what to look for on a 84' Diesel Volvo?

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

So I will be checking out a Diesel Volvo this Thursday and was wondering what to look out for on this car with regartds to the engine and Diesel aspects of this car. I am very familiar with gasser 240's and know about the usual issues there.

I know that the Diesel is an inline 6 VW Diesel, the one in this car was recently rebuilt, don't know much else about it yet.

-Jack

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

An 84 didn't have air bags or antilock brakes.

Some had bad blower motors. If this one needs one, I have a spare lying around somewhere.

If it's a 760, then it had those load-leveling (Nivomat) rear shocks. In my opinion, they sucked. But you should look to see that the backend isn't sagging.

The car has a 16 gallon main fuel tank with a 5 gallon auxilliary tank, making 21 total gallons. It should get around 30mpg on the highway for a 600 mile range.

A/C was different on the diesel, using a different compressor (Japanese).

Check the fuel pump for leaks. It's driven by it's own belt off the cam. One issue I heard about is that if the belt was overtightend, the pump would start to leak from the rear seal. Also, the cam shaft could be overstressed and break.

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

Mine has been pretty good motor wise. Problems so far have been vacuum pump, and brake master cylinder. Pump the brakes a few times and if you dont get a hard pedal, you should be fine there.

Get under it and check for leaks. Oil and tranny, PS, brake. Be sure to get it out on the freeway and make sure the Od works.

Mine has been pretty good over its 140k miles. Just a few little things that were caused by sitting for 10 years...

Ask about the TB too...Very important/expensive

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

Thanks, this car could be really fun, there is a guy on a Volvo page that has his running the 1/4 in 13.9 seconds!, that is with a performance rebuild, but he said he ran 20 PSI with the stock NA block for 3 years, stock injectors with fuel pump tweaks, hybrid T3/T4 turbo, 3" exahaust...

-Jack

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

Wow, what Volvo page is this? I'd like to see someone hot rodding a Volvo diesel! My Mom has a '93 240, last year of the 240 cars. Very stout, very heavy for being a 'lil Swed.

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

This engine used 2 timing belts. One for the cam and crank shafts and one off the back of the cam to turn the pump. As with any diesel, check the pump for signs of leakage. If it's a manual, check to make sure the electric overdrive unit works. If not, it may be a simple electical problem or something more serious. A compression test is always a good thing on an older diesel, but not always practicle.

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

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Wow, what Volvo page is this? I'd like to see someone hot rodding a Volvo diesel! My Mom has a '93 240, last year of the 240 cars. Very stout, very heavy for being a 'lil Swed.

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Turbobricks is the name of the website, that link will take you straight to the performance forum, there is very little to no performance Diesel Volvo's there, this is a newer thread there that talks about Volvo Diesel performance, there is a guy there named TDi244R (somewhat cocky IMO /images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif) who's Diesel Volvo suposedley ran the 1/4 in 13.9 /images/graemlins/eek.gif. He has only posted some of his mods so far, but will supposedley have pics and more info up soon.

I am very familiar with the entire OD system in these cars, I have worked on NA 240's and I have a turbo 240 wagon that puts out about 200 crank HP /images/graemlins/laugh.gif 20 years old and oh so much humiliation potential, I'd rather own a Volvo than get spanked by one... it'll pass anything except a gas station /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

-Jack

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

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Some had bad blower motors. If this one needs one, I have a spare lying around somewhere.

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Replacing blower motors in Volvo 200-series can be time consuming. See http://www.swedishbricks.net and http://www.brickboard.com .

Volvo 200-series often have missing reverse lenses from the taillights. The reverse lens is available inexpensively from http://www.fcpgroton.com and http://www.ipdusa.com . Many junkyard taillights are also missing the reverse lenses.

The electrically operated overdrive unit in the transmission often has failures in the relays and wires. This usually isn't a difficult fix, but the failure mode is the inability to use the overdrive.

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

My comments were for the 700 series. They did not have an electric overdrive switch, the lockup clutch was automatic.

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

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Replacing blower motors in Volvo 200-series can be time consuming.

The electrically operated overdrive unit in the transmission often has failures in the relays and wires. This usually isn't a difficult fix, but the failure mode is the inability to use the overdrive.

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I've never had to replace the blower motor on mine but have hears of it being billed out at 14 hours /images/graemlins/eek.gif , somewhere I have seen some info about drilling some holes in the HVAC housing in just the right place and putting one of thoes oiling straws in just the right amount and dripping oil on the critical parts of the blower motor, to save a day of labor I would try it.

If your OD fails on a long trip you can rig it with basic tool box contents. Take 12 V (cig lighter)and run it straight to the solenoid on the back of the OD unit, OD engaged, unless of course it is not working because of bad solenoid or low fluid level...

SO the car I checked out was quite nice, but he is probably going to sell it to his buddy who was interested before it got advertised /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/confused.gif, oh well, the garage selling it is totally into these old Volvo Diesels, they get them fairly often and reallly know thier stuff, they had 3 sitting there needing the motor rebuilt...

-Jack

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

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The electrically operated overdrive unit in the transmission often has failures in the relays and wires. This usually isn't a difficult fix, but the failure mode is the inability to use the overdrive.

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Well at least when new, the Volvos originally had an overdrive that would work before the tach read 3000 rpm or higher! /images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

Why on earth would the supposedly superior German engineers wait until well past the maximum torque peak to engage the lockup T/C? Whoever heard of anything so ignorant? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

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. . . there is a guy there named TDi244R (somewhat cocky IMO /images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif) who's Diesel Volvo supposedley ran the 1/4 in 13.9 /images/graemlins/eek.gif. He has only posted some of his mods so far, but will supposedley have pics and more info up soon.

I am very familiar with the entire OD system in these cars, I have worked on NA 240's and I have a turbo 240 wagon that puts out about 200 crank HP /images/graemlins/laugh.gif 20 years old and oh so much humiliation potential, I'd rather own a Volvo than get spanked by one... it'll pass anything except a gas station /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

-Jack

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Many years ago, the factory installed a VW 6 cylinder diesel in the then new Volvo 4 door sedans.

The factory engineers installed one of these motors into a 262 coupe with a Laycock-de-Normalville 4 speed tranny with overdrive, turbo-charged it, and at 30 pounds boost, were running it at the Santa Ana drag strip. They wanted to see how much abuse the motor would take and were deliberately trying to blow it up. They were not able to do so!
The cat ran 15 flat/ 90 mph if memory serves? /images/graemlins/cool.gif

It follows then that giver the advances made since that period of time ( more than thirty years ago) the times this fellow is claiming may indeed to possible. Look at what the Dodge boys are doing with their over 6000 pound trucks! /images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

/images/graemlins/grin.gif

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

Darrel, I think your torque converter locked up a long time ago. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I read that "locked up" thread and really enjoyed it. Thanks for being such a stubborn mule. I laughed and laughed. Keep up the good work. It makes life interesting.

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

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Darrel, I think your torque converter locked up a long time ago. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I read that "locked up" thread and really enjoyed it. Thanks for being such a stubborn mule. I laughed and laughed. Keep up the good work. It makes life interesting.

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Little play on words there that I do appreciate! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

Haven't had a chance yet to verify what the "know-it-all" types have said, but if what they are saying is true (?) and I think it most likely is, what good does it do for any tranny to not have the T/C locked up until 3000 rpm or higher? Especially on mine where max. torque comes in as early as only 1600?

What possible good does that do? The thing acts like an old Dynaflow at times!

Lets see the smart young 'uns 'xplain that one! /images/graemlins/eek.gif

/images/graemlins/grin.gif

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

[ QUOTE ]

Well at least when new, the Volvos originally had an overdrive that would work before the tach read 3000 rpm or higher! /images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

Why on earth would the supposedly superior German engineers wait until well past the maximum torque peak to engage the lockup T/C? Whoever heard of anything so ignorant? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

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On the automatics the OD was basically a 4th gear that could be turned off, if it did not engage till above 3000 RPM it would only be engaged above 55 MPH. On level ground the motor does not need to be turning anywhere near 3000 to make enough power to go 55, and being that most of thoes Vovlos are gassers the peak torque output is above 3000 RPM, not below.

I don't think that the Volvos had a lockup torque converter in the automatic tranny, the overdrive is a seperate unit behind the tranny that runs off of the same tranny fluid.

-Jack

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

[ QUOTE ]
Many years ago, the factory installed a VW 6 cylinder diesel in the then new Volvo 4 door sedans.

The factory engineers installed one of these motors into a 262 coupe with a Laycock-de-Normalville 4 speed tranny with overdrive, turbo-charged it, and at 30 pounds boost, were running it at the Santa Ana drag strip. They wanted to see how much abuse the motor would take and were deliberately trying to blow it up. They were not able to do so!
The cat ran 15 flat/ 90 mph if memory serves? /images/graemlins/cool.gif


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That is the motor I looked at, they were put in the wagons also, but I have not seen one in a 2 door sedan.

The guy that ran a 13.9 also ran a 14.9 on the stock NA block running 20 PSI, sounds like thoes engineers need to go back to school /images/graemlins/tongue.gif I don't know how he is getting so much fuel delivery out of a stock NA injection pump though.

-Jack

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

[ QUOTE ]
If your OD fails on a long trip you can rig it with basic tool box contents. Take 12 V (cig lighter)and run it straight to the solenoid on the back of the OD unit, OD engaged, unless of course it is not working because of bad solenoid or low fluid level...

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But make sure that you don't engage the overdrive unit in reverse, since that is said to cause major damage to the overdrive unit.

what to look for on a 84\' Diesel Volvo?

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That is the motor I looked at, they were put in the wagons also, but I have not seen one in a 2 door sedan.

The guy that ran a 13.9 also ran a 14.9 on the stock NA block running 20 PSI, sounds like thoes engineers need to go back to school /images/graemlins/tongue.gif I don't know how he is getting so much fuel delivery out of a stock NA injection pump though.

-Jack

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That one 262 the factory types were fooling around with was a one-off "test-bed" type deal.

Isn't their an altitude correction adjustment screw on the 6 cylinder Volvo (VW) motors the same as there is on the 4 cylinder Rabbits? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

/images/graemlins/grin.gif