240 head - what's it worth?

familyman

I've got a reconditioned 240 head. Bought it years ago on ebay, from a guy that managed one of the Sydney Volvo stores - he had just retired. Not sure what exact model it's from. At the time I think he said he thought it MIGHT be from a B23, but he wasn't really sure. It has a top cover with it too, but that hasn't been reco'd in any way. I'm considering letting it go. Is there a way to tell what year/engine it came from - and does anyone have an idea what's a fair asking price??

Major Ledfoot

What is the casting number on the head?

Samman88

Hi @familyman
The price and potential buyers depend on a few key features of the head you are thinking of selling:

- Casting Number: (on LHS)
VOLVO
SWEDEN
1000 XXX <= this number will indicate casting style.

- KJet Holes: May have small holes above intake port on RHS. The presence or absence of these will dictate its usefulness to particular buyers.

- Cam grind: Rear behind cam seal capital letter/number stamped into the camshaft

- Distributor Mount: Rear will either be blank or have a mount for/actual distributor.

- And finally, condition:
Has it been milled flat?
Valve Guides?
Hushers?
Etc? Although it sounds as if it wasn't sold with much info.

Pictures are always handy too.

As a rough guide...if it's 16 valve, start around $200.
If 8v, start at $100 and move the price north or south depending on the above.

Lastly, if it says "Two Valve Evo" on top of the valve cover, I'll wire you $8000 for it.

Good luck with sale!

familyman

Thanks, I'll have a look at it in the daylight. Not sure on anything from milling downwards in your list. :-( How do I tell if it's 'milled flat' - with a steel ruler maybe? What are hushers - nvm - I'll try looking up what you've posted, online.

Vee_Que

It will look flat and have fresh machining marks. If it's a b23 the rocker cover will also look different to a b230 one.

familyman

Ok guys...

1. Part number is 1000398.
2. There's another number stamped on the front face, 533.
3. As you can see in the photos, 8 Valves, port injected.
4. Valves are fitted. Does that mean it guides & hushers are in!? Just assume no is best I guess.
5. The cam has the letter D stamped at the very rear. I'm on a steep learning curve, but see these pages about the D cam:

https://ozvolvo.org/discussion/508/h-vs-k-camshaft
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=284997
http://www.calgaryvolvoclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1914

6. The guy I bought it from said the rocker cover did not belong to this head. It was lying around the Volvo workshop, and he only screwed it on to keep dirt out... But as you can, that is the 1970s style - like on a B21 motor. The thing is, did B21 engines have that half-moon seal at the back? Because this head does.

7. It certainly looks flat. I can't see machining marks, but that could be because I don't know what to look for too. But it appears perfectly smooth to me, apart from the grit and dirty smears you can see from it being stored on a piece of chipboard.

8. Although I've tried to take care of it over the years, if you look at the last 3 photos, #1 cylinder has a nick, a couple of mm across, 1-1.5 mm deep(?) - right on the edge of the combustion area. A few other scratches here and there. Do those make the head useless?

Photos:

http://postimg.cc/image/5f23e6aht/
http://postimg.cc/image/qttgyoy3l/
http://postimg.cc/image/65utjycv5/
http://postimg.cc/image/i56br9ig1/
http://postimg.cc/image/pu7rgq8bl/
http://postimg.cc/image/flaox5uw1/
http://postimg.cc/image/dfge2nrfl/
http://postimg.cc/image/r0brfiwm9/
http://postimg.cc/image/46e7sjijl/
http://postimg.cc/image/4zveywdy9/

volvodriverman

That's a b21E head with the correct cam & the rocker cover is correct also. The half moon seal is correct for early heads, full round for later heads incorporated in head & rocker cover.

familyman

B21... ok, thank you.

Anyone know the answer to #8?

Major Ledfoot

familyman;60101 wrote8. Although I've tried to take care of it over the years, if you look at the last 3 photos, #1 cylinder has a nick, a couple of mm across, 1-1.5 mm deep(?) - right on the edge of the combustion area. A few other scratches here and there. Do those make the head useless?/

IMO, no. The chambers on your head look quite stock, and as you can see in the photos below, de-shrouding the valves would remove that damaged section anyway.

Early 398 heads had the less desirable large coolant passages. However, the 398 heads dated after 4/84 have the smaller coolant passages.

familyman

Thank you. Well, it's here if anyone would like. And if anyone has a ballpark idea on what a fair price would be, please chime in, it would be appreciated.

Philia_Bear

$50-150 depending on the buyer