I am prepping the 240 wagon for a 10,000km roadtrip. I expect parts of the journey to be in dry and hot 40 degree Celsius heat, with most parts averaging between 32 to 35 degrees.

I have both a tropical fan clutch and a transmission cooler available to me. Would one option or other be sufficient? Would installing both be an overkill? Lend me your thoughts.

The tropical fan clutch would also help cool the AC better as well I'd think.

Lucast

Hi:

I live in Texas and I installed a second fan, which is electric, the tropical fan clutch and a genuine Volvo transmission cooler.

The second fan really helps. It only cost about $100 and I think it was well worth it. I did this about 10 years ago. No over heating problems. I flush and refill my radiator every 2 years. I also wash out the fins on the radiator every few months. Every 100,000 miles I take the radiator out of the car for a through cleaning. I get all kinds of stray matter like grass and feathers out with this method.

I installed the transmission cooler about 12 years ago for $225. I measured the temperature drop and it was 28 degrees F. I installed it so the cooler receives the fluid AFTER it goes through the radiator cooler first. I also change my transmission fluid every 20,000 miles by dropping the pan. The transmission still shifts like new. I am really glad I did this.

I installed a transmission cooler on my Buick Regal 25 years ago and I went 325,000 miles and never replaced the transmission. I gave the car away to a friend in need and he drove it another 50,000 miles without any problems before someone stole it. (Damn cheap plastic GM steering column!)

I researched the tropical fan clutch and replaced my original fan clutch with the oem tropical part three years ago for $62. I can't really tell a difference, HOWEVER, my gas mileage did seem to drop by about 20 miles per tank. I have thought about putting the old one back in and seeing if there is an increase in my mileage.

Good luck with your modifications, let us know how it turns out.
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If it needs to be maintained, repaired or replaced on a 1990 240, I've probably done it. '90 240DL, 254K looking forward to 300K badge (or sticker??). >>You haven't really worked on a car until you draw blood<< :-}

I live in the Arizona desert, with daily temperatures over 100F (38C) from May through September. My trans is a manual, but the standard cooling system in good repair works just fine. I do run a slightly cooler thermostat (87C), and I have jumpered the temp/pressure switch in the refrigerant line (right near the orifice tube) so the pusher fan is on whenever the AC is running.

I think you don't *need* to do anything special, however, both your suggested mods would help keep things cooler. The key is to make sure you have a sound cooling system to begin with. I would pull the radiator and flush out all the external junk from the cooling fins, rear to front, with a garden hose. It's amazing how much crud collects there! Then while the rad is out and you have easy access, swap in your tropical fan clutch. Of course check your main hoses and make sure they're in good shape.

The trans oil cooler is a lot more work, but it will help your trans live a bit longer overall.
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In God We Trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.

That's good advice. I'll flush the radiator before I head off. The car's been needing a flush ever since I bought it anyway. The engine temp gauge needle goes slightly past the middle just sitting in traffic on a hot day.

I saw your other thread about the temperature compensation board. After reading that and this thread, I thought I might comment on my experience with the temp. board bypass. Now that I've done the bypass I notice more fluctuations in the guage. During warmup the it acts normally, slowly rising. However where before it would rise up to but never beyond the middle (normal) position on the guage, it now overshoots another couple widths of the needle, hangs out there for a minute or two, before settling back down.

What I'm saying is that you should expect some more flucuations within the normal range now that the board is out of the loop.

FWIW my car is the opposite of yours climatewise - new 92degC thermostat and being driven in cool conditions.

I've got both (the fan clutch from Dan Barton, the trans cooler a genuine Volvo accessory) on all three of my cars (two 93's and one '84). At first, I only put it on the '84 because I use it to tow my boats in summer (Garden State Parkway, a notorious traffic jam in the midst of sweltering summer), but then I thought, why not do it on my '93s, too, just to make the cars' trannies last longer (note that I also use synthetic ATF, by AmsOil, in all of them also) even though they don't trailer anything (yet, until the '84 finally "dies" and I have to put a hitch on one of them to take up the trailering duties).

Hi Ken

Thanks for the advice. I'll be installing both the cooler and the clutch.

How do you like your 1993 240? I was scratching my head big time when I first got it some weeks ago because the VIN didn't make sense: I can't find an online VIN resource that references a B230FX engine as used in this MY1993 Aussie delivered 240. And then I learnt more about this spec and found out that it's a slightly factory tricked up NA 240 engine with VX cam, 531 head, and a slightly better flowing exhaust.

Wished they put in an all-in-one relay tray like the 740's.

Sounds like a really nice combination (cam, head and exhaust), compared to our (USA market) ordinary cars.

In fact, our manuals don't list an FX version at all in the B23/B230 family -- they only list F's and E's (for our neighboring Canada cars), and sometimes an A for Europe; along with an unusual FD version strictly for the state of California!

What sort of emissions requirements do you have in Australia? What tests, if any, does your government require?
Here in the US, my state of New Jersey is roughly "average" -- a '93 car of a 240's weight class must meet these requirements while running on a dynamometer's roller at road speeds:
NOx = 970
HC = 128
CO = 0.71

Regards.

Emissions? To be honest, I have no idea what the car puts out.

It seems that to get the car re-registered again, I don't have to undergo any emissions testing. Just a basic multi-point safety check.

I just had the 240 checked for registration within New South Wales two days ago (since I bought it from another state) and the mechanic who did the checkup didn't check emissions. He damn well checked everything else - e.g., indicators, lights, safety belt, suspension, oil leaks, etc. and was extremely thorough. He didn't seem to mind the fact that I clearly capped the warm air intake - with a bright blue cap off an insect repellant spray can.

Of course, for some reason, he also ignored the fact that I put in 850 front seats [Australian car inspection rules are pretty fuss about non-standard equipment that might affect safety]. Also glad he didn't pick up the fact that the air intake is now a 65mm ID pipe instead of the shocker of a factory snorkel.

I don't think emissions testing is required in Australia. Perhaps someone else from Down Under can weigh in.

If you can, do both; especially if you are driving an automatic. : )

Yep, will be doing so today!!