Greg,
You can easily lock the intermediate or cam pulleys with the belt off by placing a large screwdriver or pry-bar through the holes in the front of the pulley and wedging the end against any convenient bolt head or protrusion on the front of the block.
Sounds crude I know, but it works and won`t do any damage if a little thought is given to what you wedge it against.
Colin.

The top two pulleys shouldn't be torqued on too much. 38 lb-ft IIRC. I've never taken the i-shaft pulley off, but the timing belt with the engine locked (4th gear, parking brake on) works just fine to remove/install the cam sprocket. If you feel nervous about usinga new belt to tighten the nuts, just use the old one, and install a new belt after that.

I suppose you may have to actually use a strap wrench (or a t-belt as one) on the i-shaft.. since the timing belt doesn't wrap as far around as it does on the cam sprocket.

Of course for the crank pulley on a B230, just buy the tool. It'll save you time, and you can impress your Volvo owning friends.

- alex

'85 244 Turbo
'84 245 Turbo

I've used a rubber strap wrench on the cam and intermmediate gears of my 240 and my son's Subaru. It worked fine. I don't believe that wrench would work to hold the crank pulley. I have the Volvo crankshaft holder tool and it is made very heavy duty. When I loosened my crank pully bolt, I had to add a pipe to my breaker bar, it was that tight!

to remove the crank pully all manuals i have(volvo shop/haynes)both say to remove the torque converter/flywheel cover and wedge a large screwdriver between the teeth of the starter ring gear and the trensmission case. You would have to remove the cam pully first and than crank pully as the t-belt is the conection between the crank and cam pully once you get cam bolt loose than you can do any thing or way you want (ps the start gear is super strong as it takes alot abuse slaming in to start)

You could with the one I have- it's a Ridgid 14" strap wrench with a nylon belt strap. The rubber ones are about good for opening jar lids, and that's it. Against the torque you can make with a typical braker bar- nope, they're gonna break.
I always try to block the belt from turning, and break them all loose before removing the tensioner. Leave each one until they're all loose, then remove the timing belt.
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '86 244DL- 215K, 87 244DL- 230K, 88 744GLE- 198K, 91 244 180K