Since I have my dashboard out and blower and evaporator exposed...

should I do anything that would help me recover my AC function while I'm in there?

I've never had a functioning AC in a 240 but I'd love to if possible

jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

Grease up the wiper linkage! :-)

-Ryan
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Athens, Ohio
1987 245 DL 314k, Dog-mobile
1990 245 DL 134k M47, E-codes, GT Sway Bars
1991 745 GL 300k, Regina, 23/21mm Turbo Sway Bars
Buckeye Volvo Club

good point!

maybe that will quiet the noise of those wipers!
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

IMHO, if you have everything apart, I would replace the heater fan ($55) and resistor ($20),

The A/C's expansion valve, which could be the problem, will never be easier to access. These valves are remarkably cheap (~$20) at air conditioning sites on the web,e.g., www.acsource.net.

The valve hangs off the evaporator on the passenger side. You have to remove the black sticky stuff* to get at the valve, and you ought to use good wrenches. Don't try to loosen any of the connections unless you also have a wrench on what you are loosening it from. Note that the thermostat sensor bulb that is part of the valve is clamped to one of the pipes to/from the evaporator.

Here is a link to representative illustrated instructions that includes discussion of the expansion valve in connection with converting the 240 A/C system to R134. Given the price of R12, you might want to consider doing that. This link, by the way, is to Dave Shannon's site, which has plenty of other good stuff to examine: http://volvo2.homestead.com/files/134a_convert.zip.

*WD-30 is not good for much, but it will remove this maddening stuff from your hands and your car's vinyl. One way to insulate the new valve is to re-use the stuff you have remoived, but perhaps there is now something better on the market these days.
jds

You can also get our beloved butyl (yet often cursed) off with a light oil. Baby oil and 3 in 1 oil will help get that off your hands. I would invest in some disposable gloves unless you like wearing it a lot.

Safety Note: Before you open the AC system please make sure you have no pressure in the lines. If not you could get a couple of good breaths of oil vapor or worse when that line gets cracked open.

Ditto on the expansion valve. Had to break out the good Craftsman wrenches to do this. Do not remember all the sizes, but this is one of those get the right tools to do the job. If not you get good wrenches on there to loosen and tighten, you could find yourself in condenser replacement land. But this is one of those hard to do with the dash in, most likely needs to be done, and major improvement to how it works to your AC things.

If you have brown oily gunk coming out when you open the lines up, you may consider flushing the lines also.

Good Luck,

Paul

Let us know how many nuts and screws you have left over. I had 1 bolt, and one screw left over. Found where the screw went when the radio face plate started rattling.

Thanks

the input on the expansion valve is exactly what I needed

Paul and Jdsullivan I thank you for being kind sharing members of this great board...

maybe someday I'll drive a 240 with Air Conditioning

(if it doesn't get too expensive to drive!)
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

Thanks, I am planning that, stereo and heater adjust valve, and some gauge installations, I just was looking for anything I needed to do with my AC while I was in there.

I should have made that clear in my post, sorry!

jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000