Tired of those skinny tires on your 1800S, Amazon or PV? You will need new wheels -- putting wider tires on the stock wheels is neither safe nor effective. There are several good answers to the problem.

If you want to stick close to the stock look, you should be able to find a wheel shop that can weld wider rims onto your stock centers. The difference in appearence will not be striking, and you can use the original hubcaps or wheel covers.

You may have heard that Ford or Chrysler wheels will fit a Volvo. This is true for the older cars -- the 1800E, 140 and newer cars use a bolt pattern unique to Volvo. Most 5-bolt Ford wheels that you'll find in salvage yards are 14" wheels, and you'll probably want 15", so be prepared to search a bit. Wheels from 1970's full-size Fords and Mercuries will most likely be what you'll find. They can look good with a little cleaning and paint, but are quite heavy.

Of course, there are a number of alloy wheels available on the market (if they don't list wheels for Volvo, tell them you need them for a '70s full-size Ford!) Whatever wheels you decide to use, try to stick with the stock rearset: the inboard edge of the rim should extend 3-1/2" from the mounting surface of the wheel (in other terminology, a 6"-wide wheel should protrude 3-1/2" inboard and 2-1/2" outboard, which is a positive offset of 1"). The idea is not to widen the track of the car by much -- it will hurt the handling, wear components faster and wreak havoc with the alignment settings. Wider is not better, unless it was originally designed into the car.

If you want to maintain the stock ride height and speedometer readings, your tire dealer can match the diameter of the original tires with wider, lower-profile ones. This will affect your selection of rims: a 185mm tire fits happily on a 6" rim, a 195mm on a 6-1/2" and a 205mm on a 7". I much prefer having a moderate tire on a wide rim than the other way around. Consider also that the more rubber you have on the ground, the lower your optimum tire pressures will be and the heavier the steering will become.

Happy rolling!

--Phil

240 doesn't idle when cold

I have a 1983 240 Turbo that does not idle in the mornings. After the engines warms up it runs great. What should I do?

Florentino

740 brake squeal

I have a 1986 Volvo 740 GLE that seems to have an inherent problem with the brakes. They squeal when applied in reverse, they never seem to last long, seems like I'm having work done every six to eight months. Do you know of any inherent problems with this model year brakes? Outside of the brakes, the car runs well, has 146,000 miles and is in good shape. After I have them repaired, I do notice that as I use the car, they leave deposits of a carbonlike substance in the wheel that seems to cause the squealing. If I wash it out, the squealing abates for a while. I've had work done at dealers and private garages. I'm at my wit's end.

1800E poor running after warm start

I have a '70 P1800E (B20 engine). After the car has warmed up and I shut off the engine, it idles poorly after re-start until I have driven it for a mile or so, then it idles fairly well again. Is this a problem with the fuel injection oxygen sensor? Any ideas?

Christopher Bain

The "Ideal" B18...

I am interested in getting more power out of my B18 engine. What is the "best" configuration" that would result in the most power while still being streetable? How much power would this "ideal" engine produce? Specifically, what pieces would be used, and what machining steps are necessary?

Mike Denman

240 needs more Vroooom

I have a 1975 244 that I have just finished repainting, installing an IPD lowering kit, all suspension bushings, swaybars, turbo wheels, and I am currently looking for a way to get a little more juice from under the hood without too much expense. I have quite a few ideas and questions as well.

1) I want to add a 2.5" exhaust system with a single turbo muffler like those kits available from IPD. Does anyone know if I will encounter problems with lack of compression due to the lack of backpressure without improving the breathing on the intake side of things?

No worries with that, however, 2.5" is overkill. 2" will give you the same performance and be easier to quiet down. I use a 2" system with a "mini-turbo" muffler on our 122S/B20, and it is quite snarly. You can always add a fat tailpipe for vanity.

2) Is there a commercially available header available for the B20 that won't cause clearance problems in my 240 and can be used with the fuel injection manifold of my B20F?

I don't know. Not much is made for B20 in the 240, since it is the exception and not the rule. You want to retain the intake manifold support bracket, in any case. If you can find an old IPD header, I suspect it will work -- it tucks very close to the block and is made to fit a 2" pipe.

3) I have thought of advancing the timing slightly for a little more power, any thoughts on this, suggestions as to the degree of advance that will work, I don't often rev above 4700 RPM.?

You can try advancing more until you encounter "pinging," then back it back down. There are too many variables at work from car to car for me to suggest a specific setting. If you are willing to commit to using higher octane gas, you can push it a little bit further. Do not tolerate pinging -- it will hurt your motor!

4) I would like to open up the breathing a bit with a K&N filter and would like to fabricate some type of induction system to lower intake air temperature for more power. Will opening up the filter box adversely affect the airflow sensor plate in the fuel distribution assembly?

I'd recommend the K&N filter, but I would leave the induction tubing alone. The airflow sensor will simply defeat your efforts. In any case, the limitation is in the head design, not the induction system. No profit to be made there.

5) How do the stock B20s in the P1800 make so much more power than my B20F? Is this solely due to the induction system or is it cam-related? Does anyone have any ideas how to sneak some more juice from my B20 without breaking the bank?

To the best of my knowledge, the B20F in the '72 and '73 182 and 183 is the same motor as yours. The performance difference is because the 1800 is considerably lighter than your car. '70 and '71 B20E produced more power with much higher compression and a more aggressive cam. The E motor would not make you happy in your heavier car with today's gas. The IPD big bore stuff will give you noticeably more grunt, but figure in the machining costs, and your bank may well be broken -- about $1700 for big pistons, cam kit (that "low end torque" unit is what you're after), machining and balancing if you do the building yourself. Such a motor will be able to use more gas than your present FI will provide -- you may have to go to a higher volume fuel pump, etc. It can be done, though!

Any advice is greatly appreciated and will most likely be utilized -- my brick is a little too bricklike.

Rob Martin

'84 245DL: recently replaced plugs, plug wires, coil wire, distributor cap, and rotor. Mechanic scoped the engine and found no problems in the ignition system. But the engine still has a slight, when cold, to very noticeable, when warm, miss or misfire. It just doesn't run smoothly. Is it possible that this is related to a bad computer, Lambda sensor, oxygen sensor (is that the same thing as a the Lambda sensor?) or a fuel/air mixture problem? My mechanic did increase the idle by adjusting a small nut on the underside of the injection pump. Also, have tried a bottle of injection cleaner additive -- no change. Any ideas?

Exhaust noise / heater control

My 1980 240 has an extremely loud exhaust note as do other Volvos from this vintage that I have worked on. My girlfriend is driving around a 1985 240 which is amazingly quiet by comparison. I have been unable to find any major differences in the exhaust system (or in the engine design for that matter). Does anyone know how the volume was lowered on the later auto?

I also am refurbishing a '67 122, that sounds somewhat like a sea-plane at highway speeds. Do you know of any techniques for reducing exhaust volume on the 122?

I have also had poor luck with finding a serviceable heater control unit for a 122. The unit on a 140 looks similar. Do you know if they are compatible with some modification?

Mark Timieski

240 Stalls above 35MPH

I have a 1981 Volvo DL with a 4 cyl engine. I have, and the local dealer in Hampton Virginia has, replaced:

1. All 4 fuel injectors
2. Distributor and all internal parts-----twice
3. Plug Wires & Plugs----twice
4. Fuel Filter
5. Computer
6. Fuel tank was removed and teflon coated
7. Fuel pressure regulator has been tested
8. Fuel pump was tested
9. Timing has been checked monthly with +/- 2 degree deviation

All this work was done between 1995 - 1997. The car stalls, without any change or drop or deviation in the instrumentation, at varying speeds above 35 mph in any gear with or without overdrive on. The engine starts to idle down as if it were shutting off, we get no throttle response and the vechicle slows rapidly. Then suddenly it starts to pick up speed and the engine speed and throttle response returns to normal. I have added 44 K three times to the fuel system: twice this made the problem go away; on the third add, the problem reccured. Additionally, the vehicle sometimes backfires loudly. Please help so I can stop driving by Pleasant Shade Memorial Gardens with a shovel in the trunk. Thanks!

Greg Brown

240 Fuel Economy

I have a 1985 240 GL wagon. It has a B230F engine (~300,000 km) with a 4- speed auto and runs on regular fuel. The engine appears to be tuned well and blows no smoke. I get 18 mpg around town and 22 mpg on the highway. Is this normal fuel economy? If not, how can I improve this?

Your comments would be appreciated.

Dan Dwyer
Griffith University, Australia

Needs full choke to barely run

Well, I found this wagon and it was the right price, so I could not pass it up: only $550.00. Enough of all that -- reality has set in. The body is great, but it is not running right. I tuned it up, replaced the motor mounts, changed the oil and filter along with the fuel filter, but it still does not idle properly and has no power -- it barely gets going. It barely runs only with the the choke pulled all the way out. I have ordered a carb. rebuild kit; if you have any other thoughts or comments they would be appreciated. One note: when I replaced the the spark plugs the number one cylinder plug was really fouled with oil, but the rest were OK.

If you also know of any good wrecking yards, or part sources, I need them. Well, thank you for your site and I hope that you will be able to help.

Russ Plumb

I concur with the vacuum leak suggestion and suggest that the carbs need plenty of work. I bought a '61 544 once (I have another one now) for $300 that the previous owner thought was completely trashed. It was sort of running on one of the SUs. Number one and two cylinder spark plugs were a mess because of the condition. The vacuum leak may be around the throttle shafts -- make sure they are tight. If your carb kit doesn't include bushings, you may need to get some. The 544 was my first Volvo (and my first car). I got many, many good miles out of it. May you have the same good fortune.

John Erickson

Seatbelts...

My basic belief (after being around rock climbers for many years) is that nylon degrades, and there should be a source for newly webbed belts. I haven't found one -- lots of people will sell you used belts. My belts are stiff; one set is frayed. Stiffness, I was always told, is a sign of UV damage...

Jennifer Joy
Austin, TX

Replacement belts can be purchased from JC Whitney or any other major aftermarket supplier. If the latches and mounting hardware are original and need to be reincorporated in the new belt assembly, you can approach any company that makes racing harnesses and they will supply the webbing and do the stitching for you. This is not a DIY job. Get a pro to do any stitching and assembly.

My personal experience using nylon webbing for Rock Climbing harnesses and safety harnesses for the movie field and helicopter work is that there is no cheap substitute for the real thing. I have seen belts and harnesses fail due to age and condition and have refused to fly in one helicopter in Mexico as the harness was visibly torn and there was no place to anchor my own harness.

The only accepted cleaning method is plain soap and water. No solvents should be used at all as they can rapidly detriorate the webbing.

Hope this helps,

Stoney

1800S fuel starvation

Hi there. I've got a frustrating problem for the magazine. I have a 1968 1800S with the B18 engine. Over the past month or so, it has died on me twice. Both times, I have discovered the fuel filter to be completely empty of fuel. I have noticed now that when the car gets hot, the fuel level in the filter goes down--way down. I'm always driving in fear that I'm on the edge of breaking down.
I have since done the following:
--Replaced fuel filter 3 times
--Replaced fuel pump twice
--Visually inspected fuel line (looks ok)
--Replaced the fuel tank
--Opened the door on to the fuel tank to allow plenty of ventilation
But it's still doing it! If you or anyone has any ideas as to what it could be, I would greatly appreciate any ideas. Thank you very much. You could even save my sanity!

Steve Doe