Well, I'm back. I got great advice about condensation under my oil cap, and that cleared up brilliantly.

Then the fan clutch blew. Boy is it hard to find a replacement. It is the one-piece fan with blades built-on, and it presses onto the H20 pump pulley instead of the more common 4-bolt thermal style. They are not interchangeable.

This is the rarest part I have ever come across. I have noticed that the fan blade/clutch assembly for 1969-1974 140s, and for 1983-84 240s, looks very similar. Wonder if I could use one of those.

Anybody got a fan blade for me? Or any advice? Any input would be greatly appreciated. I'm desperate...

Well, in case anyone else encounters this problem, here's what I did:

The replacement friction fan clutch currently made by Volvo for 264s comes with no blades. It's basically a little flying saucer with four holes near the outside that bear no relation to the configuration of most fans and clutches. I don't know what Volvo thinks we are to do with this thing, but there must be some answer out there. I'll keep watching the skies and believing the truth is out there.

Anyway, NAPA sells a universal 15" fan blade made wholly of a vinyl/plastic material. It looks like crap, but it's fairly strong and flexible. It comes with four slots in the hub for bolting on.

Now, those slots don't nearly line up with the hole in Volvo's replacement clutch. I had to drill new holes. Very carefully, in order to make sure the fan would center properly on the clutch. Then, I put 1/4" bolts through those holes, put 3 washers on the other side for each bolt, and screwed that thing onto the fan clutch, using lock washers on the bolt heads where they met the vinyl fan.

Before mounting the fan to the clutch, I inserted into the outer side of the clutch bearing a brass bushing bought from Ace Hardware. This was to provide some extra surface for the center bolt to press into. The bushing fit perfectly into the bearing, and it had a flange on the end that kept it from going all the way through.

After bolting the fan to the clutch (with the bushing installed), I pressed it onto the pulley and bolted it to the water pump shaft, using a large washer on the fan side.

So far, it's working fine. I hope I centered it well enough, because if I didn't, it will probably screw up the clutch again.

I have been through some nightmares with cars, but this one tops it. Usually a fan clutch is an easy fix--if it blows up, you may have to get a new radiator, but not really a big deal. With THIS model, however...oh, my goodness. Obsolecense is a fate far worse than death...

The metal fan and clutch shown in the Haynes 260 manual looks just like
the one on my '78 240. The Haynes manual says to 'remove the fan
assembly retaining bolt and tap the fan and coupling and pully off the
pump shaft. Take care not to loose the Woodruff key from the shaft.'

Where are you located? There maybe someone nearby willing to do/allow a comparison.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans in Brampton, Ont.

I might have what you need.

Describe your fan in more detail, i.e:

• Diameter in inches, Number of blades (yellow painted metal?)

• Any numbers on blades and/or clutch?

You describe it as one-piece, but I believe the clutch can be replaced separately.

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

It is a 1-piece fan/clutch combo. Currently the only thing marketed is a clutch, and a universal fan blade can possibly be mounted on it but that is not ideal.

Specs: 6 blades, 15" diameter, no color (but it is probably so old that any paint would have worn off).

I do not see any numbers on the blade/clutch. It used to have a bearing that held it onto the pulley shaft, but it apparently came apart and flew off, along with the retaining bolt that screws into the water pump shaft.

I've ordered the clutch part online and bought a universal fan blade, so I'll try to put them together when the part arrives and see if it holds.

But if you have something, Bruce, I would be interested in it since I will want a back-up to this aftermarket fix.

Thanks all for responding.