Once again this morning the 88 760 Turbo did not want to start. Temperature about 20 degrees and the engine caught once then acted like it flooded. I turned it continually until it caught and finally fired on all four cylinders. There was not the first smoke to indicate a flooded condition though. I am thinking now that this is a combination of problems: worn cylinders, poor spark even under good circumstances, and the fact that with an expansion contraction coefficient about 12 times that of the steel cylinder, the already low compression (8.7:1) is further reduced by a piston that has shrunk several thousands of an inch more than the cylinder wall in the cold, multiplying the wear.(Which would explain why the Non-Turbo B230F motors with 9.8:1 Compression start in cold weather) I am going to do several things to try an help the problem short of putting a block heater in the lower radiator hose. First, I am putting in plugs that are two ranges hotter than the factory ones. That is a good bet for an older motor anyway. An Accel coil with a hot spark is definitely going in, and, if that doesn't work, my wife has given me permission to build one of my chevy motors for it. I'm thinking of a 4.3liter six mated up to the AW71. Anybody tried it?

I haven't been given permission by the female unit to drop in a 350 but, she was willing to go in halfs with me on a 1 1/2 pound brick of C4 when mine was giving me grief.

I changed the oil and the car started right up after about 10 cranks and has been restored to normal starting since the oil change.

PULL the dipstick and take a whiff, if it even vaguely resembles gas, do yourself a favor and change the oil..
--
Rich George

I doubt the starting issue is caused by cylinder wear and compression.

Is the fuel pump check valve working?

Is the resistance reading of the Coolant Temperature Sensor within spec? Check it from the ECU.

I don't think a hotter spark plug will help at all on cold starts since the plug will be cold then.

You could also have a bad AMM. Have you set the Basic Idle Speed and Mixture?
--
john

Hi John,

I went through all of these checks when we first brought the car in. As a matter of fact, I exchanged every electronic device on the vehicle with a known good device in an attempt to start it. It fired and ran smooth right after the head gasket change until the temperature dropped. When it first did its cold no start, I noticed that it was like a switch being thrown and it cleared up. That lasted for two days, now it is back to barely running at 40 degrees. After warm up it runs smoother, but feels like one of the cylinders is intermittent. This engine is really beat, I should have put one of my others in when I saw the ridges in the top of the cylinders. That being said, there is still no oil smoke, which really surprises me with as much blow-by as it has.

Thanks for the advice,

I did a cold compression test when I bought my Volvo. Ranged between 120 and 130 and I don't have much of an oil consumption problem (~1/3L of oil so far over 2000 miles).

I think if you had over 100psi and it was all relatively equal, that should be enough to start. My 2 cents, over-priced at that.. ;)

BTW, what's the mileage of the engine?
--
Norm Cook Vancouver BC; 1989 745T 204,000KM

Hi Norm,

143,000 mile on the odometer, but there is a lot of wear in the top of the cylinder. I didn't mike the jug, but you can hook your fingernails in the ridge on all four holes. This one does not smoke under load, but has more blowby than than the pressure relief hose back into the turbo intake can handle.(a separate issue, but I am going to vent the valve cover back to the turbo intake also to reduce crankcase pressure).

How is the weather up there?

Regards,

Oh ok, you've had the head off. Not excessive mileage for a B230 ... er, a maintained B230. I guess that's the lack of maintenance you were referring to from previous owner. I'd be curious to see compression values.

Interesting concept to vent excessive pressure, btw. I assume you'll put a T fitting in the PCV hose and vent from oil cap?

Weather's back to cloud/rain/more clouds/showers/more clouds still/drizzle/etc. Balmy though ... about 10c.
--
Norm Cook Vancouver BC; 1989 745T 202,000KM

Another Picture

Another Picture

Ask and you shall receive. This little Crankcase breather cost me about $8.00 and an hours labor. It definitely reduced the oil leakage during the test run. There are more pictures in the gallery. Purolator # B43132, Grommet # "HELP! 42344" from Pep Boys. Hole Saw: 38mm (1 3/8"). Grind the rest of the "O" off flat and put it in.

I have two B230F motors that have in excess of 200,000 and still run like new. The 93 940 has 249,100 on it and is still our primary road car. This 760 was beat to death by some bonehead that should have been restricted to a tractor! I'll get it in shape eventually.