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A Sexy Volvo...
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Author:  ccrunner [ September 20, 2017, 11:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

Side view mirror(s)

The previous owner did a really nice job on the paint and body work, but he elected to put the side view mirrors way out in the middle of the fenders.. I think that look works well on some cars, but to me it breaks up the long, lean nose of this particular model, so I've elected to move them.. I'm just going to have to live with the holes that remain, as I've installed just one Talbot style mirror on the driver's side.. I'll try the single mirror approach for now, and I'll add one to the passenger side later if I feel it needs it.. I like things to be as smooth and uncluttered as possible, so I'm hopeful that I won't have to add that 2nd mirror later-- won't know until I drive this thing for awhile..

--ccrunner

Author:  ccrunner [ September 20, 2017, 11:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

It's the little things..

Personal preference here.. The earliest 1800's had clear/white front marker lights, which I think look better with this combo of red and chrome.. This car is #6024, so while not technically a Jensen, it sure as heck specs out like one.. 99% of all people will have no clue what a Jensen 1800 is, but for that 1%, I think they'll agree that the clear lenses belong on this one :cheers:

--ccrunner

Author:  ccrunner [ September 20, 2017, 11:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

WOOF!!

Took a bit of time to install the single 10" woofer.. in the next few months I plan to reinstall the rear half of the interior, so it will be buried and inaccessible- gotta wire it up and put it in now..

As for the rest of the stereo.. the amps will be hung upside down and hidden up in the rear seat void, the front speakers will be recessed up into the front kick panels, and the head unit will be mounted below a retractable door in a yet-to-be built center console..

--ccrunner

Author:  ccrunner [ September 20, 2017, 12:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

July 28, 2017

It's alive! It's ALIVE!!

Big milestone on this day in late July.. Fired it up and went around the block under it's own power :cheers:

As you can imagine, lots of issues to sort.. fan won't come on/ BIG oil leak(s)/ sometimes won't crank/ many troubling rubs and rattles/ EPS doesn't work/ it's about 1.5 inches too low/ 12 DTCs to deal with/ and I can't seem to get the trapped air out of the cooling system.. Other that that, she's FABULOUS :P

--ccrunner

Author:  ccrunner [ September 20, 2017, 3:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

Late July, 2017

So it's on it's feet, but still a long way to go.. I took it around the block with no exhaust, which as you would imagine, was a bit loud; time to hang an exhaust system..

I bought a 'generic' 2.5 exhaust-kit-in-a-box from Summit for use on the turbo plumbing.. it was my hope that I could use the leftovers for this car's 'real' exhaust.. Looks like I'll have jusssst enough :)

I wasn't sure if I'd end up liking the muffler/sound or not, but in hindsight I love it! My main goal was to get this 4 cylinder to be QUIET and remain powerful.. this is an excellent muffler if those are your goals.. I'm not a fan of the sound of a typical 4 banger, so I sought to just make it as quiet as possible (I'm also going to DD this car, so I didn't want to deal with an overly-loud exhaust or an obnoxious drone).. That said, this wasn't a cheap muffler, but I would in fact buy it again now that I know how effective it is..

ccrunner

Author:  ccrunner [ September 20, 2017, 3:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

Stringing the exhaust was pretty straightforward- keep it high and tight.. I did have a hard time snaking it through the IRS, and I think it's actually rubbing somewhere.. gotta track that down and fix it :?

--ccrunner

Author:  ccrunner [ September 20, 2017, 3:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

Early August, 2017

I made my best guess on proper ride height and spring choice awhile back, but I missed the mark on both ends of the car..

Having driven a handful of miles at this point, I'm pretty sure the rear spring rate (160#) is right, but I need to lower the upper spring mounts (meaning I need to raise the rear of the car about 1 or 2 inches.. No biggie, just some fab time..

On the front, it's just simply undersprung.. way too soft, way too low.. I'm thinking I'm going to go to "standard" front 1800 front springs-- just hoping they don't put the nose too high..

I approximated what I want in the pics below.. shoved a few blocks in the front and raised the rear with a floor jack to visualize where I think the car needs to be..

--ccrunner

Author:  ccrunner [ September 20, 2017, 4:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

August 16-17, 2017

The long process of sorting the car is underway..one of the issues that's come back is the shifter and shift boot.. I'm trying to think a few steps ahead and plan on the ergonomics of the center console I need to fab in, and how it will mesh with the position of the shifter.. Turns out I needed to move the shifter back a few inches to make it all work better..

I ended up just cutting out the old shifter entirely-- I then welded a short piece of small diameter tubing to where the GM OEM shifter base bolts up, then I took a polished stainless steel bolt (10mm x 140mm), cut off the head, and welded it in upside down.. It centers up the shift knob nicely, and I'll know if I got it right once the console and armrest pad go in.. if anything, I think it may be a little short.. if so, I'll just redo the inverted bolt part with a longer 10mm bolt..

--ccrunner

Author:  ccrunner [ September 20, 2017, 5:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

Today is August 20, 2017, and this build log is now back in real time- yay!

Had the car out last night just before sunset (pics below).. Still many issues yet to work out.. 2 big things that come to mind are getting the ride height right, and dealing with the mystery of the self-fixing oil leak :shock:

I'll take guesses on this freaky oil leak situation- if you've got a theory, I'd love to hear it..

Backstory; this engine is a 2009 GM LNF Ecotec 2.0 turbo with 49K on it, and sat in my garage for the last 2 years- I have no idea how long it was idle before that.. the wrecker said it was pulled because the donor car was in a wreck- there is no apparent damage to the engine..

As a matter of fact, I cannot overstate how insanely powerful this little motor is! torque for days.. because I'm not used to it, it actually scares me when I get on it... no traction control and gobs of torque and hp.. it's a downright spooky ride (in a very, very good way :lol: )

So the problem: It leaked oil BADLY when I first fired it up- even worse, it seemed to be leaking from the rear main seal :BH: .. but over the last few weeks an interesting thing has happened.. it now does NOT seem to leak from the rear main; now it IS leaking from the front crank seal.. and at that, the leak is not consistent- some trips it leaks (noticeable spot on the floor) at shutdown, and some trips no leak at all..

so- ??

I want to tear into it and 'fix' what's wrong (front seal= easy), but let's not go crazy, no one wants to do a motor pull for a rear main if they don't have to 8) ..so what the heck is up with the leaks today not tomorrow thing? Maybe dried seals are swelling with use? maybe dried seals are now cracking and leaking with use? Maybe there's an altogether different problem? (btw, I'm using 5w-30 conventional motor oil for this startup, but in the next 20 miles or so it gets an oil change..)

Author:  superleggera [ September 23, 2017, 8:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

Love this build log (and old 1800s) -- thanks for posting all of what you have done.

Author:  ckouba [ September 23, 2017, 10:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

ccrunner wrote:
Still many issues yet to work out.. ...getting the ride height right...

Image



I hear (see) what you're saying (writing) but I think that looks fantastic the way it sits right there!

Congrats on getting it moving. Looks great!

Chris

Author:  ajmacdon [ September 24, 2017, 8:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

ccrunner wrote:

I'll take guesses on this freaky oil leak situation- if you've got a theory, I'd love to hear it..



Are you sure your crankcase ventilation system is plumbed exactly like the factory installation? Crankcase pressure is one of those variables that could be different from one drive to the next and modern, low friction crank seals can be overcome by even 10-12 kpa of pressure (which is easy to get if you get a slug of oil sucked/blown into your CCV lines or if they're not routed correctly in the first place). Just a thought, good luck!

Alex

Author:  ccrunner [ September 27, 2017, 11:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

I'm with you Chris.. I think it looks great down low, but it's way down at the bump stops, and the ride is sketchy at that height.. A certain pucker factor when you blow through an uneven intersection at speed, knowing it's going to bottom out :shock:

I like the way you think Alex! Not sure yet, but your idea to inspect the PCV plumbing may just be it (I hope!) I have not plumbed it to stock, so worth a look.. I've never had an oil leak move around as this one is.. would you believe that this weekend I drove it and had no oil leaks ?!? So odd

More and more I'm finding enjoyment in taking it out for short little trips as I sort it out. Early Saturday (9-23-17) morning I drove it to McDonald's for one of their yummy $2 mochas.. Took a pic in the parking lot sitting next to a late model Honda- makes the 1800 look small to me.. Went to drive it home, and she starts to bog, spit, and sputter. She runs, barely, up to about 1200 rpms, then falls flat and has no 'go'.

A bit of panic a frustration sets in.. normal thoughts emerge.. air? fuel? spark? ...no codes thrown.. better pull into the Walgreen's parking lot and sort this.. plan 'B' thoughts set in.. easy enough to walk home from here.. get the truck, get a tow dolly, drag the Volvo the 3 blocks home, return the dolly, 1/2 day gone.. Sitting there, I could get it to run and sort of idle, but it was not happy.. what could it be? 1/4 tank of fuel.. Hey, how is the fuel pressure? I have a gauge plumbed inline... it wants 60 psi.. Well there's the problem.. 20 psi?!! Now she's throwing codes..

I get it to limp home.. take the DD to get 5 gallons of gas.. put it in the 1800, and what do you know, this car runs really well when it's not out of gas :roll: ...To my credit, the gauge was reading a solid 1/4 tank, but to my fault, I shouldn't have trusted a gauge that may or may not be calibrated correctly :oops:

The sorting process is fun, isn't it :wink:


--ccrunner

Author:  ccrunner [ September 27, 2017, 11:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

9-24-2017

So with the little running out of gas episode resolved, I decided to go after my ride height issue, as it's making all sorts of protestations as is..

For the front, I took the 'lowering springs' that I have been running out, and I put the OEM springs that it had in it when I got the car back in.. They're 50 years old and tired, but they put the nose close to where I think I want it..

For the rear, I pulled out my upper spring mounts and raised them .75" (pic).. the goal here is to get it close to where I want it, and if anything, be a little low, as I can always make spacers for the top of the spring mounts later to raise the rear if needed (easier to raise it than lower it)..

Put some heavy tacks on the reworked spring mounts until I'm sure they're where I want them.. I'll pull them back out in the next few weeks and weld them solid..

between last week and this week, I've raised the car about an inch front and rear.. this is close to where I want it for 'stance', but it also makes for a much better ride.. still a bit undersprung in front, but for a 50+ year old car, it's pretty nice :)


--ccrunner

Author:  ccrunner [ September 27, 2017, 12:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Sexy Volvo...

Clink Clank Thump Bump

With the car up at a 'normal' ride height, I was really surprised that the strange noises I was getting from the rear didn't go away.. I could swear I was rubbing exhaust, or maybe even the driveshaft was binding up and grazing the tunnel? Something back there is definitely not right.. rubbing, squeaking, grinding, popping.. a series of noises that are a bit hard to describe, but certainly NOT acceptable..

So I went about tracking the source down.. happens at any temp.. and almost always happens in a turn.. Got the car on jacks and looked and looked.. no interference issues anywhere.. nothing rubbing.. then it dawned on me.. what about the trak-loc clutches inside the rear end?

Bingo! Should have figured this one out sooner.. I've never had a 'limited slip'/locker type rear end before so it's never come up.. Although I haven't opened it yet, I'm 100% certain the inside of the diff is where all of my unpleasant noises are coming from- I was able to replicate it on the stands.. nasty little sounds emanating from this 3rd member .. Hopefully it's as simple as swapping out the clutch plates.. Add to the list this little task that I'll tackle in the next few weeks..

--ccrunner

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