well i jacked my motor up alil to try and fix my motor mounts and after setting the motor back down i started my car and it sounded like the valves having a bad day then shortly after it sounded like some kinda grinding like the pullys were rubbing against the frame. after turning the car off i tried starting it and it kinda sat for a second then the motor turned over with a lil kinda grinding noise the once it started it ran fine. no grinding no pinging no knocking no nothing. so on the test drive it would drive fine then bog down suddenly like the alternator had died then came back to life real quick. in that short period of time of it dying it made this horrible noise like a cat was in with my blets. it did this once or twice more before just dying. when i tried to start it again it just made this light grinding like the motor didnt have enough juice to turn over but then my (+) wire started smoking a got really hot. so thats where im at a 84 volvo 240 gl that wont start with makeing some weird power line hum and smoking battery cables. im ASUMING its a ground. but im lost more then ever after have checking the ground connections. any advice would be much appreciated. new member as of 2day.

get the battery to block ground back on?

Maybe you lowered the engine onto the thick red starter-alt wire that goes around the front bottom of engine? It may be damaged and shorting?
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1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans

When you replaced your motor mounts, did you by chance jack on the starter motor? It sounds as though you may have screwed up the starter or flywheel/ring gear somehow. That would explain the grinding, banshee noises, the slow cranking and the excess draw on your positive cable.
JD

Sounds like a rod or crank shaft bearing has seized and then probably spun in the seat. Put a racket on the crank shaft pulley bolt and see how it turns over by hand (racket set to tighten, 7/8" socket). If you haven't turned it over by hand before you won't have anything to refernece to but it should turn over with a 1/2" racket without a cheater pipe, especially with the spark plugs removed. Hope I'm wrong. jp

when it does finaly start it runs great but then it bogs and theguages go all screwy and then it dies....thanks for your idea...well back to under the hood

'84 is in the series of years with bad wires, check the insulation on the wires around the starter -- it may be that a short causes the starter to engage at the wrong time -- just guessing here. You'll find lots of posts on this BB about the wire problem. Also if you're new to old Volvos, be sure to check posts about the flame trap!
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'81 GLT 245 W/245K; '83 DL 175K