Hi Everybody!
I just got a 1989 740 GLE with a B234F. I want to replace the timing belt & balance belt before they go bad, but I'm curious what I'll need besides the two belts. I heard something about needing to replace a plastic-tooth gear with a metal one in the balance belt area, but are there other things I should do while I'm at it? I'm planning on tensioning the belts as close as I can get them, and getting them re-tensioned at Volvo (which I assume is much cheaper than them doing the whole job.)
Thanks!
-Fran

Just did this job on a 90 GLE. Neeeded the back part of the belt cover which was disintegrated. $85 from the dealer for a piece of plastic ! !
Replace all 5 seals: 2 camshaft seals ,2 balance shaft seals and the front crankseal. Replace all idlers.
You need some means to hold the crankpulley while loosening and tightening the centerbolt. I made one from a long piece of flat steel in which I drilled a couple of holes to hold 2 bolts thru the openings in the pulley. Worked great.

My timing belt covers are also disintegrating, but when I called the local Volvo shop, they quoted me 180 bucks for the top front cover and 170 for the top back cover. Absurd! Are there any aftermarket suppliers of these parts?
Thanks,
-Fran

how many miles on the engine? look at ALL the bearings in both belt drives. all it takes is 1 of those to seize and you've got bent valves. 16v tensioner and idler bearings aren't cheap, but it's better than the alternative. i like to replace all of them every 100k. good luck, chuck.

It has 108K on it right now, I'm going to try to not drive it until I get things fixed. I've switched belts in my previous car ('94 850 Turbo) but it had an automatic tensioner.

your 16v should have the same style tensioner. i'm not worried about it, unless it's leaking oil. just the bearings the belts ride on. good luck, chuck.

The earlier ('89) B234F's had manual tensioners, like on the B230F's. They changed to automatic in early '90, I think.
-Fran

Check the 700/900 FAQ feature section on this site and way down near the bottom you'll find a link to B234F timing belt procedures, tips/techniques and the parts you may want to replace. Next best thing to the Volvo green manual it's been said.

As you are replacing the back timing cover and thus have all the gears and pulleys removed then it is indeed a golden opportunity to replace all the oil seals -just make sure not to score the shafts and to seat them nice and evenly, not too far in. Be sure to always replace the oil pump pulley bolt at every change -this is the most failure prone part and most Volvo shops know to do that routinely.

If the engine is still on the original tensioner/idlers then it probably would be a good idea to replace all of them at your mileage whether they appear to need it or not. Many people do indeed change all the tensioner/idlers at every belt change just to be safe, but I don't think you'll find Volvo shops doing that on spec unless there is some indication of wear or extended mileage. Many people simply check them carefully before replacement and perhaps check them once or twice before the next belt change. Personally I would only trust old idlers for a maximum of 3 belt changes and then only if they continued to spin very freely, ran absolutely smooth (no wear ridges in the raceways) and showed no other signs of wear (no side slop). The bearings are sealed, if they don't spin freely you may want to try rinsing off any external grunge by spraying with a little WD-40 before writing them off.

Yes, it's an interference engine, but in this day and age that's certainly not uncommon and you really don't need to overly worry or get carried away as long as you perform regular service and are aware of a few specific weak points in the B234F timing belt setup. Having an '89 you indeed have the manual tensioner and you should re-tension the belts after a break-in period. Also, having an '89 you will may still have the original balance shaft belt tensioner pulley with the black plastic teeth -these tend to disintegrate with cold temperatures and with age so check for it and replace it with the updated all metal pulley if needed (see the FAQ).
--
Dave -not to be confused with a real expert

Thanks for the tips. I was using your instructions to make my "parts list" - very helpful! I'm trying to get all the materials together before I start. So far I'm going to order:

2 balance shaft seals
1 balance shaft belt
1 balance shaft belt idler roller (Or will I need two?)
1 balance shaft gear tensioner pulley (toothed)
1 balance shaft gear bolt
1 timing belt manual tensioner
2 camshaft seals
1 timing belt tensioner roller
2 timing belt idler rollers
1 crankshaft seal
1 water pump (mine is leaking now)
1 timing belt plastic cover (back one, mine is getting crumbly.)
plus 1 oil pump pulley bolt

Can you think of anything else?
Thanks!
-Fran