• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

Brand new '81 262C Bertone Coupe . . .

I have been working on the car doing things that needed to be done but it still doesn't run . . . yet.

Got a big box in today with all the things I needed to finish the front brake rebuild. The car now has newly turned rotors, new calipers, new pads, new flex hoses and new lug nut studs . . . and a new master cylinder. New lug nuts arrive Monday . . . see below.

While the wheels are correct Volvo optional wheels they have created a problem. The 26 year old tires, with about 90% of tread remaining, were 205-65 15 and I ordered and installed the same sized tires. I also found 1/4" spacers behind the wheels that I had intended to do away with but now I know why they were there . . . the tires on these 7" wheels caused the tires to rub the struts. I also found that the lug nuts, with the spacers installed, only had about 3/16" of thread engaged on the studs. That wasn't going to do.

Tried to find longer lug nut studs to solve the issue but ran into the problem that the Volvo has an unique Knurl (yes, a new word to me also) of 0.640" that only comes in one length, 2 5/8", anywhere in this dimension.

I think I have found correct lug nuts that are 0.3" longer than the ones on the car. They are due in Monday and we will see.

I started a new thread on the fuel/start issue here if you would care to learn something about how little I know about Bosch CI fuel systems.

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=259627
 
It's ALIVE!

Got it to run today!

I think the magic solution was to empty the fuel filter, fill it with Seafoam injector clearer, crank it until some should be sitting in the injectors and then wait a day. Filled the filter again and ran that through the injectors while the engine coughed and sputtered.

Earlier I had pulled an injector and it had more of a dribble pattern rather than a spray.

With a finger on the airflow plate got it to run and adjusted the CO screw about 2-3 turns from where it was. Where it was had no relationship to where Volvo left it as the PO's mechanic had obviously tried that as did I.

The engine blew so much water and white smoke out the tail pipe that I thought I must have a head gasket problem. Had visions of a freeze cracked block but that that cleared up. Right side exhaust manifold smoked badly but that was probably from the oil fill pipe above. That cleared up also.

Anyway, it runs and fairly smoothly. Unusually high idle at 900rpm but that is what the GreenBook specifies. The frequency valve is buzzing but I could not hear it. Hearing problem from too much gun range time over too many years. Felt it vibrate.

Now . . . rat chewed coolant overflow tank. Think I will steal the one from the 5.0L 245 until I can get another one here. Except for the hard lines it has a completely new brake system but needs bleeding.

Oil is new, will drain and fill coolant. Anyone know what ATF this thing uses? Didn't even try putting it into drive.

I would like to thank all who contributed to get to this point over the past month, especially John Lane. If you need help on a PRV just search JOHNLANE for excellent advice.

Tomorrow, tomorrow!

Happy! . . . Happy! . . . Happy!
 
Too many toys, too much fun!

Got the brake system bled this morning and attempted to fine tune the CO based on the info provided by John Lane. He advises that a O2 sensor voltage of 0.7v is the equivalent to the 1% objective on a CO meter which there are not many around anymore. My sensor will not get that high. Peaks out at 0.61v. Ordered a replacement from Rock Auto closeout for less than $10 shipped. The original replacement interval on the sensor was 25k miles so I don't feel bad about that. Didn't say anything about time period, such as 31 years.

The engine is idling a little high at 1000rpm with the spec being 900 +- 50. That's as low as I can adjust it without detuning the CO screw and driving down the voltage measurement.

Going to change the ATF before moving the car. Nothing shows on the dip stick and that is a little concern. John says F type, AP store says Dextron II. Guess I will give up and look in the as new Coupe owners manual. Yep!, F type.

Off the the ATF store.
 
Yes, the anti tamper devices are still there. They are not like the ones in the Greenbook, no obvious way to remove the caps other than digging them out with something like an awl. I screwed the idle adjust screw all the way in and got the rpm's down from 1100 to 1000. That's all the adjustment discussed in the Greenbook.

Think I have an air leak somewhere? Time for the starter fluid spray?
 
Drove it!

About 5 miles.

Reinstalled the transmission pan and filled, flushed the radiator . . . several times. Still cranks reliably but doesn't seem to have much power. Maybe I am just hesitant to mash on it. Feels like fuel problem.

Transmission shifts nicely! That's a big plus.

At least 2, maybe 3 'whistles'. One, I am sure, is the air filter housing singing, no filter in place. Top/bottom latches missing, big 'O' ring around air flow housing missing.

Got a coolant leak dripping at the rear of the transmission. Nothing wet, that I can see, forward of that. No wet carpet from the heater core.

Spent some time with Hagerity Insurance today. For hobby cars and motorcycles they have really great rates. The thing that makes them so attractive is that they insure the vehicle for collision and comprehensive and then the owner/driver for liability. With only one car they are better than my State Farm agent could come up with. With a second vehicle they cannot be touched since you don't pay for liability coverage again. With 3 hobby cars and an under 3000 mile per year motorcycle they are less than half the price of State Farm. That 3k miles is another point. You have to declare the annual mileage and that affects the rate. Forgot to mention, all this is with declared value and flat bed tow truck coverage.

Anyone with corrections to my understandings or negative comments about claims response please let me know as I may sign up tomorrow.

Anyway, through for the day. Tomorrow, tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
Hopefully a heater hose.On my 81 coupe I had to replace the water pump,what a PIA.Replaced everything under there with OEM stuff.Haggerty is a good deal for collector car insurance.I got them for my 79 coupe with agreed value.Way cheaper than adding it to Allstate.No insurance yet on the 81 but will use Haggerty.
 
I will climb under again tomorrow but the heater hose are on the right side of the firewall, a long way from the leak at the back of the transmission without any visual or feel of wet.
 
Oh . . . the joy of restoring an old car

One of my greatest fears in buying this car was that sometime in the past 19 years it had frozen and cracked the block or radiator. Doesn't seem to have done that but the heater core is certainly leaking badly. Water is almost spraying out of the AC condensate drip hose. Nothing inside the car so it has got to be the core inside the climate control box. I would swear that the first item on the Volvo assembly line is the climate control box and they built the complete car around that.

That might put the project on hold until I can remove the entire interior. I was going to remove the seats and carpet anyway so I guess I might as well get started. The alternative is to install a shut off valve in the coolant supply line to the core. Probably not going to need heat in Georgia for some time.

I had almost rather pull the engine than the heater core. Done that about 30+ years ago on a '71 145 when I bent a little easier . . . and weighed a little less.

Throttle cable and other connections to the throttle plates were corroded and difficult to move. Two-three hours of pleasant entertainment and everything moves a lot easier.

While dealing with the throttle cable issue tried cleaning up the exterior surfaces of all the aluminum parts. Does someone have experience cleaning up 30 year old corroded aluminum? This is not salt corrosion but just aluminum oxide. Sand blasting? Soda blasting? Always wanted a blasting cabinet.

Off to the WWW for a heater core.
 
If you're going to remove the heater core you may want to consider changing the blower motor while you're at it.I know it may work now but it is also 30 years old too.It is also another treasure hunt.Buried crap!
 
nel621 said:
If you're going to remove the heater core you may want to consider changing the blower motor while you're at it.I know it may work now but it is also 30 years old too.It is also another treasure hunt.Buried crap!
Click to expand...

Replaced one of those also. You bet is will run on the bench perfectly before going back together. It does run fine at the moment but that is before being sprayed with coolant.
 
You will remember the heater core in the 145 fondly after doing this one! :roll:

Be sure to do a heater blower motor, resistor and switch while you're at it. This is a task that is easier with the windshield pulled. Verify that you can still source that window as it may be special for the coupe.....

Hows she running now?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top