Nina's 1981 244 GL - "Billie"

Vee_Que

That won't be the cause of an issue like that though, idle air motor may be overpowered?

jamesinc

Alrighty, I found the cause of the stalling coming off boost. The throttle body set screw wasn't set correctly. For posterity, the way I set it was thus:

block off idle air control valve
disconnect throttle position sensor and slacken nuts
disconnect throttle spool linkage
adjust set screw so engine idles at 500rpm
set TPS so it clicks with a 0.15mm shim between the set screw and stop and does not click with a 0.45mm shim
put everything back together
apply boost

Slowbrick

We are talking about that small AF screw? I had an issue with a hunting idle and it was caused by that screw.

jamesinc

Slowbrick;c-139052 wroteWe are talking about that small AF screw? I had an issue with a hunting idle and it was caused by that screw.

Yeah the little screw with the 8mm nut that adjusts the closed position of the butterfly valve. We were getting total stall after boost (unless we tapped the throttle again) and sometimes it would hunt idle (until you tap the throttle).

I forgot that I had adjusted that screw a few months back while initially trying to get the car running, otherwise I would have checked this first!

jamesinc

Billie needed some new fronts, decided to switch from Kumho KU31 tyres to their direct successor the PS31. Will see how it goes. It looks like the main change is Kumho have reduced the angle at which the tread lines sweep out, so it's a less aggressive sweep now. They've also added the wavy centreline that all the cool tyres seem to have these days. The online reviews look positive, it sounds like Kumho might have finally addressed the feathering issue the KU31s had

Ex850R

Billie with her skirts up! Woo!

What is the cost of the tyres bloke?
How long did the previous ones last?
Feathering outside edge?
Did you change suspension and bushes in that time of use as well?

jamesinc

Billie has a valve tick at idle that's quite loud. I checked clearances when I had the head surfaced so not sure what that's about. Only at idle, it disappears as soon as you increase RPM.

jamesinc

While driving around the mountains I was noticing temps getting very high, nearly into the red. After hemming and hawing for a while, I considered that it might be cold air coming up past the fan thermoswitch on the lower radiator hose and cooling it, thus offsetting the temperature at which the e-fan is triggered on.

I went to the Mitre10 in Jindabyne and bought a length of 20mm I.D. pipe lagging, which if you're not familiar is the foam tubing you often see around hot pipes, and which acts as an insulator. I cut a short length off and fed it over the thermoswitch and reconnected the wires, and that has resolved the issue, and the engine temps are now very stable in cold weather and at high speed.

carnut222

jamesinc;c-141453 wroteWhile driving around the mountains I was noticing temps getting very high, nearly into the red. After hemming and hawing for a while, I considered that it might be cold air coming up past the fan thermoswitch on the lower radiator hose and cooling it, thus offsetting the temperature at which the e-fan is triggered on.

I went to the Mitre10 in Jindabyne and bought a length of 20mm I.D. pipe lagging, which if you're not familiar is the foam tubing you often see around hot pipes, and which acts as an insulator. I cut a short length off and fed it over the thermoswitch and reconnected the wires, and that has resolved the issue, and the engine temps are now very stable in cold weather and at high speed.

Interesting about the temp switch. I know the SAAB style temp switch that threads into a boss on a tube inserted in the radiator hose doesn't have anything to protect it. I'm wondering if maybe it was a poor connection and when you disconnected the wires to fit the foam insulation it fixed the poor connection? Just a theory as I haven't seen your temp switch, but if it's in the coolant flow I seriously doubt a bit of cold air external to it would have an affect...I've been known to be wrong often, and I sometimes admit it! ;)

jamesinc

The temp switch is a 1/8" thread into a 3/8" brass bung which goes into the T-piece. I don't think it would be a poor connection. The terminals are all pretty new and fit snugly.

The error in fan operation seemed to correlate pretty well with moving cold ambient air. I would start the car up on the mountain and warm it up, and the fan would operate as expected, but once we were moving, temps would drift higher and higher.

carnut222

jamesinc;c-141459 wroteThe temp switch is a 1/8" thread into a 3/8" brass bung which goes into the T-piece. I don't think it would be a poor connection. The terminals are all pretty new and fit snugly.

The error in fan operation seemed to correlate pretty well with moving cold ambient air. I would start the car up on the mountain and warm it up, and the fan would operate as expected, but once we were moving, temps would drift higher and higher.

Sounds like that's it then. I think the SAAB had the T-piece in the upper radiator hose, but I can't recall for sure...I grabbed one of the T-piece things off a SAAB years ago at Pick-a-Part...it was fairly corroded though so I think I would buy a new one if I go that route on my e-fan conversion. Good to know about your experience.

Vee_Que

The temp sender should run In the hot side went turn on around the temp of the thermostat. I run mine as a probe on the 122, in the top of the radiator with the front sealed, set to 70* or so as the temp gauge tells me that's when it opens the thermostat at the head.

jamesinc

Yeah boi, period-correct power mirrors! Thanks @paul0075

jamesinc

Also new mudflaps:

jamesinc

I did something I've been meaning to do for like two years, and made a brace to connect the AMM to the wheel arch, so the pod filter doesn't rock around and foul on the washer bottle.

jamesinc

Here's a pic

And another

jamesinc

I like to hoon my cars around my house occasionally to shake them down, and today yielded some good results after smoke and oil burning smell appeared.

Hmm! @Philia_Bear that's the Parker blue after 18 months :o

Anyway I am at war with heat, so I redid everything, and moved the O2 sensor to the stock location. Fortunately I had the exhaust made up with two bungs, a wideband one and a narrowband.

Anyway, here it is in pictures. Titanium wrap, Speedflow 100 series braided hose and fittings.

carnut222

Nice! Imagine the US market 240 turbo...catalytic converter was basically the downpipe. That was some serious heat. I remember opening the bonnet on my mom’s car after a good run and it was like opening the oven door...being in Houston didn’t help! It used to regularly fry the plug wires.

jamesinc

Billie was in for a bit of TLC this weekend with new front pads and rotors fitted, and while doing the front brakes I noticed the passenger wheel bearing was noisy, so that was replaced too.

I'm waiting on rear pads still, rear rotors are still within spec so they're not being replaced, and when I get the car back I'll do the driver's wheel front wheel bearing, as well as the strut tops. The Volvo OE strut tops are total garbage, I've gone through a few sets under the 12-month warranty and they've all started coming apart after about 6 months of use. I've found the KYB strut tops from RockAuto are much better and have been running them in Amy and the Brapwagon, both of which are on stiffer suspensions than Billie, and they've performed well and after 12 months there's no sign of fatigue. Considering they're cheaper than the Volvo ones ($40-ish US each), it's a good result.

nugget_940

jamesinc
Billie was in for a bit of TLC this weekend with new front pads and rotors fitted, and while doing the front brakes I noticed the passenger wheel bearing was noisy, so that was replaced too.
I'm waiting on rear pads still, rear rotors are still within spec so they're not being replaced, and when I get the car back I'll do the driver's wheel front wheel bearing, as well as the strut tops. The Volvo OE strut tops are total garbage, I've gone through a few sets under the 12-month warranty and they've all started coming apart after about 6 months of use. I've found the KYB strut tops from RockAuto are much better and have been running them in Amy and the Brapwagon, both of which are on stiffer suspensions than Billie, and they've performed well and after 12 months there's no sign of fatigue. Considering they're cheaper than the Volvo ones ($40-ish US each), it's a good result.

Yup, my new oem ones were just about flogged out after 25000 km so instead I put coilovers in ;)

ramrod

My original 1985 strut mounts are still intact and uncracked, OEM parts quality went down the toilet with the change of ownership to ford

Ex850R

ramrod
My original 1985 strut mounts are still intact and uncracked, OEM parts quality went down the toilet with the change of ownership to ford

Must be rock hard by now,the laws of science say they are rooted surely....

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