Ok so my son has been working on restoring a 1989 Volvo 240 that needed an engine and transmission.

We got a (we believe to be good) engine from an 86 240 at Pick-n-Pull and installed it into the 89 240.

I know that the engine came from Volvo/Chrysler Ignition system and is going into ez116K ignition system so I'm figuring we did something wrong in converting engine. It is cranking and kind of turning over and sometimes seems to be getting good compression because it seems to fire but it won't run.

we have the spark plugs in the correct 1342 firing order and I believe the rotor is correct but that could be a part of the problem. We've switched the rotor back and forth 180 degrees to see if that helped but no luck.

I was thinking I'd try to confirm that the timing belt is lined up correctly but while I 'm doing that if any of you might have some things for me to check I'd appreciate it. I hope you won't tell me that I can't put an '86 engine into an '89 240 but if that is true than I will have to hear the bad news.

Thanks to anyone who can help!

Jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

It Starts!!!!


and runs great - thanks everyone for all of your help the flywheel was the last challenge and once lined up correctly (Arrow pointing to CPS center was correct) it started and ran perfectly.

we are moving on to checking transmission after all accessories are lined up.

I will try to figure out how to post some pictures when we are all done. It will look very nice!

Thanks so much everyone who was able to contribute! Thanks to the Brickboard for being here!

Jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

I always appreciate a happy ending! This is great news!

Ok - put in known good CPS and we now have spark

put junkyard CPS in my 245 that runs and it also starts that car

so back to being stumped, we have spark, we sprayed starter fluid directly into the throttle body and it just cranked - not wanting to start

Aaaarrghhh!

timing belt all lined up (exposed while we trouble shoot no start)
Distributor and wires in correct firing order

Jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

Since you stated don't know the condition of this engine, I would do a compression check. If you have spark, and timing is correct, then it should fire with some starting fluid. Did you use the 89 wiring harness?
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Post Back. That's whats makes this forum work.

Looks like the compression is low (60) in at least 3 of the cylinders. Odd that it sounds like it has compression when turning over (even seems to want to fire when we turn the distributor to different spots) and that the cylinders all seem to have the same level of low compression???

maybe my measuring tool is off.

after the third cylinder measured 60 I had to go and have a scotch

too much work down the drain if this engine is bad. I'm certain it came from a wrecked 240 that showed 167,000 miles! I know the odometer gear probably was broken and it was 220,000 miles but these engines are usually rock solid.

sorry for the rant - considering next options

Jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

Make sure to squirt a bit of oil in the cylinders before you try again. The cylinders walls may have gotten washed down with fuel. I hear about this all the time on the board, but I have never experienced it in Volvo.

I have used the trick on worn diesel engines (small pumps and generators in the field in third world countries) with varying success.

Yes - we used the 89 wiring harness

I'll check the compression though as we rotate the distributor around we get some kickback - pre-ignition symptoms.

thanks!

jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

Rotating the distributor on an '89 shouldn't make a difference as the ECU determines spark from the CPS input.

Set the rotor to point at the scribe mark on the distributor rim at Top Dead Center. The ECU will take care of the timing.

Check that the flywheel has been bolted on in the correct position to line up with TDC.

Does compression increase if a little oil is added to each cylinder?
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1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb, M46 trans, 3:31 dif, in Brampton, Ont.

could that cause the low compression readings?
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

I'll check this - I didn't know the flex plate/flywheel could be installed incorrectly so it's possible this is it.

thanks all!

jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

If you didn't know about this, it's probably misaligned. There is info in the FAQ, HERE.

Repeated no starts can wash needed oil from cylinder walls, lowering compression.



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Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Bruce - we did not have it aligned correctly

have the tranny off and now trying to alighn the flex plate

should the stamped arrow be pointing directly to the CPS?

the FAQ is a little vague as the picture doesn't really show the flywheel in correct alignment unless I'm really confused

I believe I have it aligned correctly and the arrow is pointing directly at the CPS which isn't really exactly noon

the starter and the keywheel thing do seem to be just as stated in the next section of that FAQ

If you could confirm I could bolt this up and start it

thanks!

Jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

Thats a good point Trev29, and I had the same thought.
Are you certain that the flexplate (flywheel) is bolted on in the correct orientation so that the magnetic pickup is pulsing when the engine is at Top Dead Center (TDC)?
steve

I think the flywheel for an '89 may be different from an '86 because spark is determined by the ECU based on the Crank Position Sensor input. The CPS counts holes in the flywheel's flex plate.

You may have to transfer the flywheel from the '89 over to the '86 engine, if you haven't already.
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1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb, M46 trans, 3:31 dif, in Brampton, Ont.

Thanks everyone so far.

I have switched every electronic part that could have been switched so the computer should match every electronic part of the engine.

I exposed the timing belt and all of the timing marks are lined up correctly - we did find that the notch on the crank pulley wasn't lined up and corrected that but still no start. Now there is no fire as well.

We are stumped unfortunately. I'll keep thinking

if it's cranking could the junkyard engine be bad? It came from a wrecked 86.

Jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

I am a bit confused but it is probably from my ignorance:

You have an '86 engine from an LH2.2 car with the tranny and flex plate to match. This car used a hall sensor, correct?

The '89 has LH 2.4 and EZKXXX. The ignition trigger is from a crank position sensor with the flex plate to match.

Which parts are now in the car?

the tranny is from an '88 240 we don't know if it works yet - need the engine to run in order to check that. We switched the bellhousing so that we could mount the CPS into it.

the flex plate is from the '89 as well as the crank position sensor so it should be a good ignition trigger unless the CPS broke in our switching it over (potentially true because it had bare wires exposed going into the sensor at the base of the sensor - this part was working before we removed it from the '89 to put it on the bellhousing. We switched in a good looking CPS from another junkyard car so it is not known good either).

the distributor is from the '89 - we abandoned the distributor from the
86 with the Hall Sensor.

you are not confused from ignorance - it's a bit complicated keeping track of everything so I appreciate you trying to follow all we've done and check our tracks because something isn't right.

now it is not getting spark so I'm going back to check through those things and I may take my known good CPS out of my running 240 to confirm that.

thanks!

Jack
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

Hi,

You have a known good crank position sensor installed?

Travis

no - considering switching in one from the car that runs
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Bad Blue - '86 245 with 303,000 mi. (now for parts), Good Green 1990 245 with 178,000 mi., Blacky - '91 740 wagon with 180,000 mi., Mean Green - '94 850 with 222,000

This will help you verify the crank/cam/I-shaft timing:

http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/B230FTimingBeltAlignment.htm

The engine shown is a turbo, but it's all the same.

The rotor can only go in one way in the Distributor.I am curious as to how you swapped the rotor 180 degrees without damaging the cap or the distributor itself? The FI was changed in 88 so you might need a different computer? I am sure someone will give the info needed. 88 was the last year for manual timing adjustments as well.