Hi. I just bought a 240 with a d24 motor that has 53k miles. Looks great inside and out. But... It sat for a long time. I have never had to work on diesels before. I also have an'87 gas burner. Am mechanically minded and love working on the other. I'm hoping I didn't mess up. What should I do to start the process on this car? Thank you for the input

Is this that sweet black one that was on the Boston craigslist for some time?

If so, nice grab. That thing looked like, at least body-wise, it was in great shape.

-Jesse

Hey, thanks for replying. Yes it's the same one. It was the manual tranny that made me jump. I hope I didn't "buy the farm". He seems like he is reputable.

I mean.. is it rusty?

If not, than you'll get it running and driving. Just may take an engine swap. :^)


I guess what I'm saying is that, if you paid what he was asking for, I think you got a good deal just based on the condition of the body and interior. Definitely a good starting point.

It's definitely a very interesting and rare car.

Are you in Boston?

Well... Here it goes. I live in west TN. Selmer s. of Jackson. I know, "what were you thinkin?" maybe a bad move. We will see. I didn't pay what he was originally asking. But, he kept dropping the price and we kept talkin' Volvo and I liked him. I have friends in RI and I lived there for a year working on and building boats

That's cool! I shipped both my 850 and my 1800ES from CA to MA.

Incidentally, I just drove a friend's 1800ES from RI to TN (Chattanooga).

Good luck with your 240. Those diesels are rare!

-Jesse

Thank you very much for the encouragement. This reminds me of the old car club I used to belong to when I was a teenager. There was a lot of help from the old guys that wanted to pass it on. I'd like to send you my cell # if I ever figure out the email option on the forum.

I'd not done any diesel mechanic-ing for sometime.

53k miles? How long has it sat?

The OHC timing belt is at the rear of the VW D24, I think.

You also have a timing belt that turns the the fuel pump and a mechanical fuel distributor (like the Bosch L-jet fuel distributor). I'm not sure.

However, ALL of your answers are most likely here:

The Volvo Diesel Forum
http://d24t.com/archive/index.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_D24_engine

Consider wear items, any sort of fuel system seals, fuel system piping, like low pressure rubber fuel line returns to the fuel tank. I'm not entirely sure, yet the high pressure diesel fuel delivery side is in the black nylon hoses - same used for high pressure petrol gas injection from the high pressure pump to the injector fuel rail.

Consider wear items replacement as a safety measure. Also, consider items that do not age well on an idle or sitting Volvo. Exterior to the passenger compartment electrics and electrical connections in the engine bay wiring harness. The fuse box contacts for the fuses can be corroded.

I think the diesel 240s were spared the wire harness with the decomposing insulation, through not sure.

If you can get the sucker to run, and get it in good tune, you have an excellent Volvo 200 series diesel that can run on french fry oil with some preparation and fuel system modification.

The D24 can be temperamental. If not well care for, the D24 can prematurely wear, losing cylinder compression and a host of other problems. The engine is a cast iron alloy block with a light aluminum alloy cylinder head. With poor care, the head can easily warp on these.

You'll want to verify the engine can turn. I'm also unsure if the engine is an interference engine or not, so please be careful.

If you get the thing to crank with a full battery and a crankcase full of fresh oil, perform a compression test with a cold engine (pull all glow plugs so it cranks freely).

Also, if you get the thing to run, replace all fluids. New coolant mix (distilled or demineralzed water, NEVER tap water).

Anyhoo, hope that gets you started.

cheers,

Buttermilk.

Want to add that manual transmissions make it a nicer car than an ZF automatic.
Also, timing belts exist on front and back of engine, the front has to be done first to set the cam timing which turns the belt at the back for injection timing, both done easily with the VW diesel timing tools.
Ditto on the care of the engine, oil and filters must be maintained, also do not overheat engine as the iron block/aluminum head will creep and take out the head gasket. FWIW Several have said the engine saw service as a truck engine in Europe, also that there were 4 cylinder VW motors, 5 cylinder BMW motors, and the 6 cylinder Volvo motors that used the same design and parts, just more holes.

The engine is interference and the marks on the flywheel confusing. To keep this cram-puff dreamy, always, always turn over by hand and not with starter for a couple turns after working on it. I have one D24T in a wagon and one on the shelf.

Yes. You betcha I will. Probably pull the tank as well. Thank you for the info

Hi. It was started about 3 years ago on either and there was a bad fuel leak under the drivers side (fuel pump or filter). Before that, it sat for a long long time in a garage. Thank you so much for your input. That gives me enough info to do more homework. It is a 0 tolerance motor

Another warning you may already know, do not use starting fluid or gasoline to get it going as this engine has glow plugs. My technique to start is to crack (meaning to slightly loosen) an injector line at an easy to reach injector and crank it 10 to 15 seconds at a time, letting starter cool, until it starts, then tighten to get the sixth cylinder firing. One injector open is usually enough to purge the air from the system.

Wow! You are a huge help. I wasn't going to use starter fluid. I've been involved with work boats and sport fishermens. All use diesels and last a whole lot longer than their land bound counterparts. But, the ones I dealt with rarely needed more than a good maintenance schedule. I understand some but, not enough. You are a tremendous help!! I would enjoy a glass of buttermilk with you or even a really good beer. If your ever out this way, give a holler. Selmer, TN