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Popping in rear on acceleration in 1st or Reverse 200 1983

I recently purchased a '83 Volvo 240 DL Cpe, 4 spd w/ OD. Overall in mechanically sound shape. It has a few problems and I have been a VW guy my whole life and I do not know where to start with this car.
Btw, Volvos are very well engineered cars from what I can see.

Problem 1: Popping from the rear when moving from a stop. The guy I bought it from said something about the "dogbones".....does that ring a bell? I am more apt to believe it is in the shocks or the trailing arm bushing, but who knows right? Just let me know how I can trace this noise.

I checked the reaction rods and they both seemed fine, but I don't know what I am looking for really.

Problem 2: Very faint in-and-out hum from the engine when it is first started up. I do not notice it after it is warm.

Please help so I can get Volvo straightened out. I keep bragging about what a solid car it is but my co-workers laugh when it pops as I drive away from the office.








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Popping in rear on acceleration in 1st or Reverse 200 1983

Reply:

I've heard so many different "theories" on my popping noise. Trailing arm bushings, reaction rods bushings, u-joints, carrier bearing, etc. Which one is it, how can I troubleshoot each individual part without guessing. This is typical mechanic bullshit..."I think it is this....yada yada yada" I want the intelligent approach here, tell me how to troubleshoot this popping so I can buy one part and put this clean DL back on the road.








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Popping in rear on acceleration in 1st or Reverse 200 1983

"this is typical mechanic bullshit..."

Well the sad reality of life with machines is that it's not always clear cut and there are no guarantees. You may repair one marginal component only to find that doesn't solve the problem - but you have saved yourself the trouble you'd have encountered when that already marginal part failed in the future. And offending those who take the time to offer their suggestions is not going to bring forth much more help. That being said, apply some common-sense investigative and troubleshooting skills, or take it to a mechanic who knows Volvos.
Here's what I suggest: get the rear of the car up on a pair of jackstands. Crawl under, and grab the differential, at the front, where the flange enters it. Try to rock it up & down - really come onto it. If there's movement, look at the reaction rods & see if those bushings have play in them when you rock the differential as above. Then check to be sure the bolts securing them at either end are tight. Then check to see what state the big trailing arm bushings (where the rear axle housing meets the trailing arms) are in - poke at the bushing sleeve where it passes through the trailing arm, see if it's rusted through, peer in at the bushing, make sure it's not broken down & the bolt is going through the middle of the bushing, not beaten down toward the bottom of the rubber. Make sure the bolt passing through is tight. Check the bushing at the front end of the trailing arm, use a prybar to check for excess movement of the trailing arm relative to the frame mount, make sure the bolt is tight. Crawl up to the output flange of the transmission, lift by hand, looking for play that would indicate the trans mount is broken where it bolts to the crossmember. Look for play in the u-joints when you rotate one side back & forth while holding the other still. And check to be sure your rear wheel nuts are tight. Also check your transmission fluid - a low level will give very clunky shifting to reverse & drive if you've got an automatic, sorry I don't recall if you mentioned which yours is. And do check the archives. You are by no means the first 240 driver to experience this. Plenty of other posts about this, and plenty of possible problems/solutions. Hence the "bullshit" - we've been through this and there is no single part that will guarantee a fix. Read up on other peoples' experiences before getting frustrated with people providing you with FREE ADVICE!
--
Chris, Dartmouth NS Canada 70 M-B 280SE, 83 245DL, 84 244 turbo, 90 780 turbo, 92 VW Golf








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Popping in rear on acceleration in 1st or Reverse 200 1983

Yes as Chris said you might have to crawl around under your car and get a little dirty to figure out what exactly is wrong.
All the things suggested ("Mechanics BS") could very likely be your problem. It may be one of them or it could be several of them. It is hard to diagnose mechanical problems without actually seeing the car. Good luck. Dan








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Popping in rear on acceleration in 1st or Reverse 200 1983

The "dog bones" he mentioned are most likely the torque rods that go from the top of the axle to the body to keep the axle from twisting. There are torque rods on top and lower control arms on the bottom. Any of these bushings may be shot. Most of these bushings are visible, so you can see if they are chewed up. The lower control arm rear bushings (under the axle) are hard to see without dropping the control arm. Those are the ones that fail most often. Look them over and search this archive for suggestions and tips on the tools you need. There is a discussion on rear end bushings every week or two.








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Popping in rear on acceleration in 1st or Reverse 200 1983

The popping could be the rear trailing arm bushings. Dan








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Popping in rear on acceleration in 1st or Reverse 200 1983

1st place I'd look is at the u-joints.







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