Hey y'all. This is Hannah C of Portland, Maine. I've had this car almost a year and have not been able to debug ONE problem. I, my father, and countless Volvo specialists have looked at it, replaced nearly everything and still can't solve it. I'm going to give a series of year long symptoms and you Dr's can generate your differentials. I am quite serious about whoever gives me an answer that is correct getting a reward. $50 is about all I can swing, but is more than worth to have some intelectual energy expended on this.

1) She is a '84, 244 DL, manual, 150k on her. Clutch is tight, was well maintained.
2) First symptom was a high idle. I replaced the oxygen sensor, air filter and checked my belt tension. Then we developed a progressively rough idle, just slight at first, then much more significant, with the idle surging while sitting. Idle was rough when cold or hot, from start-up to running for an hour.
3) Sluggish behavior while accelerating. This grew to the most severe problem of "chugging" and no acceleration despite gas applied. Our RPMs fluxuated and then got high and stayed high even while coasting in neutral just before the "stumbling" "stuttering" "chugging" like she was trying molasses for fuel.
4) At this point, I noticed some bushing whine in my alternator and promptly replaced it. The problem dissipated for 1 1/2 weeks. When it returned (the chugging and idle problems) the alternator sound did not and my voltage was normal. My voltage even with an electronic meter on it does not vary significatly enough during the problem for it to be another faulty alternator.
I replaced ALL my belts, since one of them was making noise when wet and thought it couldn't hurt.
5) The problem became so severe, I went into the shop and checked all of the following. A: Fuel pressure (both pumps deemed sound) B: Injector flow, C: plugged in a new ECU and cleaned all the contacts. Disconected noise suppresor unit for the radio from the ignition coil where it was connected and replaced wiring there. None of these had any effect. Noticed some improvement when spraying carb cleaner around the intake manifold and thought I had it figured out. Replaced the intake manifold gasket and LITTLE/NO DIFFERENCE. The symptoms had problem been compounded by a slightly leaking gasket.
6) Since we all deemed my ECU, fuel pumps, injectors and whatnot sound (and yes, have done a compression check, good as new.) Thought that somewhere there was an electrical short in the cable harness that runs over the hotest part of the engine and around the intake manifold, etc... Had entire wiring harness and ALL cabeling replaced. Very thorough.

Symptoms remain.

My card is open, I'm willing to try anything...

Many thanks for even bothering to read this far