240 GLT saloon restoration project

[kiloran]

Brilliant news! That must be very satisfying.

[Juular]

Well I thought I'd have a day off and have a long lie as I've been at this for what feels like a full year straight. Didn't even set an alarm for once yet I'm wide awake at 6am! Oh well..

Thank you all for the encouragement and continued interest in the thread, it keeps me plodding on.

I'm over the moon with the MOT result and the car itself. This is the first time I've ever driven a 240 and I'm quite surprised by how well it handles for such a big barge, it's quite chuckable and the steering is very precise. The amount of visibility while driving is really refreshing after driving modern cars. I'm going to have a lot of fun with this.

I am a little concerned that it's quite down on power. At full throttle it just doesn't sound that happy and I struggle to make 60mph. For a car with 130bhp that doesn't seem right.

I'm thinking the ignition timing may be out as I've heard the occasional pop whilst cranking. I'm also still having very random difficult starts and I need to keep it up to 2500rpm for a while or it just dies.

I'm sure I've set the aux pulley timing exactly correct so that just leaves the distributor orientation. The Haynes manual isn't very helpful on this point, is there anything this group can offer in terms of advice?

I don't have a timing strobe but I do have a vacuum gauge and I believe I can set it with that?

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Juular

Well I thought I'd have a day off and have a long lie as I've been at this for what feels like a full year straight. Didn't even set an alarm for once yet I'm wide awake at 6am! Oh well..

Thank you all for the encouragement and continued interest in the thread, it keeps me plodding on.

I'm over the moon with the MOT result and the car itself. This is the first time I've ever driven a 240 and I'm quite surprised by how well it handles for such a big barge, it's quite chuckable and the steering is very precise. The amount of visibility while driving is really refreshing after driving modern cars. I'm going to have a lot of fun with this.

I am a little concerned that it's quite down on power. At full throttle it just doesn't sound that happy and I struggle to make 60mph. For a car with 130bhp that doesn't seem right.

I'm thinking the ignition timing may be out as I've heard the occasional pop whilst cranking. I'm also still having very random difficult starts and I need to keep it up to 2500rpm for a while or it just dies.

I'm sure I've set the aux pulley timing exactly correct so that just leaves the distributor orientation. The Haynes manual isn't very helpful on this point, is there anything this group can offer in terms of advice?

I don't have a timing strobe but I do have a vacuum gauge and I believe I can set it with that?

You will need a timing light/strobe to set the ignition timing accurately. Something like this will be fine :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133575170513

Don't be tempted by the neon timing lights, the light output is so poor they're of no use at all unless you're working in the dark!

Also while setting the timing, you'll need to disconnect and plug the vacuum advance tube on the distributor and may need to alter the idle speed to bring it back in to spec.

If you haven't moved the distributor body position then the chances are it's a bit stuck from having been in that position since Noah was a boy. Mark the base of the dizzy body and the block so you can put it back where it was then loosen the clamp bolt. Try to rotate the dizzy body, may be stiff to start with, some penetratin oil should help.

Once you have it moving, set it back to where it was, nip the clamp bolt up, connect your timing light and fire the wee beastie up. Once up to temperature and idling at the specified speed, remove and plug the vac advance tube and shine the strobe at the crank pulley and timing marks. The notch on the pulley should appear stationary against the correct timing mark. If not, slacken the dizzy clamp bolt ~half a turn and try to rotate the dizzy body - sometimes tapping the vac adavance capsule gently with a spanner helps to nudge it round. You can go both ways so if it's over advanced (eg showing 20deg BTDC when it should be say 12) you can retard it or as i suspect, if it's retarded (eg showing 2deg BTDC when it should be say 12) you can advance it. Once you're happy it's in the right place, nip the clamp bolt up and road test. If all is good celebrate with your choice of liquid refreshment, if you think it could be better, set your timing light up again and recheck the timing, advancing or retarding followed by road testing until you're happy that it's as good as it's going to get.

[Othen]

... exactly as Dave says - you really do need a strobe to do this job properly. You should only need it once though, so perhaps see if you could borrow one?

The distributors on these motors have a tendency to seize in place if not moved for 30 years or so. It may be worth putting some penetrating oil along the seam between the iron and aluminium parts, and you may need a Special Volvo B21 Distributor Adjuster like this one:



:-)

[Jungle_Jim]

Congrats Juular

What a herculean effort - to bring this car back from oblivion. I hope it turns into a great runner once you've sorted out teething troubles etc.

It's been an amazing project to follow - thanks for taking the time to post updates with images.

That MOT certificate will be one to frame!

Thanks
John

[Juular]

Thanks folks.

I'll put a timing light on my Christmas list along with the k-jet pressure gauge!

In the meantime I checked it over. Not only was it set quite retarded the bolt was rather loose so it may have been changing by itself.

In the meantime I've done it by ear - set it a little on the advance side and it seems to be starting better. Not great but better. Still the odd pop through the manifold when starting. On top of that the performance definitely doesn't feel right. It takes an age to reach 60 and 70 on the motorway feels like an eternity. Furthermore at full throttle around 2000rpm it's surging and hesitating.

Making me think either I still have an air leak or the injectors are not behaving themselves at full load.

[Juular]

Ok, both a progress update and a wee request for help / opinions.

First fill up. The fuel gauge works! Major bonus.



Sitting rather high on front. I'm hoping the springs are just taking a while to settle. They're GLT springs which are supposed to be lower..



My motivation for getting this done for Christmas was that I wanted to pick my dad up on Christmas Day in the car as a surprise. He was really pleased and even had a tear in his eye. All worth it!



The next project is waiting in line.



So it managed 140 miles on Christmas day without a hiccup, but I still have a few issues.

Mainly, it always takes 3 attempts to start it. On the first and second it bursts straight into a high idle at 2000rpm for about 5 seconds then just dies without any drama. On the 3rd attempt it does the same but settles into a lumpy idle at around 300rpm and I have to blip the throttle to keep it alive, after which it runs fine. I still feel it's a little bit gutless however.

Secondly, I have a horrible clunk from underneath but can't track it down. It only happens at slow speeds on broken ground, and here's the weird bit, it sometimes goes away. It sounds like a ball joint or track rod end but those are solid. In fact absolutely everything is brand new and the MOT sheet was basically clean. Any ideas what I could check?

[Laird Scooby]

Sorry to ask what at first will seem like a stupid question but are you sure the front springs shouldn't be on the rear and vice versa?

The back seems very low and the front is definitely much higher than it should be.
It's not unknown for springs to have found their way into boxes labeled "FRONT" when they should be in "REAR" and vice versa. Seen it on other cars with similar results!

As for your starting problems and lack of go, i think that is timing related - when you get a strobe light and set the timing as it should be (run it on super unleaded too for the extra octane) i think your starting and power problems will disappear.
Do you happen to know if you have a Knock sensor? It will be on the left hand side of the block about halfway along if you do and i always call them "banjo-shaped" - most people seem to see the analogy even though it's not strictly a banjo shape.
If you do and the timing is over-advanced, it will cause pre-ignition/pinking/detonation/knocking that you won't actually hear because the EZK ECU (usually above the pedals and should have a vacuum connection to the inlet manifold) will retard the timing to prevent engine damage. This makes it sluggish and thirsty.

On a totally unrelated note and meant in the nicest way - i've heard of owners looking like their dogs and your dad really makes the case for that!
Really great to see and pretty much made my Xmas!

[Bob Meadows]

I had a mysterious "clunk" on my 240 some time back:~

It turned out to be loose bolts on the wishbone bracket- once tightened it disappeared, could be worth checking (picture shows the culprit/bracket - 3 bolts from memory)

The starting could be the Air admittance valve- should be open when engine is cold and gradually close as engine warms up, pull hose away and flick the valve to see that it is initially free to move (lubricate if needed)
You can test off the car if you wish, battery leads etc.
Regards
Bob.

[loki_the_glt]

Try removing the 3cwt of cement from the boot and putting it in the engine bay!

Seriously though it is really high at the front. This is my GLT; it is sitting slightly low at the rear because the Monroe Ride-Levellers have a slight air-leak that lowers the rear end over time.