Thanks everybody

There are a few tricks to getting the steering housing covers off. I have found these thing helpful:

1. A mirror and small flashlight to look upwards from the bottom of the housing to locate the two screws up in there. Unless you are still young and flexible.

2. An electric screwdriver (not a drill) with a long philips bit. That or a long shafted philips screwdriver.

3. A small flat tip screwdriver to help remove the plastic piece to the left of the main housing. The piece covers up a hole where a manual choke handle could go, and once off the screw is easy to access.

4. Alligator pliers to pull the wire connections off. There are five, IIRC, and you should either make a sketch of which color goes where, or do them one at a time.

5. The housing is in two pieces, and they connect together along the edge next to the instrument cluster. A lot of jiggling and a little prying will get them apart.

All this is assuming that you do have neither cruise control nor air bags.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

PS I may have a known good used 1988 240 stalk around here somewhere. email if interested.

If you don't want to get one at the dealer, try a pick-and-pull. That way you can test the return action on the switch to be sure it works. Pull the switch to a turn position there is a small white plastic "pin" which sticks out in the direction of the steering column. Move this pin and the turn signal stalk should snap back to the center position. Do the same test for the stalk in the other direction.

The last turn signal switch I got this way only cost me a few bucks and it was with a whole box of other Volvo parts I removed.

I have done this replacement a few years ago, not too difficult. I would however reccomend you go directly to Volvo for the replacement stalk switch and skip e-bay. The one without cruise is only $35 iirc, and when you get a used one and find the detents are shot, you're back to the dealer anyway. I tried to use one from a '78 242GT I have and it didn't fit either, so on e-bay you don't know what is what until you've got it home and it's wrong.
I had a problem with my flasher s last weekend so I have some recent memory about how to do this. The bottom of the steering column cover needs to be removed, although removing the top gives you a better view. The top comes off with two torx screws seen fron above, ane the bottom cover has two phillips screws below and two that secure it to the dash. The one on the left can be found by popping off the plastic cover and the right one is above the ign switch. The stalk comes off with two screws
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'89 245 Sportwagon, '04 V70 2.5T Sportwagon

Just to add a bit more info, there are two turn signal switches available. One for cars with cruise control and one for cars without. Obviously, you don't want to buy the wrong one.
Other than that it's pretty much as nate said. The plastic trim has maybe four screws, two above and two below (unless they changed it for later models) and the switch itself is secured by two screws. After that there's just the electrical connection which should be easily disconnected.
As you can see in the pic there's not a whole lot to the actual part.

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'80 DL 2 dr

If you have an airbag (even an option on 89?), disconnect the battery before playing around the steering column. Then unscrew the plastic trim/cowling between the wheel and the dash. It's been awhile...but one of the pieces may have to be "popped" off with some careful prying. The lever itself is just screwed in place...pretty easy to replace.