steering difficulties-'88 240

  • Thread starter Thread starter ignatz
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ignatz

Hi! just got this rust - free 240 from Indy area- got clutch done and
running OK. However, steering is difficult at about 4 places in total
rotation. Changed some fluid with Lucas magic elixir, and didnt help. I
did notice that when car is off and steering is painfully "manual", I
dont notice the "steps" in the effort. Wonder if it is the rack, then or
something in the box. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanx, bob (ignatz)
 
ignatz said:
Hi! just got this rust - free 240 from Indy area- got clutch done and
running OK. However, steering is difficult at about 4 places in total
rotation. Changed some fluid with Lucas magic elixir, and didnt help. I
did notice that when car is off and steering is painfully "manual", I
dont notice the "steps" in the effort. Wonder if it is the rack, then or
something in the box. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanx, bob (ignatz)
Click to expand...

I had something similar happen with the 240 that I once had, I tried all
sorts of things, including, but not limited to flushing the entire power
steering system, and changing the pump, nothing fixed it, until one fine day
I had the opportunity to notice what so far I'd overlooked; what the little
universal coupling fitted at the bottom of the steering column was doing.
One end of the coupling had seized solid somehow, I don't know how, because
I drove it regularly, anyhow, that meant that the column didn't 'go round'
the slight bend to the rack freely, I changed the coupling , and the
steering was perfect silky smooth until the car and I parted company years
later.

Best wishes, Ken Phillips - 740 owner
 
Hi! You mean that ujoint visible about half way down toward the steering
box? I saw it but didnt analyze it. Were you able to see the frozen part
by havimg someone turn the wheel while you looked at it? It does seem to
mess up every half turn or so. This would be a great thing if you are
correct! Thanx, bob
 
ignatz said:
Hi! You mean that ujoint visible about half way down toward the steering
box? I saw it but didnt analyze it. Were you able to see the frozen part
by havimg someone turn the wheel while you looked at it? It does seem to
mess up every half turn or so. This would be a great thing if you are
correct! Thanx, bob
Click to expand...
That's the one. I spotted it, because I was under the car, with the front
end jacked up, and happened to look in that direction as the steering rack
moved from the exertions of my frustration, instead if turning smoothly, the
column jerked round, while it moved very slightly from side to side.
The sensation you report is about the same as well, I hope it is that joint,
because that joint is very easy to replace, with just two little metal pins
to remove then a cotter pin affair, which you need to fully remove, and the
joint just slides of the shaft.
With an assistant you could diagnose as you describe.

Good luck
Ken Phillips
 
Sprayed that steering column Ujoint with PB Blaster and it freed up! Thanx
for the valuable tip! Now I will keep it lubed and see if it stays OK, as
there is no play. This car sat for a year or so needing a clutch, so wheel
was in one position all that time. bob
 
ignatz said:
Sprayed that steering column Ujoint with PB Blaster and it freed up! Thanx
for the valuable tip! Now I will keep it lubed and see if it stays OK, as
there is no play. This car sat for a year or so needing a clutch, so wheel
was in one position all that time. bob
Click to expand...

Great!
I think I have the same kind of problem on my 745 1989. Some days earlier I
heard a creaking noise when turning the wheel inside the car, which disappeared
again. Several days later on the last day of a longer trip I noticed that after
turning the steering wheel it does not anymore passively return to neutral but
sticks before but can be returned by actively turning the wheel back to neutral.
Around neutral it behaves normally. When rotating the steering wheel one can
feel a resistance come and go in both directions. The car is waiting at my small
garage mechanic for its turn, since I do not want to drive with the steering not
returning to normal. I searched on www.alter-schwede.de a german language Volvo
site. The same symptoms were explained and solved also there by lubricating the
seizing joint in the steering wheel axle before the steering gear. Seems to be a
typical problem...

Viktor
 
..............
Seems to be a
typical problem...
Click to expand...
It happens on other cars with a universal joint in the column too. I had
forgotten about it happening on a ford years ago, but that joint could only
have been described as agricultural.
 
Hi! Thanx for all help on steering difficulties. I took this car to Echeck
today - and didnt pass on NO spec. It has been occasionally missing , but I
just attributed that to old fuel since it hadnt been run in a while. Once
I looked underneath after it was running real rough and wouldnt go over
1500 RPM or so, and the exhaust was dark cherry red in front of the
catalytic. Dont know if that had anything to do with the fail, but I
found that I could turn in the mixture screw in several turns before it
affected the idle. That might have helped the running rough condition,
but not sure if it will help to lower the NO spec. Any ideas are, as
usual, appreciated! Also would like to get a tach for this car - it would
be the small one to the right of the speedo - not in the main cluster.
Thanx, bob
 
ignatz said:
Hi! Thanx for all help on steering difficulties. I took this car to
Echeck
today - and didnt pass on NO spec. It has been occasionally missing , but
I
just attributed that to old fuel since it hadnt been run in a while. Once
I looked underneath after it was running real rough and wouldnt go over
1500 RPM or so, and the exhaust was dark cherry red in front of the
catalytic. Dont know if that had anything to do with the fail, but I
found that I could turn in the mixture screw in several turns before it
affected the idle. That might have helped the running rough condition,
but not sure if it will help to lower the NO spec. Any ideas are, as
usual, appreciated! Also would like to get a tach for this car - it would
be the small one to the right of the speedo - not in the main cluster.
Thanx, bob
Click to expand...
The NO is created by high combustion temperatures, so I'm sure leaning the
idle won't help. Mike F is the man you want to hear from about this.

Mike (P)
 
jg said:
.............
Seems to be a
It happens on other cars with a universal joint in the column too. I had
forgotten about it happening on a ford years ago, but that joint could only
have been described as agricultural.
Click to expand...

The same thing had been hapening with the 960, and I had forgotten
about them since I haven't been driving it. Red through this thread
and said Ahhh HAAA! Went out and cleaned it up and lubricated it with
a greaseless, spray lube and whaddyaknow!? Wife says it is much
smoother!



__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
"Shelby" & "Kate"
 
Great! These cars are nice to work on, usually. I have had 4 of them ,
all bought for 1000 dollars or less and have put about 240,000 miles on
these same cars. Lots of old Volvos are steering much better now! bob
 
ignatz said:
Hi! Thanx for all help on steering difficulties. I took this car to Echeck
today - and didnt pass on NO spec. It has been occasionally missing , but I
just attributed that to old fuel since it hadnt been run in a while. Once
I looked underneath after it was running real rough and wouldnt go over
1500 RPM or so, and the exhaust was dark cherry red in front of the
catalytic.
Click to expand...
..................
I had (an oil-burning) Hyundai with a blocked cat converter, it happened
over a long time and got to the point it wouldn't start. Might be possible
to clean it but I had to replace that one (eventually) after the mech. who
discovered it illegally knocked the middle out so the car would run. I don't
think the exhaust should glow?
 
.................
I had (an oil-burning) Hyundai with a blocked cat converter, it happened
over a long time and got to the point it wouldn't start. Might be possible
to clean it but I had to replace that one (eventually) after the mech. who
discovered it illegally knocked the middle out so the car would run. I
don't
think the exhaust should glow?
Click to expand...
My son had an old Toyota with a plugged converter. It was actually a second
converter thae muffler shop said was only for California versions (we are in
Arizona) and our best bet was knock the stuffings out of it. I got a copper
pipe and tried to hammer it through, but it just mushroomed the pipe! After
I hammered a steel rod through it I found the insides were soft - it was
just the melted part was hard as glass.

Mike
 
Michael Pardee said:
The NO is created by high combustion temperatures, so I'm sure leaning the
idle won't help. Mike F is the man you want to hear from about this.

Mike (P)
Click to expand...

If the cat is glowing then there's unburned fuel getting to it, first thing
I'd check is the timing, then the spray pattern of the fuel injectors, then
the compression. If one cylinder isn't firing it'll run rough and spray all
kinds of unburned fuel into the cat.
 
Michael Pardee said:
.................
My son had an old Toyota with a plugged converter. It was actually a second
converter thae muffler shop said was only for California versions (we are in
Arizona) and our best bet was knock the stuffings out of it. I got a copper
pipe and tried to hammer it through, but it just mushroomed the pipe! After
I hammered a steel rod through it I found the insides were soft - it was
just the melted part was hard as glass.
Click to expand...
Yes, I think it's not too uncommon specially in smaller cars.
 
James said:
If the cat is glowing then there's unburned fuel getting to it, first thing
I'd check is the timing, then the spray pattern of the fuel injectors, then
the compression. If one cylinder isn't firing it'll run rough and spray all
kinds of unburned fuel into the cat.
Click to expand...

If the exhaust is red in front of the convertor, then the fuel burn is
either late or slow, or the exhaust valves are leaking. So first you
should make sure that the engine is sound (compression test), then check
the ignition timing, make sure there aren't any vacuum leaks and the
rest of the fuel system is working correctly.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)
 
OK - thanx for the info. I think I will change the fuel filter first just
to make sure, then run the motor with exhaust disconnected to see how it
runs. Will barely start now. bob
 
Hi! any one know easiest way to determine if catalytic convertor is indeed
plugged making car start and run badly? I have been told to disconnect
exhaust at manifold and run but as I live next to nursing home am not sure
the neighbors will approve! thanx, bob
 
ignatz said:
Hi! any one know easiest way to determine if catalytic convertor is indeed
plugged making car start and run badly? I have been told to disconnect
exhaust at manifold and run but as I live next to nursing home am not sure
the neighbors will approve! thanx, bob
Click to expand...

That's about the only good way to do it. Perhaps you could drive the car to
a friend's place and try it there? Or just do it and don't let it run long,
you don't have to.
 
ignatz said:
Hi! any one know easiest way to determine if catalytic convertor is indeed
plugged making car start and run badly? I have been told to disconnect
exhaust at manifold and run but as I live next to nursing home am not sure
the neighbors will approve! thanx, bob
Click to expand...

The Haynes manual I have for my daughter's Honda isn't very useful, but it
has this nifty test for exhaust restrictions (typically plugged cat
converter):
1) connect a manifold pressure guage to the intake manifold
2) start the engine and allow it to stabilize at idle with the A/C off -
note the reading
3) raise the engine speed to about 2000 rpm for a few seconds, then release
the throttle
4) observe the manifold pressure - it should quickly return to within 2
in-Hg of the normal reading. If the pressure doesn't rise at least 5 in-Hg
above the idle reading at 2000 rpm, or if the reading hovers around the
highest reading before dropping, it indicates an exhaust blockage.

An alternative is to unfasten the exhaust at the collector (engine cold, of
course) and blow into the tail pipe. The only plugged cat I've dealt with
('82 Toyota) allowed the engine to start and idle more or less normally, but
would barely rev at all. The carburetor spit gas back out when the throttle
was opened and lacked the normal aggressive vacuum. When we got the cat out
it was so blocked that blowing through it was like blowing through a soda
straw. Don't forget to wash the silly black ring from around your mouth when
you are done :-)

Mike
 
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