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Had some time tonight so I took care of the front brakes. Needed new rotors (old were too thin) and pads. Installed pads with new hardware kit. Checked out the calipers – they could probably be replaced eventually – working on locating a good used set or possibly rebuilding. Otherwise, they will be fine for now.
The AW70 in this car is toast. It was puking ATF, replaced the bushing and extension housing seal, no change. Also it was just laggy to drive and didn’t feel right even with fresh fluid. I pulled it out this weekend and picked up a low mileage, leak free AW71 locally from another enthusiast. However, while driving the ‘75 around I realized what I really wanted was an M46, as it is just so much more fun to drive with the 4 speed. So I’ve decided to pull the M46 from the ‘75 and put it in the ‘83. I’ll put the AW71 in the ‘75 to make it easier for my dad to drive. More updates when complete!
It’s been a busy two weeks. Got her up and running after taking a day to figure out a no-start. Ended up being a loose ground hidden underneath the intake manifold! Took it in for smog and passed but noticed some ATF on the ground after the test. Looked to be the output shaft seal. Replaced the bushing, seal, and housing gasket. Drove it to work today and it runs great! It looks so good too! Just a few more minor things to take care of – reattaching some trim, center dash lighting, and detailing – but overall complete. Drove all around the valley and West LA today for work and it kept right up on the freeway with no strange noises or issues! Very good feeling to have brought this car back to life.
Well I had a busy weekend and was able to get the following completed:
- Finish rebuild of the wiring harness (and slice my finger in the process)
- Reinstall head with new headgasket and new head bolts
- Install new GMB water pump w/ gaskets
- Install new spark plugs
- Replace Intake and Exhaust manifolds
- Install new rotor
- Install new air filter
- Install new O2 sensor
- Install all new drive and accessory belts
- Install known-good starter
There isn’t much left to do until we are ready to start her up!
- Tighten alternator drive belts
- Refill fluids (Oil, Anti-Freeze, ATF)
- Reinstall intake and vacuum hoses
Today I was able to accomplish the following:
- clean and paint the wheels
- replace the fuel filter
Really only a week or two now until we are back on the road!
I picked up a 1983 Volvo 244 DL from a gentleman who has owned it since 1985. From the looks of the car, you can tell it was well taken care of – the paint looks great, the interior is 100% complete and looks fantastic. There is no rust or body damage on this car. There was a car cover in the trunk. All replacement parts were Volvo OEM. It even has the great OEM Volvo plastic floormats.
Had to tow the car home as it would not stay running as soon as you hit the accelerator – likely a Mass Airflow Sensor or an O2 sensor. As I got into the car I found out that the wiring harness was the traditional deteriorated type – likely why the car is not running. I ordered the wiring repair kit from IPD as well as a couple hundred bucks worth of tune up parts including (but not limited to), Bosch fuel filter, timing belt and tensioner, O2 sensor, spark plugs, and air filter.
As of today, I’ve repaired the wiring harness (just waiting to seal it back up). I’ve pulled the cam cover – the cam is in great shape and the head is so clean on the inside you could eat off it – clearly this car was kept up with religiously regular oil changes. Upon pulling the head, I was very impressed with the fact that there is ZERO detonation damage on the pistons, no evidence of slap, and there is not even a trace of a ridge on any of the cylinder walls. The factory cross-hatching is still present on the cylinder walls too! This is so impressive for a car with nearly 300,000 miles on it! I shot an email to the previous owner just letting him know that I was able to tell that he kept immaculate care of the car – just seeing the condition of the inside of the engine confirmed what the exterior had told me – this guy was must have been a maintenance nut!
Over the next week I will be reinstalling the head with a new gasket and head bolts, installing the new timing chain, reattach the exhaust and intake manifolds (with new gaskets), installing a new GMB water pump, and everything else to get the car running.
