I am in the process of purchasing a 1973 145 (yellow) with automatic transmission and fuel injection with 100K miles. It is rust free in very good/excellent original condition. Compression was tested (cold, unfortunately) and checked out OK at 125 to 135 psi.

It was a daily driver up until about a year ago, when it was left to sit outside. It starts easily but runs rough, especially when cold. This is my first Volvo, but I have resurrected many other cars over the past 20 years: VWs, MGs, Austin-Healeys, Sunbeam Alpine, Toyota, Datsun, etc.

I plan to change all belts, hoses, fluids, flush brake fluid, replace water pump, do a full tune-up, and replace shocks (KYB???). I am a little afraid of the fuel injection system only because I have no experience - I can rebuild carburetors all day, though.

My question is: What else should I be looking for that will affect reliabilty such as,

1. Clean injectors?

2. Replace/rebuild other FI components/parts?

3. Full flush of automatic trans or just drop the pan?

4. Are the calipers like to stick? Should I rebuild or replace? Or are they fairly "stick-free" after sitting a year?

Me and the car are in Southeastern Connecticut. Any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

DC

I, too, am going through a '74 144 that I picked up cheap. My '74 has continuous mechancial fuel injection which appears to be pretty simple. I'm in the process of replacing the injector seals which are quite hard from age and heat. I've found the idle to be a little high, and suspect that air may be leaking past the injectors as well as other vacuum lines that have lost their 'elasticity' from long service on the car.

I flushed my BW31 trans, which was very easily done.

Suggest you go to VClassics.com look in the technical archive for an extensive discussion of the D jet fuel injection. With the article, a volt/ohm meter and a few hand tools, you can trouble shoot all the sensors, wiring, fuel pressure regulator etc. Then replace anything that doesnt check out. Also, VCOA sells a book on Bosch Fuel injection systems written by Charles Probst. The L and LH jetronic, which replaced D jetronic, is a main focus of discussion on pulsed injection followed by discussion of differences between it and D jet. Extremely useful and logical troubleshooting approach.

If you decide to pull the fuel rail and injectors, which is not hard to do, and you find them really gummed up, here is the method I used to clean them. Remove the injectors from the fuel rail. Run a piece of fuel line from a small windshield washer pump(one you will not use for anything else) to the injector inlet. Run another piece from the pump to a coffee can filled with injector cleaner. Attach a 1.5 volt flashlight battery (no more voltage or you will burn out the injector solenoid) through a momentary contact switch to the injector electrical contacts. Point the injector at an empty coffee can, turn on the washer pump (I used a 12 volt DC model train transformer as a power source; you could also use the car battery) and start pulsing the injector. Keep at it until you get a nice even fan shaped mist.

As far as brake calipers go, check the rubber boots around the pistons. If ripped or missing, eventually, the calipers will begin to stick. On the front, Volvo used both ATE and Girling. If your car has ATE front calipers, and you need to replace one, consider replacing the pair with Girling. Changing brands, in pairs is OK. For whatever reason, you can get refurbished Girling but not ATE calipers from Volvo. I am unsure if Volvo used both brands in the rear, but the same swap out applies, depending on availability of refurbished calipers.

Thanks for the help. We are working on injection system now...tips of injectors looked very good, clean. I'll keep you posted.

Other said replace brake hoses...think I'll do this first then test calipers.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again.

As far as the brakes go,I would change the brake hoses first.I've found
that with most 30 year+ Volvos its the blocked brake Line hoses that freeze the calipers.Dont pay more than $80.for all four front hoses.
I got mine for $60.(MEYLE Products Germany)

Thanks, you're not the only to recommend a change of hoses. I'll do this first, then check calipers.

Thanks for the advice. You're not the only one to warn about the brake hoses. I will change these first.

The FI system is nothing to be scared of - it is one of the simplest electronic systems around. There are only a handful of sensors and switches hooked to the cake-pan sized analog brain. Quite dependable and works very well from my experience. Of course when it goes bad it isn't like tinkering with some carbs to get it back in tune - its more of an electrical gremlin mystery hunt. Here's a good site going over diagnostics:
http://www.icbm.org/erkson/ttt/engine/fuel_injection/d-jet.html
My own hint - check sensor readings by pulling the computer plug and reading across the porper contacts there - 1/2 the time the problem is in the wiring and not in the sensor. Checking at the plug checks both at once. If it is bad check again at the sensor itself to determine which is at fault.

1) As for a car that has been sitting for a while - it is possible (nay likely) for an injector to stick shut. The coils which open them aren't terriibly strong and gummed gas can overpower it. A quick test is to unfasten all 4 injectors (twist the sheetmetal collars that fasten them to the block) and pull off the entire array of wiring, fuel rail, and all 4 injectors. Then turn the key on and off several times to build pressure, and leave it on. Go under the hood and watch the injectors carefully while you pull the throttle open by hand. This will fire them in pairs. Look for any that dribble or drip when they don't fire, and look for all of them to have a nice healthy spritz when they do. If any are stuck and don't sprit you can try to free them by gently pushing in the pin at the tip - its the end of the valve. Once broken open again most injectors revive to resume long productive lives. Just run some cleaner through the tank.

2) Only repair/replace as necessary on the rest of the FI system.

3) Swap that tranny for a 4spd OD tranny and you'll love the car 76.5% more!:^)

4) Its a pretty decent possiblity that a caliper or two might have gotten sticky. It all depends on how huumid the storage area was and in the condition of the calipers to begin with. New calipers with new seals - no problem. Old calipers with dry rotted, shrunken, or cracked seals - problem. Also - the brake fluid absorbs moisture form the air and can rust the system from the inside. I'd flush the system by bleeding out all the old fluid until fresh clear fluid comes out all 6(?) bleed valves (2 on each front caliper - 1 on each rear). While you are doing this you could check for sticky calipers by pushing the brakes very firmly, then trying to turn each wheel as it is jacked up. (Chock it and release the handbrake for the rears!) Any dragging brake is cause for concern. Unfortunately there really isn't a cure other than putting new/rebuilt calipers on.

Thanks for the good advice...I'll keep you posted.

PS: No manual trans in this car's future...my wife would destroy it!

I would recommend only changing those things that need changing.
You may have a problem with your temp sensor that causes it to
be cranky when cold. There is a good rundown on D-jet injection
at http://www.icbm.org/erkson/ttt/engine/fuel_injection/d-jet.html
which might give you a lot of help.
Brake hoses are potentially a worse problem than calipers.

I'd give it an oil change with the highest detergent oil you can find,
drive it a while and then do a dry and wet compression test. If there
is a big difference it is probably rings. If not, it may be valves.
In any case you can use a lot of oil for what an overhaul costs and
it doesn't improve reliability a lot.

Can't comment on auto tranny - never had one in a Volvo.

Congrats on your car. I have one very much like it, babymess yellow.
(AKA the yellow peril - comp rdgs 150 35 150 150 150 - uses a quart of
oil every 40 miles. I just GOTTA get that new engine together!)
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Oklahoma