1. Home
  2. Volvo automobiles
  3. Roadtrip tips and suggestions for my '82 240: I NEED THEM!

Roadtrip tips and suggestions for my '82 240: I NEED THEM!

Hi all, I posted once before here; otherwise I'm a lurker who learns something new every time I read through the posts. You guys are awesome and knowledgeable, which is why I would love to get your feedback on a roadtrip I am planning. I have an '82 244 with 159k miles. I bought her a month and a half ago and she's been a great car and has been very well maintained. Some cosmetic flaws but nothing serious. In the last 50,000 miles these major repairs have been done:

-Motor mounts, U-joints and center support replaced

-drive belts, timing belt replaced

-flametrap and oxygen sensor replaced

-brake master cylinder and brake junction block replaced

-radiator replaced

-wiring harness replaced

-brakes new as of 4k miles ago

-new tires I am looking to do an extended loop from San Francisco to Denver, south into New Mexico, and back via Death Valley and Yosemite. I pegged it at about 3500-4000 miles total, depending on how ambitious I get. I want to make this trip in late winter, maybe March / April of next year. The plan is to car camp, hike, ski, and sit in various deserts. So: what would you recommend I bring with me in terms of parts or tools -and- what should I do as preventative maintenance before the trip?

FYI: I'll be carrying snowchains for inclement weather - anything particular I should know about driving this tank in the snow? Any miscellaneous tips or tricks for long trips in a Volvo would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everybody; I look forward to reading your responses! Matt

Reply to
Matt
Loading thread data ...

First thing: EVERY K-jet Volvo owner should have a spare fuel pump relay in the glove box (whether you run the old one until it dies and then replace it, or replace it now and keep the old one as a spare is up to you). These go without warning and leave you stranded. If this is the original alternator, replace the brushes or brushes/voltage regulator assembly. If the brushes reach the limit it stops charging _without_ the idiot light coming on (ask me how I know) and in my experience they reach that point somewhere between 130-180K miles. You don't mention if the water pump has ever been replaced, but that's another "It'll wear out at some point" which could be anywhere from

80-250K miles. I also keep some "just in case" parts in a box in the trunk: the next time you do a tune up, keep the cap, rotor and wires that you replaced. That way if you get a crank in the rotor or cap or one of the wires goes bad you have a spare.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Bradley

I'd recommend a "spare" set of fuses. Even though they "appear" okay, very often corrosion at the "ends" where they contact takes it's toll. This will cause you problems without appearing to. Herman '83 282 5.0 H.O. , formerly 242 Turbo Intercooled

Reply to
Herman

Oh and a fuel filter wouldn't hurt!!! Herman '83 282, formerly 242 Turbo intercooled

Reply to
Herman

If the relay fails, check the current that the fuel pump is drawing, shouldn't be more than about 10A. My relay failed, so I resoldered it only to have the pump fail a few days later. Still buzzed but the pins on the motor armature that engage the impeller stripped out.

Reply to
James Sweet

Oh, a failing pump will take it out, but I've replaced a number of fuel pump relays with pumps that continued to work quite well for many years afterward. It seems that the problem is that the relay carries the full current for the pump causing heat cycling. Most of the ones I've replaced (about a half dozen over the years) have had cracked traces or boards.

Oh, and I forgot to mention to the original poster: A timing belt with

Reply to
Bill Bradley

Yeah I've resoldered quite a few of them too. Actually rather than spare relays I'm tempted to get a couple of those butane soldering irons and a small bundle of solder for each car, then I could repair any relay that happened to fail rather than hoping I had the right spare.

Reply to
James Sweet

Obviously everybodies forgetting the obvious - a week before you leave, fuel injector cleaner, fresh oil, and check all fluids. If anything has been leaking (like antifreeze) - carry a jug or two with you, pre-mixed...off-highway convenience stores/gas stations charge a ton for antifreeze, or better yet get it replaced. If the p00t hits the fan carry some radiator-stop leak or, at the very least, good duct tape :)

(I'm new to the volvo world but I have a long history with radiators going at the wrong time...pardon my pairanoia)

Herman has a 5.0 HO in his volvo? Ford, I assume....you MUST submit pics and/or web pages and/or drag slips and/or cookies!

Fred

Reply to
pppoe

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.