340 manual clutch noise and heater woes
 

Hi y'all,
I am a newbie to Volvo and have a 1990 34o GL manual. I have two questions and would appreciate any advice.
On depressing the clutch there is a rumbling noise from the clutch housing, which disapears when the pedal is released. It sounds like dry or worn bearings. I have been told this is a common noise on 340s. Is this correct and what is the likely cause.?
My second question is that the heater is not particularly effective in that the heat output is poor. cleaning and backflushing the matrix has not helped much. Is this common to the 340s? Or should I just buy a hat and gloves LOL.
P.S. The thermostat is new and cooling system is in good order and temp gauge is reading normal.

Thank-you:) :)

RE: 340 manual clutch noise and heater woes
 

Have G reg 340 manual, when newly started I also get a rumbling noise as you describe which goes when clutch released (not very loud noise in our case). Never done anything about it as it does not seem extreme and does not seem to affect performance. If you try any solutions do post here as I would consider them.

Heater see - other entries and my recent woes, heater on our 340 always been (until this week) good. Is your blower fan working OK (ie does the GL have the same graduated rotational switch on dash and does it work - or do you just get high volumes of cold air when you turn it up?). If not could be you have a heater problem like others discussed on this forum eg could be:
Switch faulty
Heater blower motor faulty
Resistor Pack given up the ghost.

If fan is blowing cold air sounds like the hot water not getting to the matrix (I note I am stating possible obvious here sorry!)

My local volvo dealer just quoted about £160 for new blower motor, £44 for resistor pack. A lot of bread for a small problem but being cold and having misted up windows in winter is not such a small problem. Anyone know a cheaper source, after all I doubt these parts are 'bespoke' to Volvo!

As I say, the heater should give you a very good output (it has been enough to dissipate heat from an engine at risk of overheating in high summer M-Way jam when turned up to full and the windows open to make life a bit less like standing outside the door of a blast furnace!)

RE: 340 manual clutch noise and heater woes
 

Thanks for the info,

I intend to look at my clutch in January (weeks holiday Woo Hoo) I will post my findings. Like you I don't think it is a serious problem, just annoying.

As for my heater, the fan motor works as it should. This week I removed the entire blower assembly, to cure a water leak. The foam seals had perished between the box and bulkhead. I took the opportunity to blast high pressure air through the exterior matrix fins to ensure good airflow. The matrix itself was in good condition, at least on the exterior, with no leaks. Inside may be a different matter. I will try a low pressure back flush of the matrix only. I have done this on other cars before with good results. (shame, because I renewed the antifreeze a couple of weeks ago- DOH!). The symptoms do indeed point to a problem with water flow. I also found a large gap above the matrix which allowed cold air to bypass - easy fixed with duck tape, unfortunately this made very little difference.

I will keep you updated with my titanic struggle to keep warm.

Crunchie.
:-)

RE: 340 manual clutch noise and heater woes
 

Would be interested in your clutch results Crunchie.

I've just been to my friendly independent Volvo mechanic, sadly he tells me the heater unit resistor pack is a volvo only part at 40 odd quid - so it is that or a breakers yard to get a clapped out one. Postings elsewhere say bite the bullet!

At risk of it being obvious question are you sure the gap you have ducked taped up is not some sort of bypass for the fresh air vents on the centre of the dash/console above the heater control unit? They never put out heat, just outside temp air controlled by their on/off roller 'switch'. (I've not dismantled mine as much as you clearly have so have no first hand experience of what it is like in there).

On another matter I had a look this morning at my indicator stalk as it seemed a bit 'wobbly'. I thought tightening the switch locating screws would solve the problem - imagine my despair to find the plastic shroud around the column that all the switches attach to has broken where the indicator switch fixes on at the bottom! I have effected a temp repair with araldite but the surface area is not big enough at the break to get a decent glued join with enough strength. I can see this is going to be another expensive dealer part! Anyone got any views?

RE: 340 manual clutch noise and heater woes
 

The rumbling noise is either the release bearing that's worn, or the pilot bearing that sits in the engine flywheel. I would renew both, because its much too much hassle to get all the clutch and pariphernalia (spelling?) off and on again only to find you've changed the wrong bit.

The steering column stalk switch bracket is about 20 from your friendly dealer, but if you can't be bothered getting the steering wheel off, I've effected quite a good repair with just a small piece of plastic, running underneath the original bracket with two holes drilled in the right places to take the screws.

To fix the heater, it might well be worth changing the heater valve, because I've heard that these can get blocked.

Hope that helps

Andy

RE: 340 manual clutch noise and heater woes
 

Andy & D Lucas,

Thank you for the tips.

First off, Yes, the gap I taped over IS a bypass for the cold air vents (DOH!) Oh well, live and learn.

I removed the water control valve and found it to be clear. One thing puzzled me however, in the fully open position on the slide valve (Iknow there is a technical name for this bit but I can't remember it), there is a section that sticks out into the water way and blocks off about 50%, restricting the water flow to the matrix it is obviously there for a reason but I cannot think of it. So I drilled it out. I also back flushed the matrix. There is now a fair increase in the heat output which I am happy with.

I had a problem with my resistor pack when I got the car, it would only work on #3 position. I repaired the broken links by cleaning and soldering them back together. They had rusted through.

Right, the clutch is next. I will change the release and pilot bearings in January. I will keep you posted. Any idea of how much I should pay for the parts?

Cheers!