Now wait a minute, I thought I knew it all...

I just read that the B230F in my 1990 240 is an interferance angine. I thought all of the engines in non-turbo 240s were non-interferance engines.

Also, does anyone have any information I should know if the camshaft gear has been turned without the timing belt in place (yeah, I know, I'm a dumbass)?

Thirdly, and just to make me feel and seem really stupid, when the #1 piston is referred to, is that the one closest to the radiator, or the one closest to the firewall. I know the answer to this and have for years, but there's always been just a nagging little inkling of doubt in my mind. Besides, right now in my life, for various reasons no one hear wants to hear about, any cause for doubt seems pretty significant.

-EdM.
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'90 240DL Wagon 'Lola' -- '72 1800ES 'Galadriel'

The carburetted B230K, used in some 240s and 740s for the European market 1986-89(?) is indeed an interference engine. It has a comression ratio of 1:10.5, and the combustion chambers are in the cup-shaped pistons, not in the head.

Nothing for you Americans to worry about though.

Erling.
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My 240 Page

Hmm. I didn't know that there were any 240s at all that had interference engines. Also, it seems that there is little information/experience online with the B230K.

I knew that some of the 700s were 16-valve cars; were there any 16-valve 240s? I would assume that, if they exist, they were sold only in Europe.
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'89 244 GL -- 115,XXX miles (see profile for info on car)

I knew that some of the 700s were 16-valve cars; were there any 16-valve 240s? I would assume that, if they exist, they were sold only in Europe.

Volvo never put the 16-valve in a 240. Nevertheless, there are a few such beasts around; projects put together by enthusiasts.

Erling
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My 240 Page

This is one of the instances where Bentley (if that was your source of info) blew it. It's the 740/940 16V engines that experience interference if the timing belt breaks.

Turn the timing cam timing gear to where the dot aligns with the notch on the back part of the belt cover or the valve cover (I can't recall exactly which it is at the moment). Intermediate shaft gear and has a similar mark that aligns with a mark on the belt cover. Crank also has markings that are visible with the pulley off. If pulley is on use the ignition timing marks.

#1 piston is in the front.

For whatever it's worth, we're all dumbasses at one time or another.
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'80 DL 2 door, '89 DL Wagon

It was Haynes, which is why I had reason to doubt the info. It gave the B21 and B23 as non-interferance engines, and the B230 as an interferance engine, which just didn't sound right to me.

But the B23FT is non-interferance, too?

-EdM.
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'90 240DL Wagon 'Lola' -- '72 1800ES 'Galadriel'

But the B23FT is non-interferance, too?
Yes.
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'80 DL 2 door, '89 DL Wagon

The Gates timing belt catalog also incorrectly lists B230s as interference.

no, their all non-interference motors...excelt for the 6cyl versions...as well as the diesel 6's

#1cly is closest to the front

I think the 16-valve (4 valves per cylinder) engine was an interference design.

It wasn't in a 240, but was in one of the 700 series models -- I can't remember the exact model, though, I do remember that the rear deck carried a "16-valve" badge -- maybe it was called a "740-16V", or something like that.

And it offered almost as much power as the turbo engines, without the problems of a turbo (although it did have this interference liability).

I believe you're referring to the 740 GLE. I think some years had a 16V badge (740 GLE 16V) and others had just the GLE badge.

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90 244DL 260k :)

Ok, I've got an '81 240...someone told me that it had a VFI or something system. He claimed that in the event of the timing belt breaking...there is no valve and "something" interference. Can anyone enlighten me on this subject? Does my 81 240 have or not have it?

The way I understand it is:

All 240 4 cyl engines are non interference. If the timing belt breaks, the only cost you will have is for towing. Unless you stop in the middle of the road in in the middle of the night, then..?

S.

Okay, this I do know, so allow me to try to redeem myself.

Rather than VFI, you probably mean EFI, or Electronic Fuel Injection, which at least some Volvos have had since the 1970 1800e, and all American Volvo 240s have had (I think). This has nothing to do with the valve timing gear, except that both the valves and the fuel injectors have to do with the fuel system. Whether or not you have EFI, MFI (quirky old mechanical fuel injection systems, not widely used to my knowledge, but they did exist), or good-old-fashioned carburetters, you still have valves and either timing gears, a timing chain or a timing belt.

In your 1981, with its (I think) B21 engine, there is no valve and PISTON interferance. What this means is that, the lowest point the valves extend to when they are fully open is still higher than the highest point the pistons rise to at the top of their travel. So, if your timing belt breaks, and the valves stop moving with some of them open and some closed, the pistons, which are still moving, won't hit the open valves.

In an interferance engine, the valves go lower when fully open than the top of the travel of the pistons. Under normal circumstances, this is fine, as the valves in any cylinder are closed when that cylinder's piston is at the top of its travel, and are only open when that piston is below the top of its travel. Should anything happen to alter this delicate system, though, such as the timing belt breaking so that the valves stop moving, then the pistons hit the valves at very high speed and very nasty things happen. For example, I once saw a mustang in a junk yard that had sixteen little dents in its hood, poking up from underneath, in two parallel rows of eight. The closer to the front of the hood, the deper the dents, until the front four or so dents actually penetrated the hood. I stared at it for a while trying to figure out what owuld do that. Finally, I figured out that this was the cause of the car being in the junkyard: the timing chain had broken, the pistons kissed the valves, and the pushrods (the Ford V-8 of that day was not an overhead cam engine) actually shot right up through the hood (okay, I might not have this perfectly straight, but I do know that the dents/holes were caused by flying pushrods). At any rate, if your pistons touch your valves, your engine is all done.

The fact that the pistons can go higher in their cylinders in an interferance engine means the compression ratio can be higher, meaning more power and torque. In a non-interferance engine, though, you have the added bonus that if the timing belt fails, you don't destroy the engine.

-EdM.
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'90 240DL Wagon 'Lola' -- '72 1800ES 'Galadriel'

I have seen numerous interference engines break timing belts. The typical result is bent valves and a few ignorable dents in the pistons. Replace the valves, have them ground, put the head back on and keep driving. On a few belt snaps, I've seen the valves bend and punch through the top of the pistons... very ugly... you now have a boat anchor under the hood.

jorrell