240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Othen]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Strangely and coincidentally, I had one too, Alan. Mine was an early one, '63, I think in the late '60s. I totally agree with your assessment. My mates nicknamed it the 'Jellymobile' on account of the qualities to which you allude! Didn't stop them coming to me when they wanted something moving, though - we once had a complete dismantled Lambretta 150 in the back with room to spare!

Regards, John.

I recall fitting a second hand radio (that someone had given me) to the Renault - I didn't have any car speakers, so I used two redundant ones from a music centre (the sort that would have had a record turntable and a cassette deck) that I found (free) somewhere - I thought it added to the charm of the vehicle.

Eventually someone drove into it in a car park - the car wasn't worth fixing, I think the guy that drove into it gave me £150 plus I got a few bob in scrap. By then I'd driven it for two years, it had cost me nothing and I was moving to my next job in Germany... where I bought the 240 estate that was the nostalgic reason for me getting the RB.

The wheel turns full circle...

Alan

[Clifford Pope]

I was given my mother's old Renault 4 years ago, and liked it, in a funny sort of way. I do remember the wheelbase being about an inch shorter on one side.

Liked the gearlever - the trick was not to visualise it as the normal H-pattern lever but like a push/pull rod with a handle on the end to twist it. And being on the dash, like the handbrake, meant no obstructions on the floor. If you had the bench seat option could just squeeze 3 people in the front.

I also liked the easy way the entire rear seat would unclip. With the front wheel drive the floor was entirely flat, not even a rear lip. The passenger seat would slide forwards right under the dashboard, leaving an enormous load space that almost rivalled the Volvo 240's.

Years after I sold it I saw it by chance at a petrol station, and approached the owner and remarked "I used to own this car".
The owner looked very cagey and uneasy, until he realised I wasn't an undercover VOSA agent. He had cut the excellent bodywork from the chassis and welded it onto a later model, keeping the original registration details but on a much later and uprated rolling chassis and mechanics. The engine was now about twice the size of the original.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Clifford Pope

I was given my mother's old Renault 4 years ago, and liked it, in a funny sort of way. I do remember the wheelbase being about an inch shorter on one side.

Liked the gearlever - the trick was not to visualise it as the normal H-pattern lever but like a push/pull rod with a handle on the end to twist it. And being on the dash, like the handbrake, meant no obstructions on the floor. If you had the bench seat option could just squeeze 3 people in the front.

I also liked the easy way the entire rear seat would unclip. With the front wheel drive the floor was entirely flat, not even a rear lip. The passenger seat would slide forwards right under the dashboard, leaving an enormous load space that almost rivalled the Volvo 240's.

Years after I sold it I saw it by chance at a petrol station, and approached the owner and remarked "I used to own this car".
The owner looked very cagey and uneasy, until he realised I wasn't an undercover VOSA agent. He had cut the excellent bodywork from the chassis and welded it onto a later model, keeping the original registration details but on a much later and uprated rolling chassis and mechanics. The engine was now about twice the size of the original.

Excellent story!

I think you are right about the wheelbase being shorter on one side, I must have mis-remembered that bit.

Alan

[Clifford Pope]

It'll be tax and MOT-exempt if it still exists - or part of it will be.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Clifford Pope

It'll be tax and MOT-exempt if it still exists - or part of it will be.

Probably just as well, it would be embarrassing if a MoT tester realised the VIN didn’t match the chassis and engine :-)

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Funny looking bottle opener!

Nice work there Alan, glad you got it shifted, part of me is wondering if you should pull the dizzy out and renew the "O" ring on the body seal, cleaning the body and the orifice at the same time. Smear a little silicone grease on the body/"O" rin before reassembly then obviously recheck the timing.

You'll need to mark the relative position of the rotor arm to the body of the dizzy, preferably with the engine at a timed position and note that the shaft turns slightly as it moves in and out of the blcok.

Or you could just give it a dose or three of WMP, free it off and reset the timing and call it good.

I had treated myself to a shiny, modern ignition strobe that I could actually use in the daylight (the 1970's period neon was quaint, but a bit more difficult to read accurately) - and found the timing to be at 11 degrees (it had seemed a little down on power). The distributor is still really stubborn, but I managed to get a 45mm crow's foot to grip enough to get it to move (reluctantly, creaking in quite large steps too and fro,,, but move it did). After lots of fiddling backwards and forwards I got the timing spot on 15 degrees and all is running well now.

I still have a little problem about freeing off the distributor in the longer term, but now it is set correctly it should not need adjusting again until I next change the timing belt in 2025. I think what I'll do is give it a good application of WMP (applied with an artists' brush when hot - the capillary action then pulls it into the shaft) a couple of times per week for a month or two - then have a go at freeing it off again. I'm in no rush - I have about 5 years to get this issue sorted :-)

Alan

[Laird Scooby]

Good idea getting a Xenon strobe Alan, much easier to use!

Sounds like you've got a good plan to free the dizzy off long term, little and often with the lube and you'll get there!

[Bugjam1999]

Originally Posted by Othen

I still have a little problem about freeing off the distributor in the longer term, but now it is set correctly it should not need adjusting again until I next change the timing belt in 2025. I think what I'll do is give it a good application of WMP (applied with an artists' brush when hot - the capillary action then pulls it into the shaft) a couple of times per week for a month or two - then have a go at freeing it off again. I'm in no rush - I have about 5 years to get this issue sorted :-)

Alan

Several applications of oil whilst hot will certainly help things- the key to removing a stuck distributor is not to try and twist it, there’s limited space and using a big set of grips will almost inevitably break something. The way to do it is to get a suitable drift onto it from below to tap it up and out of the block- a long masonry chisel or similar.

There’s enough space to get the drift onto the bottom of the housing, then once it’s up just a smidge spray more penetrating oil into the crack, leave it for 5 mins and come back and hit it again.

I managed this from above once, but it’s a bit fiddly. From below is easier.

Cheers

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Bugjam1999

Several applications of oil whilst hot will certainly help things- the key to removing a stuck distributor is not to try and twist it, there’s limited space and using a big set of grips will almost inevitably break something. The way to do it is to get a suitable drift onto it from below to tap it up and out of the block- a long masonry chisel or similar.

There’s enough space to get the drift onto the bottom of the housing, then once it’s up just a smidge spray more penetrating oil into the crack, leave it for 5 mins and come back and hit it again.

I managed this from above once, but it’s a bit fiddly. From below is easier.

Cheers

Excellent, many tanks.

Alan

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Bugjam1999

Several applications of oil whilst hot will certainly help things- the key to removing a stuck distributor is not to try and twist it, there’s limited space and using a big set of grips will almost inevitably break something. The way to do it is to get a suitable drift onto it from below to tap it up and out of the block- a long masonry chisel or similar.

There’s enough space to get the drift onto the bottom of the housing, then once it’s up just a smidge spray more penetrating oil into the crack, leave it for 5 mins and come back and hit it again.

I managed this from above once, but it’s a bit fiddly. From below is easier.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Othen

Excellent, many tanks.

Alan

Wasn't going to comment on this as it's a valid method, certainly for distributors with points and condensor inside but what's inside yours Alan?

The Hall Effect sensor for the electronic ignition.

You may get away with it but i wouldn't risk it, espceially as spare HE sensors are stored in the shop next to the unicorn horns and hens teeth.