Hey guys
I put my 95 850 in for a service, tune and timing belt the car was well past its due date for a service and tune, when i got the car back it sounded like the removed my purring 2.5 and replaced it with a diesel!!!, every vlave is noisey. He tried changing the oil, no good, he went as far as trying to remove the valve covers but couldnt figure out how to get them off.
He is addemant that the timing belt was replaced corectly
The engine is down on power and will start to break down from 3k rpm and will only rev till 4k under load.

Any ideas please.

I am guessing that you are using a mechanic that you know or have used satisfactorily in the past. I don't know right off what may be your problem, but it sounds a bit like your mechanic is not overly familiar with Volvos, since he doesnt know how to remove the valve cover (if he had the proper books/software as many general mechanics try to keep up on, he would be able to find out how to do it fairly easily, although that doesn't mean he would have any special tools that might be required...dont know if any are). I am not trying to pick on your mechanic here, it just sounds like he may not know some of what is needed to properly work on a Volvo.

He may have properly replaced the timing belt, but is he certain he got the timing itself correct? Improper timing can make the car run rough, idle badly and lose power (not sure if it will cause the knocking though). Might want to have the timing double checked by a second mechanic (second opinion mainly).

My mom had similar issues with her Toyota, when a mechanic told her he knew all the specifics about fixing her Toyota, and that it required special spark plugs, etc. He swore up and down that he replaced the items with the proper ones yet her problems remained. After having someone else look at it, she found out he had not use the items that were required and just put in the cheapest stuff he could get or what he happened to have at the time (and this was from a friend of my Step-dad's, who, as it turned out just flat out lied to her about what he had done). Once things were done properly, her car ran great.

Just something to think about.

+1. if the mech didn't line up eveything, and it sounds like he didn't, i am pretty sure that would cause the problems that you are having. is it possible for you to have another mechanic take a look at it?

Thanx peeps, looks like anoher mech might be the way to go. The timing belt would explain the loss in power.

But im still at a loss to explain the severe vale noise.

unless the mech screwed up totally and the valves are bent because of it. the engine in newer volvos are interference, meaning, the belt goes everything slams into the valves. if they are bent, it needs a rebuild. get to another mech quick, bro.

Let's just hope its just sticking valves.
:)