In another thread here I mentioned that there are several things under the hood of my 1976 245 that I'm unclear about, and I'm having difficulty properly identifying them from the various sources I'm researching online. I've also tried to use the various manuals I've found online (in addition to Haynes), and these tend to be rather unhelpful in showing systems more or less unique to my early model.

I have 3 questions to start.... Sorry, I seem to be only able to post 1 picture per post and don't want to clutter up the forum with similar posts, so here's one picture and the rest are available via links (which I give).

First: In the picture below, what's the electrical connection that goes to the piece that houses my idle adjustment knob? All other images I can find of manifolds have just the adjustment knob, but no electrical piece that attaches to it. ???

Second: In this picture - http://survey.sun-associates.com/images/245/IMG_9896.jpg - what's the little wire loop that is coming out of my control unit? It looks like it's coming out of the same place where one is supposed to insert an allen wrench/volvo tool to adjust the mixture. Did early units have an external adjuster (that loop on the end of the wire thing in the pic)? I just want to know what this is before I go turning or pulling or whatever on it.

Third: (http://survey.sun-associates.com/images/245/o2.jpg) My car has an oxygen sensor which is wired up to a control unit (in the passenger's side footwell). It has the Lambda-sond grille badge (fwiw). But it has NO catalyst and as far as I can tell never did. The door tag - http://survey.sun-associates.com/images/245/doortag.jpg clearly states that it's a non-catalyst car. Everything that I read says that cars with oxygen sensors should have had catalysts. But ONLY the oxygen sensor...I can't find any record of that. And related to this...I have no idea how long ago this sensor was changed. It's cheap and easy to get to, would you recommend that I just pop a new one in there as preventative maintenance?

Just for kicks, or if it helps someone identify things, here's a picture of the whole engine bay - http://survey.sun-associates.com/images/245/eb.jpg . Somewhere I read that it's unusual to have an unpainted timing belt cover. Is that true?

Otherwise, I'm loving this car, and it's entertaining to work on. There's so much room to work under there owing to no AC (it had it originally, but the P O removed the compressor when no doubt some part of the system failed) and no power steering.

Thanks for any input you might have.

now that art's got pictures up, i can play-thanks art.

1 idle solenoid for ac idle change.

2 that is the block off plug for the co screw. it's needed to keep the co from leaning out. usually lost, have seen them a few times. it used to be available-1266383. the later cars DID have an anti-tamper plug in them.

3 is the 30k o2 sensor. if bad it can affect mileage and idle.

4 is strange, not seen a o2 sensor on a car w/o converter from the factory. does the plate on the rad support agree with the decal you posted and the vin tag? i don't have my 76 new car features handy, so i can't id the motor number in the next pic. i have seen and done a 76 front pipe in place of a 78 up convertor and pipe. 1 pipe from manifold to ft muffler-462821-long discontinued. maybe a conversion? easy to do, 78 man1fold, 02, ecu and harness.

5 is correct. my 76, 78 and 80 242s had metal covers. 81 up is plastic. good luck, chuck.

Hi Chuck,

Still bugs me about lambda in '76 Federal. I'd guess there was an engine swap involved.

On the hole plug with the puller - never saw one before, thanks for teaching me.

Also, the timing cover... I knew they were metal, but the one on mine is painted black. Never saw one with clear like on this car, I don't think.



--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly. Except the profanity. You don't take that back; you just keep adding to it.

i just looked and 498304 is correct for 1976. i figure some one swapped the o2 system into it or maybe the engine and kept the timing cover. if i could see the car, i'd could check things for factory fit or hacked in. we'll see, chuck.

You're welcome to come see the car :-) I'd love to know what was hacked in and what was factory fit. Although from what I read, there's not necessarily that much difference between those two scenarios.

Alright, so continuing the "what is this?" investigation, what is this connector that terminates on a little bracket attached to my aux brake vacuum pump thing?



and



The info I'm getting in this thread is super-helpful. Given the overall lack of complexity under the hood, I'm just about done trying to identify bits.

first let me say congrats to you for stimulating those "little grey cells" on this board.

The pix are great. As good as Art's, tho he provides solutions and you present problems ---- which is not a bad thing by any means.

So that Brake Vaccum pump got eliminated in later models.

Cautionary story.
My 75 with the B20 had one of those, tho it was mounted on the block--rearward of the Distrib. The failure in those Vac Pumps, and as noted in the Volvo Problem Solver was that the diaphram at the top of the pump wud tear, and not only wud Braking become Harder ---- and you wudn't notice it over time until it got really bad ---No Vaccum Assist. You cud replace the diaphram.

But Worse before that happened the Pump wud suck out Oil from the block, and you'd suddenly be down a 1/2 QT or more. Which wud triger all sorts of Zebra Thoughts.

Yrs is mounted on the valve cover, and so I guess the conxn is off the Cam and that Sucking is not as likely. But put the Tear on the mind shelf, if braking gets hard.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On the K-Jet. Take a close look at the Injectors where they enter the Head. Is it as clean as the rest of the engine. Do they look like they are 42years Old? If so you may want to renew the Injector Seals. 2 parts. A rubber holder that fits into the engine and an O ring that fits on the Injector body. No need to undo the fuel line. Easy and may get that last leak.

Also covered in My Favorite Book. VPS.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here's my guess as to theQuestion: Lambda no CAT that technically came a year later .

The car didn't sell in the Model Year and had to be Upgraded to meet the CA 1977 standards.

Cheers

>>>>> Here's my guess as to theQuestion: Lambda no CAT that technically came a year later .

The car didn't sell in the Model Year and had to be Upgraded to meet the CA 1977 standards. >>>>>>>

YES! I think that could be it!

Here are two pictures that I did not post in the initial message since I thought I might be going overboard with regard to too many pics. This first one shows the date of the initial 600 mile inspection. The end of June, 1977.



Would that be a 1976 car sold in the 1977 model year?

And in case someone says "It must have taken them longer than a few months to drive almost 900 miles!" I don't think so. This next one shows the 7500 mile inspection just a few months later, and the 15K inspection just 6 months after that.



There must be some good stories there.... Although there aren't any more dealer stamps in the manual, so I guess the owner started to take it somewhere aside from the dealer after that.

Jeff

>> Here's my guess: The car didn't sell in the Model Year
>> and had to be Upgraded to meet the CA 1977 standards.

> YES! I think that could be it!

No, it really couldn't; that's not a thing, and never was. Vehicle regulations—all of them, including the Federal and California emissions standards, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and the rest of them all over the world work on the basis of vehicle manufacture (or import) date, not sale date. There's no clock that starts counting down until a date after which an unsold new car has to be modified to meet the subsequent-year standards. A new-never-sold car made in February 1976 is a 1976-model car that need meet only 1976-model standards, whether it's first sold in March 1976, June 1977, or August 2021.

Moreover, a car equipped with an O2 sensor would have been configured to take only unleaded gasoline (filler neck restrictor, "UNLEADED FUEL ONLY" labels, etc). Those unheated O2 sensors were short-lived enough on unleaded—about 30,000 miles, perhaps a bit longer with today's cleaner-burning gasoline; using leaded would put the sensor to death in about a tenth of that distance, or less. They're subject to the same kind of fouling by which leaded gasoline kills catalytic converters.

Most ikely somebody unofficially swapped the O2S and related parts onto the car, perhaps intentionally or perhaps they hitched a ride during a larger parts swap (engine, maybe, or manifolds).

> Maybe, in the earliest days of federal emissions controls,
> and as California was still establishing its difference from
> the rest of the 50 states, there were like weird hybrid
> compliance models produced?

There weren't. Also, the earliest days of Federal emission controls were in the late '60s, not the mid '70s, and California established its relevant differences from the other states in 1961, and got its enduring Federal law officially acknowledging the legal right to do so in 1968.

hold it sages- 600 mile service at the dealers?. sounds like a one way ticket to shysterville. hope my muffler bearing repair bills are paid up. think I know why most volvo wrenchers don't make a 2d trip to that dealer, but I wont tell. regards oldduke

Shysterville? No.

Recognition of the bathtub curve for quality issues. Catch them early. Service is paid by Volvo. Wonder who still does this among car makers?
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore


You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. ~Malcolm S. Forbes

Well, given that the owner drove at least 15,000 miles in the first year of ownership (something virtually unheard of nowadays where that kind of driving would earn you a huge penalty on the average lease...which is how most people have new cars), I'd say that someone was doing something right. Particularly since here we are 41 years later talking about a car that's still in one piece and putting in the miles :-)

That's the socket for the diagnostic tool for setting timing. It connects to a magnetic pickup reading pins passing on the flywheel/flexplate. The special Volvo tool is called a Mono-Tester if I remember.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Thanks!

Yes, all of the id plates/stickers on my car match...so it really came from the factory with no catalyst but yes with an O2 sensor system. I thought that was odd.

Regardless, it seems like trying a new O2 sensor may be a reasonable thing for me to do as I think my mileage is a bit off (it's consistently under 20mpg) and the idle is a bit rough (although I know that there can be lots of reasons for that). I have no record of when it was last changed, so I have no idea if it's been on for less or more than 30K. I also think there's a good chance that the wiring from the sensor to the control unit could be rotted. There's hardly a bit of wiring on this car that doesn't have broken insulation at some point. Definitely the weak point on an otherwise sturdy car.

Since that "thing" on my idle screw is for the no-longer-existing AC system, that explains why when I unplug it, or it comes unplugged by itself because the spade connector falls off the solenoid, nothing happens. I suppose that there's no harm in just leaving it there, plugged in or not.

On the other hand, one problem that I do have is that my idle is consistently fast (I have assumed that this is also somewhat to blame for my poor gas mileage). I cannot adjust it entirely to spec, and one of the reasons why I'm engaged in this quest to understand what all of the bits are under my hood is that I want to start to get into addressing the idle speed issue (and in general be prepared for more indepth adjustment work that will eventually become more pressing than it is right now). I wonder if that solenoid is affecting the idle. After all, its function is to make the car idle faster when the AC is on, right?

I'm assuming that it must be possible to either remove the solenoid and plug the resulting hole...or maybe to just buy a whole new idle screw piece that has no provision for the solenoid. I don't have the car in front of me now, but from recollection, that piece just screws into the manifold so I should be able to replace it?

If you choose then to replace the O2 Sensor it will be necessary to adjust the CO as the new O2 sensor will be sending a different signal to the Lambda computer.

So you need to have a MultiMeter or a Dwell Meter handy to set the CO when you change the O2 sensor.

Yup, I have that (multimeter/dwell meter). I just need to make sure I hook it up to the correct leads under the hood. Figuring out which those are is the challenge. Once again, I've found the correct Volvo manuals online and even Haynes covers this. But in general, very little in this car is exactly where the manuals say it is.

For example, that AC idle solenoid? All of the lit I've found says that it's on the firewall. Nowhere did I see mention that it could actually be on the idle adjusting screw housing.

It's an adventure.

the test points are shown in a diagram in the Volvo Problem Solver p 20-11.
A is the TP when using a Dwell meter
procedure is on P 24-211

I'm curious about that hose that's connected in Pic #1. Where does it go --- the other end?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Re: FAST IDLE -- the AUX AIR valve may not be closing all the way when the engine is warmed up.

see page 24-041

There are 2 hoses going to the thing that the AC solenoid attached to (Pic 1). Both are vacuum lines. One goes down to the distributor...



And the other goes the other direction to the aux air valve...



These all seem to be vacuum lines. Do cars that don't have that solenoid attached to the idle adjustment thing still have those vacuum lines running through the idle adjustment thing (running out of nouns here)?

First let me say that it looks like all the hoses are in VG condition and the potential "air leaks" that I thought might be present...even have hose clamps on the Aux Air Valve hoses.

My 1980 K-Jet with AC ... and this is my only actual visual check... is diff in that... there is no electrical cnxted solinoid on that "body". The port where the hose to the distrib (and branch) has not been drilled -- it's sealed. Where you have that solinoid, I have a hose that goes to a plastic vaccum valve, with hoses that lead to the AC Valve mounted on the firewall -- which you mentioned earlier.

In addition. The hose from the Vaccum Advance is not connected in anyway to this. The hose from the distributor vaccum advance (double pie pan on the side) module goes directly to a nipple on the other side of the throttle body (facing the firewall) so the Vaccum has no divergences.

Someone with an earlier model with a B21F --- the first in the US was the 1976...needs to chime in here.

I had a 1975 245 it was a K-Jet but it had the older B20F engine.

________________________________________________________________

On to the Aux Air Valve... that big hose that goes to the Valve is not a vaccum it is part of the Bypass between the adjuster and the intake manifold. The other hose hooks into the INtake Manifold and the blade valve in the Aux Air device lets in more air which causes the Fuel Distrubutor to let in more Fuel (since the Plate inside that fuel distributor is raised(more fuel) but the total vaccum (sucking) of the running engine.

So, I guess you already know, that air leaks inboard of that Plate inside the Fuel Distrib...cause it to pour in more fuel.
_____________________________________________________________________

By the way... is this an Automatic or a Manual gearbox. I've got a 4 speed and around town I get low 20's ---maybe 24mpg. On the highway, as it's a 4spd and running 3K on the tach at today's highway speeds at times.... at 60-65 I'll get 25mpg

---------------------------------

I'm guessing this a California or West Coast car...lack of rust?

Thanks again for all of the info and insight. That parts catalog is amazing! I will resist the urge to print the whole thing out.

Most of the hoses in my car are in surprisingly good shape and have clearly been maintained. More problematic is anything electrical. 40 years in the desert seems to have done a number on wires, but not rubber hoses (actually, rubber was likely regularly replaced...wires, not so much). So, I don't think I have any vac leaks or air leaks, but for example I have my doubts that that aux air valve is properly functioning electrically. But I can test that.

I am the second owner of this car, and the first owner kept it going for most of its 289K miles. I bought it after it went up on auction in NM. It lived its whole life in NM, and then I went and brought it to MA. I hope to keep the rust at bay, but right now, no rust. My guess is that the original owner maintained it as a daily driver up until the acquisition of parts just became too difficult for someone who wanted transportation alone and not transportation AND a hobby. It has all of the signs of a car that was maintained by the same mechanic for years and years...replacing what needed replacing and sort of hacking things together when necessary until that just became too hard.

So now, that's my job.

The car has the 4 sp w/ electronic od (M46) transmission. It has manual steering (something that mystifies and frustrates any driver under the age of about 50). Actually, I think the kids are more confused by manual window winders than they are anything else. ;-)

my doubts that that aux air valve is properly functioning electrically. But I can test that.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

the electrical cnxn to the Aux Air Valve is for a Heater. The idea being that when the egine is cold the blade/slider is open and as the engine warms up and the heat from the engine compartment along with the Electric Heater and some vibration of the engine the blade/slider closes.

Inside the body is basically a wound spring type thermostat that moves the blade. If you live in a warm climate the slider dosen't open at all.. There is a Temp range. I think it's 68F and below that it opens...you'll have to look that up.

So basically it is a Mechanical Thermostatic Valve --- If you disconnect the top hose, with a flashlight you can see the blade/slider. If it's dirty you can remove the unit and clean the insides with one of those spray cans of auto cleaner/lubes.

When the one on my old 75 wagon failed, it wouldn't close and whenever I stopped at a light the engine would not drop to idle it stayed at 1000+ RPM.

The Volvo Problem Solver has a Hack --- losen the nut and you can slightly repostion the end point of that blade...check out that page

If you really want to get deep in the weeds

(or have you found this already)???

Download
Volvo 240 & 260 parts catalog 1979 – 1984

This parts manual covers the Volvo 240 and 260 series which are produced from August 1978 until July 1984. Warning: size is 29mb, so it could take a while before it’s load

1371 Pages

http://www.volvotips.com/index.php/240-260/volvo-240-260-parts-catalog/#ixzz5IGaKVMpb

PS
I used that parts cat to find a Non CAT header pipe- Part Number --- to put on my 1980 when it became "historic" and not longer needed a CAT.

Non Cat Header pipe...as noted earlier by Chuck aka porkface

Those guys in Atlanta had the pipe NEW...$90 plus yuge shipping ---$110 to my door

http://www.voluparts.com/

Since that Catalog is International, don't just go by the year. for instance Canada had carburated B21 engines ...the US never had them

that's it, I'm done....good luck to the new Volvo Maniac

In the first pic in the post I'm replying to, you showed the AC idle-up solenoid. Not much it can do in yours since it is wired across the AC clutch.

No limit to images unless you get a "spam" message, and then you just post once and add them with an edit.



Adding your links:



(Never saw this, but first thought is someone fitted a quick-access mixture adjustment which would be frowned on by the EPA police, I suppose. :)



The unheated oxygen sensors were changed by schedule at 30,000 mile intervals as I recall. There was a miles counter and a warning bulb for a reminder. They don't last as long as the heated sensors. Of course, is yours has a newer engine, the warning lamp and miles counter will not be there.



I'm with you on this one. I thought US market Federal 4-cyl were non-lambda. Mine is non-lambda in '79. Wonder if there was an early engine swap...



Can't say about the timing cover. Never really paid attention to the cosmetics when scrounging in the boneyards, but maybe that engine ID will help with the previous question. Someone will know.

--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

I can't see PIX number one.

so answers for a few other qustions.

That Loop of wire - yes is where the CO adjustment is made. Cud be that a Previous Owner hooked that up for easier adjustment. Leave it alone --- for now read.

The O2 Sensor: reads the CO/O2 in the exhaust and send a signal to the Lambda Sond Comupter---located under the kick panel - passenger side. This signal the CO is adjusted with the Above mentioned adjuster and measured from a Test cnnxtion with a Dwell Meter or at the O2 Sens cnxtn with a Volt/Amp meter. This is a system to regulated the Rich/Lean. The Lambda does this with the use of a Frequency Valve....When the car is running you shud hear that Valve BUZZING.

You don't need to replace the O2 unless you have related problem. Or can't get the CO output into Specs.

If you have Downloaded the Volvo Problem Solver Advanced Edition --- which I linked in your other post...the way to do this is covered.


Not having a CAT has nothing to do with the Lambda System as the O2 sensor measures Exhaust before the CAT. The Lambda is an engine/fuel management system...In cars with carburators there is an Enrichment screw on the carb body ---basically the same thing.

PS

If you have not done so yet. You shud really mine this site for what's left Volvo Grn Books before they all dissapear
These GnBooks all start with 1976 or 1975

the K-Jet Folder
http://www.volvowiringdiagrams.com/?dir=volvo/K-Jetronic

the Service Manual folder which has inside
Folder: B21, B23 Engine 1975-85

http://www.volvowiringdiagrams.com/?dir=

Here's pic number 1 again (and see Art's response to my first post for the rest of the pictures, embedded. Thanks!!)

Sorry if I missed it in a previous post, but is there a frequency valve installed?

--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

Sorry if I missed it in a previous post, but is there a frequency valve installed?

--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

Hi Eric,

I may have missed it also, but I don't believe the frequency valve is mentioned. I do see the oxygen sensor and its harness, so I believe there are the electronics for lambda sond on this engine (which doesn't make sense to me for 1976) but I can't imagine why/how this would be the case without the frequency valve.

Curious about why you ask, given the OP isn't responding.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Curiosity and the willingness to help like you do so often and if he/she needs a part(s), I might be able to help.

As you and others have noted, some of that stuff shouldn't be on that car and it's obvious "someones been messing around in there".
--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

Well, the OP has to do other work at some point to support this Volvo obsession ;-)

(plus, the car for the next 3 week days is being driven daily to high school)

Yes, I do believe that there is a frequency valve. Isn't that what this thing is, hiding near the fuel distributor close to the firewall?



This is turning out to be more of a mystery than I'd originally imagined! Maybe, in the earliest days of federal emissions controls, and as California was still establishing its difference from the rest of the 50 states, there were like weird hybrid compliance models produced? I too have seen that my car simply should not exist according to the Volvo parts catalog...but here it is and everything looks original except it doesn't fit with what should be. Maybe this is more of a unicorn than I had thought.

LOOKS like a freq. valve, just not mounted like i've seen before. if the emmissions sticker wasn't there, i'd swear this was a euro market car that got into the states by an owner-aka gray market. just looks like an add-on freq. valve setup i've seen on gray mercedes that were brought into compliance by the importers.

here's the book, start at pg 25-

http://www.240.se/litteratur/tp30727.pdf

if everything is there, i dunno. i can't say anything about calif. law, but i thought when it was built is more important than when it was sold. maybe it was converted for sale at the dealer. you've got the selling dealer stamp, maybe they're still around? not sure, chuck.

The Frequency Valve will be BUZZZZING when the engine is running.

CB wrote -- "The Frequency Valve will be BUZZZZING when the engine is running." This is true--but only if the mixture is within the correct range. -- Dave