Not really.... just drove it home from the PO's and immediately tore it down. Don't forget the 2 pc. driveshaft center bearing/support.......
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DET17's "Project cheap thrills wagon" - '90 745
- Thread starter DET17
- Start date
1. Raise the Lowered (continued)
I brought the new year in with another trip to the South ATL Pull-A-Part. In these days, the options for 7/9 parts donors has diminished greatly from what it was 10 years ago. Knowing that the previously harvested 7 sedan was likely a low mile organ donor.... and additional discovery of damaged items on my 745, another trip was justified (in my mind at least). Here's how I did:
The forlorn 7 sedan provided the above pile. My 250K mile wagon was making some strange noise from the spider gears.... and the pinion seal had been changed (which worried me that the rear could have been run dry/low on gear oil). My current 2 pc. driveshaft also has a damaged seal at the center support bearing so given the low price I grabbed the assembly. Everybody with these old cars needs another scissor jack, right? The rear bumper lower valence had been damaged on my 745 and we've previously confirmed the need for the upper torque arm for the rear suspension. Get your needed parts while you can, the 7/9 donors are disappearing at an alarming rate.
Well with the requisite replacement parts inhand, another day beneath the wagon was in order.
I pulled my 745 original 1041 rear end & driveshaft. I must say, those driveshaft flange bolts (15mm bolt hex, 17mm hex locknut) are really a bugger to break loose, especially if they the are OE installed and undisturbed. R&Ring the rear end assembly is a heavy job to do by oneself..... if you can, get a helper to assist with the 1041 as it's easy to drop it off a floor jack which nearly happened to me.
With the rear end gone, the perfect opportunity to install the rear torque arm subframe. NOTE in the pic, I have the wagon sitting on 6 ton jack stands at each corner...... not trusting my life to those cheap little 3 ton stands. Lots of real estate to work with here:
Make certain you loosen the upper and lower torque arm bushings at the subframe, so they are free to find their new "zero" location. Once everything is reinstalled and the wagon is sitting on the back suspension, THEN I will torque those rubber bushings. Remember, they are designed to deflect +/- as the suspension articulates. Pretty sure the PO did not re-center these arms when he dropped the wagon onto lowering springs; this certainly killed the upper bushing (hard bump stops on the chassis were broken as well).
With the subframe back in it was finally time to RAISE the LOWERED. My IPD HD rear coils and attaching rubber mounts top/bottom were cleaned and installed together. I use soapy water to help the springs and rubber mounts to find each other. Another note, that the rear springs must be "clocked" to find the proper position within the upper & lower rubber mounts; once done then you torque the upper nut (I add blue Loctite) to fix the spring position. At the same time, the new rear Bilstein B4 touring shocks were installed. Here's how it looks on each side:
I was given a couple recommendations from folks who had run these IPD overload springs on the 7/9 wagons with favorable results. Whereas, apparently the 2 series wagons ride somewhat harsh with the same type IPD overloads, the 7/9 versions reportedly don't. We shall see.
Brakes are just mocked up in these pics, and I temporary mounted the calipers to facilitate better pics of the springs and shocks. More details will come on the rear brakes later on.
I brought the new year in with another trip to the South ATL Pull-A-Part. In these days, the options for 7/9 parts donors has diminished greatly from what it was 10 years ago. Knowing that the previously harvested 7 sedan was likely a low mile organ donor.... and additional discovery of damaged items on my 745, another trip was justified (in my mind at least). Here's how I did:
The forlorn 7 sedan provided the above pile. My 250K mile wagon was making some strange noise from the spider gears.... and the pinion seal had been changed (which worried me that the rear could have been run dry/low on gear oil). My current 2 pc. driveshaft also has a damaged seal at the center support bearing so given the low price I grabbed the assembly. Everybody with these old cars needs another scissor jack, right? The rear bumper lower valence had been damaged on my 745 and we've previously confirmed the need for the upper torque arm for the rear suspension. Get your needed parts while you can, the 7/9 donors are disappearing at an alarming rate.
Well with the requisite replacement parts inhand, another day beneath the wagon was in order.
I pulled my 745 original 1041 rear end & driveshaft. I must say, those driveshaft flange bolts (15mm bolt hex, 17mm hex locknut) are really a bugger to break loose, especially if they the are OE installed and undisturbed. R&Ring the rear end assembly is a heavy job to do by oneself..... if you can, get a helper to assist with the 1041 as it's easy to drop it off a floor jack which nearly happened to me.
With the rear end gone, the perfect opportunity to install the rear torque arm subframe. NOTE in the pic, I have the wagon sitting on 6 ton jack stands at each corner...... not trusting my life to those cheap little 3 ton stands. Lots of real estate to work with here:
Make certain you loosen the upper and lower torque arm bushings at the subframe, so they are free to find their new "zero" location. Once everything is reinstalled and the wagon is sitting on the back suspension, THEN I will torque those rubber bushings. Remember, they are designed to deflect +/- as the suspension articulates. Pretty sure the PO did not re-center these arms when he dropped the wagon onto lowering springs; this certainly killed the upper bushing (hard bump stops on the chassis were broken as well).
With the subframe back in it was finally time to RAISE the LOWERED. My IPD HD rear coils and attaching rubber mounts top/bottom were cleaned and installed together. I use soapy water to help the springs and rubber mounts to find each other. Another note, that the rear springs must be "clocked" to find the proper position within the upper & lower rubber mounts; once done then you torque the upper nut (I add blue Loctite) to fix the spring position. At the same time, the new rear Bilstein B4 touring shocks were installed. Here's how it looks on each side:
I was given a couple recommendations from folks who had run these IPD overload springs on the 7/9 wagons with favorable results. Whereas, apparently the 2 series wagons ride somewhat harsh with the same type IPD overloads, the 7/9 versions reportedly don't. We shall see.
Brakes are just mocked up in these pics, and I temporary mounted the calipers to facilitate better pics of the springs and shocks. More details will come on the rear brakes later on.
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1. Raise the Lowered (continued)
In the process of securing all parts and tools to complete the struts, I came across this FCP Euro blog on the subject which was very well done. Thought I'd link it here for TB 7/9 posterity:
I resumed the front struts to get all the stage zero items assembled with the new stock height Lesjofors springs. As I mentioned, you can capture 4 live coils of these stock springs and get the job done. After the coils are compressed as shown, you can just barely get the strut mount and special top washers installed: (special thanks to 3Wagons for supplying these washers!)
The tools you need to tighten the top locknuts on the Bilstein center shaft are an M24 box wrench and an M7 hex driver attached to my 3/8" breaker bar (you could try a hex key / allen wrench, but it won't be long enough to resist the torque of the locknut). You can see here how to hold the center shaft whilst tightening the locknut until it bottoms on the threads:
With the locknut secured, the spring compressors are released and the strut & top mount now have the spring safely captured:
New suspension stage zero parts are the stock front springs, FEBI bumpstop and cover boot, and INA top thrust bearing (so the strut can turn relative to the top mount). One of my fronts was tricky as the spring refused to drop into the groove properly. Had to pull the springs into compression again and use a C clamp to pull the spring into place. Not sure why this happened; only fought me on one side, the other was perfect.
Now with both front struts rebuilt, they were installed into the 745. All connection points were torqued at Greenbook spec amounts. I installed new ball joints on each strut housing as well as outer tie rod ends. From memory, the BJ's torqued into the bottom of the strut housing at 25 lb.ft, the center BJ stud at 45 lb.ft (I chose to Loctite BLUE both of them), the center bolt on the LCA radius rod (others call it the strut rod) were the highest torque, requiring 70 lb.ft. The inner LCA bushings (new W. German NOS) will get 63 lb.ft. but not now, only after full vehicle weight is on the front suspension. My wagon's bushes surrounding the radius rod- LCA connection were the IPD blue poly rather than the original rubber. I chose to lubricate the steel washer on each side of the joint with Never-Seize where they contact the poly. You could also use poly grease, but I couldn't find my stash of same so used what I had. When the front suspension articulates those steel washers slide against the poly/rubber, so you better have lubricant in that connection.
Front struts are back in position, good to go. I also reinstalled the stock front sway bar, which is 21mm in cross section (compared to the mammoth IPD 25mm bar). Plenty left to do.... but took a break to work some other "higher priority project work".
In the process of securing all parts and tools to complete the struts, I came across this FCP Euro blog on the subject which was very well done. Thought I'd link it here for TB 7/9 posterity:
How to Replace Strut Mounts, Bearings, and Boots on a Volvo 940
A few years ago I had all four dampers on my car replaced, including the rear dampers as well as the front strut inserts. The operation went rather smoothly with the help of a friendly mechanic. It would have been a good idea to have replaced everything in the strut assembly at the same time, but...
blog.fcpeuro.com
I resumed the front struts to get all the stage zero items assembled with the new stock height Lesjofors springs. As I mentioned, you can capture 4 live coils of these stock springs and get the job done. After the coils are compressed as shown, you can just barely get the strut mount and special top washers installed: (special thanks to 3Wagons for supplying these washers!)
The tools you need to tighten the top locknuts on the Bilstein center shaft are an M24 box wrench and an M7 hex driver attached to my 3/8" breaker bar (you could try a hex key / allen wrench, but it won't be long enough to resist the torque of the locknut). You can see here how to hold the center shaft whilst tightening the locknut until it bottoms on the threads:
With the locknut secured, the spring compressors are released and the strut & top mount now have the spring safely captured:
New suspension stage zero parts are the stock front springs, FEBI bumpstop and cover boot, and INA top thrust bearing (so the strut can turn relative to the top mount). One of my fronts was tricky as the spring refused to drop into the groove properly. Had to pull the springs into compression again and use a C clamp to pull the spring into place. Not sure why this happened; only fought me on one side, the other was perfect.
Now with both front struts rebuilt, they were installed into the 745. All connection points were torqued at Greenbook spec amounts. I installed new ball joints on each strut housing as well as outer tie rod ends. From memory, the BJ's torqued into the bottom of the strut housing at 25 lb.ft, the center BJ stud at 45 lb.ft (I chose to Loctite BLUE both of them), the center bolt on the LCA radius rod (others call it the strut rod) were the highest torque, requiring 70 lb.ft. The inner LCA bushings (new W. German NOS) will get 63 lb.ft. but not now, only after full vehicle weight is on the front suspension. My wagon's bushes surrounding the radius rod- LCA connection were the IPD blue poly rather than the original rubber. I chose to lubricate the steel washer on each side of the joint with Never-Seize where they contact the poly. You could also use poly grease, but I couldn't find my stash of same so used what I had. When the front suspension articulates those steel washers slide against the poly/rubber, so you better have lubricant in that connection.
Front struts are back in position, good to go. I also reinstalled the stock front sway bar, which is 21mm in cross section (compared to the mammoth IPD 25mm bar). Plenty left to do.... but took a break to work some other "higher priority project work".
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3. Powertrain reliability: (continued)
a. Perform thorough stage zero on current Regina redblock powertrain - near term
Any DD worth it's salt needs to be reliable. I continued along the proper stage zero path to remove worn out /degraded items and replace with zero mile (or lower mile) parts.
With the replacement 1041 rear end installed, and a 19mm rear wagon bar from my hoard installed, the rear assembly was nearing completion. As bought, the parking brake adjustment was funky (2 teeth max) so I disassembled all and readjusted, greased both rear wheel bearings while it was apart. Everything torqued to spec and now waiting on my replacement rear calipers to arrive (one rear ATE 38mm piston was frozen). Here the new IPD overload springs and sway bar installed and ready for service:
Also as bought, the wagon had no speedometer/odometer for around the last 50K of it's service. Upon inspection, the rear speed sender had wiring which was seriously degraded. When I bought the P-a-P replacement rear end, I harvested that sender and cable assembly. Must be an issue with those years of wiring harnesses ( or the location of the rear harness, degraded by combustion fumes or ?), as the replacement was also degraded. I want a proper functioning speedo as well as cruise control for traveling, so I set out to repair the lower mileage cable I harvested. Here you see the insulation degradation of the white/green and brown wires at the sender connector:
Bare copper = "no good condition" as my Japanese friends say.
My plan to remedy this insulation breech while not adding excess mass to the harness, I cut out about 10mm of copper and crimped in tinned copper connector size 22-18AWG, then lightly soldered the 18AWG wires to the connector. While the wire was cut, I slide a 50mm long sleeve of red thick heat shrink tubing up inside the factory cover (keeping it far enough away from the soldering to shrink it):
Once both wires were spliced & inserted, slide down the heat shrink and put my heat gun to it:
Slid the larger grey sleeve of heat shrink over the factory sheath; once I confirm function I will shrink that one down to the sender connector to support the added mass of the tinned connectors (always use these IMO; the best method is crimp-solder-heat shrink). Not shown, but after the sender and harness were reinstalled, I filled the 1041 with the 1.5L of GL-5 gear oil.
Another drivetrain reliability task awaited; as bought the front driver spindle hub had a bearing issue. It was apparent someone tried to insert some grease under the cap to remedy; as these bearings are sealed inside the hub, you really cannot do anything other than R&R. Fortune smiled on me as I found the last SKF OE type hub assembly on eBay (prefer not to use the CHINA replacements). The greenbook tells you that the 36mm hex lock nut is a "one and done"; had a time finding one but finally TASCAPARTS came thru an the German made replacement nut:
When viewing the 7/9 Maint. Pages hosted by the UK Volvo club, you will read testimony to changing these hubs and attempting to torque them to an impossible Volvo spec setting of torque & rotation. Teller of said tale states " he recalls multiple 1/2" drive breaker bars snapped off " in attempting to reach the spec. To that end, I bought a 3/4" PROTO breaker bar and matching 36mm 6 point impact socket. Using my trusty 2' pipe extension, I put my full weight on that locknut and it isn't going any further. In hindsight, I could have saved some money by changing my repair strategy to installing a P-a-P front strut for $50...... c'est la vie. I know the new hub is good for the life of the Vaggen.
Got to get new front rotors, then brake calipers and pads installed at all corners. Finally, reassemble the air box, "custom inlet pipe" and filtered air hose back to the throttle inlet. Once all that is done, should be time to fire up the Regina/Rex machine for some shakedown driving around the neighborhood. Sure hope the speedo function is restored, we shall see.........
a. Perform thorough stage zero on current Regina redblock powertrain - near term
Any DD worth it's salt needs to be reliable. I continued along the proper stage zero path to remove worn out /degraded items and replace with zero mile (or lower mile) parts.
With the replacement 1041 rear end installed, and a 19mm rear wagon bar from my hoard installed, the rear assembly was nearing completion. As bought, the parking brake adjustment was funky (2 teeth max) so I disassembled all and readjusted, greased both rear wheel bearings while it was apart. Everything torqued to spec and now waiting on my replacement rear calipers to arrive (one rear ATE 38mm piston was frozen). Here the new IPD overload springs and sway bar installed and ready for service:
Also as bought, the wagon had no speedometer/odometer for around the last 50K of it's service. Upon inspection, the rear speed sender had wiring which was seriously degraded. When I bought the P-a-P replacement rear end, I harvested that sender and cable assembly. Must be an issue with those years of wiring harnesses ( or the location of the rear harness, degraded by combustion fumes or ?), as the replacement was also degraded. I want a proper functioning speedo as well as cruise control for traveling, so I set out to repair the lower mileage cable I harvested. Here you see the insulation degradation of the white/green and brown wires at the sender connector:
Bare copper = "no good condition" as my Japanese friends say.
My plan to remedy this insulation breech while not adding excess mass to the harness, I cut out about 10mm of copper and crimped in tinned copper connector size 22-18AWG, then lightly soldered the 18AWG wires to the connector. While the wire was cut, I slide a 50mm long sleeve of red thick heat shrink tubing up inside the factory cover (keeping it far enough away from the soldering to shrink it):
Once both wires were spliced & inserted, slide down the heat shrink and put my heat gun to it:
Slid the larger grey sleeve of heat shrink over the factory sheath; once I confirm function I will shrink that one down to the sender connector to support the added mass of the tinned connectors (always use these IMO; the best method is crimp-solder-heat shrink). Not shown, but after the sender and harness were reinstalled, I filled the 1041 with the 1.5L of GL-5 gear oil.
Another drivetrain reliability task awaited; as bought the front driver spindle hub had a bearing issue. It was apparent someone tried to insert some grease under the cap to remedy; as these bearings are sealed inside the hub, you really cannot do anything other than R&R. Fortune smiled on me as I found the last SKF OE type hub assembly on eBay (prefer not to use the CHINA replacements). The greenbook tells you that the 36mm hex lock nut is a "one and done"; had a time finding one but finally TASCAPARTS came thru an the German made replacement nut:
When viewing the 7/9 Maint. Pages hosted by the UK Volvo club, you will read testimony to changing these hubs and attempting to torque them to an impossible Volvo spec setting of torque & rotation. Teller of said tale states " he recalls multiple 1/2" drive breaker bars snapped off " in attempting to reach the spec. To that end, I bought a 3/4" PROTO breaker bar and matching 36mm 6 point impact socket. Using my trusty 2' pipe extension, I put my full weight on that locknut and it isn't going any further. In hindsight, I could have saved some money by changing my repair strategy to installing a P-a-P front strut for $50...... c'est la vie. I know the new hub is good for the life of the Vaggen.
Got to get new front rotors, then brake calipers and pads installed at all corners. Finally, reassemble the air box, "custom inlet pipe" and filtered air hose back to the throttle inlet. Once all that is done, should be time to fire up the Regina/Rex machine for some shakedown driving around the neighborhood. Sure hope the speedo function is restored, we shall see.........
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That wire's condition looks mighty suspiciously like the '80s Volvo Bosch biodegradable wiring issue.
Theoretically your '90 should be outside of that range but maybe they had a bin of earlier harnesses they wanted to use up on the assembly line? Were you able to inspect it (and repair it) all they way back to verifiable intact section? Otherwise it is going to cause similar problems at some later date. NOTE: The insulation may look intact but the slightest manipulation will cause it to crumble/melt/evaporate away.
Here is a fix similar to what you did?
Volvo 240, 740, 760 Wiring Harness Terminal Repair
This post was written at the request of a friend. It shows how to repair some insulated terminals that were commonly used in wiring harnesses on the Volvo 240 and 700-Series from the 1970s through…
thosbryant.wordpress.com
We had a SAAB 900, 1989 model, that had the biodegradable wiring. The only way we saved the car was transplant bumper to bumper from an 87 Turbo that had been wrecked, and it's insulation was AOK. That 89 had crumbling insulation everywhere; inside the cabin and beneath carpeting, it was disgusting.
I can't say yet..... thus far I've only see the AW70 OD lockout solenoid harness degraded (which I've seen across many years), and one front corner light showed light degradation of insulation just at the connector. Everything else under hood looks AOK thus far.
No, I didn't filet open the entire sleeve carrying the pair of wires for the speedo. The opposite end behind the driver rear tire looked great.
I can't say yet..... thus far I've only see the AW70 OD lockout solenoid harness degraded (which I've seen across many years), and one front corner light showed light degradation of insulation just at the connector. Everything else under hood looks AOK thus far.
No, I didn't filet open the entire sleeve carrying the pair of wires for the speedo. The opposite end behind the driver rear tire looked great.
302ftw?
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 7, 2010
- Location
- Goshen, NY
I'm dealing with my first redblock experience a d agree, the accessory bracket situation sucks. Any idea if this would work with a 240?3. Powertrain reliability:
a. Perform thorough stage zero on current Regina redblock powertrain - near term
For the sake of having reliable AC (until the future powerplant upgrade) I purchased a 94-95 (not sure about 93?) accessory mount. Thanks to 2ManyTurbos for providing. Based on previous experience with my sedan, the early version combination alternator/AC compressor mount with it's many rubber isolation bushings is next to worthless.... I could never keep my AC belt tensioned properly on that sedan because the isolation bushings would "creep" and then the belt squeal would resume. Volvo engineers solved the problem with the late 9 series accessory mount, which attaches the bottom of the AC compressor via thicker steel plates and bolt/aluminum mount sans bushings. Once and done when you tension your belt (AC is important down here in the south)! The early version mount used on this 90 and my old 92, bottom steel plates also "waller out" (southern term) creating another failure point. All resolved now with the latest design RB mount. A few pics here for the project record:
It is worth noting that what you see here is a "hybrid" of the late design..... there is a more HD top bracket set & adjustment stay that requires breaking the AC hard lines open; my charge is still good so I chose not to create more work and dump the AC charge just to install them. With a strategically placed thick flatwasher, the early top adjusters & AC compressor drive sheave line up perfect with the harmonic balancer; the bottom AC mount is the improved 94-95 version, all metal.
Finally, I found the AC belt used (13A0980) was just barely able to be installed. If you go this route, I recommend you buy a longer belt, say a 13A0990 or 13A1005. As you can see, there is adjustment left to tension these longer/proper belts.
With that failure point shored up, we move back into the front suspension next.
From ancient 240 memory, the ALT is on the exhaust side, all else intake. The 7/9 arrangement has the PS pump only on the exhaust side (smaller than the ALT, but not much) . I can't imagine the physical volume is the issue when changing from the 2 series setup to the newer one, but rather the wiring and PS hoses would need replaced & rearranged as well. My gut says it's possible, presuming you can manage the wiring and PS supply and return hoses.
3. Powertrain reliability: (continued)
a. Perform thorough stage zero on current Regina redblock powertrain - near term
Mostly the braking system was completely worn out. I purchased new front rotors from RockAuto (best price), and metallic pads off eBay. My wagon has Girling front calipers, ATE rears, and the system is non-ABS. Volvo spec'd these NA cars with the smallest OD rotors of all the 7/9's; roughly 262mm, compared to most that were 286mm on ABS/Turbo vehicles.
Cleaned the rotors of their oily preservative coating, and installed them:
With my original Girling's at 250K of usage, I decided to install the P-a-P "lower miles" donor front calipers. Saved the SS teflon brake lines, and installed the PADGID Girling spec front metallic pads:
The sliding pins were cleaned whilst the calipers were out and new braking high temp grease applied. The fixing bolts for the caliper assembly were Loctited and torqued to 74 lb.ft. As of now, the front brakes are ready to bleed and the rear replacement calipers are in transit. I'm looking forward to getting all wheels bled out with new fluid and the wagon sitting on the new suspension.... then getting a front end alignment.
a. Perform thorough stage zero on current Regina redblock powertrain - near term
Mostly the braking system was completely worn out. I purchased new front rotors from RockAuto (best price), and metallic pads off eBay. My wagon has Girling front calipers, ATE rears, and the system is non-ABS. Volvo spec'd these NA cars with the smallest OD rotors of all the 7/9's; roughly 262mm, compared to most that were 286mm on ABS/Turbo vehicles.
Cleaned the rotors of their oily preservative coating, and installed them:
With my original Girling's at 250K of usage, I decided to install the P-a-P "lower miles" donor front calipers. Saved the SS teflon brake lines, and installed the PADGID Girling spec front metallic pads:
The sliding pins were cleaned whilst the calipers were out and new braking high temp grease applied. The fixing bolts for the caliper assembly were Loctited and torqued to 74 lb.ft. As of now, the front brakes are ready to bleed and the rear replacement calipers are in transit. I'm looking forward to getting all wheels bled out with new fluid and the wagon sitting on the new suspension.... then getting a front end alignment.
3. Powertrain reliability: (continued)
a. Perform thorough stage zero on current Regina redblock powertrain - near term
The rear brake calipers arrived (new units, not rebuilt). eBay seller Spark-Surplus has these Korea made calipers for around $60 shipped for the set, which is a great value compared to reman. units. I sourced some ATE rear metallic pads as well as a new springs and pins.... and finally teflon coated shim plates that live behind the pads. Assembled all the items and here we are ready for install:
_IMG_2892.png)
The SS teflon brake hoses were still serviceable and I reinstalled them into the calipers. Wanting to save time and use my MOTIVE Power Bleeding tool, I bought a couple quarts of DOT 4 synthetic fluid and loaded up the "European car version" of the bleeder. The process starts at the furthest brake caliper from the master, the pass. rear, and moves progessively closer until you finish at the drivers front. Following the MOTIVE instructions, I pressurized the tank at 10 psi and confirmed "no leaks".... then to begin the actual bleeding I increased the pressure to 15psi. Moved to the pass. rear, completed that position quickly. Proceeded to the driver rear, and no sooner than I finished bleeding that caliper, I began to hear a large dripping sound...... to my chagrin the MOTIVE bleeder hoses had ruptured (cracked really) and the pressurized vessel proceeded to dump about a half a quart of new brake fluid all over the engine! I dropped the remaining pressure, and then wasted the next 45 minutes cleaning the giant fluid spill out of the engine bay. This tool failure made my day as you can imagine.......
Finally with the brake fluid spill cleaned up, I temporarily replaced the failed power bleeder hose with some tubing I had onhand and fuel injection clamps, to get the power bleeding tool usable again. The tool held 15 psi, so I returned to the bleeding process all around. I probably used a complete 1.5 quarts, including at least 0.75 qt. that was sprayed all over the redblock. The rest of the process was without incident, and now I've got nice hard brakes all around:
Now with the brakes installed all around, I'm just about ready to fire up the redblock and see if my repaired rear axle speed sender cable has restored my speedo function. Sure hope so.
a. Perform thorough stage zero on current Regina redblock powertrain - near term
The rear brake calipers arrived (new units, not rebuilt). eBay seller Spark-Surplus has these Korea made calipers for around $60 shipped for the set, which is a great value compared to reman. units. I sourced some ATE rear metallic pads as well as a new springs and pins.... and finally teflon coated shim plates that live behind the pads. Assembled all the items and here we are ready for install:
The SS teflon brake hoses were still serviceable and I reinstalled them into the calipers. Wanting to save time and use my MOTIVE Power Bleeding tool, I bought a couple quarts of DOT 4 synthetic fluid and loaded up the "European car version" of the bleeder. The process starts at the furthest brake caliper from the master, the pass. rear, and moves progessively closer until you finish at the drivers front. Following the MOTIVE instructions, I pressurized the tank at 10 psi and confirmed "no leaks".... then to begin the actual bleeding I increased the pressure to 15psi. Moved to the pass. rear, completed that position quickly. Proceeded to the driver rear, and no sooner than I finished bleeding that caliper, I began to hear a large dripping sound...... to my chagrin the MOTIVE bleeder hoses had ruptured (cracked really) and the pressurized vessel proceeded to dump about a half a quart of new brake fluid all over the engine! I dropped the remaining pressure, and then wasted the next 45 minutes cleaning the giant fluid spill out of the engine bay. This tool failure made my day as you can imagine.......
Finally with the brake fluid spill cleaned up, I temporarily replaced the failed power bleeder hose with some tubing I had onhand and fuel injection clamps, to get the power bleeding tool usable again. The tool held 15 psi, so I returned to the bleeding process all around. I probably used a complete 1.5 quarts, including at least 0.75 qt. that was sprayed all over the redblock. The rest of the process was without incident, and now I've got nice hard brakes all around:
Now with the brakes installed all around, I'm just about ready to fire up the redblock and see if my repaired rear axle speed sender cable has restored my speedo function. Sure hope so.
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3. Powertrain reliability: (continued)
a. Perform thorough stage zero on current Rex/Regina redblock powertrain - near term
Well stage zero restoration work keeps moving forward..... here are the latest accomplishments to the 34 year old Vaggen:
The 745 was reported to have an intermittent "no start" condition when I purchased it. I've seen this movie before, and in a pair of previous RWD Volvos it was the P-N safety switch which was worn out and unable to provide the permissive needed for starting. Scouring the webs, I found an NOS survivor made in Germany KAE at the BlackVLV's site. Purchased and now installed:
Little bit closer pic showing where the P-N safety switch lives. You need a short ratchet bit + driver to remove the screws holding this switch to the actual shifter mechanism. (Back in the 90's some Japanese Engineers taught me the PLUS and MINUS driver bit meaning..... I thought it was brilliant and so much more descriptive than STD or PHILLIPS).
Any 250K mile machine is gone to have a brake pedal pad worn smooth as a baby's behind. Searched and found an NOS replacement pad to restore that big pedal to non-slip status:
:
A piece of my Pull-A-part score from the 90 sedan donor was this low-ish mile Rex ignition power stage / amplifier and coil. Both were recent replacements, and of course function perfect in my Rex/Regina machine.
The best news in a while, the SPEEDO function has been restored! Hope my cruise works as well, now that we have a speed signal again. I finalized the heat shrink sleeve over the repaired rear sensor cable, installed the panhard (torqued both end bolts to 63 lb. ft). How would she sit, with the full height suspension upgraded with IPD overload coil springs?
While I love these VOXX wheels (IPD sold these, correct RWD offset) I also have a set of 15 inch steelies that came with the 745. Will have to see how it looks with these agressive 16 inch lower profile tires & wheels on a full height vehicle. I may decide to find a nice set of 15 inch Volvo wheel covers for the steelies and run a tall section height 75 series tire more suitable for gravel roads. Undecided right now, easy to make that change later.
a. Perform thorough stage zero on current Rex/Regina redblock powertrain - near term
Well stage zero restoration work keeps moving forward..... here are the latest accomplishments to the 34 year old Vaggen:
The 745 was reported to have an intermittent "no start" condition when I purchased it. I've seen this movie before, and in a pair of previous RWD Volvos it was the P-N safety switch which was worn out and unable to provide the permissive needed for starting. Scouring the webs, I found an NOS survivor made in Germany KAE at the BlackVLV's site. Purchased and now installed:
Little bit closer pic showing where the P-N safety switch lives. You need a short ratchet bit + driver to remove the screws holding this switch to the actual shifter mechanism. (Back in the 90's some Japanese Engineers taught me the PLUS and MINUS driver bit meaning..... I thought it was brilliant and so much more descriptive than STD or PHILLIPS).
Any 250K mile machine is gone to have a brake pedal pad worn smooth as a baby's behind. Searched and found an NOS replacement pad to restore that big pedal to non-slip status:
:
A piece of my Pull-A-part score from the 90 sedan donor was this low-ish mile Rex ignition power stage / amplifier and coil. Both were recent replacements, and of course function perfect in my Rex/Regina machine.
The best news in a while, the SPEEDO function has been restored! Hope my cruise works as well, now that we have a speed signal again. I finalized the heat shrink sleeve over the repaired rear sensor cable, installed the panhard (torqued both end bolts to 63 lb. ft). How would she sit, with the full height suspension upgraded with IPD overload coil springs?
While I love these VOXX wheels (IPD sold these, correct RWD offset) I also have a set of 15 inch steelies that came with the 745. Will have to see how it looks with these agressive 16 inch lower profile tires & wheels on a full height vehicle. I may decide to find a nice set of 15 inch Volvo wheel covers for the steelies and run a tall section height 75 series tire more suitable for gravel roads. Undecided right now, easy to make that change later.
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1. Raise the Lowered (continued)
Finally it was time to wrap up this stage of the project. The rear end was already complete, so the front was the task at hand. With NOS bushes pressed into the LCA's, it was time to get full weight on them and torque them at "ride height". Also part of this step was the adjustment of the stock front sway bar end links. These actions need to be taken together. To start, we need the front wheels & tires reinstalled and loaded:
Since my 70 Chevelle is currently slumbering on my car lift, I had to use these ancient ramps for this step. With front suspension loaded, I bounced the front as best as I could to ensure everything is settled & familiar with each other. I began by torquing the LCA bushes at 63 lb.ft, but then realized I needed the influence of the anti sway bar in the system so I loosened them again. On the 7/9 vehicles, the thru bolt in the frame work won't allow you to reach the 18mm hex nut with your torque wrench, so the only option is torquing the 17mm bolt thru the chassis frame. Not ideal, but really your only option with the power steering rack installed.
I had spent many hours in my U-sonic parts cleaner removing the rust and crud from my front sway end links & washers. Had to replace a couple of the metal locknuts, and chased the male threads to get some of the stubborn rust off. New end links are cheaply available, but I have not been impressed with the steel quality of the aftermarket units in the past, so I salvaged the OE parts. The top rubber isolation bushes are preassembled to the sway bar, but the bottom can only have the trapped bush installed until suspension load is added. I add a spot of anti-seize to the bottom threads as they are exposed to water & general road crud. Here you can see the LCA bush to be torqued (step 2) and the bottom of the end link (step 1):
The 7/9 suspension greenbook says the end link thick flat washers are to be 42mm total outside height once the isolation bushes are torqued properly. I set this same dimension top and bottom. After both ends of the sway bar links were set, I went back to the aluminum LCA and finally torqued those bushes to 63 lb.ft. Working on a creeper with floor ramps doesn't give you much room to apply the torque. A car lift would be ideal, but mine was occupied so I made it work in the cramped confines. One last detail was to install cotter pins in the ball joint studs as a safety measure to keep the nuts from working themselves off.
I wanted to investigate how tall of a 15" tire would fit the front suspension, in the event I go back to the steelies for more tire section height on gravel roads (that this wagon will surely see). She is currently sitting on 205-60-R16s, with a fair bit of wear on the shoulders. The limiting restriction on the front suspension is the spring perch on the front strut. From my Cheap Thrills Sedan experience, I know you can cut these off with front coilovers and gain clearance, but that isn't in the budget for this 745. Using the current tire as a measuring stick, I've got between 15mm and 17mm clearance until the tire hits the steel perch:
Using one of the many online calculators, this data points to about a 26.8" OD tire at the shoulder as the MAX you can fit without cutting away the spring perch. This restriction tells me that a 205/70R15 tire would clear by about 1/4" (6mm). Of course the actual tire purchased needs to be checked (the OD's of tire vary slightly by manufacturer and type) but it gives me an idea. In theory a 195/75R15 will also fit but it clears by half as much..... probably too close without risking tearing the shoulder rubber off the tire (not a good idea).
The next task is a poor mans front end toe adjustment, then drive the Vaggen to my local alignment guy to get a proper front end alignment done. For now I have the upper chassis brace removed for access to perform this work; unsure if I will reinstall it or flip it? The days of this machine slaloming thru the twisties are likely over, so I might sell that off to help the budget. I've also got the full set of TME sport lowering springs to sell off as well. RAISE the LOWERED has been completed..... somewhere RWC is smiling
Finally it was time to wrap up this stage of the project. The rear end was already complete, so the front was the task at hand. With NOS bushes pressed into the LCA's, it was time to get full weight on them and torque them at "ride height". Also part of this step was the adjustment of the stock front sway bar end links. These actions need to be taken together. To start, we need the front wheels & tires reinstalled and loaded:
Since my 70 Chevelle is currently slumbering on my car lift, I had to use these ancient ramps for this step. With front suspension loaded, I bounced the front as best as I could to ensure everything is settled & familiar with each other. I began by torquing the LCA bushes at 63 lb.ft, but then realized I needed the influence of the anti sway bar in the system so I loosened them again. On the 7/9 vehicles, the thru bolt in the frame work won't allow you to reach the 18mm hex nut with your torque wrench, so the only option is torquing the 17mm bolt thru the chassis frame. Not ideal, but really your only option with the power steering rack installed.
I had spent many hours in my U-sonic parts cleaner removing the rust and crud from my front sway end links & washers. Had to replace a couple of the metal locknuts, and chased the male threads to get some of the stubborn rust off. New end links are cheaply available, but I have not been impressed with the steel quality of the aftermarket units in the past, so I salvaged the OE parts. The top rubber isolation bushes are preassembled to the sway bar, but the bottom can only have the trapped bush installed until suspension load is added. I add a spot of anti-seize to the bottom threads as they are exposed to water & general road crud. Here you can see the LCA bush to be torqued (step 2) and the bottom of the end link (step 1):
The 7/9 suspension greenbook says the end link thick flat washers are to be 42mm total outside height once the isolation bushes are torqued properly. I set this same dimension top and bottom. After both ends of the sway bar links were set, I went back to the aluminum LCA and finally torqued those bushes to 63 lb.ft. Working on a creeper with floor ramps doesn't give you much room to apply the torque. A car lift would be ideal, but mine was occupied so I made it work in the cramped confines. One last detail was to install cotter pins in the ball joint studs as a safety measure to keep the nuts from working themselves off.
I wanted to investigate how tall of a 15" tire would fit the front suspension, in the event I go back to the steelies for more tire section height on gravel roads (that this wagon will surely see). She is currently sitting on 205-60-R16s, with a fair bit of wear on the shoulders. The limiting restriction on the front suspension is the spring perch on the front strut. From my Cheap Thrills Sedan experience, I know you can cut these off with front coilovers and gain clearance, but that isn't in the budget for this 745. Using the current tire as a measuring stick, I've got between 15mm and 17mm clearance until the tire hits the steel perch:
Using one of the many online calculators, this data points to about a 26.8" OD tire at the shoulder as the MAX you can fit without cutting away the spring perch. This restriction tells me that a 205/70R15 tire would clear by about 1/4" (6mm). Of course the actual tire purchased needs to be checked (the OD's of tire vary slightly by manufacturer and type) but it gives me an idea. In theory a 195/75R15 will also fit but it clears by half as much..... probably too close without risking tearing the shoulder rubber off the tire (not a good idea).
The next task is a poor mans front end toe adjustment, then drive the Vaggen to my local alignment guy to get a proper front end alignment done. For now I have the upper chassis brace removed for access to perform this work; unsure if I will reinstall it or flip it? The days of this machine slaloming thru the twisties are likely over, so I might sell that off to help the budget. I've also got the full set of TME sport lowering springs to sell off as well. RAISE the LOWERED has been completed..... somewhere RWC is smiling
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whatoctaneiscoffee
now with more caffeine!
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2020
- Location
- Maryland
Very excited to see another cheap thrills project coming together! I still have pages of the last one bookmarked for how well the photos serve as guides - can't wait to do the same here. If you decide to sell that upper brace you'll have a customer in me, there are a few twisties on my way to work I'd love to put it to use on.
1. Raise the Lowered (continued)
This objective has been completed. Here is how the wagon sits now, restored to full height with Bils B4 Touring at all corners:
Test drives around the 'hood confirm that the ride is firm in the rear with the IPD HD's , but not overly stiff. The front feels, I suspect, just like an OEM wagon felt. I'm calling the stage zero on the suspension a completed objective.
Another loose end now tied up was installing a replacement belly pan to protect the RB from damage (as well as enhance cooling and AC function, protect belts etc.). This URO version of the pan was $39 to the door, and fit just like it should have:
Last, the wagon was just taken to my local tire & alignment store to get a full front end alignment (no home grown garage alignment). Ended up with almost no camber (-1/4*) and around 4.5* of caster.... plus the requisite toe in. The 745 should be ready for some highway miles now.
Next task, replace the sunroof seal and adjust the lid for proper function. PO claimed the sunroof leaked at times; we will see if we can remedy that.
This objective has been completed. Here is how the wagon sits now, restored to full height with Bils B4 Touring at all corners:
Test drives around the 'hood confirm that the ride is firm in the rear with the IPD HD's , but not overly stiff. The front feels, I suspect, just like an OEM wagon felt. I'm calling the stage zero on the suspension a completed objective.
Another loose end now tied up was installing a replacement belly pan to protect the RB from damage (as well as enhance cooling and AC function, protect belts etc.). This URO version of the pan was $39 to the door, and fit just like it should have:
Last, the wagon was just taken to my local tire & alignment store to get a full front end alignment (no home grown garage alignment). Ended up with almost no camber (-1/4*) and around 4.5* of caster.... plus the requisite toe in. The 745 should be ready for some highway miles now.
Next task, replace the sunroof seal and adjust the lid for proper function. PO claimed the sunroof leaked at times; we will see if we can remedy that.
nibroc
Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2015
- Location
- the ville, kentucky
very nice car and exceptunal workmanship
DD Ranch
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2010
- Location
- Tampa Bay, FL
The car looks really great. And lots of good work done.
Now p l e a s e just take care of those bumpers! They really let down what is otherwise a truly lovely looking car.
Just choose your poison; SEM bumper paint, Back to Black, or massage them back with a heat gun.
Something!! Anything !
Now p l e a s e just take care of those bumpers! They really let down what is otherwise a truly lovely looking car.
Just choose your poison; SEM bumper paint, Back to Black, or massage them back with a heat gun.
Something!! Anything !
Worry not, the bumpers will be painted. Don't know what yet; used SEM once and wasn't impressed. More recently repainted some SAAB C900 bumpers with SprayMax 2K products; much higher quality but a PITA to apply (multi step). I'd like to find out if there actually was a factory color on these Volvo bumpers..... or if it was just the molded plastic color. It will happen, just not a high priority in Stage Zero.Now p l e a s e just take care of those bumpers! They really let down what is otherwise a truly lovely looking car.
Just choose your poison; SEM bumper paint, Back to Black, or massage them back with a heat gun.
Something!! Anything !
magicianman89
Active member
- Joined
- May 3, 2017
- Location
- Murfreesboro, TN
Being a 90, once restored those bumpers will be a slightly darker grey. It seems like Volvo used different shades over the years on different models.
If you decide to go the restored route, Gtechniq C4 is a great product I have used in the past. Lasts a good two or more years on a non garaged car and sky's the limit on a garaged car