The car is gold, the exterior body integrity is solid, no dings, pings
or dents. The paint is faded badly in several spots on the hood, roof
and trunk. The headliner is gone, the right headlight hood is missing.
Half of his white long-haired dog's hair is still in the car along with
1/8" of dander/dust.
One tire is about to peel off, the window weatherstripping is shot. One
windshield wiper is dead and the a/c doesn't work. Sometimes the speedo
works, sometimes the radio works. The seats are dirty.
Now to the engine - looks good except just below the top of the timing
belt cover on the passenger side, between the cover and the block the
engine is leaking oil like a burst artery. Mechanic I talked to says
probably bad camshaft seal and we'll change the timing belt and crank
seal. Or maybe a bad valve gasket. The oil smells like gas and there
was a residue of white film on the gas cap.
The best part - I bought this car today and LOVE IT! I read so many
stories of how great this car is, and if I can stop the leak and there
is no major engine damage - I am going to have fun whipping this old
tank into shape!
If anyone has any tips on this model - please feel free to drop me a
line.
Jamie
Commerce, TX
Make sure you clean the flame trap, that's probably why the camshaft
seal blew out. I would just replace the assembly, it's cheap.
For the rest of the car, it sounds like you've got your work cut out for
you, it's a great car for someone who likes to do their own mechanical
work, if you can find a U-pull yard with Volvos you'll be all set.
Go to www.ipdusa.com and request a catalog, that's one of the first
things any new Volvo owner should do.
When I drove the car home last night the headlights worked. Then a
light came on the dash that I guess means a light is burned, because
the headlights stopped working.
The wipers don't work either. I think I need to check fuses. As soon as
it stops raining, I am going to clean and detail the car, clean the
engine, and go over every inch of this car.
It is very possible that cleaning out the engine ventilation and pushing the
cam seal back in place will fix the leak, but since the timing belt is
likely overdue for replacement you may as well replace the seal and change
the belt. The good news is that the engine is non-interference and timing
belt failure doesn't damage anything. There aren't many timing belts that
are as easy to replace as the one on the B230F, either. That is one rugged
engine.
Mike
Mike
The bulb failure warning is a bit pesky, if the headlights quit working
then aside from the fuses, the first thing I'd check is the bulb failure
sensor. If you pull out the fuse panel (the whole thing slides forward
and lifts out) you'll find a big red can plugged into it. Pull that out
and you can pop the cover off with a small flathead screwdriver. Inside
you'll find a set of round circuit boards which occasionally crack the
solder joints and cause lights to stop working. If you resolder those,
or find a TV repairman to do it for you you can save a lot of money over
buying a new $$$ sensor.
Cleaning the engine is a worthwhile project, it's often a nasty job on a
neglected car but when you're done it's much easier to spot leaks and
other problems and oil degrades plastic and rubber parts including
wiring insulation. Check the condition of the engine harness, the ones
made in the 80's tend to rot out, it's the sort of thing that will
suddenly leave you dead in your tracks if it happens, it's the only big
problem I've ever had with mine.
Update:
Headlights and wipers -- blown fuses. Replaced those. Yes, the wiper
arm nut was loose, I tightened that and replaced the blades/brackets.
Replaced 1 high-beam headlight.
Changed spark plugs! Oh what a difference!
Changed plug wires.
Replaced Flame Trap Assembly -- gooey, gunky white stuff and grease.
Degreased engine and blasted with car wash hose. Started right up!
Cleaned dash board and console. Looks VERY sharp!
Washed exterior.
Here's the cool part. I rented a Rug Doctor and upholstery attachment
and cleaned seats and carpet. WOW! They look brand new!
----take bucket of warm water and add 1 capful laundry liquid. Don't
wet fabric, but scrub every square inch creating a foam on the surface.
Use the rug doctor with hot clear water to rinse until water is clear.
For the carpets I diluted degreaser with water, pre-sprayed and rinsed
clear. Talk about an interior that looks brand new!
I removed the old tint and glue. I can see outside now.
Lubricated sun roof - works fine.
Replaced dying battery.
I think that's all I have done this weekend. Whew!
Oh - got up at 5:00 AM and drove 1 hour to Dallas to buy seals from the
dealer. Came home, started car and noticed the leak was coming from the
BACK of the engine too! Rear main seal! Why didn't the mechanic see
this??????????
Now I have to go BACK and get another seal. I have a mechanic going to
change all seals mentioned plus timing belt and tensioner for $320. +
parts.
I am whooped, but now she's one clean machine.
Amazing how fast those things fix up isn't it? If you keep it up, you
might just get another 200K out of it, maybe more.
Is it critical to get seals from a dealer? I don't want to risk my
engine on cheap-o parts, but if seals are seals...
Please advise.
Thanks!
PS: Pics to come tomorrow.
Mike
I removed the oil/air separator this morning, I poured degreaser in it,
then used hot soapy water to rinse it. I shook so much gunk and chunks
out.
I let it dry a short while then re-installed it.
Question: Is there anything inside of this box that could trap water? I
was 99% sure it was dry when I put it back on, but then the car began
to run funny. It would idle then die. Then I couldn't give it gas
without killing it.
I had a bad plug wire yesterday that could be a problem, I am swapping
out today. If anyone knows about this oil/air box and cleaning it with
soap and water - please advise.
If it's just a hollow box I am OK.
I've never had a problem with getting seals elsewhere, I believe the
ones that IPD and a few of the online places sell are the OEM brand.
It's just a hollow box with some baffles in it. How are the vacuum
lines? If they're dried out you may have cracked one by disturbing it.
Still bad idle, I can give it gas and it runs OK, but no idle and
sputters when I pump the pedal.
I agree I could have disturbed a vacuum hose. But, I can't see
anything.
Here's a good one: while removing the breather box I accidently started
the car! Can you believe that because the wire housing on the starter
wires was broken, they touched and I hotwired the thing! She didn't
completely start- I moved my arm when I heard the noise. So, I
unplugged the negative battery cable.
Tomorrow I'l get a new breather box and see what happens. If nothing,
then I'll ask the mechanic to look at the vacuum lines.
I was so scared I trapped water in the breather box and sent it into
the engine. Well, after we change the seals I'll change the oil and
filter.
We'll see with the new box.