'84 240 idle control motor and t-belt

I'm trying to get my old '84 245 whipped back into shape without any
local Volvo-savvy mechanic available. There's a young guy here who's
probably way more comfortable working on big diesel dump trucks than
Volvos, but he's willing to work on it if I get the parts. So far he's
shown a willingness to learn and a good respect for things mechanical,
but not real knowlegeable about specific volvo stuff.

Got new tires, brakes, fuel pumps & filter installed, and new u-joints
will be done in the next few days.

Next up is the idle control motor. Right now it's disabled because it
made the engine idle at about 2000 rpm. The original part is Bosch # 0
280 140 501. Groton lists Bosch # 0 280 140 520 at $189. Is this the
right part, or has the one in there been changed at some point. I found
the 501 online at a Porsche parts place for about $140. Also, I've seen
remanufactured units listed to replace the 520 for about 75 bucks.
Anyone have a recommendation? Will either part # work properly?

After this, it's timing belt time, and I want to do the whole deal
(water pump, seals, tensioner, etc. Any wisdom I can pass on to the lad
will be appreciated.

Thanks
Tom

 

Have you looked in ebay? E.g. in the German www.ebay.de there is
Artikelnummer: 320146875114 for bidding...Maybe www.ebay.com is yielding
something useful, too.

I would invest into a few bucks and buy a Volvo VADIS on ebay or a
Haynes manual.
Viktor

 

Actually, the inoperative one that's in there now came from ebay for
about 40 bucks. Worked fine for a few weeks and died. It's such a pain
in the butt to R&R, I'd like something that has a better chance of
lasting a while.

I have Haynes and Chilton manuals. That's probably all he'll need.

Thanks
Tom

 

I have had good luck with Groton, Brickboard and local wrecking yard. Local
wrecking yard has been wonderful for 240 parts but then I am in Nor CaL
where there are lots of Volvos around. Another place that has been very
helpful to me especially with hard to find parts is VOLUPARTS 1-888-280-4057
email at . They will get you genuine parts (little
plastic parts like sun visor clips, trim clips, etc.)

Howard

 

Thanks Howard. There are no Volvos in the wrecking yards around here.
There are only 2 other 240's in the whole town and one of them is for
sale at the local gas station. Groton was great for the brake parts,
u-joints, fuel pump, etc. -- fantastic response time. But 200 bucks
seems a tad high for the idle motor. I just emaied Voluparts for a quote
and we'll see what they can do.

When I bought this car I was living in Denver, and used to comb the
local yards for this sort of thing all the time. I could have probably
gotten it for 10 bucks and if it didn't work I'd just get another one.
If it needed more work than I could do myself, I had Tim's Volvo Service
to do the real stuff. Here in the Greater Talihina, Oklahoma
Metropolitan Area, it's a whole different deal.

Since I've been here (nearly two years), I've just about run the wheels
off it without much maintenance. Recently it started quitting on me on
the highway and I had to decide whether to get it back into top shape or
replace it. Since I love all old Volvos and this one in particular, I'm
going to give it what it needs.

 

It's very rare for these to actually fail, but they do get gummed up and jam
sometimes. Clean it out with carb cleaner first, also check the electrical
connector to it, an electrical problem can also make it stick wide open.

 

that idle control can be washed and re used most likely very expensive
to buy and I clean my three with the timing belt its a must for peace
of mind

 

Thanks James, I guess I should try that with the one that's in there
now. The original one must be one of the rare ones. I took it apart and
found the commutator horribly gouged and only one of the three brush
contacts intact. One of the contacts was worn completely away. Like we
say down here, "It's wore smooth out."

I first had problems with the original a few years ago. My mechanic in
Denver replaced the engine wiring harness and told me he couldn't get
the idle motor to work. When I picked it up it was idling very fast, but
by the time I got it home it was working fine. Worked fine until last
summer and stuck open again. Bought one on ebay that quickly did the
same thing. My hands and forearms hadn't healed from the R&R, so I just
pulled the hoses and plugged them with corks and set the idle with the
bypass screw.

 

My main concern is that it's so friggin' hard to get to. The last time,
I took the throttle body off and it was still a PIB. Maybe I could get
some longer hoses and mount it somewhere else.

 

Hmm, yeah that sounds like it's definitely bad. They're easy to find in
junkyards around here, I'm surprised ebay isn't full of them.

 

There's a few on ebay for about $35 to $40, but I'm a little leery due
to my past experience with the used one. If I go that way, I'm going to
try to relocate the thing so I can get to it easier. I'd be willing to
spend more if it meant I didn't have to deal with it again for a long
time. I still don't know which is the proper part # or if they both
should work.

 

Any Bosch 3 wire idle valve should work, they're all pretty much the same.
There's two versions I know of, the old large diameter type and the newer
small diameter type, they're functionally compatible. You could get a new
one online if in doubt.