I have not purchased the IPD flame trap relocation kit. However, I have converted several vehicles from the early system to the 88+ system thanks to some 88 and newer 240/740/760 vehicles in the salvage yards. The 88+ system has the elevated flame trap housing (that the IPD kit offers), but it also uses an improved Oil Trap breather box for improved oil/vapor separation.

The 88 and later 4-cylinder engines have a larger/taller Oil Trap mounted to the engine block and this serves to seperate out the oil droplets from the crankcase vapors and return the oil to the pan and send the vapors upwards to the flame trap. From the top of the Oil Trap is the S-Tube, followed by the flame trap housing (T-fitting). Also, the Tube that connects the flame trap housing to the intake bellows (before the throttle body) is longer and needs to be transfered as well.

All the tubing and especially the Oil Trap box will require a significant amount of cleaning before installation. After about 200,000 miles, a non-turbo engine will have coated the inlet/outlet ports on the Oil Trap to the point where they can plug up solid. This results in a significant amount of crankcase pressure increase (symptoms identical to a clogged flame trap) and will cause the engine oil seals to bleed oil (usually from the camshaft front seal first). The turbo engines are worse and can plug up as early as 150,000 miles.

If you're not thrilled about pulling the Oil Trap box and replacing it, the flame trap relocation kit will move the flame trap up above the intake manifold for easy access (just like the new 88+ system). Also consider that Volvo does not advise using a flame trap in the flame trap housing any more (per Technical Service Buletin).

Personal Testimony:
When I acquired my 240 wagon at 210,000 miles, the flame trap was plugged up solid, and the car was leaking large amounts of oil everywhere (being forced out of the engine oil seals from the elevated crankcase pressure). I removed the flame trap and cleaned the tubes, and this aleviated about half of the oil leakage problem. Later, I removed the original Oil Trap and found it to be pluged up almost solid. I replaced it with an 88+ system from a donor vehicle in the salvage yard (after cleaning the parts since the donor car Oil Trap was almost as equally plugged), and my car now does not leak a drop of oil. I can't assure you of the exact same results as I had, but a clean and free-breathing crankcase ventalation system will help reduce or eliminate oil leaks.

God bless,
Fitz Fitzgerald.
--
'87 Blue 240 Wagon, 255k miles.

This is a must. The pre '88 location under the intake is stupid. You should be checking that flame trap often, but you won't if its a half-hour ordeal, involving unnatural arm bending. Either get the IPD kit or just get the later flame trap housing and some new hoses from your local auto parts place.

-Josh

I'm new to the Volvo world, but I'm assuming you're talking about the kit with the sort of S-shaped hose that connects to the oil trap and positions the flame trap just above the intake manifold. I ordered one of these kits from Auto Parts Warehouse and had no problems installing it. It was cheap, don't even try cleaning the old flame trap.