(Something different; for my wife)  The Engine of Our Days I have fixed the Volvo, sitting dead these many months. It coughs back to life, but is not healthy. I need to work on it some more, but these summery days without you sap me of my will. It is like the engine of our lives is sputtering along, slowed by the pull of family obligations. Your father dead, your mother alone, you there, me here-- a funeral of our expectations. Our engine will not run forever. Come home, love, and chase away my loneliness. It is time to climb mountains again, poke our heads into clouds, dance among lupine and avalanche lilies, and once more feel like gods before our fall from grace.

With most new cars (and their plastic bumpers) costing upward of $20,000 these days, perhaps it's not so bad to keep old Volvos and work on them. After all, once you're familiar with a particular engine, it's difficult to learn about a different engine in a newer car from a different car manufacturer.

The Volvo 4-cylinder engines are roomy. A mechanic can get his or her hand amongst all the engine components. And most components take a minimal effort to access. In some vehicles (a Japanese model), a professional mechanic once told me that it took him 3 hours just to access the starter motor!

The B20, B21, B23, and B230 engines in 240/740/940 Volvos are non-interference engines, meaning that the camshaft can be rotated independently of the crankshaft and no damage will be done. That is, if the timing belt breaks, the valves will not hit the pistons; the engine will simply stop. This is not true in newer models.

And though I lament the disappearance of the carburetor, I've since found that there is some logic to the fuel injection system, especially the LH-Jetronic one. On the 240, there are a lot of mechanical parts to the fuel injection system, but in the 740, many of the fuel injection components are electromechanical. This means the mechanical function of the component is driven electrically, so if there is no electrical current or voltage delivered to that particular component, then it can't do its job. On the other hand, if there is a current or voltage present, and the component doesn't function, then that component is faulty. The best websites for fuel injection wiring diagrams are the autoelectric 740 and autoelectric 940 ones.


740
If your 740/940 engine has died, then go to page Diagnosing No-Starts on Some 740/940 Volvos. While this booklet is not a bible, it does address the most likely suspects for a no-start. The booklet is free! Pay only if it helped you and you're satisfied. How's that for a satisfaction guarantee?

If your waterpump leaks, replacing it is a very manageable job. Go to Replacing the 740 Waterpump.

And coming soon, A Step-by-Step Guide to Changing the Timing Belt on the 740/940 Volvo.


240
Also, for the 240 non-B230 engine, the task of changing just the timing belt is an eminently doable procedure by the home mechanic. That's because the crankshaft pulley is held on by six fasteners rather than by a crankshaft pulley bolt. This booklet is also free. Pay only if you find it useful. Go to page A Step-by-Step Guide to Changing the Timing Belt on the 240 Volvo non-B230 Engine to download.


Caveat: These guides are best-faith efforts provided by someone who is not a professional mechanic. Users assume all risks and liabilities, including material damage and costs that may be caused by incorrect information and injury and/or death caused by not following safety precautions. Use of these articles is an agreement that parties shall hold harmless the author and bytewrite LLC. Observe all safety precautions!

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Fred

Fred is a physicist turned writer who works on his Volvos when he has to. In his award-winning novel, An American Sin (ISBN13: 978-0-9711206-0-0, price $15), the protagonist’s 1970 145 Volvo breaks down outside Missoula, Montana, leading to a meeting with a pivotal hero of the Vietnam War. “Great book!” many have said. More info at www.bytewrite.com. An American Sin can be ordered at your local bookstore (or, directly from publisher, with purchase of one downloaded guide, at 20% off plus free shipping in U.S.).

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Or order An American Sin directly from Amazon.com. An American Sin was a finalist in the 2009 Eric Hoffer Awards. It has also won an IPPY and was a finalist for a Benjamin Franklin Award and a John Gardner Fiction Book award. More info at www.bytewrite.com. Excerpt from An American Sin: (Wong's 140 Volvo breaks down outside Missoula, Montana, leading to a meeting with one of the heroes of the Vietnam War--the cowboy mentioned below.) Wong pulls out the high tension wire from the coil to the distributor, holding it in a bamboo salad tong about three-eighths of an inch from the engine block. “Okay, hit it!” The starter and engine turn; a large spark arcs across the gap. “Okay, hold it!” He replaces the wire into the distributor. Now, he has a suspicion. He opens the oil filler cap, sees the rocker arms and valves. “Okay, once again.” The engine and starter turn, but there is no motion of the rocker arms. “Okay. Good!” He walks back to the driver’s side. “Well, I think I know what the problem is,” he says. “What?” the cowboy asks. “I think it’s the timing gear.” . . . Read more.

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