What's this then?

[CaptainAhab]

Getting ready to change the head gasket and while poking about found this under the intake. It's connected to the mechanical fuel pump on the block, so assume it's a filter of some sort? Possibly an accumulator? Can't see it in the Haynes manual. Engine as per signature.

[Steve and his 244]

It's not very clear in the picture which bit you mean, but the white thing on the left is just an in line fuel filter. They weren't fitted from the factory as the fuel pump itself has a small mesh in it which you can clean, but it's a good idea to have an inline filter anyway. Pretty much universal and available from most motor factors

[Clifford Pope]

I think the black thing is indeed an accumulator, or pressure regulator of some sort. I had a DL with the Cisak carburettor and it had one.
I don't know what it does that a straightforward pipe from tank to pump to carb doesn't do, but it presumably has a purpose.
There is some kind of valve inside it - I remember shaking mine and guessing that there was apparently a kind of ball-bearing non-return valve.
I can't recall now - is there perhaps a fuel return pipe, so that that surplus fuel constantly recirculates back to the tank?

[CaptainAhab]

Yeah, sorry, a bit lacking in info from me there. There is a fuel line from the fuel pump that goes in near the top, a line that goes to the carb from the bottom and a line that comes from the very top that looks like it goes back to the tank.

I am changing the solex out for a Pierburg shortly, hopefully it isn't required after the swap!

Thanks for the replies

Cap

[Clan]

Originally Posted by CaptainAhab

Getting ready to change the head gasket and while poking about found this under the intake. It's connected to the mechanical fuel pump on the block, so assume it's a filter of some sort? Possibly an accumulator? Can't see it in the Haynes manual. Engine as per signature.

thats a vapour seperator , when the engine is hot on a hot day vapour can form in the fuel lines as fuel boils , the fuel is constantly circulating from the tank to pump and back to the tank , vapour is collected here and filtered out and sent back to the tank ... preventing lots of cranking on a hot start after 20 minutes of parking up . It also helps with poor response in heavy traffic due to lack of fuel in the carburettor . The 340 1721 cc engine had one as well .

[Stephen Edwin]

Please don't mention the 340 1.7 engine in polite company. EEK

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Stephen Edwin

Please don't mention the 340 1.7 engine in polite company. EEK

It was ok ! more economical than the 1397 and lighter than the volvo 2.0 a good compromise .. It would do 105 mph :-)

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by Clan

It was ok ! more economical than the 1397 and lighter than the volvo 2.0 a good compromise .. It would do 105 mph :-)

When it behaved it was lovely. Superb. Well balanced weight in that body with swift smooth performance. But when that 1.7 misbehaved ... oh dear me ...

Possibly the only Volvo I've ever regretted owning. Just my experience. I understand that in later years Volvo sorted out the problems. A friend had interesting negotiations to get his 1.7 retro sorted free of charge.

To be fair, my now departed father my 340 1.7. He bought it from me, and kept it. The local garage sorted it for him.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Stephen Edwin

When it behaved it was lovely. Superb. Well balanced weight in that body with swift smooth performance. But when that 1.7 misbehaved ... oh dear me ...

Possibly the only Volvo I've ever regretted owning. Just my experience. I understand that in later years Volvo sorted out the problems. A friend had interesting negotiations to get his 1.7 retro sorted free of charge.

To be fair, my now departed father my 340 1.7. He bought it from me, and kept it. The local garage sorted it for him.

The only problems they gave were air leaks at the carb flange due to over tight retaining bolts . , sorted by an extra soft rubber base joint kit to take up the warp. Occasionaly a core plug would leak on the Cylinder head . Distributor caps and rotors every 2 years . OH and sometimes the distributor oil seal leaked !

[davebslater(uk)]

When in Swansea, it was brilliant for chucking round the lanes. The thing that killed it was a leaking diff seal. Constantly wanted to overheat. If they put the 2 litre Renault in on single point injection, would have been an excellent family car.