240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Laird Scooby]

It will probably be a lot more economical once you get used to not having to floor it just to get moving (exaggereation to make the point) as i'm finding with my beast again.

Good to hear the difference has been obvious, it's not a nice feeling when you've done all that work and there's no obvious difference.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Now that might be an interesting longer term package Dave: a twin choke Weber, 4 speed auto box and one of those stainless tubular exhaust manifolds I saw someone was advertising on this forum a few days ago. I suppose the whole thing might be done for something around £1500 - less if I could find some of the bits second hand.

Perhaps I'll start acquiring the bits next winter.

:-)

Hmmmm, that would make an interesting combination! Improved power, economy and cruising ability! Definitely within the spirit of the RB, improvements to make life easier to cope with in present conditions but without going silly and only slightly different from original.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

It will probably be a lot more economical once you get used to not having to floor it just to get moving (exaggereation to make the point) as i'm finding with my beast again.

Good to hear the difference has been obvious, it's not a nice feeling when you've done all that work and there's no obvious difference.

I suspect you are right Dave, I'll fill up at Morrisons next week and see. It would be nice if the RB did over 25 MPG.

Aside from the cylinder head - which really needed doing - there have been lots of small improvements which have added up to making the car much nicer. Fixing the ignition timing must be the biggest improvement possible for half a dozen bangs with a hammer :-) The driver's seat has been a great bonus -it is really comfortable now; the instrument and interior lights and even changing to 20W50 oil (and so not leaking oil) have all contributed. It is very satisfying when plan comes to fruition.

Stay aware,

Alan

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Hmmmm, that would make an interesting combination! Improved power, economy and cruising ability! Definitely within the spirit of the RB, improvements to make life easier to cope with in present conditions but without going silly and only slightly different from original.

... and I think entirely in keeping with the ethos of the Royal Barge. I'll start looking out for bits :-)

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by Othen

Having not really gone anywhere (apart from to the local grocery stores) since March, I was looking for an excuse to try out all the minor improvements. I couldn't think of one, but it is a nice day, the lock-down has been lifted a bit and I'd finished my current list of jobs on the Royal Barge - so I just went out for a drive.

I've just got back from a really pleasant 35 mile drive around Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire - single A roads and B roads through pretty villages and some of the nicest countryside in England (roughly Harborough > Upingham > Caldicot > Corby). The Royal Barge was lovely: sunroof open, Smooth FM on the radio, auto box and comfy seats:


The new cylinder head and corrected ignition timing have together been a revelation. The thermal management is very good now, it is much smoother, more powerful and responsive - I suspect it is also a bit more economical.

:-)

That's one of our favourite stamping grounds too, Alan. We frequently pop over to Rutland Water - often in the Saab with the top down - and also have friends who live in Brigstock, just down the road from Corby. Driving in Rutland is very like driving in much of England was 50 years ago. Life still seems to slow down as one goes East through much of Lincolnshire and on into Norfolk.

Regards, John.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

That's one of our favourite stamping grounds too, Alan. We frequently pop over to Rutland Water - often in the Saab with the top down - and also have friends who live in Brigstock, just down the road from Corby. Driving in Rutland is very like driving in much of England was 50 years ago. Life still seems to slow down as one goes East through much of Lincolnshire and on into Norfolk.

Regards, John.

I agree John,

My son and I joke that the county of Rutland has a Grade 2 preservation order (except the bits that are Grade 1 listed).

:-)

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

What an incredibly daft idea on that slow running/idle air screw! I can understand why (emissions regs) they've done it, just not why they did it the way they have!

I'd hazard a guess there's an "O" ring around that slow running screw, there appears to be an anti-diesel valve immediately after it all of which suggests the throttle butterfly should be firmly shut or only open a prescribed amount at idle and all other adjustments are done with the slow running and mixture screws.
It might be an idea to check the setting for the throttle butterfly and also to see if there is (or should be) an "O" ring on that slow running screw. While it's out and you're checking it, spray some carb cleaner into its orifice, i'd also be tempted to remove the anti-diesel valve, spray the plunger on the valve and also the manifold orifice where it lives with carb cleaner - check the plunger is free to move in and out (in under spring pressure so should return easily to the closed position) and isn't worn on its edges/contact points where it meets the manifold.
Also clean the cone on the end of the slow running screw.

I can see this being one of those niggly faults where you can either chose to live with it as it is or take some time to get it right.

I was thinking about this one Dave (I do my best thinking early in the morns, that is why I get up at 05:30).

You are right, the throttle butterfly should be nearly closed at tick-over and the slow running by-pass circuit on the manifold allowed to control things. If you have a look at the set-up procedure in the Autodata book (quite good in this respect) you will see the only other variable is the tab that serves to fix the start point for the butterfly:



... and the only way of adjusting it is to bend it a bit. I think that is just too hit and miss, if I went down that route I could spend forever chasing around a variable based on how far I have (or have not) bent a metal tab that is quite difficult to access.

I suspect that at the moment the tab is just a little too high, and so allowing the butterfly to be open a fraction too far at its start point, the manifestation being that the slow running adjuster (on the manifold) operates at the lower part of its range. It does still work though, I can control the tick-over speed with it - the only issue is it the screw is only 1/2 turn from the bottom of its range with the engine at 900RPM.

I think this is a bit of 'so what... so nothing'. I could chase this around for ages bending the tab with a pair of long nosed pliers - risk breaking something and maybe never get it any better than it is now, all for the sake of getting the slow running adjuster in the middle of its range (and I don't even know what that range is - maybe 1/2 turn is normal).

I think you are right: this is just a niggle I learn to live with, it runs fine.

Stay alert,

Alan

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Bugjam1999

The distributor was stuck in a similar way on a 245 I used to own- I used a piece of wood as a drift and tapped it up and out from below with a hammer, then cleaned up and greased it before refitting.

Cheers

Thank you for that, I was beginning to think I'd done something daft yesterday, but it is good to know I'm not alone with this issue (LS also confirmed something similar).

Stay alert,

Alan

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Hmmmm, that would make an interesting combination! Improved power, economy and cruising ability! Definitely within the spirit of the RB, improvements to make life easier to cope with in present conditions but without going silly and only slightly different from original.

Here is the stainless tubular manifold I saw advertised Dave:

https://www.classicswede.co.uk/240_s...4_8177351.aspx

... a thing of great beauty and a good match for the twin choke Weber/4 speed auto package :-)

Stay safe,

Alan

[loki_the_glt]

UND endlich -die Photographen...