Shims
 

My garage is having problems sourcing shims.
Do you remember it was possible to hire a box of shims from Volvo. Return it and pay for those used.
Is that service still available for the Red Block?

Brianh LPG 1989 high mileage 240 estate.

volvo sell the shims you just need to tell them which size you require and they will get them in for next day .
If the valve clearances have closed up that's the LPG . they Never need adjusting normally whatever the mileage.. so I would check the valves and seats too if you are getting the head off .

Hi,

I bought the ones I needed from here:

Cheers

Yep that's where I buy mine from, usually if you buy them early in the morning they are at your door the next morning.

I now stock a full range of shims

That's always been my problem. I measure a gap and find say the clearance is only 10thou and it's meant to be 16. But that doesn't tell me what size to order, just that I need a shim 6 thou thinner than the one I've got.

Obviously I really need a micrometer to do the job properly, or else a standard size new shim of known thickness to use as a trial and error.

Yes, obviously you will need to measure the old shim to work out which size you need, but a digital Vernier type gauge (very inexpensive - I think less than a tenner) should be accurate enough to identify the old shim (they come in discrete sizes).

Often you will find it is possible to swap the shims around and so minimise the number of new parts required. Any engine machine shop should stock suitable shims - there is nothing particularly Volvo about them. I used Knight Engine Services in Northants. I just measured the gaps, took the cam off and identified the old sizes, used a spreadsheet to work out which I could swap around then drove over to collect the two I needed.

Good fortune,

Alan

Thanks guys that sorted me out