I'm still alive and still working on the Volvo. But as usual, it's going slow and I'm running into problems.

I'm trying to install new motor mounts now. I did the driver's side without problems but there is one bolt that is giving me a hard time on the passenger side.

The one closer to the front of the car, on the engine braket. It seems like the mount (rubber part) is in the way to get a socket there and I can't put a wrench there without removing the alternator.

I don't really want to remove the alternator if I don't have to. Am I doing something wrong? I read everywhere it should be easier on that side...

I want to go play with the car to get used to it, but now I'm stuck with one mount changed and the other one half removed! arg!

Can I remove the mount without removing the engine braket?

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Francois

Francois,

Where are you in Montreal?

I just moved here, and have a bit of Volvo wrenching experince, including motor mounts.

The mounts should be easy, but if I remember correctly it is easier to remove the mount from the frame then try to leave it in place and just remove the bushing portion (if that makes sense) I'm pretty sure you access the bolts from underneath (I did it in the snow in Febuary, my mind and my fingers were frozen).

Matt

Mad Matt F Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Francois,
>
> Where are you in Montreal?
>
> I just moved here, and have a bit of Volvo
> wrenching experince, including motor mounts.
>
> The mounts should be easy, but if I remember
> correctly it is easier to remove the mount from
> the frame then try to leave it in place and just
> remove the bushing portion (if that makes sense)
> I'm pretty sure you access the bolts from
> underneath (I did it in the snow in Febuary, my
> mind and my fingers were frozen).
>
> Matt

Francois, hook up with this dude, he's good peeoples and We used to occasional hang when he was living here in Sleezattle!
Both of youse oughtter go out and get sideways some in your 240s!

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

I'm in Pointe aux trembles, the eastern-south part of the island.

That makes sense (I think) to remove it from the subframe. I'm still not sure that will give me access to that bolt but I'll give it a shot.

That will teach me to follow the instruction in the Haynes manual before asking real experts like you guys!

I really hope to be done with that part soon so I can work on more fun stuff like the suspenders. I'm doing some home made coilovers for now (got a deal I couldn't refuse on the parts) until I can afford some JVAB ones!

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Francois

From one brickie to another: greetings, and good luck with 'er.

I haven't had the pleasure of dealing with motor mounts yet...

Francois,

I just peeked under my hood, unless yours is very different (I know some are offset bolts, some are inline) you should be able to start be removing the hidden top bolt from the rubber mount, leaving the upper bracket on the motor, then slide under the car and remove both nuts holding the lower bracket to the sub frame, lift and you're free.

Once you have the bracket and mount out, you can remove and replace the rubber from the lower bracket. Drink two Trois Pistels if it doesn't go well, that should fix it.

Matt

Matt,

I did just what you said and it went like a charm! Took me maybe half an hour and that was including 2 smoke break, the time to get a beer inside the house (I need a beer fridge in my garage), talk a bit with the wife when she got home and the time to remove 30 years of sludge from the bracket!

I drank a Molson Ex and a Alexander Keith white because I'm not a fan of strong beer. Made the job even easier.

Tonight I'll change the oil (don't know when was the last oil change and I know I didnt change it since 1.5 year and about 100 miles...). I wanted to do it yesterday but I've lost my pan in one of my last moves. Maybe one guy from Clan Panneton now has a nice pan to change his oil...

I also need to find how the power steering pump is installed since it was in the trunk when I bought the car. I guess I'll be looking at 240 engine bay pics during my free time today!

---

Francois

Francois Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> That makes sense (I think) to remove it from the
> subframe. I'm still not sure that will give me
> access to that bolt but I'll give it a shot.
>
> That will teach me to follow the instruction in
> the Haynes manual before asking real experts like
> you guys!
> Francois

Francois....

Remove the pair of screws that hold the fan shroud in.... Set it so that the motor can be jacked up.

Six 17mm nuts from under the subframe.

On the passenger side.... Leave the aluminum bracket on the engine. Remove the 17mm nut with a ratchet and a short 17mm socket.

On the driver's side the bracket gets removed by pulling the three 12mm fasteners.

I do these mounts on the hoist in 10 minutes. 'Tis more effort on the ground, but still very doable.

---

JohnLane

Overkill is consistently more fun

I tried to do the rear suspension today, but I realised I forgot to get some upper spring perches to use on the bottom with the Eibach springs. Too late to hit the pick and pull today (closing in about 1.5 hours and as I said before, I'm not exactly fast when I work on cars lol)

Good thing is I decided to have a look at the shock I bought and I found that they are not exactly like the original ones...

The Bilstein has some "ears" as the original one has only a hole through the busing. Do I need to remove that? Do I need to remove everything and put a new bushing or is this shock completely unusable on a 240?

here is a pic next to the original one.

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Francois

I searched online and I found why they don't fit directly.

These are S10 rear shocks and it's the S10 front ones that are a direct fit on a Volvo 240.

I guess I'm screwed since I bought them used (but never installed)

---

Francois

What size springs did you get for the rear? Rate & length?
These are the shocks that I'm looking at for the rear of my 240 (if I can ever sell either of my extra cars to get some spare cash!):
https://www.racerswholesale.com/product.cfm?InvKey=40762
and
https://www.racerswholesale.com/product.cfm?InvKey=8708

Both have 320/120 for dampening.

The difference between the two is one is 36mm body the other is 46mm, so the larger one should be beefier. 7" of travel on both is 1" longer than stock which gives you 8.75" of travel at the wheel, 1.25" more than stock. They have eye mounts (like stock), though I dont know the diameter and width of ends. You may have to use bigger bolts and some spacers to get them to fit correctly.

Its just a shame that those r-sport stiff rally inserts (360/100 for dampening) for the front seem to be the only off-the-shelf solution for decent dampening up there without going to John's big blingin thangs. The bilstein HD's seem pretty under dampened (going by the numbers, 129/75) for bumpy road spirited driving with decent spring, and the r-sport ones are all old and hard to find.

Well this is not a rally suspension at all!

It's a "slammed to the ground" tarmac suspension I'm building just to learn and have some fun since I got the parts for real cheap.

I don't plan on doing any rally (even tarmac) with it. Maybe a few tarmac rally-cross at most.

I got 5x10" (or maybe 11" not so sure anymore) springs for the rear rated at 275lbs.

I'll have to check at home to make sure.



But back to my shock, does anyone knows where I can get the specs? Like the valving and lenght? I want to compare 2 part numbers that I think are the same shocks (except the mount point).

The parts are : F4-B46-1412-H0 and F4-B46-1413-H0

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Francois