alexjellie
@Cal thanks mate, cleaned and then resprayed - still down on one hub cap to finish that off though.
Thanks for the heads up re: parts, will look into it.
Depending on how my engine spruce up is going you're on!
Also to anyone reading this, I've sourced some touch up paint but have found the match to be a bit off (a few shades too pale) - can anyone recommend a place to get a good colour match for "Volvo Butter"?
Slowbrick
VG Autopaints in Wentworthville can colour match. They did the paint mixing for when I painted the engine bay of our 245. Take down the fuel cap or the whole car and they can match it for you.
alexjellie
Is that matching with the old style paint (2-pack?), or a glossier new style?
Slowbrick
They can give you the option. We painted the engine in single stage acrylic and just added a retarder thinner so it shot a little shiner off the gun. You can do it in satin/matte if you want though.
They wont give you 2-pack unless you can prove you are certified to use it. 2-pack will kill you and anyone else who doesnt take the proper precautions (forced air ventilation/full body suit etc)
alexjellie
That's some good input right there, my paints in alright nic so don't need alot, but there are various stone chips and a bit of rust around the boot hinges that I'd like to clear up.
alexjellie
So thought i'd post again to keep myself honest on this one.
Left to do's (the hard stuff)
- Fix the A/C and A/C fan
- Drivers side window doesn't quite make it all the way up (easy joke there...) - need to source new window rubber as has now cracked in the top right - whats the easiest way to source a replacement, wreckers?
- -new hoses (this weekend)
- 1 broken windscreen wiper (need to source a replacement)
- Wheel alignment
- Thinking of some EH holden style blinds for sleeping in the back. - horizon project
- Thinking of changing out the headlights for the round style - another horizon project, the square look has grown on me.
- rewire the stereo and get it going (maybe a new one) got her going, though doesn't pick up anything too great.
- See to rust and seal her up ( I live in Manly, cars worst nightmare...) - professionally done
- Tidy up the roof racks work in progress, turns out the old grey tape was actually old wood veneer tape (kept orginal where it sits within the fitting - would have looked great back in the day!
- Clean up the wheels - sand blasted then primed and coated satin black
- Install overdrive now outside of budget and likely my capacity. An upgrade for the horizon...
- Clean up the exterior trim maguires clear coat and reblack has done wonders, residue from the cut and polish has set in some of the plastic so thinking of sanding it back to black then coating with some maguires.
- peel the crappy red tape off the bumpers turps worked wonders with a paint scraper, bit of maguires and came up schmick
- find a new replacement hub for the back left wheel in the mail
- Random ticking noise (i think from an electrical relay or similar, comes from passenger dash) replaced relay
- Tidy the engine as fuel economy isn't amazing getting around 350 from a tankish (are they 50L tanks?)
Gave her 2 oil changes and a good flogging to clear out some build up, both came out black as night. Now running a lot better and on the recent trip down south with a full boot got 11L/100k running on 98 @ 110 which is miles better than before. This long weekend will entail driving out to Adaminaby so will be a great test for the economy, while there will swap out the old hoses, spark plugs, plug wires and distributor cap, hopefully get a bit better on the drive back.
Out of curiosity what RPM does the usual volvo sit at for doing 100, I'm around the 3500rpm mark in 4th - assume only way of improving is to swap out the gearbox?
jamesinc
@alex.jellie 3500 sounds about right for an M45 gearbox. If you find an M46 I think it's a worthwhile upgrade, as it drops your highway cruising to around 2500RPM.
Also if you're running 98, try pushing the timing forward further. You'll get a bit more power. In the winter you can push it a bit further still.
A_Volvo_Driver
Depends on the diff too. My M46 (and M45 before it) both do about 3300 @100kph with a 3.91 diff.
jamesinc
I think he would have a 3.91 diff, judging by the supplied numbers and the photo showing what look to be roughly stock diameter tyres. M45 is a 1:1 output in 4th, ~26 inch tyre diameter... 3500RPM achieved at 110km/h on a 3.91 diff.
alexjellie
Making slow progress but have cleaned up parts including sparks, wires and distributor cap - down to 10.1 L/100 which I'm pretty happy with.
On the downside on the way back from Adaminaby to Sydney I noticed she was running a bit warm (though not unusual on a 37 day I thought) and pulled in to grab a drink at the servo in Goulburn. Come out 10 minutes later and she's pissing green... Had a look at the radiator and I'd managed to spring a leak in the radiator tube from what I can see. A bottle of coolant and stop-leak later and she got home from Goulburn to Sydney ok but need to find out the cause.
While driving to Goulburn I could feel what felt like the clutch slipping but now I'm wary it is something to do with the engine/cooling - need to investigate prior this coming weekend away - any advice?
Slowbrick
Cooling system on these is simple as they come. If you have a leak it will make itself known and be quite easy to spot. If you are running hot then a few things come to mind.
-Stuck thermostat: If this hasnt ever been replaced then replace it now. In fact go down to Repco right now and replace it. If this component gets stuck shut then you will be overheating even in minus 99 degree weather. Its a simple part to change yet so many people dont change them.
-Obstruction in radiator: With the car running and up to running temperature, grab hold of the top hose. It will be hot and should be hot. Now grab the bottom hose and it should be just warm but not hot. If it is hot then your radiator is not working. Another way to test this is to get out on the freeway and get up to speed. Start off at 100km/h and see what the temp does. If no overheat then start going faster. If your radiator is blocked then it should start overheating the faster you go. If it does this then check for crud in the radiator. If thats all good then keep reading.
-Slipping clutch fan: This one is pretty simple and can be tested in one of two ways. Start the car and bring it up to temperature. This test is best done in hot weather but can be done in cooler conditions. With the car in neutral bring the revs up until you hear the fan make a roaring noise. If the temp gauge is up and you can feel that its hot under the bonnet but there is no roar then your fan is toast. The second part of this test is to let the revs drop back down to idle, grab an old shirt or thick rag. Then bundle it up into a ball and carefully apply it to the fan. Do this lightly and the fan should feel solid and not stop or slip. If you apply the rag/shirt and the fan slips straight away then its no good.
-Loose belts: If you fan belts are loose then when you are at speed or high load then they will slip on the waterpump pulley and cause the pump to slow down as well as slow down the fan and cause an overheat situation.
alexjellie
Replaced the thermostat and flushed out the radiator and refilled, drove down to Thirroul and back no dramas (though not that hot a day coming back Sunday) - the stop gap seems to be holding the leak all good so hopefully it does what the bottle says and seals for 10,000k's.
jamesinc
Generally with 240s if the temp needle rises from its usual spot (regardless of how hot the weather is), something is wrong.
alexjellie
Yea I noticed that, it was getting really hot but never actually got anywhere near the red. it usually sits about 1/4 of the way up with the needle never crossing over the N on the dial.
alexjellie
Currently resolving dash electronics, have no dash lights, fan or console lights. Replaced fuses but no luck, dreading going through the wiring...
Does anyone have a pro tip for finding electrical faults in this circuit?
timbo
my suggestion would be to try bypassing the rheostat (dimmer control) as that's quite possibly the source of the light issues
Major Ledfoot
alex.jellie;101150 wroteCurrently resolving dash electronics, have no dash lights, fan or console lights. Replaced fuses but no luck, dreading going through the wiring...
Does anyone have a pro tip for finding electrical faults in this circuit?
Bit like that proverbial piece of string - nobody else knows how long it is, until you do some measurements.
http://www.volvowiringdiagrams.com is your friend.
Wanna hear a WAG (wild arsed guess)? Well, lucky you; you'll get one anyway : One or more earth wires may have been disconnected when you've replaced the sound system. Often times, they're attached to one of the screws that hold the centre console in place.
alexjellie
timbo;101153 wrotemy suggestion would be to try bypassing the rheostat (dimmer control) as that's quite possibly the source of the light issues
Winner winner chicken dinner, have by passed and happy days. Thanks, going to replace the bulbs with some nicer LEDs
Also
@Major Ledfoot thanks for the link, great info source. Makes wiring much less of a looming task (pun intended).
Heater fan is still a no go, so I guess that will be the blower motor. Are there any tricks for determining which component is gone or is it basically always the motor?
Slowbrick
Three main parts to the heater. The switch, resistor and finally the blower motor. You can test the switch easily enough with a multimeter. The resistor and the blower motor...yeah grab a case and book out 8 hours if its your first time. Some say its easier to do without pulling the dash but I'm a big an unwieldy kind of person so I rip out the dash and then can just sit in comfort to work on the box.
Ive done 3 now and have it down to about 5 hours working quickly. It isnt thaaaat bad and just requires a bit of patience.
jamesinc
I second pulling the dash, otherwise messing around with stuck coolant hoses and all the other fiddly bits around the heater box is a pain in the arse, literally, because you'll be upside down in the foot well.
