240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Moomoo]

Thanks Dave, a comprehensive reply.

Lubrication is a fascinating subject! 🧐

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by Moomoo

ATF in a manual box, obviously the correct stuff, it’s just so much thinner than EP gear oils.
Mind you , we put engine oil in Land Rover gear boxes.

I’m rambling!🤔

And I remember putting gear-box oil in clapped out Minis to reduce consumption and noise!

I find Derbyshire an excellent county in which to ramble!

Regards, John.

[Moomoo]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

And I remember putting gear-box oil in clapped out Minis to reduce consumption and noise!

I find Derbyshire an excellent county in which to ramble!

Regards, John.

Oh yes, rumble suppression fluid, very popular at the time.😁

The nicest part of Derbyshire is often Staffordshire! 🧐

Give me the Fens , anytime !

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

And I remember putting gear-box oil in clapped out Minis to reduce consumption and noise!

I find Derbyshire an excellent county in which to ramble!

Regards, John.

I remember doing the same on an Escrot Mk2 van John, that' was the vehicle that coined the word "Escrot" as Fred Flintstone would have been pleased he could put his feet through the floor.

I digress though, that thing was thirsty, gutless and deafening above 40mph! Added £2 worth of SAE 90 to the engine (a litre as i recall) and took it for a test drive. It smoked a bit at first, sort of expected it. Then it started to smoke quite badly from the exhaust then there was an encouraging jerk as cylinder #3 joined the party and it became marginally quicker. More smoke ensued (James Bond would have been proud!) just before cylinder #4 came out to play and suddenly 45mph was achievable at last and didn't need ear defenders either.

I got rid soon after and when they removed the dipstick and queried why the oil was so thick, i innocently said i think it had an oil additive - well it wasn't an outright lie!

[Othen]

Well, I'm glad I got the gearbox oil changed today. The level was quite low and I had a feeling it was the much same oil that left Gothenburg 39 years ago. The drain plug was very stiff and the washer pretty crushed up - the filler plug less so (and had a copper washer) which probably means someone topped it up (maybe a while ago). Changing the gearbox oil was no longer a service requirement by 1983 (according to the BofH), only topping up. I don't know why the level was low; there don't seem to be any leaks.

Anyway, it now has 2.3 litres of ATF type G, so all should be well.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Well, I'm glad I got the gearbox oil changed today. The level was quite low and I had a feeling it was the much same oil that left Gothenburg 39 years ago. The drain plug was very stiff and the washer pretty crushed up - the filler plug less so (and had a copper washer) which probably means someone topped it up (maybe a while ago). Changing the gearbox oil was no longer a service requirement by 1983 (according to the BofH), only topping up. I don't know why the level was low; there don't seem to be any leaks.

Anyway, it now has 2.3 litres of ATF type G, so all should be well.

If the crush washer on the drain plug was badly crushed, i'd hazard a guess it was causing a miniscule leak Alan which might explain the low level. I trust you renewed both the washers on fill and level plugs?

I've always had misgivings about not changing the gearbox and diff oils, after all you wouldn't expect the engine to keep going if you didn't perform an oil/filter change regularly so why would you think the gearbox and diff would be any different? Granted they may not need it so frequently but oil doesn't last forever.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

If the crush washer on the drain plug was badly crushed, i'd hazard a guess it was causing a miniscule leak Alan which might explain the low level. I trust you renewed both the washers on fill and level plugs?

I've always had misgivings about not changing the gearbox and diff oils, after all you wouldn't expect the engine to keep going if you didn't perform an oil/filter change regularly so why would you think the gearbox and diff would be any different? Granted they may not need it so frequently but oil doesn't last forever.

Fortunately the copper washers are the same size as 240 oil drain plugs - so I had spares (I'd better order some more - I should think they must be M20 ID - does anyone happen to know?).

You are probably right about there being a tiny leak from the drain plug - that is about the only place it could be.

I'm not sure gearbox oil wears out as such, not like engine oil, but I'm with you and think it is sensible to change it from time to time - perhaps once per decade. I thought the stuff in the Barge was probably 40 years old with the odd top up.

:-)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Fortunately the copper washers are the same size as 240 oil drain plugs - so I had spares (I'd better order some more - I should think they must be M20 ID - does anyone happen to know?).

You are probably right about there being a tiny leak from the drain plug - that is about the only place it could be.

I'm not sure gearbox oil wears out as such, not like engine oil, but I'm with you and think it is sensible to change it from time to time - perhaps once per decade. I thought the stuff in the Barge was probably 40 years old with the odd top up.

:-)

I would have guessed 3/4" rather than M20 Alan, for soe reason they seemed to retain the Imperial drain plugs, perhaps over-fulfilment of the Ninth Three Year Plan for drain plug production..........

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I would have guessed 3/4" rather than M20 Alan, for soe reason they seemed to retain the Imperial drain plugs, perhaps over-fulfilment of the Ninth Three Year Plan for drain plug production..........

... maybe. I've ordered an assortment to be on the safe side, they aren't expensive.

:-)

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Othen

I was intrigued at another thread I was reading in the general section of this forum where a chap said he had just bought some new tyres (for his wife's Vauxhall I think) that came with less than 6mm of tread. This led me to seeing how much thread I had on the Barge's winter tyres that I have decided to run all year round. The answer is 13-14mm on all four (bear in mind these have already done about 2,000 miles on the RB).

I'll measure them again this time next year, so if winter tyres wear that much (but with 14mm to start with that is a huge head start).

:-)

... what a silly chap I am sometimes - I realised I'd read the gauge incorrectly when checking some other tyres today. The Barge has 8mm of tread all round (on the winter tyres).

Silly Alan.