't look great
  • Deep cleaning of the wheel wells and under the car from years of dirt, Northeast winter salt, etc
  • Wire brushing all the bolts/nuts - replacing where necessary
  • Repairing any undercoating issues under the car

Hope to have this all completed in the next 2 weeks before leaving on a family vacation. Not sure if I'll be able to find the time though since I have a good amount of suspension work to do on the family hauler truck as we're taking that on the long 2500 mile road trip.

Any tips and suggestions, please let me know.

Cheers!
 
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#64 ·
Good luck man! That sounds like quite a job, but it'll be very productive once completed. You have it will mapped out, so I have good confidence you'll get through it will. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
 
#66 ·
Thanks! Hoping I have everything figured out but will always take any and all suggestions.

Her less fancy sister (another 1 of 72) says good luck!
Reading this makes me want to check these issue spots twice over.
I am grateful of your documentation here in case I need to reference it in the future. Fingers crossed.
Would love to see those KW2s on mine :LOL:, but I'm also super excited to see the end result and hear your opinion of their feel.

Good luck man!
I wouldn't be concerned really at all unless you have 4C shocks. There are 2 points of failure before the catastrophic failure I had, being the shock just blowing out, then the upper shock mount rubber ripping. I will isolate it to 4C being the culprit. Also, 25k miles ago, when I swapped out the original top shock mounts due to a failure (where the top shock mount correctly failed before breaking anything else), I trusted the Volvo dealership with Part Numbers and they gave me the standard top shock mounts, Volvo P/N 30666271. I just chalked this up to Volvo updating the part like they regularly do. In reality, my 4C specific rear suspension setup needed Volvo P/N 30736512. The 2 parts are definitely different (I still have one of the originals off my car) but I have no idea what those differences actually mean IRL.

I've heard great things about the KW's and everyone who gets them swears by them. I have a good friend with a 2007 R who has them too and he's been very happy also. After having them for 2 years now in the box, it's about time to put them on.

Today, I got an hour to clean up a lot of the parts and stripped the subframe of everything. Will commence a deep cleaning and removing the subframe bushings in preparation for Delrin.

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FYI, Air tools are a major win for anyone who has the space and $. I'm running my 1/2 Harbor Freight Impact off of a cheapo Harbor Freight 8 gallon air compressor and it's amazing. Anything larger would be great, but just shows you can get into the air tool game for not that much $. A good quality electric impact would work great too. I was planning on getting the Dewalt DCF899 since I already have plenty of batteries and other yellow tools, but not having to spend that ~$200 right now was a welcome relief. I'll probably still get one in the future but $ is a little tight due to all the recent parts and tool purchases.
 
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