Hello all....

I just rec'd my 100K mile badges for both of my Volvo's......funny thing is that I rec'd my 200K mile badge for my 84 before my 100K mile badge, but it's not a big deal.

What do the badges look like after the 200K mark? I know the 100K's are maroon, and the 200K's are blue. After that, I have no idea. How about the 3K, 4K, etc?

Now, for some mechanical questions....

The 84 developed a somewhat minor, but dreadfully expensive coolant leak. Supposedly, the timing chain cover gasket is leaking. The mechanic wants about 500-600 to replace it. Question 1: should I do it? Question 2: how long should I let this go for (I have limited finances)? Bars Leak was placed in/or around the area, and it seemed to do the trick (for the most part), but the car will run hot at times (with coolant in it). Which leads me to my next question....why is my car running hot? All the fans are working, and there's coolant in it. The temp goes down with the heater on, or when I'm driving at a good click. Could it be my thermostat?

As far as my 89 goes, it seems as though every time I fill the car up, it reeks of gasoline. I mean, REEKS!! I replaced the gas cap, and I'm not seeing any leakage under or around the car. What should I be looking for here? I was wondering if the fuel pump is starting to go.....

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
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Volvo....for life. Steve 1984 &1989 244 GL's (Sven and Ingrid)

My 3k badge is green...soon to find out what color the 4k is...

Good luck with the rest...

i'm assuming you used one of those pour-it-in bottles of bars stop leak ? if your car is running hot since you did that, chances are it may have plugged up more than just the leaky gasket .. those stop leak products can often plug up small passages in the engine and veins in the radiator/heater core .. best thing to do is to fix the gasket & do a really thorough coolant flush .. save the restoration-in-a-can products for when you trade the car in...

Read your message again where you said that the engine temp. goes down when you "moving at a good clip" and thought, plugged up radiator.

Maybe.

Nowyouseeit,

If you have a leak coming from the area of the timing BELT cover, it is likely the waterpump gasket. In other words, the waterpump needs to be replaced, and if it costs $500, it had better be made of gold and come with a lifetime warranty.

The hot running could be caused by a marginal waterpump, the leak, or both. My experience is that a bad thermostat causes the opposite symptoms (car runs "cool" and never reaches normal operating temp).

Fuel stench...Are you sure that you weren't distracted by the seductive SWF on the other side of the island and just overfilled the tank? :-) Seriously, though, maybe the fuel pressure regulator. Or, a leak somewhere. How do your fuel lines look?

-Jim

The 84 developed a somewhat minor, but dreadfully expensive coolant leak. Supposedly, the timing chain cover gasket is leaking. The mechanic wants about 500-600 to replace it. Question 1: should I do it?
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You should replace your mechanic first.

1] your car doesn't have a timing chain
2] If it did, it wouldn't cost that much to replace.

I do know that it is the gasket. If I'm going to replace the water pump, how much (should) this cost me? Is 500 too unreasonable to do the job?

To JimG: I wish all I did was overfil the gas tank, but we're strictly full-serve in NJ :).
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Volvo....for life. Steve 1984 &1989 244 GL's (Sven and Ingrid)

Replace the water pump? $500? If you can't do it for $100,
you probably can't do it at all. Forget the mechanic.
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George Downs Bartlesville, Oklahoma