USA PV info please

[Underdrive]

Originally Posted by Salop Farmer

Thanks Army, acquiring an original PV B18 propshaft is a very tall order over here. I have never seen a second hand one for sale, so shortening mine would seem the only option. The other issues you mention I am aware of, although the back axle ratio may prove to be a problem! But this can be addressed once the car is on the road. At the moment I am rebuilding the front axle and converting to discs. Done the hideous kingpin bush job, now fitting new discs to hubs. These will be machined to thickness once fitted. Need to make a mandrel ( similar to a fat stub axle) to make sure I have no run out with discs once fitted to car. Keep finding things that are safety related that need replacing so my £4K budget is starting to look a little fragile!!

You could try Rob at Amazon Cars for a propshaft, or at the very least he should have one he would be happy to measure for you.

[Army]

Originally Posted by Salop Farmer

Thanks Army, acquiring an original PV B18 propshaft is a very tall order over here. I have never seen a second hand one for sale, so shortening mine would seem the only option. The other issues you mention I am aware of, although the back axle ratio may prove to be a problem! But this can be addressed once the car is on the road. At the moment I am rebuilding the front axle and converting to discs. Done the hideous kingpin bush job, now fitting new discs to hubs. These will be machined to thickness once fitted. Need to make a mandrel ( similar to a fat stub axle) to make sure I have no run out with discs once fitted to car. Keep finding things that are safety related that need replacing so my £4K budget is starting to look a little fragile!!

(In addition to the previous post)

PV propshafts are not exactly groing on trees here but you can still get them. I'm not sure by how much the post Brexit taxes would influence the final cost. It seems at least the cost of sending stuff is a bit more.

I'm not 100% sure on these part numbers but I think they should be good as I found them on the Dutch Volvo club website (of which I belong) =>

Front section - old part number 656544 - more recent part number 662446

Rear section - old part number 89460 - more recent part number 656827

I'm not 100% sure again! But it looks like just the front section of the propshaft was changed for the length difference between a 3 speed and 4 speed gearbox.

If I were spending my money I'd be looking for a front propshaft - but when spending someone else's money I'd encourage them to check!


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Very interested to hear / see how you managed to ream those king pin bushes - I could not find that special tool anywhere...

[Salop Farmer]

Will try Rob at Amazon cars re prop shaft section. Regarding the kingpin Bush reaming, I had an old 3/4 inch hand reamer which I spun up in lathe chuck and skimmed 3 - 4 thou off the diameter with a die grinder held in tool post. King pins are 19 mm dia (.748 inch). I then pressed both old bushes out and fitted one new one, then machined a bronze guide with shoulder that pushed in the other end.The bore of this bush was just clearance for the reamer, so as to act a guide to ream the kingpin bush. Once the first was reamed I pressed in the second kingpin bush, this time using the first as the guide. Seemed to work fine!

[1978]

Originally Posted by Salop Farmer

I am fitting USA spec towel rail bumpers on my car. I have the details of cut outs in front wings for towel rail support arms but no information on the cut outs in the boot ( trunk) surround panel for the rear. Dimensions from the bottom edge of panel and from the wing seam would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

This is a picture of my mates car with the front bumper removed and it has extra holes for the rail support bars and they are the same at the rear. It is a recent USA import. Oops sorry, don't know how that happened

[Salop Farmer]

Thanks for photo, I actually have all the dimensions for the front cut outs but would really appreciate the measurements of the cutouts in the rear panel. Distance from bottom edge of panel to hole centre and distance from wing seam to hole centre would be very welcome and save any **** ups on my part.

[1978]

Originally Posted by Salop Farmer

Thanks for photo, I actually have all the dimensions for the front cut outs but would really appreciate the measurements of the cutouts in the rear panel. Distance from bottom edge of panel to hole centre and distance from wing seam to hole centre would be very welcome and save any **** ups on my part.

When I go back to my mates again next week I'll do some measuring for you.

[Salop Farmer]

That would be great,thanks.

[1978]

Originally Posted by Salop Farmer

That would be great,thanks.

Well I stand corrected, the rears only have the one bumper support hole on each side.
Looks to be standard holes on the rears for the bumpers irons.
I haven't been able to visit, but asked my mate how many holes were on each side.
There was an option on the rear bumpers for the extra support rail that went through the rear panel just above the bumper irons, some of the rail supports were pointed down to meet up with the bumper irons. Sorry can't help with the dimensions unfortunately.

[Salop Farmer]

No problem, thanks for your efforts. From what I have been able to discover all Volvo produced USA spec towel rail style bumpers had these extra support bars passing through the rear panel. Some more modern copies of this bumper style have retained these support bars and others have done away with them. But other more knowledgeable folk may well know different!

[Salop Farmer]

Ps The bumper mounting brackets on all 544’s pass through the front panel but underneath the rear panel. So on US spec cars 4 cut outs at front but only 2 at rear ( support bars only).