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Mia Culpa...long

I have not been on in a long time dispensing recycled knowledge accumulated from those much smarter than me. I have been busy with the race car, remodeling and life in general. This time I am back to apologize to those that I doubted...

For a while we had a string of starter failures in 1988 and newer red blocks and I insisted that this did not make sense. I have a few hundred thousand miles on these cars never a main pump or starter failure. Someone (Art B?) explained that the newer starters are not he same as those from my B21's. I now have a seriously toasted starter AND solenoid on my low mileage 1990 240. The car sat for about 16 months. Starter came out easily because I knew the trick (3' extension with a wobble)and because I now use one of these regularly...

We all got into a pretty heated, at times, discussion of if an impact gun is a good idea in general and for beginners to help them from shearing rusted bolts. I insisted that though I have pretty good air impact, I never use it. Art B insisted I would one day when I had to do some procedure (don't remember what). I have since acquired a battery impact gun that we use at the track or in the PnP on a regular basis. So guess what the first tool was that I grabbed for the starter removal. Starter was out and tested in 15 minutes and I barely got greasy.

I really miss working on the relatively sane and simple Red Blocks but my 940 is so reliable that whenever I have time to wrench, it is on the Saturn Lemons racer or my new-to-me 1995 GM truck. Nothing makes you appreciate the engineering in a Volvo more than wrenching a mid-90's GM product.

This 240 is going to family in need of reliable basic transportation and it just seemed a waste to let it sit in the driveway. They will pay me eventually for the repair parts but the car itself is being sold at the price of "you have to deep clean my house after the drywall dust settles". I think I am getting the better end of the deal. The plans to turn it into a LeMons car just are never gong to happen.








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    Hey Onkel,

    I've missed your posts enjoyed for their words of actual experience vs. theoretical musings from the bench.

    Regarding this one, I'll make another prediction: When you again have room for one, you'll get a 240 wagon. Just a guess.

    Also, I appreciate your review on the usefulness of a battery operated impact driver. My air operated tool predates all the electric (AC and battery) so I've not had the pleasure of using such portability with impact, aside from bopping the end of "ring spanners" or the screw-shooting ability afforded by those lithium-powered impact screwdrivers.

    However, coupla days ago that air tool met its match getting the anode out of our 8-year-old electric water heater. Finally got it turning after applying the tighten-first approach, and no, I didn't get to the PB or (heaven forbid) the flame-wrench stage. But it hasn't yet failed on a car task.

    Start looking for that wagon :)

    BTW, I made a very good deal for those in-family repair parts bills last month!
    --
    Art Benstein near Baltimore

    A man inserted an 'ad' in the classifieds: 'Wife wanted'. Next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: 'You can have mine.'



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      Just slapped the odo gear in, put fresh thermal paste on the Ignition amplifier, charged the AC and adjusted the NSS (starter went in yesterday to great success). Yes, I remembered how much I liked the no-nonsense approach the 240 has but...

      ...then the blower motor started making its intermittent rattle on fan speed 4 and remembered of the reasons I hate the 240 series.



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      So riddle me this Art. My solenoid failure is a relative common on with a heat related failure to engage but the starter has me baffled. Using my jumper cables directly to the starter lug it will spin and then "chunk" to a dead stop. The duration of the spin before the clunk varies but when it happens the start comes to a dead stop. This is with the starter out of the car so it takes a pretty nasty tumble each time it stops. Ideas?

      I would love another 240 wagon but the 940 wagon has the right group of compromises for my needs. A 93, stick 240 wagon with the blower motor already replaced and working AC I would consider.



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        Sorry, meant to reply before.

        When you say it thumps to a stop, could it be a loose commutator section getting hit by the edge of a brush when centrifugal force throws it up like this one?

        I know you are clear in your own mind what you mean by "Using my jumper cables directly to the starter lug" however the exact connection you are making is ambiguous to me. Starter lug? Solenoid terminal at the brushes or where the battery cable normally connects?


        --
        Art Benstein near Baltimore

        A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.



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          Yeah, I am attaching the jumper cable to the lug on the solenoid with the braid to the starter.

          Yeah, a brush getting hung on the commutator would probably do what I am describing.



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