just bought this 84 240 diesel last week. has over 204k and i noticed today that the odo doesn't work...i'll fix that later. it's got new glow plugs and a new alternator belt. the interior is real clean. needs a new master p/w switch. all it needs is new tires, new exhaust, and replace a couple bulbs. my only issue is that the car wants to run rather warm when i'm cruising. doin around 70mph or so the temp gauge is past the 3/4 mark, but goes down a lil when i slow down. the temp stays up past the 1/2 mark...which is scary, so idk what the problem could be exactly. what is the actual way to check/flush the coolant since i couldn't find a radiator cap. and my other question is....where can i get the oil filters at? the diesel motor has 2 oil filters and i didn't know if fram carried them because the books aren't showing anything but the short, fat filter....but i also need the longer, bigger filter too. i plan on running rotella 15-40 but need to get the oil filters first. :) and i would like to know if anyone has a downloadable fsm for a 84 240 diesel too....?? any help would be great. thanx, patrick

I have the same year diesel with a rebuilt engine and 170k on it. From what I've learned on this website (Thanks Tom Bryant) using synthetic oil is the best way to go. He favors Mobil One but I found mine consumed too much so I 've been using Chevron Synthetic Delo 15-40 and changing it every 20k. i add 1 Qt of makeup about every 1500 miles. (Little leak at the oil pan gasket). This engine starts to wear at the top of the piston stroke on the cylinder walls and will demonstrate this wear when you run the engine without the oil filler cap. I also have a Frantz Toilet paper filter which I change every 3k. I've had the waste oil tested and the soot is always a little high according to the lab but I can see no blowby.
These engines do NOT like to be run hot. If you can't verify that the radiator was rodded in the past 22 years - better do so soonest. Another hint is on hills: don't let the engine lug and get hot- change down and rev up. Those are light weight pistons and can handle 4k rpm easily. On the flat at 70 my gauge needle is a little over the halfway mark and on the hills it will get up to about two widths of the needle from the red zone.
By now you've got the fuel filter changed but next time fill the new one with ATF to clean the injectors. Got that little gem from a VW shop.
Think ahead to the Cold Weather(You have cold weather?) Battery must be good. Original glow plug system relay sometimes fails in the ON position. You can bypass this with a dash control button. I have a block heater for the once a year run to Wyoming to ski. Winter and altitude are the acid test for these rigs.
Running these engines less than 10mi per trip guarantees a short life. They're best at cruising. You will be in the right hand lane on the hills (where the nicer people are) but you'll surprise 'em on the downhill curves (assuming you've put on IPD sway bars).
Last advice comes from Germany where they say not to buy a used diesel from someone who lives close to the Autobahn. This refers to the fact that lube oil doesn't warm up for at least 10mi and if you do high speed with a cold engine...

As far as the temp, you may just need a new voltage stabilier for the gauge if it's wandering around.
if in a hot climate, 15w-40 is fine ( although I'm not fond of rotella after loosing an engine because of it, if going dino oil,go with the delo, it holds up better ) if up north, you would want something a bit lighter and would have to go synthetic, there are no 10-30 etc oils that are diesel rated unless synthetic ( look for the CD, CF etc marks on the jug the C indicates diesel, the S ratings are for gas burners. diesel oil is designed to handle the extra soot)

If yours has a fan clutch ( it most likely has a fixed fan ) it is probably due for replacement.

If timing is too far advanced, it can cause overheating, do you get an excessive amount of diesel clatter?

Check the coolant in the expansion tank mounted on the fender. to flush the system, you can make a hose adapter to fit a garden hose and attach it to the drain fitting to the rear of the lower hose on the engine. the fiting opens by turning with 13mm wrench, remove the expansion tank cap and you can bachflush from there.Replace the cap with a new black, low pressure cap.

Do you have any idea when the timing belts were last changed on that thing?
if not CHANGE THEM NOW! this is an interferance engine. if the belt blows, the valves go through the pistons.
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-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '86 740 GLE turbo diesel, '92 Ford F350 diesel dually

Heads up! What you think is an oil filter on the drivers' side is the FUEL filter! Which you should change every 30k. NAPA has 'em, as well as the sources below.

The OIL filter is on the passenger side of the block. You can get it at NAPA, but their's is awful - the o/p light stays on for 10 seconds at startup. Mann is the best - get 'em at www.ips-parts.com or www.germanfilters.com . If there's a local VW shop, they should have 'em, the engine is a VW, and the filter for some VW & Audi is what you need.

DON'T YOU DARE USE 15W40!!! It is way too thick! 10W30 is what you need, and I recommend a synthetic.

The owners manual recommends 15W40 for temperatures above 20F for gasoline engines. (I don't have one for a diesel) I would think the same thing for a diesel. Make sure it's CD rated (Rotella, Delo, etc.) 10W30 is too thin if the temperature is over about 80, especially if your cooling system is having problems and it's running on the hot side.

In fact, even the owner's manual is wrong on this one. VW later issued a TSB for this engine (also used in VW commercial vans in Europe) to use nothing but 10W30.

ok, so no 15w-40....i figured it was a good oil to use on diesels. what i'm sayin is mine has 2 oil filters...one on both sides...unless one is a filter for something else. care to elaborate on that one? i've been lookin online at the Mann filters and they only show one filter for it...that's why i'm puzzled at this. any idea bout the high temp during cruise? what's the best method of flushin the coolant on this car? thanx

Re-read my post, please. The filter on the LEFT (driver's) side of the block is your FUEL filter. It is NOT an oil filter.

Repeat. You have ONE oil filter. It is on the RIGHT (passenger) side of the block.

Reply if this is not clear to you.

High temp at cruise is often due to poor air flow. Is your radiator clogged with gunk? I mean the fins, not the internal tubes. Possibly also your waterpump belt is slipping at high revs.

Water pump is driven by the timing belt on the D24 series. The vee belt pulley drives only the fan blade. BTW, the correct oil filter for the Volvo is not the same one used on most VW/Audis. Only the Eurovan used the big W950/4 filter.

Not only the Eurovan. The Audi 5000 Diesel did, too.

oil filter....

diesel fuel filter....[URL=http://www.filecabin.com][IMG]http://www.filecabin.com/up1/1156284081-IMG_1408.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


lol, anyone know of the actual part numbers and cheapest place to get them? there's an import shop near me that sells alot of import parts...lil and big. thanx

Get the MANN filters from a GOOD parts store, NOT AUTOZONE, or order whatever you need from FCP (Foreign Car Parts) www.fcpgroton.com, they have a whole section on 240 parts. Most of the engine stuff for your car is shared with the Volkswagen diesels, as you probably know.

These guys carry just about everything for VW too. I still can get brakes and wheel bearings for my 70 VW Bus from them. If you don't see it, call them, they most likely carry it or can get it within the day.
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: 92 244-M47-207K ::: 90 745GL-M47-268K ::: 88 245DL-AW70-230K ::: 88 244 SOLD! 87 244 SOLD! Still looking for a bright red or black 244 with sunroof...

Wow, lots of misinformation floating around on your diesel. Use Mann or factory Volvo oil filters on it and just run Bosch fuel filters. When you change the fuel filter make sure to use a Bosch filter and when you spin it off take the old filter and poor the fuel out of it into the new filter before you spin it on. When you fire it up with the new filter installed it will bog down and try to stall because it is running out of fuel, running a diesle completely out of fuel is not something you really want to experience and if you do not prime the new filter with the old one you run a good chance of doing just that.
On the cooling issue you need to verify that it is in fact overheating and that the fan clutch and the rest of the system is working per design. You will probably find that you need a new radiator and a thermostat while you are in there. The D24s are known for getting air bubbles in the cooling system so we always made sure that the block was full off coolant by pouring it in the upper radiator hose until it was full, reconnect the hose to the radiator and then fill the rest of the system. Make sure that you use good coolant on that thing too, I always use factory Volvo coolant.
Make sure you have records on the timing and pump belts on that thing. They need to get replaced every 75K.

Mark

You mean it doesn't have a convenient little manual priming pump on the side of the injector pump like a Mercedes?

Nope, nothing near that cool. You should see all the hocus pocus voodoo crap you have to perform to get one of these to light off the first time after you have replaced the fuel injection pump. I have seen guys do everything from ether to WD-40 to pressurizing the tank. A fuel cap fitted with a standard schraeder valve seems to have the best results.

Mark