The 240 FIX PAGE Some cool FIXES and MODS to keep you sane and properly entertained. |
UPDATED: March 18, 2024 CONTACT |
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I like 240s a lot and there's nothing I like better than modifying them for performance, handling, comfort, etc. In this page I have outlined some cool mods I have done to my 240s and others that have been provided by other 240 enthusiasts. Your comments are welcome: CONTACT |
If you're
performance-built B230 is important to you, you need to keep
these modifications in mind. These mods outlined below will not make it
faster, but they may save your engine from serious damage. This first suggestion is designed to prevent the epidemic of crank pulley bolts coming loose when they should not. This is a Lock Tab Plate. It's designed to be installed under the B230 crank bolt head. I designed this Lock Tab Plate to illustrate a way prevent unwanted loosening of that bolt. If you decide to make something like this, I suggest using something like 22 gauge mild or stainless steel, which is roughly about 1/16 inch (0.030 inch) or about 0.75 mm thick. In case you need info on the large crank bolt, it's threaded M14 x 2, 70 mm in length, with a 24 mm bolt head. It's PN 963319 available from iPd. The large, fat washer is PN 1336822, also available from iPd. (March 2024) Lock Tab Plates are available below. I wanted some of these tab locks for myself, so I had a small batch made in 22 gauge stainless steel. If you're interested, I had some extras made which are available. The weight of one of these is about 5 grams, so if you're concerned about imbalance, the long arm weighs about a gram, which is pretty insignificant. If you're the one who obsesses over a gram, you can install two of these 180 degrees apart. Click to View Cart or Check Out. Canada or International Shipping: Please Select Shipping and click "Add to Cart" Click to View Cart or Check Out. Your comments are welcome: CONTACT NEXT: Failure of stock crank timing gear. Usually due to crank bolt loosening. The standard crank timing gear for a B230 is made using an inexpensive cast or powdered metal manufacturing process, so they're fragile. The small locating nub shown above rests in the crankshaft groove when installed. This nub is a weak point and it's prone to shearing off. If that happens, that will create all sorts of havoc. In many cases, this failure was preceded by (probably caused by) the loosening of the CRANK DAMPER BOLT. So this is a problem which might be fixed by just KEEPING YOUR BOLT FROM LOOSENING. But it's also believed by some that the nub can become damaged from abuse when fitting or removing it, in part from the use of an IMPACT WRENCH, or if you are not using the proper damper holding tool (below) to keep the the damper stable when removing or torquing the crank bolt. If you're wondering why this sprocket has another raised nub shown above, it's made that way so the sprocket mates with the slot on the back of the crank damper. BILLET STEEL CRANK SPROCKET This is the Billet Steel crank sprocket (round tooth) available from Yoshifab. It comes with a locating key. A billet sprocket is considerably stronger than a stock one, but it can still experience some damage or it can cause engine damage if your crank bolt comes loose. I know of one instance where this happened to a billet sprocket and the main damage happened to the key only, but the sprocket was still usable. The valves in the head, however, were toast. So a billet crank sprocket is a nice addition that adds a higher level of protection for your expensive engine, especially if you have a 16 valve head, because the crank gear is under more stress with an extra cam sprocket up top. SOURCES: https://yoshifab.com/store/billet-steel-16v-crank-gear.html https://www.speedingparts.com PINNING THE CRANK NOSE TO THE SPROCKET AND DAMPER. This is an OPTION. It's not required, but it's a well known solution for a performance engine which will add to the security of a damper pulley and timing sprocket. Doing this with a STOCK TIMING SPROCKET would probably be just fine too if you don't have a billet steel one. It's not as difficult as it sounds and this procedure can be done using pretty normal tools. These images below are useful screen-shots from the below video so you can see a few close-ups of what's being done. No one sells a crank pin kit for a Volvo engine (like they do for many other engines). The below video is showing how this is done using what you can find easily. Steel dowel pins can be found in many sizes and lengths. You might try 1/4 inch x 1 inch long (25.4 mm) or 1.25 inch long (31.75 mm). You can always grind a pin down to make it shorter if you have a bench grinder or a rotary cutter. In this video he began with a 1/4 inch pin size, but later changed to 5/16 inch pin. No reason was given. 1/4 inch is just fine. The holes are drilled 35 mm apart on center in the fat washer as shown in the very below image. This is because the nose of the crankshaft is 35 mm in diameter. The Volvo damper pulley is 17 mm thick, so the pin needs to be longer than 17 mm (0.67 inch) so that it goes into the sprocket. Using a 1 inch long pin means at least 6.4 mm of the pin will be in the sprocket. Using a 1.25 inch pin means at least 14.75 mm will be in the sprocket. This video doesn't say how long the pins he used were, but it looks like they ended up to be somewhere between 1 to 1.25 inch long after he ground them down to be flush with the damper pulley so they would be behind the fat crank washer. The drill size used will be the same size as the pin. If you need a new large, fat Volvo crank washer, it's PN 1336822, available from iPd. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi4cOqB8sDk This crank pinning operation adds another nice level of security, but still, it doesn't stop a crank bolt from coming loose. So I definitely recommend also doing the FIRST recommendation above. Your comments are welcome: CONTACT |
If you're adding a modified air filter, it would be good to know if the filter you're choosing is large enough to suck in enough air for your engine. Most air filter companies don't tell you what CFM their filters are capable of, so here's how you can find out. First you can determine how much airflow your engine needs. Here's an online calculator. https://strikeengine.com/air-filter-size-calculator-for-power-bhp/ For example, if you enter a 2.3 liter engine with 300 HP revving to 6000 RPM, you find your engine uses up to 367 CFM. Then you can go shopping for an air filter and you can use this info below: Pleated K&N filter material will flow 6.03 cfm of air per square inch. By comparison, a single square inch of the highest flowing paper will allow 4.95 cfm of air to pass and the freest flowing foam will flow 4.38 cfm. Use the formula below to compute the minimum size filter required for your particular application. The usable portion of the filter is called the EFFECTIVE FILTERING AREA which is determined by multiplying the diameter of the filter times Pi (3.1416) times the height of the air filter in inches, then subtracting .75-inch. We subtract .75-inch to compensate for the rubber seals on each end of the element and the filter material near them since very little air flows through this area. SOURCE: https://www.quadratec.com/c/reference/air-filter-facts So if we look at this K&N filter above (PN RU-5174), we can use an average diameter of about 5.5 inches and a usable filter length of about 4.25 inches. This comes to about 74 cubic inches. Multiply this by 6.03 CFM and you get 440 CFM. This filter will probably be just enough. If you're not comfortable with the CFM limit being that close, keep shopping for a larger filter. For example, if we looked at this K&N RE-930 above, it offers 87 cubic inches and up to 524 CFM. Or this K&N RE-810 above offers 137 cubic inches and up to 830 CFM. |
LH-2.4 TEMPERATURE SENSOR (aftermarket) This is the Fuel Injection Temp Sensor for LH 2.4 or 3.1, Volvo PN 1346030. Bosch PN 0280130032. THREADS: M12-1.5. This is the Engine Coolant Temp (ECT) sensor that any Volvo LH 2.4 or 3.1 or Regina equipped car will use. Other car interchange info for this sensor: https://www.autohausaz.com/pn/UR-1346030
<<< The Bosch part number 0 280 130 032 can be seen engraved on an ORIGINAL BOSCH sensor.
An AFTERMARKET (or no name) sensor might not have a manufacturer name or part number engraved on it.
AFTERMARKET SENSOR WARNING: Be aware that some aftermarket LH 2.4 temp sensors have proven to be defective. I have no idea if this is a wide problem or not. I put this info together after a customer of mine mentioned he got THREE defective sensors in a row from two different new parts sellers. URO PN 1346030 or URO PN 001251 and some other no-name brands, such as one from Rock Auto with PN 3C M/19G (photos below). HOW TO TEST THIS SENSOR: Check the resistance level between a sensor pin and GROUND. If you have an aftermarket sensor for LH 2.4 and find NO RESISTANCE READINGS between a connector pin and sensor body (ground), the sensor will not operate properly. Testing this way should reveal resistance readings (details below). The typical problems you'll see if you're using a bad sensor can include poor cold starts and poor MPG. IMPORTANT: Do not test an LH 2.4 sensor by checking resistance between the two pins. That is NOT how this sensor is tested. Many people have made this error. If you encounter one of these new defective sensor s, or if you have any comments to offer, please feel free to email me. CONTACT |
BELOW PHOTOS: The Uro branded one is on the left. The Rock Auto sensor is on the right.
Both of these were found to be BAD. Weird, huh?. |
<<< HOW THIS SENSOR WORKS: An LH 2.4 temp sensor has two pins. Each pin uses internal resistance to vary the ohm output between a pin and ground. There are TWO resistors, both identical. Each resistor is connected to pin. Each resistor is also connected to the sensor body (GROUND). So then each pin provides a separate resistance output. One output goes to the Fuel Injection ECU and one goes to the Ignition ICU. Both pins will have identical ohm output in relation to resistance between the pin and sensor ground. |
<<< Image to left is from TP32053 LH 2.4, 3.1, EZ 116K Fault Tracing, page 27. If you're curious about appropriate resistance test measurements for this sensor, here it is. Resistance readings should be taken between PIN 1 and Sensor Body or Pin 2 and sensor body (or to GROUND) for LH 2.4 sensors (this is a different method than for LH 2.2 sensors: SOURCE: TB Post #6). Do not test an LH 2.4 sensor by testing resistance between the two pins. Temp - Resistance -10 C (14 F) - 8260-10560 Ohms (8.26-10.56 kOhms) +20 C (68 F) - 2280-2720 Ohms (2.28-2.72 kOhms) +80 C (176 F) - 290-364 Ohms (0.290-0.364 kOhms) This sensor can only be tested by checking resistance between a pin and ground, not between the two pins. |
New page dedicated to
BRUSHLESS cooling fans |
To use for i
dle hoses, power steering returns, coolant, etc. If you have a 240 (or other car) with curved or molded rubber hoses under the hood and you cannot find replacements, here's a DIY method for molding rubber hoses to your own custom shape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFDlGPLcK0o |
in
2022 I completed the installation of power vent window actuators for my
242 rear vent windows. I had been thinking of ways to do this for many
years. You can see that project at: https://www.240turbo.com/ventwindow.html Also 242 C-Pillar Project Page In addition to the above vent window project, I also made new C-pillar panels, because the old ones were not useable. That page can be found at: https://www.240turbo.com/242cpillar.html |
Installing a new timing belt on your B21, B23 or B230
is not an ultra-challenging task, but if you're not experienced, it's
good to have some useful reference info to keep from making mistakes. The last thing you need is WRONG INFO (image shown below), which I have seen in MANY technical manuals and in many online images. The LEFT image below is WRONG! So if you see it wrong like that in a manual or on-line page, don't use it! Here are some more images below you might find useful. B21 or B23 NOTE: If you need the size of the big crankshaft bolt, it's M14-2.0 x 90 mm long, grade 10.9. It has a 22 mm bolt head. Volvo PN 970933. B230 In case you need info on the large crank bolt for a B230, it's threaded M14 x 2, 70 mm in length, with a 24 mm bolt head. It's Volvo PN 963319 available from iPd. The large, fat crank washer is PN 1336822, also available from iPd. And if you need a good video on replacing your timing belt, iPd made one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eIFWUbSZTw This video is specific to the later 240 with B230F. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APXKlGO1xeE |
If you have owned a Volvo that uses BANJO FITTINGS and copper washers, you might have shared my frustration with making them seal well after working on them. The factory copper washers, often called crush washers, where made to be soft and were designed to be used one time only. Volvo used these copper washers on oil lines, power steering racks, on fuel systems and of course on the OIL PAN drain plug. Being a cheap 240 owner, I would often try re-using these copper washers. Sometimes this resulted in leakage. Sometimes flat-sanding a copper washer would renew the surface, but even a brand new copper washer can leak. This often results in the temptation to OVER-TIGHTEN a fitting or a drain plug, which of course can have a really bad result. Over the years I have also tried aluminum crush washers. This seemed to work about the same. Maybe better, sometimes. Replace the washer every time? Do YOU put a brand new washer on when YOU change your oil??? I didn't. I can't count the number of times I've heard about someone over-tightening that drain plug, resulting in stripped threads and a ruined oil pan. Then a few years ago I discovered METAL-BONDED SEALING WASHERS. Bonded seal washers have a two-part construction consisting of a structural metal ring and an interference fit rubber seal. When compressed, they create an ultra-tight high-pressure seal. These are commonly installed in high-pressure hydraulic applications and can certainly be used in static sealing locations, such as drain plugs. For those of you who don't want "rubber" on your high-pressure hose seals, it turns out these can easily be found with Nitrile rubber, also known as NBR or Buna-N, which is impervious to oil. Here are some sources below. https://www.mcmaster.com/metric-high-pressure-rated-metal-bonded-sealing-washers/ https://www.discounthydraulichose.com/9500-bonded-seal-buna.html I bought this assortment below of metal-bonded sealing washers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CKVYWD4/ I now use these bonded seal washers on my OIL DRAIN PLUG and on my OIL COOLER FITTINGS. Perfect seal every time and no need to over-tighten, ever. |
If you need some diagram info for a 240 window switch, see the images below. 242 diagram and 244 diagram. |
I had to share this video I found. If you're cleaning an old engine, head, or pistons yourself, here's a great video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj7C9iUXuRs |
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Maybe you don't care about 240 hood insulation, but if you do, I've begun compiling some info here just for you. Most 240s did not have any hood insulation. To my knowledge, the first 200 series with factory hood insulation pads were the 260 series (264 and 262C) and also diesel equipped 240s. The first 240 non-diesel to come with the insulation pad was the 240 Turbo (1981 to 1985). After 1986 the 240 hood became NON-insulated once again, until the final year of production in 1993. The 1993 models then came equipped with a new hood insulating pad. Engine heat and moisture would eventually damage these factory pads and make them pretty ugly. In years past iPd offered their own aftermarket hood insulation kits for the 240, as shown below. These were pre-cut adhesive backed foam inserts which had a foil lining for heat protection. These are no longer available DIY PROJECTS: For those of you interested in making your own insulation pieces, I'll go over what I've done below. I used foam sheets I bought from McMaster Carr. Specific examples are shown below. 1/2 inch thick foam works well. Both examples above were cut so they tucked under the hood brace. Cutting foam can be done with scissors. None of the foams I have used had adhesive backing, but that's an option you can explore on your own if you like. The WHITE HOOD shown above was done many years ago with OPEN CELL foam (first option below PN 8614K83). It will usually be found in a GRAY color, but it can be painted black with acrylic paint if needed. It helps at lot to make a template out of paper or cardboard first and make sure that fits. Then cut the foam. If you use very soft foam and it later begins to droop in the center, I suggest putting some contact adhesive behind it. The first OPEN CELL foam option below held up to engine heat for many years, but it will eventually begin to dry out and then deteriorate after probably more than 10 years. The flame-retardant option below might be better, but I haven't tried it. The ABOVE two items from McMaster Carr are decent choices if you decide to try OPEN CELL foam. If you choose the flame retardant foam, PN 86115K31, 3 feet (x 54 inches wide) will be enough to do one hood. CLOSED CELL FOAM The BLACK HOOD shown above was done more recently with CLOSED CELL foam, which will probably be a better choice for durability. Foams like this will usually be found in a BLACK or GRAY color. This one below was supposed to be BLACK, but it was actually a DARK GRAY when it came. This foam can be painted black with acrylic paint if needed. This option above (Ionomer Foam, PN 86205K93) is the one I used more recently on the black hood shown above. Even though it's called "SOFT", it turned out to be very rigid and it's a little tough to bend and force behind the hood bracing, but it can be done as seen in my photo. TWO 24 x 36 inch pieces will be needed to do one hood. Closed Cell option #2 This second option above (Buna-N Foam) will be a better choice if you want it to be flame retardant. For the installation to go easier, I recommend choosing the Extra Soft, PN 85175K59, or Ultra Soft, PN 85175K29. 3 feet (x 54 inches wide) will be enough to do one hood. Other people have used insulating foam made specifically for car hoods or interiors, such as Fat Mat, Dynamat, etc. These may be more expensive. I have no experience using these products on a hood. |
for your rare or expensive lenses, click below for info in my Headlight Page. https://www.240turbo.com/headlight.html#laminx |
Click here for the 240 Exhaust Page |
CLICK HERE for the 240 WIPERS PAGE |
CLICK HERE for the 240 IGNITION PAGE |
CLICK HERE OR CLICK THE IMAGE |
CLICK HERE OR CLICK THE IMAGE |
CLICK HERE or CLICK AN IMAGE BELOW |
Building and using a DIY Trammel Bar |
I've created a page all about 240 fuse panels. Lots of details there. https://www.240turbo.com/fusepanel240.html |
CLICK A PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE THIS PAGE: Or CLICK HERE. |
Project page for my dash top 3-gauge pod: https://www.24turbo.com/dashgaugepod.html |
A customer sent me some pics of his modified instrument cluster, so I thought I would share.
https://www.prancingmoose.com/WhiteFaceGaugesStyle5.html#clustermod |
Since I
lived in California for most of my life, I have plenty of experience
working to make 240s emission compliant. This can be a huge source
of frustration and it can be very expensive if you have to resort to
paying someone every two years to work on the car for you. Don't give up. The below discussions threads are really good ones. It offers a lot of good experience from people who've ultimately been successful and the thread itself is a great success story. https://www.turbobricks.com/366734 https://forums.turbobricks.com/349573 And a great article on this subject (also highlighted in this thread): http://www.dailyturismo.com/2013/09/dtpc-smog-test-making-it-legal.html |
CLICK THE IMAGE |
Here's a growing collection of 240 gauge info that can come in handy if you're
doing your own work on your 240 gauges or instrument cluster.
Click an image or go HERE: https://www.240turbo.com/240gaugewiring.html |
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I did this on my 240.
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When in good working
order, the original
belt-driven clutch fan in your 240 can handle most
cooling needs. But if you have been
thinking that your 240 needs an electric primary
cooling fan, here is a page I put together on my
experiences with a number of electric fan
conversions over MANY years, from 1998 to present with small GM
fans, Volvo fans and big Ford or Lincoln fans. Plus I have a
variety of wiring diagrams for building
your own relay fan control systems if you like.
CLICK HERE |
(using a LINCOLN MARK VIII fan) In 2016 I got tired of failing "high-tech" fan controllers that would burn up after a year or two. They could not handle a heavy load when trying to control a big Lincoln Mark VIII fan. They always failed in the worst places. So I decided to design and build my own fan controller with FOUR speeds using my knowledge of RELIABLE heavy duty RELAYS. It worked great! The full plans are here. Click here: https://www.240turbo.com/fanharness.html |
(for my LINCOLN MARK VIII fan) New addition for My 242 Turbo in 2018. Click here: https://www.240turbo.com/ElectricCoolingFans.html#autocoolguy |
New addition for My 242 Turbo in 2023. Click here: https://www.240turbo.com/BrushlessFans.html#WMcontroller |
I get questions about the taillights on my car occasionally. These lights originally began as ALL CLEAR lights like in the below photo. At the time, finding half-clear lights was not possible. They can be found on eBay now. I didn't want all-clear lights, so I painted the bottom lenses myself using the below Testers transparent red paint, 1605 Gloss Custom Red. This paint is easy to use and goes on pretty well. It takes several light coats to get to the shade of red I got. Let it dry between coats and keep adding paint lightly until you have the red you like. It will slowly darken with each coat. These lights have been on my car for well over 10 years and still look new. Part of this reason is the car is always garaged. If you need to tint in AMBER, I have not tried any transparent amber paints yet, but I have heard of good results from the below Tamiya TS-73 Clear Orange for Plastics. I have also read that you can get good results from a transparent STAINED GLASS paint. Kyrylon makes such paint in aerosol in ORANGE and RED. I have not used these yet.
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In 2018 I began working on a stand-alone manually adjustable idle control valve for my car using a GM stepper IAC motor. Click the above images or below link to see it. https://www.240turbo.com/idleaircontrol.html
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THIS NEEDED TO BE SHARED. This discussion thread below began in May 2018 and it's a goldmine for inspiration on making your old 240 interior look brand new again. It's a great resource for information on paints and interior parts too, so I had to share it here for those of you who haven't seen it. https://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=342177
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THIS NEEDED TO BE SHARED. This 240 Door Card Build thread was shared in December 2018. If you're patient and handy, it shows some great ideas for you to completely remake new 240 door cards to replace the old, warped or rotten ones in your 240. https://forums.tbforums.com/showthread.php?t=346785 UPDATE 2023: The above thread now has a lot of broken images. Luckily I saved a PDF of the original thread with all images, which should help if you're doing a project like this. https://www.davebarton.com/pdf/242doorcardbuildlo.pdf If you need to replace or create new plastic moisture barriers, lots of people have suggested using shower curtain plastic. http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=364707
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This discussion thread below began in 2015 and outlines a 245 owner who went the distance in restoring his newly acquired 245 exterior paint to look exceptionally nice. His efforts paid off. It's a great inspiration to 240 lovers. https://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=305369
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This information may come in handy when
working on oil cooler systems on red blocks. I compiled a new web page just for this info. https://www.240turbo.com/oilcooler.html |
The factory oil cooler thermostat in my
240 Turbo oil filter plate seemed to have stopped
working. My guess is it was stuck in the wide
open position, since it was taking forever for the
engine oil to come up to temperature. So I
decided to add an IN-LINE oil cooler thermostat in the
lines between the engine and the oil cooler. You can find that info here: https://www.240turbo.com/oilcooler.html |
I gets lots of questions about doing this kind of work
or where someone can buy these black vinyl trim
pieces. They have not been available for a lot of years from Volvo or any other source, but if you're persistent, good results are possible. If you want new black vinyl for your 240, contact me. I can supply the new stripes you'll need. CLICK HERE: https://www.prancingmoose.com/doorvinyl.html
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Electric/Hydraulic or Electric Power Assist Steering
If you like
having power steering, but for some reason the
traditional hydraulic setup isn't quite right
for your modified Volvo (or if you want to
convert an older manual steering Volvo to
power assist) here are some possible answers.
A number of years ago, Josh Sadler of Yoshifab converted his Volvo 242 to electric/hydraulic steering. Josh's system was fairly simple. It used the original Volvo power steering rack. He mounted an electric/hydraulic steering pump and reservoir from a Toyota MR2 in his trunk and had hydraulic hoses made to route all the way to the stock steering rack. The result worked pretty well. Here's a discussion thread on his installation: https://turbobricks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135556 See his YouTube video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iItsdzTMp9I Or here's a video below about someone who used a VOLVO electric/hydraulic steering pump to feed the power steering. He didn't install it in a Volvo, but this pump/reservoir is from approximately 2004-2013 Volvo C30, C70, S40, V50 variants. The pump/reservoir is Volvo PN 36050678.
It's a great question. It certainly appears you CAN. Several racing hose makers offer DIY hose and ends. Russell PowerFlex hose is advertised with a rating of 2500 PSI. https://www.jegs.com/p/Russell/Russell-PowerFlex Earls power steering hose is rated at 3000 PSI. https://www.holley.com/brands/earls/products/plumbing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2wXKfOmvF0 And here's the next generation steering mod. Steering Column EPAS. Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) Units from a Saturn Vue, Chevrolet Equinox or Pontiac Torrent and other modern cars. The EPAS is mounted in the steering column, so the level of tech is much higher. This was an installation under the dash of a Volvo P1800 (pics below). https://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=341174 http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=361224 Here's a supplier of just such kits that you may be interested in seeing: http://www.epowersteering.com/index.html More info: VOLVO 240 Specific: https://forums.tbforums.com/showthread.php?t=334886 https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/toyota-electric-power-steering-eps-conversion/ https://www.hotrod.com/articles/150-electric-power-steering-junkyard-prius-delivers/ https://forums.tbforums.com/showpost.php?p=4802174&postcount=22 http://www.super7thheaven.co.uk/corsa-c-electric-power-steering-epas/ https://forums.corral.net/forums/general-mustang-tech/2321889-$35-electric-power-steering-fail-safe-no-ebay-module-no-caster-issues.html |
Identifying a Power Steering Rack in your
240
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Classic Auto Air all new Air Conditioning
Installation
I finally grew tired
enough of my mediocre Volvo AC in my 242 to explore an
extreme
option. This is a complete new AC system installation from
Classic Auto Air. I also spent the time
installing Dynamat
while the interior was out of the car. It was a
LOT of work, but overall a good project. I created a new web page all about the new AC conversion. CLICK HERE! |
Dealing with a Cracked 240 Dash
Here are some VIDEOS:
#1 Unboxing and trying out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HO1LqFtFig #2 Installation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksmMu0wwhuY&t=2s
Other threads to read:
https://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=337660 http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=356205 |
Installing
Rear
Wheel
Spacers - Wider Track
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Wider
Rear Wheel/Tire FENDER CLEARANCE for your 240
This pic above was the final result of my 242 after I completed the above inner fender trimming. There is zero rubbing, even when bottoming out the suspension. For more info on how I installed these wheels using custom adapter (Volvo to BMW bolt pattern), go to https://www.240turbo.com/index.html#bmw5x108. |
When I was shopping
for wheels to replace the Eikers, I knew I would
need to concentrate on something with more offset than the
Eikers, since I would need the extra room
to add an
adapter behind each wheel. I
eventually settled on wheels that were 7.5 inches wide with
35 mm POSITIVE offset.
The adapter maker I
chose was http://www.motorsport-tech.com.
The minimum thickness they will make is 15 to 20 mm. I went with a 20 mm thick front adapter. Now draw yourself some
diagrams if it helps you visualize all
this.
Here's a good Turbobricks discussion thread with related info: https://forums.tbforums.com/showthread.php?t=339645 Turbobricks Wheel Guide: https://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=72501&highlight=wheel+guide
HUB-CENTRIC versus LUG-CENTRIC It's important to decide if you will be using a spacer or adapter that is either HUB-CENTRIC or LUG-CENTRIC. Hub-Centric means that the center raised lip that fits into the wheel center is present and will keep the wheel centered before you lighten the lugs. It means that the weight of the car is supported by the hub. Lug-Centric mean no center lip is present and the wheel must be centered using the lugs. It means that the weight of the car is supported by the lugs. There are many generic spacers on line that are Lug-Centric. Here's a TB discussion for you: https://forums.tbforums.com/showthread.php?t=349054. |
Momo
Steering Wheel Hub for the 240 Installing a Momo
(or similar type) steering wheel in your 240 can
really improve your driving experience. It
gives you lots of options for choosing a stylish
or sporty steering wheel in a variety of
sizes.
You probably already know all this and luckily for you, that's NOT what this article is about.
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240
V Belt Sizes Information on factory 240 accessory V belt sizes used to be easier to find, but it seems to have mostly disappeared from many useful sites. I put this info together many years ago for my own 240 uses. I thought I would share it here. Here's a PDF printable version of the below table: https://www.davebarton.com/pdf/240_V-Belts.pdf
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1975-85
240 Headlight Switch Plug Problems
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MORE VOLVO BULB REFERENCES Matthews Volvo Site Bulb Guide: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=61483 Other 240 interior and exterior bulb info in this Turbobricks thread: https://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=283706 iPd Bulb Reference: https://www.ipdusa.com/techtips/10096/what-light-bulbs-fit-my-volvo Volvo has owner's manuals going back many years (bulb info is in "Specifications"): https://www.volvocars.com/us/own/owner-info/owners-manuals |
Gentex Rear View Mirror Upgrade
Adding a more modern mirror for
your 240 on the CHEAP.with Auto Dimming, Compass and Outside Temperature.
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Guide for Crimping
Terminals I've put together a page with instructions
for crimping and assembling typical open barrel or
EFI crimp terminals and connector housings.
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Hydraulic Clutch Info
Page for your 240 I have a pretty heavy clutch in my 240. Back in 2011 I got tired of stretching, adjusting, stretching and then snapping clutch cables, so I installed a hydraulic setup for the clutch. I recently updated the master cylinder from the Volvo unit to an aftermarket one and created a web page to help keep track of the parts and information for others to see. Here's the new page below: https://www.240turbo.com/hydraulicclutch.html |
Mounting Driving Lights
on your 240 without Drilling your Bumper!
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Making a Custom Cup
Holder for your 240 We all know our beloved 240s never came with cup holders. There have been a number of cup holder projects in the internet over the years. When I saw this one in the Turbobricks forum, I felt it really needed to be shown. The thoughtful design allows it to be securely anchored over the e-brake handle, using the e-brake handle button to help pin the front against the shifter hump. It's a nice design feature to keep in mind when you build (or adapt) such a thing for your car. See more photos and dimensions here: https://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=328054 And new for 2021, here's something new and ingenious for an early 240 (1975-1980). They say they are also working on something for later 240s.
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Installing a
G80 Locking Differential (from a 700/900) into
your 240
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Fixing
Common Corroded Ground Points (and power
connections) In Your 240 I hear about strange intermittent electrical problems from frustrated 240 owners quite often. These problems occur so often because of a few good reasons . . . .
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Hardwiring
your 240 Taillights (Tail Lamps)
HELPFUL ARTICLES:
http://cleanflametrap.com/tony/tail_light_color_code_v0.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFouOkHW8ho https://brickwalla.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/hard-wiring-my-tails https://www.turbobricks.net/forums/hardwiring240taillights 240 WIRING DIAGRAM EXAMPLES BELOW 0.75 mm wire is close to AWG 18-20. COLORS: BL = Blue; BN = Brown; GN = Green; GR = Gray; R = Red; SB = Black; W = White; Y = Yellow. 1979-84 240 1985-93 240
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Quick Fix to get your
240 Taillight Bulbs to Work Again (using aluminum
foil). If you have the above circuit board issues and don't have the time or patience to hard wire your bulbs (above), here's a quick fix. Thank you to Michael Yount for offering this solution. Simply cut some small pieces of aluminum foil and place them on your circuit boards as shown in the photos. Use some hobby tacky glue to keep them in place. They will help bridge the bulb holder circuit if you have worn out circuit boards. |
Should
you change the ride height of your 240? How? 240 SUSPENSION PAGE Click: https://www.240turbo.com/suspension.html |
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Build a
Badass HEADLIGHT RELAY HARNESS This is a good project for anyone with any older Volvo, especially if you have or want to to upgrade to brighter bulbs or headlights. Find this info in my Headlight Relay Page: https://www.240turbo.com/headlightrelay.html#relayharness |
Unlocking
the Mysteries of the 240 Headlight Step Relay And Test Procedure. This relay is rather special in that it has a LATCHING function. A latching function is where you can click and release a momentary button or switch (such as a high/low beam stalk) and the relay will LATCH (or lock) in the ON or OFF position until the switch or stalk is clicked again. For this Volvo relay, one click latches it "ON" and another click latches it "OFF." I have created the diagram PDF for anyone who wants to better understand how these relays work. I have also added a test procedure on page 2 if you think you might have a broken one. https://www.240turbo.com/headlightrelay.html |
How to Substitute
Available Relays to ELIMINATE your Volvo 240 Headlight Step Relay
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Understanding
and
Dealing
with a Volvo Bulb Failure Sensor
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THE MOST SIMPLE SOLUTION Bypassing a Volvo Bulb Failure Sensor
Making some simple BYPASS LEADS for a Quick and Easy Fix. If you don't feel like going to the trouble of modifying a Bulb Failure Sensor internally, there is a MUCH SIMPLER way to bypass these circuits without using a sensor. And I don't mean to suggest cutting off the 15-pin plug and splicing wires together (which of course you can do if you like). A better method, with no barbaric butchery, is to assemble some simple crimp terminals with a few short pieces of wire. Then unplug your sensor and insert the new leads into the female 15-pin connector, respective of the bypass diagrams shown below As it turns out, this connector uses fairly common 3.5 mm bullet terminals. So all you need are some male bullet terminals and some wire and some heat-shrink tubing for insulation. Coincidentally, these 3.5 mm male terminals are available cheap on-line or also in my Harness Parts Page HERE. In the photo above, you can see how these bypass bullet terminals and wires will look. The configuration is different for different sensors, so pay attention to the diagrams. If your car uses a sensor not shown above, it will be a simple thing to open it up to see what pins are bridged. Tamara from Albuquerque sent the above photos for her bypass project: "I just accomplished the bypass on the failed bulb relay on my 240. Worked like a charm! Thank you so much for all of your pains-taking work in putting together all of the detailed and supremely helpful information on your website. It is so appreciated. I found it easier to deal with by removing the instrument cluster. That way I could get both hands on the relay and sit upright to put the bypass pieces in. I also had to lever the relay and connector apart with a screwdriver. I had fought with it for awhile to no avail then I realized some leverage was called for. It made a little click and came apart easily. That's when I discovered it had a barb holding it together. It's great to have brake lights again!" |
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Understanding Relay Functions and Uses I'm putting this here because having an understanding of simple relay functions can help any DIY Volvo mechanic in so many places for your car projects. Many of the suggestions in this 240 modification page rely on relays. Not too many years ago my relay knowledge was limited to installing a pair of fogs lights. The internet has helped a lot in this area and most of you can now be really successful with relays. This Relay Guide is not Volvo specific, but it's a great resource for expanding your general auto relay knowlege and offers some interesting diagrams. https://www.davebarton.com/pdf/RelayGuide.pdf (3.3mb PDF) Here are some other pages with more relay explanations and configurations: http://www.the12volt.com/relays/page5.asp http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/relay-guide.html http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html <<< And this is the best site I know for improving your auto lighting with added relays. If you know of any other useful resources that would be a good fit here, please email me. |
3-FLASH "Komfort Blinker" UPGRADE for your Volvo.
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240 M46 Overdrive Wire Harness Design,
Construction, Mods
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Creating an M46 OD Relay Function using Ordinary Relays Overdrive relays might get hard to find or expensive. If you need to create a circuit that replicates an overdrive relay, you can use this below. This uses four standard SPDT (Single Pole Double Throw) relays. This type of relay will have center pin 87A. The momentary push button connects to ground and when pushed it will activate power to the 12V output, which can be connected to your OD solenoid. Another momentary push will deactivate it. Turning off the power (shutting off the car) will deactivate it also. For the 12V power to light your OD lamp in the dash, you can use power from the 12V output. |
240 Auto Transmission Overdrive Wire
Harness Design and Construction
Since I made the above M46
diagrams I thought it would be good to illustrate how
the 240 auto trans ORANGE
and WHITE overdrive relays work too. There is
almost no difference in the relay circuits between the ORANGE and WHITE relays. They are
essentially interchangeable, EXCEPT that the OD
light on the dash seems to come on opposite of when it's
supposed to when the incorrect relay is installed.
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Upgrade the In-Tank Fuel Pump in your 240
with a Larger 740 Turbo Pump The 740 Turbo pump I used for
this conversion, which was used in 1986 and later 700 and 900 Turbo models (and 960), is PN
3517845.
CLICK HERE TO FIND THIS PAGE |
Adding a Large Tachometer to your Volvo 240
in place of the Large Clock |
Plastic
Fuel Line Repairs Volvo used semi-rigid plastic fuel lines on all 200, 700 and 900 series. Maybe more models, but I'll deal mainly with cars made in the 1980s and 1990s for this article below. Special thanks goes to Roger Brown of Pueblo, Colorado for the photos and details from his own fuel line repair. The photos below are of 740 fuel lines, but the principle is the same for 240s. You'll find that the plastic hoses used in these cars are fitted to fairly standard brass or steel barbed nipples. Volvo fitted them when the hose or nipple or both are heated to a point the plastic becomes more flexible. Removing these hoses from existing nipples can be difficult and you may find that cutting or slitting them at the barb is the best treatment. HERE'S AN VIDEO THAT MAY HELP. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xK0m4jvC84
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Adding a
Small 52 mm VDO/Volvo Tachometer to your 240 |
Fixing Bad 240 Driver Door Lock
Switch Wires I have seen a fair number of emails like this one: "I own a 1993 Volvo 240 Sedan. It has about 100,000 on it and runs beautifully. The only problem is that the central locking system seems to be malfunctioning. It makes a fast clicking sound when driving and sometimes goes up and down when one tries to unlock the other doors from the drivers side. In the past two days the battery died due to something being left on. I pulled the #8 fuse (courtesy lights, clock, trunk light, glove box light, central lock system, power antenna, radio) and today the battery was fine." This is an extremely common problem that literally affects ALL YEAR 240s equipped with CENTRAL DOOR LOCKING. How do I know this problem is common in all year 240s? Because when I discovered this years ago i spent time at junkyards pulling off door panels on a lot of 240s up to the 1993 model year. They are all the same. All had BAD WIRES!
The problem is old, flaking wire insulation inside the
driver door. Specifically, the wires going to the key lock switch ("F"
in the diagram shown at left) and also the door lock plunger switch
("A" in the diagram shown at left). It should be
pretty obvious once you pull off your door panel and
look closely at these wires. The insulation on these
wires will crumble and fall off, allowing the wires to
short. This causes the rapid lock-unlock to occur
randomly. And when the car is parked, the shorted wires
may allow the locks be stuck in UP or DOWN mode, which can drain your
battery in a few hours. The solution is
to cover the bad wires with heat-shrink tubing, liquid
electrical tape, etc., or cut them out and crimp or solder in new
wires. You will probably only have to do this to
about 8 inches of wires, but keep an eye out for
more than that.
Here are a couple good threads with more photos: https://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=323301 https://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=322700 |
Dealing
with the Temperature Compensation Board in
your 1986-93 240
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