The airbox on my 88 745T is broken (3 of the 4 clips are missing and the attachment points are snapped off). As a result the top of the airbox does not seal properly. I'd like to replace the airbox but can't find one anywhere. I've emailed several parts shops and junkyards with no replies so far. BTW the car runs fine like this but I'm worried about future consequences. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Follow the instructions in the FAQ to repair your clips and you wont' need a new airbox. I did mine for about $12 and it works fine.

We just get sheet metal screws, or sheet rock screws, and just screw 'em down and together with a screw drill. Haven't had any problem doing air filters on em since either. Can't get cheaper and easier than that...well maybe you can...bungie cord.

Got the same problem with my 1991 745T. There is a post in the FAQ about repairing the clamps. There is a link there to McMaster-Carr, an industrial supply company, where you can get new clamps to replace the broken ones. I just ordered 6 of them at $4.xx each. Don't remember the exact price, but it was cheap, well under $5 each.

The guy who posted in the FAQ used aluminum rivets (pop-rivets) to hold the new clamps on the bottom of the air box. Used alum. backing where necessary and glue of some kind to seal rivets.

Will give this a try, because it is cheap and easy. However, yesterday I took the air filter out to inspect everything and decided the design of the airbox in my Turbo car was stupid. Have to disconnect the AMM or MAF (whatever you call it) and the pipe from the turbo to the intercooler just to change the air cleaner. And, in the turbos, there is nothing in the big air box except foam to keep it quiet. So, I'm thinking why not fabricate a mount for the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor (which mounts to the top of the airbox in the turbo) and eliminate the whole box. Come off of the inlet side of the MAF sensor with aluminum tube (approx 2.5" dia) with a 90 deg bend. Put a K&N cone filter on the end of the tube and aim it down into the well where the box is. Voila! Easy to change, looks good, and easy to build an aluminum box around to keep hot engine air away from it. No need to fiddle with delicate MAF sensor to clean it either.

But will see how new clamps work first as they are much cheaper.

Oh, yeah, checked with Volvo dealer a few weeks ago, and a new lower airbox for my car is over $140. Suspect that non-turbos would be even more as they have more stuff in the box, like thermostat and valve(s), etc.

2nd edit: Until clamps arrive and I fix it, I have been putting a 3/4" thick little block of wood on top of airbox lid. This allows the hood to press down on the airbox lid and keep it shut. Also put some household insulating foam stripping in the groove in the box lid last night, to help it seal better on the filter. Did not use adhesive so it would be easy to remove when putting clamps in. Filter in there now is a Fram, and I don't think it fits right, does not fit in to grooves around perimeter of box or lid. Probably best to use genuine Volvo or, maybe K&N.

Thanks for the help. This board is GREAT! Posted my question and had the answer 26 min. later. Beautiful!

BTW, when you open the box strip out all the foam silencer material. This deteriorates and ruins your air mass meter over time.

Will do, thanks for the reminder, even though you might have intended it for fmunter. The only foam in mine is on the "outside" of the filter, not the side near the MAF sensor. However there are strips of old double-faced tape on the inside of the box lid, which is on the MAF side of the filter. When installing clamps, which came today, will clean the old, dry tape out so it does not get sucked in to the MAF.

The clamps came today, the ones that are recommended in the FAQ, and they are very, very nice. Much better than the original Volvo ones. All stainless, strong, and well made. A real bargain for just over $4 each.

Still am thinking about replacing the whole assembly on the intake side of the MAF sensor with an aluminum tube and K&N cone filter. May even be able to cut down some ricey honda, acura, Mitsubishi, etc. kit and make it fit. Has anyone here ever done this or thought about it?

I have taken 3" stainless and welded a 4" straight piece on 90 deg elbow. I will be removing my airbox as soon as I obtain a K&N cone filter. I'll take pics and post it in the aftermarket forum (when I get time). right now trying to upgrade to a an amp and sub... it never ends...

Matt
--
--- '89 740 Turbo

Will look forward to your post and pics. Will do mine, eventually, if I can ever get to it. See below.

". . . it never ends. . . " Tell me about it!

I have the clips for the 745T's airbox, it is due for an oil change in about 25 more miles - and I want to change it over to synthetic. It needs to have its breather cleaned out, and needs all the usual seals replaced, and a timing belt. Have all the parts ready to go. Have to fabricate something to hold the crank still when removing the harmonic balancer. But wait! There is more!

Have an appointment on Wednesday at the local Volvo dealer (Taylor, in Ocala, FL - they are really good guys) to have the new Yokohama H4s tires installed and radial force balanced. And the factory Alpine stereo HAS to go. God, what were they thinking when they put that thing in the car?

On to the RX-7: Differential gears are howling so loud I can barely hear the hopped-up engine, and believe me, a rotary with a header and low-restriction exhaust is very loud. Ring & pinion alone are more than $500, all the other stuff, like bearings, spacers, etc brings it to over $750 in parts. That does not include the clutch plates and discs for the limited slip. It probably needs those too. And, at least one axle has too much lateral runout at the flange. Last time I looked at prices axle = $260, but now axle = $550+!! The entire front suspension needs to be done, tie-rod ends (inner & outer), ball joints & lower control arm bushings - which means replacing the lower control arms because the ball joints are pressed in at the factory. Front brakes need to have calipers overhauled, new rotors, pads, and clip/shim kits, also new stainless hoses to replace cracking rubber ones. Parking brake is sticking so probably needs new left half of rear pb cable (did right half 4 years ago, or was it the left half?), rear brakes calipers need to be overhauled, new pads, new clip/shim kits. Is time for annual (but 2 years overdue) coolant system flush/fill. And since this started with airboxes, the stock Mazda box is a bit better than the Volvo (much sturdier and much sturdier clips), but have been thinking about some kind of upgrade for years, maybe dual AirFlow Meters (just think about all the flow bench testing and calibration that would take!) and dual filter systems. But the airbox thing is optional, the rest of all of it is necessary. And there is probably more.

Don't even want to think about my wife's Toyota, but the list is at least as long as the RX-7's.

Then there is the house stuff, the dogs' nails (using a Dremel tool to grind down the nails on a Great Dane is no fun, so, of course I put it off and put it off until it goes from "no fun" to "shear torture." And I have three of them). And being spring (yeah!) the F___ing yard is demanding attention every week now. Still have to install new sprinkler system out back where the old one got torn up when new drainfield was put in.

Have to clean up the half of the garage that I have not finished yet so we can get wife's car in. Began cleaning up garage in November, threw out both cars, tore it up and . . . project for friend took over until December when wife's Mother got sick and then in early Jan. died. Had that and attendant mess to deal with, including all the furniture etc. This kept the garage from getting done. Then, in mid-March MY Mother died. So . . . Now have 3 houses worth of furniture in one house and can barely move around. Did manage, last weekend to clean out half of garage. Now must finish.

Sorry about that, guess I just got going and vented a bit. But you surely were right:
Yep, it never ends!