240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Wagon Sailor]

Originally Posted by Bob 1967

Usually, old hands like us would tune by ear and check the colour of the plugs.

Wot? Ear plugs?

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Bob 1967

Do you have any way of confirming the figures from the gas analyser?
I have read a few reports that they can be way off, haven't used mine yet btw.
Usually, old hands like us would tune by ear and check the colour of the plugs.

But in saying that, it's always good to have another reference point to work with.

Yes Bob, when I first bought the analyser (a few weeks ago) I tested the Barge here at home, then the same day took it to my friendly MoT garage who allowed me to check it again on their analyser at the end of the MoT tester's day (for a contribution to the tea fund). At that time both were just below the MoT limit (from memory one 3.9% and the other 4.1% - I'll have a note somewhere). I know then that the Gunson analyser is within about 5% - which is pretty good considering all the variables between the two tests.

In surveyors' terms I have a measure both of precision (through repeatability of the readings with the Gunson analyser) and accuracy (through corroboration against the MoT garage's machine) that I'm happy with.

Like you I've been tuning engines (particularly bikes) by feel, smell, ear and sight (plug and exhaust colour) for decades. That iterative process takes days or weeks of fiddling to get right; the Gunson machine takes 10-15 minutes and is much more reliable.

Alan

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Bob 1967

Do you have any way of confirming the figures from the gas analyser?
I have read a few reports that they can be way off, haven't used mine yet btw.
Usually, old hands like us would tune by ear and check the colour of the plugs.

But in saying that, it's always good to have another reference point to work with.

Alans test drive results suggest the analyser is accurate, it's harder reading plugs these days firstly without the lead in the petrol that gave the nice light tan colour instead of a vague shade of grey and now exacerbated by the addition of moonshine (ethanol) which has further altered the actual "good" colour.
Additionally the redblock (in either OHV or OHC guise) was always a little tricky to tune by ear as they have a natural tendency to give an off-beat burble when they're running correctly, the untrained ear can view this as running wrong and comensate accordingly which often makes it excessively lean or rich. Only ever come across 1 or 2 red blocks that didn't have this characteristic off-beat burble and to be honest, they didn't last much longer.

I've also seen those (or at least similar) reports about the Gastester giving strange results - almost all those i knew about were resolved by the operator being taught how to use the things correctly! I've not had a problem with mine as long as the unit itself is working as it should, I have had a minor problem with the calibration pot on this one, thanks to poor assembly at the factory but have solved that by refitting it as it should be.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Othen

Afternote: Now the emissions are sorted out, I may reinstate the constant air temperature device I'd disabled a few weeks ago. To be candid the device isn't required in our very mild climate, but I like things to work properly.

I have reinstated the constant air temperature device, which was as simple as cutting this zip tie;



The spring moved back into its rest position quite smartly (such that the cold air inlet was closed). I took the Barge for a short run - just enough to get the water temperature up to normal running - and pulled the air filter off for another look. The mechanism had clearly started to open and was about 1/4 of the way from the cold to warm inlets, so it seems to be working properly. This should help the Barge warm up more quickly in the winter.

Whilst the device is far from essential in our very temperate climate, I'm pleased that another tiny piece of the Barge jigsaw is in place.



Alan

[Laird Scooby]

Have you rechecked the CO leel since reinstating the warm air intake Alan?

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Have you rechecked the CO leel since reinstating the warm air intake Alan?

No Dave, I don't think that is necessary just at the moment; I'm pretty confident the device is working properly.

I will check the CO emissions periodically (perhaps about monthly) for a while. I'll wait until after reasonably long run (say 20 miles) rather than waste gas just to get it up to temperature though.

I'll be interested to see what the fuel consumption is now the emissions are sorted out. The last tankful produced only 23 MPG, but that was almost exclusively around town. If the fuel jet had been worn then that would have affected running at low throttle openings disproportionately. I recall that on a previous longer run to the Patchings the Barge achieved 28 MPG, which was okay and perhaps the result of a worn fuel jet having less effect at larger throttle openings.

[Othen]

It was quite foggy here one day last week, so I switched on the Barge's rear fog lamps - the tell-tale on the dash was illuminated, but I couldn't see any change at the back of the motor car. Would I be right in thinking the rear fog lamps must be the outermost lower element of the rear cluster (by elimination - the inner elements seem to be the position and stop lamps)?



... I haven't had a chance to investigate yet, but I suspect there might be a short to earth in the wiring between the switch and the rear lamps (hence the tell-tale still operating).

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

It was quite foggy here one day last week, so I switched on the Barge's rear fog lamps - the tell-tale on the dash was illuminated, but I couldn't see any change at the back of the motor car. Would I be right in thinking the rear fog lamps must be the outermost lower element of the rear cluster (by elimination - the inner elements seem to be the position and stop lamps)?



... I haven't had a chance to investigate yet, but I suspect there might be a short to earth in the wiring between the switch and the rear lamps (hence the tell-tale still operating).

The rear fogs shoud be the red lenses inboard of the reversing lamps.

The outer lower lenses will be stop/tail and the next inboard from those will be tail only., however that looks like a reflector so perhaps the extra tail is inboard of that one.
Legally there must be 4" distance between brake lights and fog lights, the law is ambiguous as to whether that's from edge to edge or centre to centre of each lamp.
Does your handbook no give any clarification?

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

The rear fogs shoud be the red lenses inboard of the reversing lamps.

The outer lower lenses will be stop/tail and the next inboard from those will be tail only., however that looks like a reflector so perhaps the extra tail is inboard of that one.
Legally there must be 4" distance between brake lights and fog lights, the law is ambiguous as to whether that's from edge to edge or centre to centre of each lamp.
Does your handbook no give any clarification?

Thank you Dave,

I suspect it is in the handbook, I was just being lazy.

I'll find the handbook and look it up after Bob's walk.

Alan

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Othen

Thank you Dave,

I suspect it is in the handbook, I was just being lazy.

I'll find the handbook and look it up after Bob's walk.

Alan

Bob and I have been out for his midday walk, and I've stopped being so lazy. Here is the layout of the rear light cluster:



... it is as I suspected, brake lights inner/upper, position/parking lights are lower inner and middle, fog lamps outer/lower.

Everything else is working so it can't be a fuse, the bulbs both have continuity so they can't be at fault. The tell-tale is working so there is power to the switch. I'll investigate once I've had a cuppa and find out what is the fault.

This is why older motor cars are so much fun :-)