i am doing a rally next summer and needed a sub 1000 dollar car and scored a 1984 volvo 240(245) turbo intercooled automatic wagon. it came with some extra rims i sold for 75 bucks...

i runs but it is slower than my 72 superbeetle when it was on 3 cylinders.. until the turbo kicks in, then it is mildly frightening.

for the most part the car is bone stock, for the most part..
it seems someone has added a fuel filter above the brake booster.

the vacuum line that goes from the booster to the manifold was rigged with a plastic 't' with a hose that was plugged with a screw. here's where it get's weird. if the hose is blocked, the engine is kind of boggy and slow to accelerate but if the hose is free to breathe, the car runs better...with no brakes.

now, on the vacuum canister there is an open port, i assumed for some reason it should be plugged but plugging the hose that was 't'eed from the booster hose into that port caused a bog but a little different.

i have unloaded cans of carb cleaner trying to find vacuum leaks and have not noticed any real leaks or differences with the spray.

why would you want to tap into the vacuum line between the booster and manifold?

what do you think i should do to remedy this?

another possibly related question.. anyone ever notice that the car runs weird when you squeeze the intake boot near the air filter? it almost feels like it is blocked and surges when it is 'pumped.'
sound familiar?

thanks!