240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Bugjam1999

If you decide to go for an electric fan, a 940 one can be cut down on one side to fit the 240 radiator very easily and neatly - I have one in my car.

If your radiator was replaced at some point, it might have a bung for a temp sensor at the top on the back of the offside- ie near the drivers side headlight. If it does, an intermotor 50050 temp switch will fit and control the fan to come on at just slightly over horizontal on the gauge.

The reason for the bung is that some 740 (or 940? Not quite sure) cars use the same size radiator and have an temp switch in that position- as far as I’m aware no 240s had electric fans from new, just the fixed fans like yours and then later the fans with a viscous coupling.

Cheers

I wonder, is this the bung (the white plastic thing)?



The Royal Barge's radiator certainly doesn't look 40 years old, so I suspect it has been changed some time in the past decade.

Alan

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

If you also measure the diameter fo the top hose stub on the rad, i think i have an alloy coolant hose sensor adaptor and switch that i bought for my 740 and never fitted. WOn't fit my 760 (too small bore i believe) so is surplus to requirements. Fairly sure the switch is 97-92C as well so right on the temperature rating.

Hi Dave,

The top hose stub looks like it is 35mm (or thereabouts) diameter:



I could get a more accurate measurement if needed. The radiator looks fairly new - certainly not 40 years old, so it may have come from a later car.

The shroud is 17.5" internal diameter, so I think the 16" fan could be made to fit very neatly indeed inside it and secured with a few Meccano brackets with the fixed fan just removed to a safe place.

I like this idea, I think it would be a sympathetic and sensible improvement to the Royal Barge for about £30.

Alan

[Othen]

The Royal Barge does seem to warm up a bit slowly. I’ve just driven the short way in to the Wetherspoons for breakfast (about 2 miles) and it still needed the fast idle at the end, the temperature gauge had not budged.

I’ll get it flushed out, the thermostat changed and refilled this week and we’ll see if that helps. I like the electric fan idea as well and will order the bits this week to fit next.

Alan.

[Bugjam1999]

Originally Posted by Othen

I wonder, is this the bung (the white plastic thing)?



The Royal Barge's radiator certainly doesn't look 40 years old, so I suspect it has been changed some time in the past decade.

Alan

Yes, I suspected it would have been replaced at some point- you’re in luck, that white piece of plastic is the plug. To fit an intermotor 50050 like I did, drain the radiator, then pull that plug out with a big pair of pliers. The sensor is a tight fit, I had to grease the seal (reuse the current seal, rather than the one that comes with the sensor) and then gently press it in using a g-clamp (with a suitably sized socket over the sensor pins).

The Volvo 940 radiator has a two speed relay, I connected the sensor to the low side and it works well- the ecu is connected to the high side, but you could either use a single relay or just not connect the high side if you use the Volvo one. Or fit a manual override to the high side.

Cheers

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Bugjam1999

Yes, I suspected it would have been replaced at some point- you’re in luck, that white piece of plastic is the plug. To fit an intermotor 50050 like I did, drain the radiator, then pull that plug out with a big pair of pliers. The sensor is a tight fit, I had to grease the seal (reuse the current seal, rather than the one that comes with the sensor) and then gently press it in using a g-clamp (with a suitably sized socket over the sensor pins).

The Volvo 940 radiator has a two speed relay, I connected the sensor to the low side and it works well- the ecu is connected to the high side, but you could either use a single relay or just not connect the high side if you use the Volvo one. Or fit a manual override to the high side.

Cheers

Excellent.

[Clifford Pope]

Originally Posted by Othen

The Royal Barge does seem to warm up a bit slowly. I’ve just driven the short way in to the Wetherspoons for breakfast (about 2 miles) and it still needed the fast idle at the end, the temperature gauge had not budged.
.

It should warm up much faster than that. I judge mine by the landmarks I pass on the route into the nearest village.

1/2 mile, gauge registering about a quarter.
2 miles, gauge registering half. In the next few hundred yards it then rises a further 1/8, but drops rapidly back to half as the thermostat opens.
The gauge is very sensitive - it dips briefly when I slide the heater control ON as a new slug of cold water circulates, but by 2 miles the gauge registers a rock steady half and the heater will blow hot air.

I've had all the fan options on 240s over the years - fixed fan, viscous coupling, and electric, and concluded the viscous coupling works the best.
The whooshing noise you either love or hate - I used to hate it but have come to like it as part of that authentic 240 sound. Mine works extremely effectively, and together with a clean radiator, good thermostat, and 2-yearly flush and coolant change the temperature stays solidly on the half-way mark regardless of air temperature.

An electric fan is not maintenance-free, as you need to be constantly aware that it is still working. After a scare once when the temperature climbed alarmingly because a wire had corroded at the motor, and another because leaves had stopped the fan, I removed it and refitted the viscous coupling.
Part of this arises because an electric fan cuts in so rarely, but when it does you really need it to work.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Clifford Pope

It should warm up much faster than that. I judge mine by the landmarks I pass on the route into the nearest village.

1/2 mile, gauge registering about a quarter.
2 miles, gauge registering half. In the next few hundred yards it then rises a further 1/8, but drops rapidly back to half as the thermostat opens.
The gauge is very sensitive - it dips briefly when I slide the heater control ON as a new slug of cold water circulates, but by 2 miles the gauge registers a rock steady half and the heater will blow hot air.

I've had all the fan options on 240s over the years - fixed fan, viscous coupling, and electric, and concluded the viscous coupling works the best.
The whooshing noise you either love or hate - I used to hate it but have come to like it as part of that authentic 240 sound. Mine works extremely effectively, and together with a clean radiator, good thermostat, and 2-yearly flush and coolant change the temperature stays solidly on the half-way mark regardless of air temperature.

An electric fan is not maintenance-free, as you need to be constantly aware that it is still working. After a scare once when the temperature climbed alarmingly because a wire had corroded at the motor, and another because leaves had stopped the fan, I removed it and refitted the viscous coupling.
Part of this arises because an electric fan cuts in so rarely, but when it does you really need it to work.

The Royal Barge certainly warms up slower than that.
Alan

[Bugjam1999]

Originally Posted by Othen

The Royal Barge certainly warms up slower than that.
Alan

I’d start by looking at the thermostat - drain the coolant and take the thermostat cover off using a 6 sided, not 12 point socket - the nuts are only 10mm and easy to strip.

Thermostats can break on one side meaning they’re permanently open

Cheers

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

The Royal Barge does seem to warm up a bit slowly. I’ve just driven the short way in to the Wetherspoons for breakfast (about 2 miles) and it still needed the fast idle at the end, the temperature gauge had not budged.

I’ll get it flushed out, the thermostat changed and refilled this week and we’ll see if that helps. I like the electric fan idea as well and will order the bits this week to fit next.

Alan.

As you have the bung and hole on your rad Alan, i haven't exhumed the coolant hose adaptor as fitting either a 50050 or 50171 Intermotor switch will look neater. A 50056 has a different temp range 96-88C which would be better suited to an 88C 'stat.

With the aftermarket fan (in particular the one i linked to) you'll probably find you need to remove the existing shroud from the radiator as the fan is designed to monut on the rad and has it's own shroud/cowl designed for maximum airflow through it - the OE cowl/shroud could impede this. Also gives you much more room on the engine bay!



If you see what i mean!

I haven't yet added my own electric cooling fan, there's already one in front of the rad on mine for the A/C and so far, even on hot days, that's only come on a few times.

If you wanted "reassurance" about the fan operating, you could fit a tell-tale warning lamp wired across the motor terminals or use a spare warning light on the instrument cluster.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Bugjam1999

I’d start by looking at the thermostat - drain the coolant and take the thermostat cover off using a 6 sided, not 12 point socket - the nuts are only 10mm and easy to strip.

Thermostats can break on one side meaning they’re permanently open

Cheers

Many thanks,
I don't think the thermostat is permanent open because the gauge does start cycling, but it takes a long time to get there, so I do think it is not 100% right.
Alan