240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I hope you're right about spring being finally here Alan!

Had a snowstorm yesterday followed an hour or so later with a hailstorm which i was out in with the hound. Walkies was abruptly cut short!

Good news on getting another season out of your snow tyres, they're about half way worn at the moment so in theory you have as many seasons again as you've already done with them.

That said, when the tread gets lower, they won't be so effective at dispersing snow and slush so in practice maybe just one more season..................

We had a hailstorm yesterday also Dave, but the temperatures are steadily climbing, so I don't think I need the M&S tyres any more this year.

The recommended wear limit for snow tyres is 4mm - they are still perfectly legal right down to 1.6mm, but as you say, they become less effective in cold weather. What some people do is run them on as summer tyres when they get below 4mm, which works fine. I may do that next year - just run them on into the spring and summer, they will wear a bit quickly in the warm weather, but so what.

I checked the date code on the Yokohama tyres this morn, they are 8 years old (since manufacture - they may well have sat on a shelf for 3 or 4 years) so I think one more season out of them would be reasonable. I only did about 3,000 miles during the winter).

I've found some products by Smartseal to renovate my drive. One which is a biological agent that claims to break down oil deposits (I have quite a few from all the times I've changed engine and gearbox oils intending to be tidy but have always spilled a little). The other product is a re-sealer that rolls on to make it all black like new again. I've just started the preparation today by brushing on a bleach solution to kill all the moss and lichen, it is a big drive though (130m^2) so it takes a while. I'll get it pressure washed off over the next couple of days then try the two Smartseal products, then report back on how effective they are.

:-)

[Stephen Edwin]

Alan

I think you have decided to do this one way or another. And it might, partly, satisfy the desire to, tinker with, these things. Kushtie.

It is I hope unlikey that having done so much, something else will fail within the engine. I well remember a crankshaft fracturing, breaking.
But that, A Series, engine continued enough to limp, very noisily and slowly ....

P.S. ... Your car aint broke !!!!!

Stephen

.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Stephen Edwin

Alan

P.S. ... Your car aint broke !!!!!

Stephen

.

I know :-)

[360beast]

Go for it Alan!

My car isn't broke but that isn't stopping me from rebuilding the head and changing all of the gaskets on it

Seeing as you're delving in to the block you might as well do the lot and know that you have a fully rebuilt engine that is going to problem free for many years to come.

Bear in mind all of the gaskets, oil seals and belts will set you back in the region of £400 if you go with genuine Volvo.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by 360beast

Go for it Alan!

My car isn't broke but that isn't stopping me from rebuilding the head and changing all of the gaskets on it

Seeing as you're delving in to the block you might as well do the lot and know that you have a fully rebuilt engine that is going to problem free for many years to come.

Bear in mind all of the gaskets, oil seals and belts will set you back in the region of £400 if you go with genuine Volvo.

Many thanks Luke,

:-)

[Bugjam1999]

Originally Posted by Othen

If the BofH is right and access to the big ends (and therefore the rings) is easy via the sump then that only looks like a day's work to me, and would bring about some useful benefits without the full 9 yards of an engine-out rebuild.

Hmmm, I don’t think ‘easy’ is how I’d describe it- ‘possible’ perhaps, or ‘doable if you have no other options’.

This approach might be ok on a ramp, but certainly isn’t a recipe for fun on a driveway with the car up on stands. Perhaps I’m getting old, but as much as I’m keen to tinker with cars I’m also keen to enjoy it and where I can avoid lying on the floor with rust falling in my eyes, trying to do something with limited access then I’ll take the easier route, to keep it fun and avoid it feeling like an arduous task.

You may be over-thinking the engine out approach- it’s really very easy and quick, even single handed, with an engine hoist and a load leveller. Even with a break for coffee you should be able to get the engine out and on a stand in an hour or two, meaning the one day refresh of the rings etc should be doable within a long day- or two days, again to keep it fun.

That’s my take on it anyway.

Cheers

[john.wigley]

That's essentially how I feel too, 'Bugjam1999'! 50 odd years ago, I thought nothing of pulling a Mini engine and gearbox with a mate and a basic tripod and block'n'tackle, grabbing a wad and then slotting in it's replacement in a day, and then buying said mate a pint in the pub before closing time. But, as you so rightly say, age does have a habit of catching up on you. Now, I have no compunction about using a trusted garage to undertake those jobs that I am neither no longer able nor willing to do myself.

Alan clearly has relative youth and enthusiasm on his side, and I greatly respect what he has both achieved thus far and also has planned for the RB in the future. He also has the benefit of that lovely new engine hoist (which I would have given my Eye Teeth for back in the day) just crying out to be used! Let's not deny him that pleasure; besides, I'm also looking forward to enjoying it vicariously when he posts his report in this thread!

Regards, John.

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by Bugjam1999

Hmmm, I don’t think ‘easy’ is how I’d describe it- ‘possible’ perhaps, or ‘doable if you have no other options’.

This approach might be ok on a ramp, but certainly isn’t a recipe for fun on a driveway with the car up on stands. Perhaps I’m getting old, but as much as I’m keen to tinker with cars I’m also keen to enjoy it and where I can avoid lying on the floor with rust falling in my eyes, trying to do something with limited access then I’ll take the easier route, to keep it fun and avoid it feeling like an arduous task.

You may be over-thinking the engine out approach- it’s really very easy and quick, even single handed, with an engine hoist and a load leveller. Even with a break for coffee you should be able to get the engine out and on a stand in an hour or two, meaning the one day refresh of the rings etc should be doable within a long day- or two days, again to keep it fun.

That’s my take on it anyway.

Cheers

Originally Posted by john.wigley

That's essentially how I feel too, 'Bugjam1999'! 50 odd years ago, I thought nothing of pulling a Mini engine and gearbox with a mate and a basic tripod and block'n'tackle, grabbing a wad and then slotting in it's replacement in a day, and then buying said mate a pint in the pub before closing time. But, as you so rightly say, age does have a habit of catching up on you. Now, I have no compunction about using a trusted garage to undertake those jobs that I am neither no longer able nor willing to do myself.

Alan clearly has relative youth and enthusiasm on his side, and I greatly respect what he has both achieved thus far and also has planned for the RB in the future. He also has the benefit of that lovely new engine hoist (which I would have given my Eye Teeth for back in the day) just crying out to be used! Let's not deny him that pleasure; besides, I'm also looking forward to enjoying it vicariously when he posts his report in this thread!

Regards, John.

Yes.

And Alan.

1. You are itching to use that engine hoist.

2. However well you support a car, it is safer not to be underneath it hoisted off its wheels.
I have done a similar job, using a pit.

3. You are itching to use that engine hoist.

I think you have already decided to take the engine and transmission out ...

Stephen

.

[Clifford Pope]

Originally Posted by Othen

... but I'm not going to be able to strip the mains with the engine still in the car and the gearbox attached I don't think (unless I've jumped to a wrong conclusion about the construction of Volvo motors?). That then would imply only the first method: taking the engine out and doing the work on the bench (so I might as well change the crank seals as well) was possible - wouldn't it?

If by "strip the mains" you just mean replace the shells then yes, it's easy to do it with the engine in situ.
The only difficult bit is removing the sump, but I think that is easier on an older model because the sump is shallower and the gear pump shorter?

I have once removed and replaced a later sump, but I had to lower the cross member as far as the pipes etc would allow, and then do some nimble work dropping the oil pump with the sump in place and cutting the baffle plate once the sump was out in order to be able to replace the oil pump again.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Clifford Pope

If by "strip the mains" you just mean replace the shells then yes, it's easy to do it with the engine in situ.
The only difficult bit is removing the sump, but I think that is easier on an older model because the sump is shallower and the gear pump shorter?

I have once removed and replaced a later sump, but I had to lower the cross member as far as the pipes etc would allow, and then do some nimble work dropping the oil pump with the sump in place and cutting the baffle plate once the sump was out in order to be able to replace the oil pump again.

Thank you Clifford, but I don't think it would be possible to change the main bearing shells with the engine in situ - only the big end bearings.

Thank you for the first hand experience of removing the sump in situ. The BofH gives the impression this is a very simple job:



... but it would appear to be rather more difficult than is the implication. That is exactly why I have asked the question amongst friends here.

:-)