Purchasing '85 Volvo 740 GLE 2.4TD

[Nevadan]

I will receive my '85 740 2.4TD in February and just want to get educated on the site prior to its arrival.

I'm VERY familiar with the 1.6TD in my '85 Jetta. I love that era's IDI engine and despite some criticism in other forums I feel if they are properly maintained (oil change, injector nozzle replacement every 100,000, valve adj., injection pump leak fixing, etc.) they would go 1,000,000 miles.

My 740 has 203,000 miles on it, drives very good right now, appears to have had the head rebuilt recently, no leaks on the injection pump and overall looks very clean.

I will post photos in February once I receive the vehicle. Until then I'll keep studying this site. I'm glad it exists!

One question to get started, what is the exact name of the service manual for this vehicle? It's referred to as the "green book" in the site, but what's it exactly, and where do I get one (or them)?

J.D.

[ngoma]

The Volvo official factory service manuals are commonly referred to as the "Green Books."

There are several "Green Books," a series, but the one that pertains to the engine is titled:

Volvo
Service Manual
Fault tracing
Repairs
Maintenance

Section 2
D24 Turbo-diesel
700-series 1982-19..

TP 30571/1
6000.11.84


The Haynes manual for Volvo 7xx series is pretty good, but lacks diesel sections.

The Chilton includes diesel sections.


You might try Ebay.

Here is a store I like, dedicated to automotive books; they have shelves of green books:
http://www.books4cars.com/index.php

The D24T is very similar to the VW 1.6, with a few extra cylinders tacked on the end. IP rotates backward, has a different cold start mechanism, vacuum pump is different, Timing belt setup different, cooling system a little different. Most of your skills and tools will transfer over easily.

[Nevadan]

Excellent information! Thank you.

One of the reasons I am purchasing the 740 D24T is because of the similarities. It's easier to diagnose and repair the things you're familiar with. And....it's definitely a unique vehicle!

[Nevadan]

I have my 740/745! This is the one that was on Craig's List in Carson City at the "Experience Cars" lot. I know there was some interest in it because the owner said he had back-up offers.

The vehicle is in amazing condition. It drives smooth and solid, the overdrive works correctly, it looks like the head has had recent work, the injection pump looks very good and may have been rebuilt in the recent past, the coolant hoses look near new, etc. etc. etc. There was a receipt in the the glovebox for a $900 brake job in January 2011 done by a Volvo dealership in San Francisco. All in all a very well taken care of car.

There's a few dents in the body and the sunroof is from a different car and the wrong color but those are minor concerns for me.

Some things needing immediate attention: the cold start thermostat doesn't work, blinker switch is broken off, new front seats (I've already got a very good set from a Pick-n-Pull vehicle), a/c compressor needs a belt and maybe more, small vacuum hose leak at the firewall, heater controls don't work and I'll do a thorough inspection of all components and systems with fluid changes, etc.

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x411/JDinReno/1985%20Volvo%20740/Passengerside_zps1291be65.jpg

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x411/JDinReno/1985%20Volvo%20740/Driversside2_zps4c2fd3cd.jpg

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x411/JDinReno/1985%20Volvo%20740/Enginepassengerside_zps06d4b0ba.jpg

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x411/JDinReno/1985%20Volvo%20740/Enginedriversside_zpsedb04c4c.jpg

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x411/JDinReno/1985%20Volvo%20740/Headliner_zps78a0e4e9.jpg

[Vomaz]

Nice looking car.. What gearbox are used? M46 od or m47?

[Nevadan]

Thanks, it is a good looking car.

It's got the 4 speed with the overdrive and it works well. I haven't figured out how to properly downshift from 5th to 4th without putting it in 3rd but I've only driven it about 40 miles on the freeway. I'll experiment more this weekend.

[745 TurboGreasel]

Just touch the OD button,or clutch for a second.

[v8volvo]

Sharp looking wagon! My favorite paint color for the 700 series. I've only seen that light gray in combination with a red interior before, makes a nice combo with the beige leather too. Looks like a newer or redone headliner in it, that's almost always a problem on the early 700 series cars. Nice plus to have it already in good shape.

Sounds like you'll be well-equipped to get it sorted out with your familiarity with the 1.6TD layout. I agree that a good-running IDI is a great motor to drive -- no question the TDI is a major improvement but the IDI's have some advantages of their own, including smoothness, quietness, and flexibility, all of which qualities fit especially nicely in the 6-cylinder D24T. Once you've had the Volvo out on the highway, you might find yourself spoiled by it and suffering from a reduced tolerance for noise and vibration in your 4-cyl Jetta and Mercedes.... ;)

The six is similar to the 1.6L design, but more in concept than in execution -- not many of the tools interchange and its architecture is different in many respects, although it is nearly identical to the 2.0L five which you also have. Most of the service procedures are quite different and require developing some new techniques versus what you might be accustomed to with the 1.6 -- but if you've got the understanding of the theory you'll pick it up quickly. Their major strengths (bottom-end longevity, cold starting ability, flexibility, efficiency relative to competing designs of similar age) and weak points (unforgiving of cooling system failure, require conscientious maintenance of oil, valve clearances, and timing belt system) are the same, so if you know how to avoid the things that make a 1.6 break, you'll have no trouble keeping a D24T going for a long time. If they are abused their life can be expensive and short, but as you said, as long as they don't suffer from neglect their longevity is nearly infinite and they can provide highly economical and reliable service for the long term.

With this wagon in your fleet, it looks like you have now assembled quite a collection of vintage diesels. There's probably a retired VW powertrain engineer somewhere who would be proud to see someone owning all three versions of their modular IDI diesel family. :cool: I have an old article written about the 760 TD when it was first introduced detailing the development of VW's family of inline turbodiesels -- looks like they were going to do a 3-cylinder for the 2nd-gen Golf and Jetta as well, which I guess never happened (or at least was never sold here). Anyway, it's a fun read, excerpt below, and a nice table comparing outputs of all the various turbo and naturally aspirated motors.

http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/7269/tdarticle.png

Congrats on finding such a well-preserved example -- welcome to the small, exclusive, and entertaining world of Volvo Turbodiesel ownership! :D

[Nevadan]

Familiarity with the IDI's is the main reason I purchased the vehicle. I did some work on it today and I'm convinced there's a new/rebuilt head on it along with a recently rebuilt IP. The 2 notch gasket material looks no more than a few years old. It's the only car I own that doesn't have oil leaks!!

I'm going to fabricate some timing tools (crank holder, cam sprocket holder, etc.) so I can work on the 2.0 on the stand (it's running but I want to go through it prior to putting it in the Quantum Syncro Wagon. The IP leaks, it's missing a piston oil squirter and it needs new belts) and the 2.4.

I also liked the idea of having the 4, 5 and 6 cylinder IDI engines! I appreciate the article. I was very impressed with the quietness of the 6 cylinder compared to the 4, so you're right about not having the vibration. I'm also anxious to see what my mpg are, if its 29 city and 37 highway as stated in the article I'll be VERY impressed. I was thinking more like 25/32.

I removed, tested and replaced all the glow plugs today. Two weren't working and three of the four that were were Champion's so I had some good used Bosch's that I put in. That back glow plug was a real pain to get to. I bet there's a specially bent wrench for the electrical connection as well as the plug. It fired right up once those were in.

I also put in a new cold-start thermostat so the advance mechanism works properly now. What a job that was. I replaced one on the 2.0 on the stand and it wasn't very difficult because I could get at it. I'm thinking about making a clamp to hold the two halves of the t-stat housing together, something like a c-clamp. Anyway, it's together and it works well.

I also replaced the non-working heater controller in the dash so now I have a fully functioning heating system. The snap clip on the rotating wheel that controls the vacuum flow was broken and the PO had also snapped off the control arm because everything was bound up. I found a good one at the junkyard and it was a fairly simple job.

The cooling system hoses are all stock Volvo and they look pretty new. The PO must have had this serviced at a Volvo dealership. I'm amazed at how long some of the hoses are: the lower radiator hose and the hoses that route to and from the oil cooler!!!

I'm also amazed there isn't an air to oil cooler, just the water to oil cooler. I may add an air to oil cooler similar to the way I did my 1.6 engine. I just stacked a Volvo thermostat plate below the water to oil cooler and routed the hoses to a cooler in front on the radiator as shown here: http://www.vwdieselparts.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11517

I'm going to take it out on the highway next weekend and adjust the LDA and fuel screw.

[RedArrow]

That will look awesome. My favourite Volvo colour!

Also, v8volvo, you are such a Charles Darwin, an Albert Einstein and an Ernest Hemingway of Volvos that it is always great to read what you say about them. Very professional, informative and interesting. Thanks!