Volvo RWD 200 Forum

"check valve is not keeping the system primed..."

I don't think so. Many people think the check valve (at the pump exit) is meant to hold pressure indefinitely. Not true — the K-Jet spec for "residual pressure" is to show at least 29-39 psi (about half normal system pressure) after only 20 minutes.

I tend to doubt the accumulator too, believing that a good pump will have pressure up in just 1 or 2 engine revolutions.

You can test to see if having pressure up is a factor by jumpering +12V to the LEFT (input) side of fuse #5 for a few seconds before starting. That will powr BOTH pumps immediately. A handy source of +12V is the left side of any fuse 6 thru 10.

If you plan to get "intimate" with K-jet, IMO the place to start is by confirming bth System and Control Fuel pressures (cold and warm). The down-side is that this requires a special (CIS) gauge set up, costing about $60 + shipping at JC Whitney.
Note that the picture at JCW is not the CIS/K-Jet gauge setup.

The K-jet system basically does hydraulically what the later ones do electronically. That's why pressure testing is so basic.

P.S. Make sure that fuse #7 has clean, tight contacts. All the system power comes thru fuse #7, and any voltage dropped there means less for the pumps. In my experience, #7 gets pretty warm (hot) normally, but anything done to reduce the resistance there is worthwhile.

FWIW, my fastest starting car ever (summer or sub-zero winter) was an '83 240 turbo.


--
Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.