http://www.brickboard.com/FORUMS/uid=10489 The Volvo owner's resource since 1997. en Copyright 1997-2013, Jarrod Stenberg Mon, 20 May 2013 15:56 GMT Mon, 20 May 2013 15:56 GMT brickadmin@denizen.net brickadmin@denizen.net volvo 1440 http://www.brickboard.com/images/logo_b_25.gif http://www.brickboard.com/ 25 25 The Volvo owner's resource since 1997. "Say no to KYB. Those are all KYB GR-2. Boo. KYB sucks. Unless someone else chimes in with testimonials to the contrary." From my experience, I can't argue with your opinion of KYB parts. I once was a sucker for KYB's "Lifetime" warranty until I realized I was climbing under the car way to often in order to exercise that warranty. I would get less than 30 Kmi of service from KYB's which replaced OE Volvo shocks that had lasted more than 100 Kmi. The clincher came when I installed a pair of KYB top strut mounts during a front end overhaul. Within 7 Kmi, the rubber was tearing apart to the point that I could see daylight through it. Of course I took them back, but when the dealer said they would be replaced under warranty, I had to ask, "Are you nuts?!!" Thinking of what kind of catastrophe could have resulted if one of those strut mounts had separated while my daughter was tooling along the interstate on her trip back to school, I made a pledge to myself to NEVER EVER buy another KYB product. Rich (near Pittsburgh) http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1564740&rss=1 Thu, 9 May 2013 13:42 GMT "Are you saying the car does not travel in a stright line." No. The car tracks well enough, but the steering wheel oscillates slowly and rhythmically back and forth less than an inch to either side of top dead center. All four wheels have been checked and re-balanced and an alignment was done (in addition to the front end rebuild and brake work) in the effort to isolate this problem. http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1564738&rss=1 Thu, 9 May 2013 13:13 GMT The easiest way to size up this situation is, with the car firmly planted, climb underneath and measure the spring lengths. This will remove all the variables, tire inflation, queefed out TAB's, etc. If you're from the Snow Belt, don't forget to first remove the sand bags in the trunk. (insert requisite smiley) Rich (near Pittsburgh) http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1564540&rss=1 Tue, 7 May 2013 16:42 GMT I feel a gentle sway in the steering of a '93 240. It is most obvious at a little under 30 MPH on coast; it is so slight and slow that I cannot call it a shimmy, but it still definitely is there. Perhaps unrelated, this follows a violent shimmy the car had at highway speeds which occurred VERY intermittently. That bit of head scratching resulted in removing the driveshaft to check the u-joints and flex joint, then installing new ball joints, new tie rod ends and new front end rubber. I finally thought I found an explanation when a front caliper showed to be a bit hinky. So, it seemed to be a good time to renew the brakes (calipers, pads and rotors) at all four corners. Since the suspension/brake work, the highway speed shimmy has never reappeared, still the mild, slow speed sway persists. One thing I have noticed, again it could be unrelated, is that the ABS on this car is much quicker to act than on my others. I did inspect and clean the reluctors and sensors when the brake work was done. I'm uncertain where to go next with this problem - perhaps delve into the unknowns of the ABS. Does anyone have any suggestions or similar experiences? Thanks, one and all. Rich (near Pittsburgh) http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1564538&rss=1 Tue, 7 May 2013 16:20 GMT Amen to that. A few years ago, we bought a used '90 240 sedan as a Christmas gift for our daughter. The car was a clean, 5-speed from Northern VA. The week before Christmas, I spent some time with the car detailing it and repairing the niggling things it needed. I remember being quite pleased that the dash was cherry. Until Christmas day, our dear neighbor offered her garage so that our daughter would not see the special gift beforehand. So, on Christmas eve, with the 240 all fluffed and buffed, I parked it in front of our house. We then had a cold snap and the next time I was in that car, the dash showed a healthy crack across it's full width. But . . . I have three '93's which have sat through many SW Pennsylvanian winters and there is not a crack to be seen in any of their dashboards. I can only hope that the mint dash I have been tripping over in my basement for far too many years is from the same production run as those '93's. Rich (Near Pittsburgh) http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1564513&rss=1 Tue, 7 May 2013 08:04 GMT Since 2005 I've bought OE Volvo Cat-back Exhaust kits exclusively. The friendly price I got made them as cheap as aftermarket. Although, I didn't like the over-the-axle mid-pipe they came with, I was told that was the only way they came, and, after all, the parts where authentic Volvo. Yesterday, I had a reminder of why I do not care for that over-the-axle format when I found a front muffler with an outlet broken right where it enters the socket of the mid-pipe. It seemed I got few miles out of that exhaust system, but I did not realize how little until I checked - the damn thing queefed out after 5 years but only 14 Kmi!!! So, now I'm left to try to get the local dealer to honor the Limited Lifetime warranty on Volvo mufflers which has often been spoken of on the Brickboard. When I called the dealership, the parts guy said in the entire time he's worked there (the entire 5 years) he never heard of a lifetime warranty for Volvo mufflers, but, if I could show him some documentation stating such, he would take it up with his district representative. Does anyone know where I can find any type of documentation which might be used to substantiate this claim? Thanks one and all, Rich ( Near Pittsburgh, PA) http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1562814&rss=1 Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:41 GMT Lubrication is a lot like Brylcreem - a little dab will do ya. So, smear a little grease on any part of the hood release assembly that slides or pivots. Also, as importantly (maybe even more so), detach the Bowden cable from the hood latch and while holding the latch end high, drizzle a small amount of oil into the cable sheath. Don't go animal with the amount of oil you use and give it some time to migrate to the other end. Rich (Near Pittsburgh) http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1560916&rss=1 Wed, 27 Mar 2013 22:37 GMT Sure is, but, sad to say, these days there are other terrible things coming out of the Keystone State - guess where I went to school? There was some good news today, that despicable Graham Spainer (former pres of PSU) was indicted for his role in the Sandusky nightmare. I can only hope that Graham's shower-mate at the big house has a fondness for soft, pasty, older guys. Bet he won't be able to ignore that kind of special attention. Sorry about going so far off topic, but this subject has had be boiling for a year now. Rich near Pittsburgh http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1546153&rss=1 Thu, 1 Nov 2012 23:04 GMT I don't need it in the least, but it is really hard to pass on a low mileage 240, even if it's an automatic. After looking at the photos more closely, I have to agree with pageda - the digits on an odometer are always aligned EXACTLY . . . until someone spins them. Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1546152&rss=1 Thu, 1 Nov 2012 22:46 GMT I would not replace any of the OE bearings until they started to cry mercy. You will not be able to find bearings of the high quality that were installed originally. I've had original front wheel bearings last 200 Kmi. and I have to wonder how long they would have gone if I had been prudent enough to repack and adjust them at least once. I would, and I have, replaced ALL the rubber mounts (with OE only), front and rear, all at once. It was then nice to go another 100 Kmi. without having to do them piecemeal. Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1545805&rss=1 Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:00 GMT I've never pulled a dash just to renew one, but I pulled them for the past two blower motors I did - made the job MUCH easier. I think Art Benstein (near Baltimore) suggested doing that. It is not that difficult to R&R the dash as long as you are not going any deeper into the bowels of underdash Hell. Be careful when removing the plastic trim pieces and lube up the locating pins (I use cable pulling lube) before you try to stab their rubber sockets. As far as not finding a crack-free dash, I can find 5 of the right now - three of them are in my user '93 240's, one is in my garage queen '90 and I've been shuffling the last one around my basement for far too many years. Rich - near Pittsburgh http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1545802&rss=1 Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:32 GMT Does anyone know if Bendix Part #66580 - Caliper Rebuild Kit is the proper one for a 1993 240 front Girling Caliper with ABS and Vented Rotors? The number appears to be obsolete and with no reference in the Bendix online catalog. Thanks, one and all. Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1545715&rss=1 Sun, 28 Oct 2012 17:22 GMT Good question and one I have pondered myself considering the kind of damage I have seen to the hydraulics of stored vehicles. Unless someone can come up with a better way to go, if I redo a hydraulic component, I will first clean it thoroughly, then store it with Brake Assembly Lube inside. I have a bottle of Wagner Brake Assembly Lube which seems to be enough for a couple of lifetimes no matter how much I use it. Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1545714&rss=1 Sun, 28 Oct 2012 17:15 GMT I don't know the reason for the prohibitions about splitting a caliper, either. At one time I thought it might have something to do with registering one side precisely to the other. But, then you would think they'd have dowels or shoulders machined into the interface. I obeyed the precautions until I met a Beemer mechanic who routinely split the Brembos on R-bikes and never noted a problem as a result. Maybe, he was just lucky. Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1545415&rss=1 Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:13 GMT "Does it make any difference other than resell time?" _____________________________________________________ Yes, at registration time - at least in Pennsylvania. Years ago, I totaled my Sweetheart's favorite 240. Since I had just gone over it from stem to stern, I decided to salvage the good bits from it - the old "make one good car from two junk cars" dance. I found a nice 260 which had an engine fire. In fact, at the time, I had my choice of three 260's with burned up engine compartments. I sorta suspected that an engine fire was THE cure whenever a 260's owner was presented with an estimate for a valve job. Anyhoo, I made a 4-cylinder stick out of the V-6 auto. In order to register this mechanical mongrel, it first had to be inspected by the PA State Police. Only after they signed off on it was I permitted to register it. The "salvage" title designation remained with the car, but I do not recall the insurance costing any more. Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1545414&rss=1 Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:03 GMT I just installed a pair of rebuilt front calipers on a '93 240. I hesitate to turn in my cores because the castings are in MUCH better condition than those of the rebuilds. So, I intend to renew them myself. It has been some time since I went to the trouble of rebuilding calipers, but I do recall that splitting the calipers makes the whole process a lot easier. I also recall that as much as I didn't like it, I reused the seals for the internal transfer ports. After poking around a bit, I cannot find a caliper rebuild kit which comes with the internal seals - does anyone know of any rebuild kits which supply these vital seals? Or, does anyone know their type (square or round cross-section?) and dimensions? Thanks, one and all. Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1545379&rss=1 Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:47 GMT Left-right, front-rear are ALWAYS viewed as if you are sitting in the driver's seat. http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1538713&rss=1 Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:48 GMT Maybe you are thinking about another model. None off the 240 rear axles I have worked on have had shimmed rear wheel bearings. In fact, I think that all 240's from '75 through '93 use the same rear wheel bearings. I measured the axle end float on each side - left was 0.012, right was 0.010. Not enough of a difference to draw any conclusions. If I get curious enough, I'll check my garage queen which has only about 35 Kmi. on it. http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1538712&rss=1 Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:31 GMT Yes. Good point - anything is possible in the Rust Belt. I was thinking that the piston for the single worn out pad was not retracting properly. But, ALL the pistons seem to be moving as slick as a nursing baby's diarrhea and I stroked them in and out several times. The car was inspected 6 months ago - the fellow who does my inspections always gives me a heads-up if he thinks something will not last until the next inspection. Perhaps the friction material separated and was puked out. I'll have to keep an eye on the new rotors and pads. Thanks for the input. http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1538711&rss=1 Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:23 GMT Does anyone know the Volvo Spec for the maximum allowable end-float (axial free-play) in a '93 240 Rear Axle? I just pulled a wheel which had eaten ONE rear pad, while the other three were only half worn. I fully expected to find a frozen caliper, but the piston for the one queefed out pad pressed in like butter even with just finger pressure. The only weirdness I noticed is the the axle on that wheel seems to have a little more axial free-play than the other side; I will measure the exact amount, but I would like to know what is acceptable before I go popping out the axle for no good reason. There appears to be no other indications (noise, roughness, glitches, etc.) of a bad bearing. I hope someone has the answer to this question - it will save me some unnecessary work. Thanks, one and all, Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1538673&rss=1 Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:23 GMT Now I know why no one piped in on this post. After more than a little investigation, I THINK I came up with the correct Volvo part number for the Condenser Cooling Fan Pressure Switch on a '93 240: 3540657. At least that is what the parts guy at TASCA finally found after almost an hour of telling me that I must have aftermarket A/C condenser cooling fans mounted to my three '93 240's. (You don't have an electric cooling fan ... Yes, I do ... Is it the fan mounted to the motor? ... Sure, it's mounted to an electric motor ... No, the MOTOR ... No, not the ENGINE ... The Volvo guy says you don't have an electric cooling fan ... and so on ...) Oh, and they are no longer available from Volvo. So, the current question is has any one found the Holy Grail, a Santech, Four Seasons, etc, crossover number for this pressure switch? Thanks, one and all, Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1534445&rss=1 Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:47 GMT For a 1993 240: 1/ Can anyone tell me the setpoint for the Electric Cooling Fan Pressure Switch? 2/ Perhaps more importantly, is the switch connected to a port with an automatic shut-off valve (Schrader Valve) like the Pressostat? 3/ Does anyone have the part number for the switch used on a 1993 240, with the R134A A/C system? Thanks, one and all, Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1533630&rss=1 Wed, 4 Jul 2012 02:34 GMT Thanks, Mike. I just wish you didn't have to say that, but I guess it won't hurt to have the A/C system recharged. Rich http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1533204&rss=1 Sat, 30 Jun 2012 13:30 GMT A short while back, I bought a wagon which had been smoked in. Following the advise I read somewhere on this forum, I wiped down all the interior surfaces with a mild solution of white vinegar/water. I thought that had worked its magic, but last night I noticed the smell of stale cigarette smoke coming from the vents right after I turned on the A/C. Has anyone found a method to eliminate this lingering smell without pulling apart the heating/ventilating system for a thorough cleaning or masking it with an even heavier odor? http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1533200&rss=1 Sat, 30 Jun 2012 13:05 GMT I agree with the consensus, re-tension it now. Things happen and you could forget to do it a year from now. Anyway, if it does come to mind a year from now it won't hurt to do it again. I have to wonder how many timing belts are installed and are NEVER re-tensioned. http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1533198&rss=1 Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:50 GMT Use the text input below to search brickboard.com query http://www.brickboard.com/FIND/