I think I know why my 245 won't start but every time I think I know something, it turns out to be something totally different. So please read below and give me your advice.

I changed the timing belt and tensioner in my 1992 245 (100k) last Saturday and was proud afterwards as she started right up and ran great. Same thing the next day when I ran some errands. But then after sitting a couple of days my wife couldn't get it to start. It would crank fine (the battery is good) but it wouldn't turn over. I checked all the fuses and installed a new fuel pump relay tonight but no go. So I turned the crank pulley to TDC and checked the position of the rotor and not only wasn't it pointing towards the #1 cyclinder, it was pointed towards the front of the car and it wasn't moving as I turned the crank pulley. I assumed that isn't good.

Then I peeked behind the top TB cover and the belt was on the cam pulley but not tight enough. I can't see all the way down but the belt looks like its barely on the intermediate sprocket.

Question 1
How did this happen? I know I had tension on the belt after I installed it. Should I have adjusted the tension again after I drove it a few miles?

Question 2
What should I do now other than have a cold one and get a good night sleep? Is it as easy as taking everything apart again, finding TDC and making sure all the sprocket marks and engine marks align with the engine marks. What about the intermediate sprocket since it seems to turn very easily and is no doubt out of position?

Question 3
If the timing belt is indeed loose and it was skipping over the sprockets, should I replace it with a new one?

Excuse my ignorance but this job intimidated me, especially the part about changing the seals. If I go in again I will do the seals.

Question 4
Is the best way to get the cam and intermediate sprockets off with the timing belt still on acting as a holder or is there a better way to hold them while unfastening the bolt?

Make sure the 2 flanges on either side of the crank pulley were correctly installed. I seem to remember that they are slightly curved away from the belt when corerctly installed.
--
David Hunter

"What about the intermediate sprocket since it seems to turn very easily and is no doubt out of position"
Just make sure that the mark on the sprocket lines up with the mark on your belt. The mark on the backing plate, if you can find it, will confirm it.

"If the timing belt is indeed loose and it was skipping over the sprockets, should I replace it with a new one?"
Check the teeth of the belt. If they're destroyed then change.

"this job intimidated me, especially the part about changing the seals. If I go in again I will do the seals"
If the seals are showing signs of leaking then replace them. Oil on a timing belt weakens it and causes the teeth to shred off. Rather than picking at the seals, remove their carrier plate (two bolts also in oil pan front) it'll make them easier to replace and allow you to determine shaft condition. You'll need a replacement gasket though. Suggest you use a non-hardening gasket sealant as back-up.

"Is the best way to get the cam and intermediate sprockets off with the timing belt still on acting as a holder or is there a better way to hold them while unfastening the bolt? "
You may put too much stress on the belt by using it to hold the sprockets. Try putting a screwdriver through the holes in the sprocket and stop it against the block.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans

This is why we appreciate "non-interference" engines so much!

One way or another, your t-belt was improperly tensioned. Perhaps you forgot to take the 'keeper' pin out of the tensioner, or the tensioner's alignment pin was not in the right place. Even with a basic, static (engine off) loosen-retorque of the tensioner, the t-belt won't loosen enough to cause trouble for thousands of miles.

So now that you've practiced, you get to do it again. Make sure the tensioner is correctly installed. One everything is buttoned up, fire the engine up. With the engine running (careful of the fan!), run your socket thru the hole in the t-belt cover to loosen, then tighten the tensioner. Repeat the tensioning after a few hundred miles, then maybe every 5-10K thereafter.

Dash,

First off, I'm relatively new to Volvo's and have only done one B230FT timing belt and intermediate shaft seal. That said, you may have failed to seat the tensioner properly on the reinstall. There is a pin on the back of the tensioner bracket/flange that fits into a hole in the front case. If this isn't in tight, you can tighten down and get good torque on the tensioner and it won't be aligned properly. This will then transfer the misalignment through the rest of the pulleys and ride the belt off.

I'd replace the belt if it was spinning over the pulleys for any length of time. The intermiediate shaft on the B230 in 240's runs the distributor, so it is much more critical to keep synch'd with the others than on a B230FT in my '89 760. That has the distributor off the rear of the cam and the intermediate shaft is just a balance shaft.

The biggest worry on seal replacements (any brand) is to not nick the shaft and to set the new seals square with the shaft. If you get that right, you should be fine.

Good luck and remember, we do this because we enjoy working with our hands, right??

someguyfromMaryland

It is recommended practice to rotate the engine by hand with a spanner several times after installing the belt, before you put the covers back on. This will settle everything down and also show up any tendency for the belt to drift off the pulleys through misalignment.