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1984 244GL
Ran great. Vegas trips, Monterey, Pismo, Big Bear, etc. Nary a problem. Until the coolant reservoir cracked. Overheated fairly bad. So I replaced the reservoir and went on my way.
A week later after dropping my son off at school, I start the car... BANG! Can't see out the rear view mirror because of the fog. Umm... But it's not foggy. Limp home, let her cool off, and pop the head praying it's a gasket. It seems Murphy was the only one listening to my prayers, because three water passages in the cyl head had chipped away to the point of exposing the cylinder to the water. Of course this all happens when I'm unemployed. Sigh.
Car sits for 9 months with the head off. Finally get a little money and start looking for a head. Never found one cheap enough. But I found an 85 engine on eBay. Starting bid $75. Worth a try... I won! Nobody else bid! Came from a local company who said it was pulled from a running 200k+ car. Ok.
Since I have a trashed back, the engine swap took a long time. I was also working by now and can only do weekends, a couple hours per day. Coupla months later the engine's in and I've finally hooked up all the wiring (I think). Won't start. Sounds like something in the engine's dragging. Well, who knows how long this engine sat with its oil drained out, so maybe just cranking it a little at a time will work the oil back into all the nooks&crannies. AFter a while, still nothing. Check ignition timing. Can't read the pulley mark. Advance the distrib as far as it will go... It starts!! Woot!!!
Then it stalled. Won't stay running. Cranked up the idle as far as it will go... Barely idling, but the RPMs are all over the map. Hmmm... Go home. Look at it again next weekend... Think about putting my head through the wall for not checking/replacing the timing belt while the engine was out of the car.
Wife says "If you're not sure, take it to the shop..." .....! Me? Take? To? Shop? The horror!
So, I took it to the shop. I've worked with these guys before, but only for Smog crap. Nervous about leaving my baby with them. But I do. Next day they call "We need to replace your timing belt.." Yeah, that's what I said. Go ahead... Next day they call "We need to replace the bottom timing pulley..." Go ahead... Next day they call "What year is this again? The part for your 84 doesn't match what the dealer says should be on it." ME:"I told you I had put an 85 engine in there..." Shop:"Ahhhhh well we can't get that part. You need to find one."
Certified Salvage in Santa Ana specializes in Volvos. $50 later I'm taking a new timing sprocket to the shop.
I picked it up yesterday. It LIVES!!!!! Woot!!!
There's more issues with it that I'll be posting about, so stay tuned... :D
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