Folks,

Here goes. I got the fabulous 1990 240 DL li'l red wagon in August 2004.

Now, seven years later, into the garage for the front suspension rebuild.

Yes, yes, say it. BAD kittysgreyvolvo! Bad! Bad! Bad!

So new parts ....
- New strut mounts - I have both Meyle and got Volvo OEM from Tasca since after market got me with the URO/APA mounts from fcpgroton. The APA/URO failed after ten years and 40k miles.
- Volvo OEM left and right rear (large) control arm bushes. I was stupid and bought the left and right ones. One of the sided rear control arm bushes has less than the other. I'll guess the N. American market driver side Volvo OEM rear large control arm bushy as less rubber matter for less vibration transmission.
- Volvo OEM small front control arm bushes.

Here where we get sort of special ....
- Two orange de Carbon strut cartridges out of a 1984-5 pink and pull salvage yard 240 Turbo (sedan or wagon? These de Carbons are replacements and were not original to the chassis. I forget the date code, yet they resist compression and rebounded about as fast as a set of the Bilstein Touring struts I installed into my 1992 240 GL last year.
- Front 23 mm stabilizer bar off that same or another 240 Turbo with new bushes and steel retaining hardware.
- I have a set of rear Boge shocks from another 240 Turbo wagon. An 83-83. These Boge shocks are huge and have a spring assembly around the shock exterior. The gas charge is still in there and no signs of pneumatic fluid leaking out. The bush material at the top and bottom anchors is well oxidized and cruchy. I have some krappy rear Volvo 240 yunyard pulled KYB-GR2 shocks. May use the bushes from there on these rear boge shocks.

And new from Tasca to support the de Carbons ....
- A new pair of the accordion strut cartridge boots (and upper washers they hang from) to seal out that nasty owld road grime
- A new pair of the Bilstein gland nuts used on the Bilstein HDs for Volvo 240. You may see my prior posts and images about these.

I've neglected car of this beast save for immediate care matters.

This Volvo was in a front end collision six years prior to my ownership. Both front fenders and hood are replacements. The passenger side A-pillar as a weld at the upper left (N. American passenger side) windshield corner. It had a rear impact at the same time, so, you can tell all is not quite right.

The rear suspension, particuarly the trailing arm bushes, are clickity and shot and getting shottier over time. Rear axle crabwalk is barely there yet I drive the wee li'l red wagon beastie like a li'l owld man.

May pull the drive shaft and clean and lube the mid section splines with some NLGI-2 Amsoil wheel bearing grease. U-joints good and no carrier bearing noise at all. The flex joint looks okay.

The B230 engine has a slight excessively varying compression between the cylinders. It is a noisy engine. When you start it cold, the engine hits about 1500 RPM or so from dead stop as the oil light goes off. My brickboard research on this cold start engine racing yields no solution. All usual suspect inspected. No Bosch LH-jet or EZK codes, ever, on this 1990 Volvo 240. (Chassis was assembled in very late 1989.)

Floor-pan rust behind passenger seat and rear of one rocker panel.

I have three Volvo 240s. Entering into mind is an idea to sell it if I cure the most ailing issues to a Volvo 240 literate person. Or I'll remain saddled with it. Can a single guy without any family and friends make use of three Volvo 240s like I own? More is not always better.

I'll also service the ....
- Crank pulley as it is failing and squealing. I have several junkyard pulls that'll work fine. Some are like new.
- Front timing cover plate gasket. (Oh, these gaskets NEVER fail on B230 even with free and clear flame trap, huh? =^)
- If not already, jam some more grease into the front wheel bearings caps.
- Rear tail gate washer fluid squirt-er is disconnected from the washer fluid line.

And a few more odd's n' ends.

Welp, just letting you know and psyching myself up.

I have been so slow on these last three Volvo 240s I own now in serving karp to the hilt, and then installing some sort of Frankenstein ad-hoc stereo and servicing the AC, or removing it. All prior four 240, all 1970s models, I treated directly after purchase with alacrity and zeal.

Nothing is very fun anymore.

Welp, as an outcome, I'll be in the U.S. city that is the land of RWD Volvo - Portland, OR, I'll guess. I'll join the Oregon Volvo Tuners. Hopefully get me a West Coast City job. Been chasing that since 1991, me and my two self-paid for stupid CSU (Cally State U) diplomas.

So, please wish me well. If the damn thing falls on me and kills me, the Girl Scouts get everything. I have that closet phobia thing a bit. Don't deal as well now as I did two decades ago.

So, well, please wish me well and here we go.

Or, please call me a son of a bitch and I'll reply with, "Sir, no truer words were spoken of me, ever."

cheers,

Buttermilk MacDuff and his Volvos 240 three
(Like Marvel's Thor and his compatriots the Warrior Three.)

A.K.A. Benny Hill's Fred Scuttle
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May the good Norse gods shine merrily on the 3800 pound Swedish steel above me.
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Owld Volvo MacDuff - Prolonging the Expository
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Auld, owld, old things ....
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Helluva .sig.
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Only car make and model I've ever owned: Volvo 240.
Currently owned, beloved, operating, and getting better all the time(!):
1990 240 (245) DL (B230, M47 II. No bigger heart a Volvo 245 has.)
1991 240 (244) (B230, M47 II, Moonroof. Grey Market from Germany. Beloved.)
1992 240 (244) GL (B230, M47 II, L-jet 3.1, Moonroof. Turbo 240 exhaust? Why?)
RIP, yet beloved:
1975 244 DL (B20, M40. OHV B20 FOREVER! Maroon vroom-vroom! 0-60 in 3 days!)
1976 242 DL (B21, M46, Moonroof - an SRO? Wrecked near Skywalker Ranch!)
1979 245 DL (B21, M46. Cheesy mustard yellow and a rod knock in Marin County.)
1979 242 GT (B21, M46, Moonroof - an SRO? Grey Market from Holland. Beloved.)
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Pioneer SX-1500T, Pioneer SX-3700, Allied 390 or 360, and all need rehabbing.
Hopes for the awesome Pioneer SX-9000, so long as the location has good stations.
Dynaco Dynakit PAS 3 needing the full rehab shabile. 5751, 12AX7, 12AU7, 12AT7?
Not so vintage Technics SA-290. Two EQs. And seven pairs of speakers.
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Five plants: Two cacti, one ponytail palm plant, and two pothos.
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No pets, never married, no gal pal, and no children.
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Adobe: The NEW technology company monopoly. FrameMaker forever! (I hate Adobe.)
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