Greg's Gold 1991 240GLE wagon B230FT-M46

Just been mucking around here and there. Waiting for exhaust joining bits and pieces to arrive so I can cobble something together for test drives.

Got a bracket made up for the MAF, and waiting for a couple more intake pipes/hoses, and once I have the "right" combination I'll measure up and order a suitable K&N filter. Might try to mount a 740 washer bottle down next to the radiator as I seem to have a bit of space there. Would save having to re-wire and re-route hoses if I can get something in there. Better yet I should fabricate a double-wall air box that can also serve as a coolant reservoir!

Got the old "Turbo Plus" kit mounted and need to run the wires over to the throttle switch, battery and coil. Need to double check wiring diagram as there's 2 terminals I had labelled "O2 sensor test port - match connectors"…I'm not sure whether that's critical. I'm kinda thinking it may do something related to the O2 sensor input to the ECU to allow the car to temporarily run rich? Not sure…I don't recall the Turbo+ kit on the 240 having anything that tied to the O2 sensor.

Got some of the 9.5 mm (?) female spade connectors at Total Tools the other day so I can use those with the temporary HD relay to run the cooling fan until I source the 940/850/S/V70 relay and harness. I guess I could tap into the ECU connector and run the wires up front to be ready.

Just putzing along on the project…waiting for my exhaust and intake pipes/hoses to arrive. Got more of the Turbo Plus kit wiring routed and installed. Final thing is to connect the WOT connection to the throttle position switch, and hook up the +12V wire to the battery, then that's done.

This morning I pulled one of my 240 complete harnesses out and unpicked the ECU portion. Am I the only one who likes to avoid splices and crimp connections if I can find the correct colour wires with the correct terminations on them? Anyway, the goal was to get a couple long wires from the ECU connector so I can use those to drive the cooling fan relay.

Had a look at my washer bottles. I have quite a few of the rear mount 240 wagon ones with the screw-on pump/lid, plus one from the 88 740T. I don't think any of them will fit once I get the pod filter in there, but will have to wait and see. One of the 240 wagon ones might fit, then I guess I could put one in the rear for the rear window (just requires re-routing and extending the wires for the rear washer pump.)

Also found a piece of suitable flashing from my shed windows project to use as a block-off plate for the large gap between the LH side of the intercooler and the headlamp/condenser mounting panel. Shot that with some flat black paint and waiting for it to dry, so coffee break time.

Rediscovered I had set aside a set of Hella driving lights (rectangle) to mount below the front bumper, so I might as well do that while I'm at it. In fact I might use the driving light switch/wire as the temporary manual trigger for the electric fan if I don't get the 2-speed fan relay set up soon (hoping to get it from @DCW242 )

Pic of yesterday's sunset and this morning wire unpicking exercise.

Got the block-out plate for alongside intercooler installed yesterday after the paint dried.

Broke down and ordered a complete Volvo 2-speed fan harness/relay set off eBay (USA), but still looking to source a few connectors and bits and pieces off a wreck locally.

The flex exhaust pipe I ordered arrived today and isn't going to work (not "flex" enough LOL) so I reverted to Plan A…used an off-cut from the 79 245 (240 turbo exhaust) pipe and two SS band clamps to join that to the 240 Turbo exhaust system (had to cut off about 10 mm of the front of the 240 exhaust pipe as it was flared). It seems to have worked out OK if not a bit ugly. May tidy up and install a cat once I have the car going and can take to a proper exhaust place.

Painted Mr Squiggle exhaust tip.

Installed Helli driving lights I previously had on our 88 240 sedan…still need to wire those up and then obviously aim them. Ignore the wonky look in the photo - bad phone camera distortion. I placed them where I like them - centred on the inboard edge of the main headlights. I've seen some people put them way outboard, which I think looks a bit odd, and also farther inboard (mostly in America with the narrower number plate). Each to their own I guess.

Still waiting for my 90-degree short silicone elbow so I can finish the air intake and order a pod filter.

On a side note, Wayne's now looking for a new car (EV)…maybe I'll write some comments in the Bruces thread about that.

More bits and pieces. I've been plundering my stash of wiring harnesses to come up with bits for the E-fan, driving lights etc. Trying to figure out the best way to add more accessory power circuits up near the battery. Thinking maybe I can just double-up the power distribution thing (the one with all the power wires being fed from the thick feed off the battery terminal). My one concern is fusing…I have some options there. I typically tap off that then use a blade fuse to whatever relay needs power, but it just gets a bit messy with multiple relays. I guess I can cover it up like I did on the yellow 245.

Also my stubby 70 mm silicone elbow arrived this morning, so I fitted that and measured up for the K&N filter. Got one ordered that will fit (mock-up pic below). Later I'll need to think about an air baffle to prevent it from sucking hot engine bay air, but that's not a super high priority as I want to get it going for the VIC Club's 10th May 50th anniversary 240 photo shoot at Shannons HQ.

arebee See my comments on the Bruces thread here: https://ozvolvo.org/d/30685-bruces-jive-in-2025/160

Finished wiring up the driving light switch today, and tested the electric fan (using driving light switch to trigger a 50-amp Cartier ex-SAAB relay). Fan works fine on low and high speeds. I'm not 100% sure if low speed is +12V to green wire and high speed is +12V to red wire only, or high speed is +12V to both red and green wires on the fan…I'll let the OE Volvo relay do whatever is appropriate once it arrives.

Also messed with washer bottle…the original bottle with 2 pumps will fit in the rear side pocket, but my preference is to put a small bottle up front so I don't have to mess with running wires all the way to the rear. I ordered one of these 3-way solenoid valves, as I figure I can use the compact 1800ES/early 240 wagon rear style integrated pump/bottle setup with the solenoid valve. The valve would be triggered by the rear washer +12V to switch the flow from the front tube to the rear. We'll see how that works and if I can even fit it all in once the pod filter arrives (should be here tomorrow).

OK, the K&N pod filter arrived this afternoon, so I took the car for its first test drive. Two issues (so far). First the turbo oil drain pipe is too close to the steering shaft knuckle. I knew this would be an issue, but wasn't quite prepared for how it would make itself known (engine tilts toward steering shaft under full throttle acceleration, and steering shaft U-joint coupler bolt hangs up on drain pipe preventing the steering wheel from being turned to the left. Hmm, NOT good. Must resolve…need to look at whether flipping the collapsible bit of the steering shaft would make any difference or not…need to see where that would put the shaft and U-joint in relation to the pipe. If that isn't a resolution, then I will have to revise the drain pipe (either go with a flex hose and AN fittings, or maybe one from a B21FT if it fits? I assume the B21FT drain pipe runs closer to the block as the 740T B230FT pipe seems to route differently (probably to clear the remote/rear mount oil filter).

Second, on my 2nd acceleration run from a full stop, I lost all clutch and couldn't shift into 3rd gear. Why? all new clutch slave, master, hose, fork, throw-out bearing etc. More investigation required. It was dodgy the first time I started the engine, but Dad and I re-bled the line and some air came out, so I assumed it was "fixed". However, I noticed at the beginning of the test drive that the clutch started to engage almost immediately after I started lifting the pedal off the floor…so seems like something was a bit off at that point. The only thing I can think of at this stage is there's air in the line, the clutch master seal is blown (new part?) or the slave piston travelled too far and ejected fluid, but I see no fluid, and the slave piston is still there. Final thought is do I have the correct clutch pivot ball. I know there's several stand-off lengths. I didn't change it as I have a 740T gearbox, dished flyweel, standard 740T clutch plate, disc and t/o bearing. Clutch master is 740T. Clutch slave I believe is slightly different design, but seems to fit perfectly. Not sure why I have so much trouble with clutch hydraulics (see dramas on the "barn find" 79 245!)

Anyway, it's no XC40 Recharge Twin!

More to follow once I have time to investigate further.

First pic is one I took before gearbox went in showing how the turbo drain pipe is close to the steering U-joint. 2nd pic ignore the mess of wires behind the battery. Most of that is the temporary relay set-up for the E-fan. Will be tidied up and covered. 3rd pic shows how the pod filter sits. I'll need to make a support off the bottom of the short joining pipe (currently the whole thing is zip-tied to the coolant bottle bracket).

Major Ledfoot Yep…I had read about it…and now I know why it's a thing! I think the upper U-joint is longer and lower one is shorter, so if you rotate the whole shaft end for end, it would push the whole shaft forward a bit, which I think would help give more clearance. I had originally thought that people were just rotating the rubber isolated main shaft bit end for end to put the fat end at the bottom, but that wouldn't help my clearance issue as the issue is the u-joint and bolt, not the shaft itself. Hmm…we'll see!

jamesinc "Tap the block"…hmm, sounds like something that should be done with engine out and oil pan off…I'm thinking maybe a crow bar between the steering shaft and the turbo drain pipe!

jamesinc Yeah that could be an option. I'm giving it a rest today as we're going to Geelong for lunch and to check out some more new cars.

I had a quick look and can't see anything wrong with the clutch slave (no leakage) and pedal linkage is connected to clutch master, so either the clutch slave or master must be bad? No apparent loss of fluid. I have a good used slave, but not a master. Both parts were brand new, so yeah, guess it could be a defect. You'd think if either one was bad, there would be fluid at either the pedal pushrod or the clutch fork pushrod…

Still need to determine what exactly is fouling in the steering - could also be up against the downpipe, but I thought that had much more clearance than the oil drain pipe.