Dear All,

Few weeks ago I posted about my valvetrain clatter. I sent the car to the shop, replaced the valve hushers, adjusted the shims, and got the car back.

It sounded like a new motor, nice and quite...until after about 20kms later, the clatter came back! but it is much lower in decibels this time.

My regular Volvo guy thinks its either a worn valve stem, or a wrist pin. He refused payment, and suggested we take off the head to check. Car has 140k miles, with light pressure turbo.

Symptoms are: 1)No noise when cold.
2)Noise comes off and on while cruising, related to RPMs, but
not related to engine load.
3)Noise is always there on idle, when warm. We removed the
drive belts, and noise is still there.
4)Engine performance not affected by this noise.

I am out of ideas on this one. Even my '74 144's pushrod valvetrain doesn't make such a racket.

Thanks guys, and Merry Christmas.

Could it be an oil pressure issue? I just finished an engine installation yesterday, and I cannot believe how quiet the new engine is, compared to the old engine. The old engine had low oil pressure.
I had an oil leak from a wrong turbo oil tube, and once the oil level dropped, the new engine started to sound more like the old engine.
What type of oil are you using? Have you ever used a thicker viscosity? Or thinner?

Good Luck!


--
1990 740 Turbo, on its way to stock specs, maybe beyond

Oil pressure looked ok. Plenty of oil moving around in the head even at idle. I run synthetic 10W-40 as I live in the tropics. I did try to run 20W-50, but noise is still there.

Are you using synthetic oil? It has a way of freeing things up. I have found that the B6304 engine loves 0W40 or 5W40 synthetic oil.

DEWFPO
--
1998 S90 083,228 and 1995 964 154,100

He's apparently got a 940 Turbo, not a 960. North America lost the 940 earlier than other markets.

john

Sorry guys should have been more clear. Yes its a 940 light pressure turbo, with the B230.

Hang onto that mechanic & listen to what he suggests. Refusing payment for not fixing a problem is the honest way to do business but, unfortunately, a rare occurance. I suspect a valve is hanging and, if so, your mechanic is right, the head needs to come off.
--
1999 E320 1994 F150 1989 560 SL 1986 560 SL (deceased) 1988 300 TE (departed) 1994 945T (daughter's) 1988 244DL (fallow) 1986 242Ti (fallow) 1968 GT500KR (under restoration)