I've got an odd one here. My 84 240 wagon was running fine, then died one day. Towed it home, and in poking around I discovered that the rotor in the distributor was loose. I would push it back down in place, start the car and it would run for a minute then die. Checked and the rotor was loose again. When I looked inside the hole on the rotor where the shaft goes, the little bit that fits into the notch on the shaft was worn down. So I figured that it was just old. Put a new one and a new cap in and it started right up.

When I took it for a test drive, a couple miles later it dies again, and when I checked the new rotor, it was the same worn down spot. This was the same brand as the one I replaced, so I returned it, bought another brand, plugged it in and tried it, and the same thing happened within about half a mile. So for some reason that I can not fathom, somehow the distributor seems to be stripping out rotors. None of the caps or rotors have any other damage, so I don't think its hitting anywhere, but I'm at a total loss as to why this is happening. And since 84 distributors are hard to find, I can't really just put a new one in and see if that fixes it very easily.

Does anyone have any thoughts here? I checked and the distributor shaft doesn't seem loose or like it moves, and when I put a good rotor on it I make sure to push it down until it clicks into place. When I check before I start it, the rotor stays put when I pull on it. And when its running, it runs pretty smooth and seems to have power. So if anyone has any thoughts, please let me know. I'm stuck driving my rather thirsty truck until I can get this straightened out. Thanks all!

 

the only brand rotor/cap to use is Bosch.

on the side of the distributor should be a Bosch mark (circle with a sideways I-beam thing in it), and a number like 0 237 002 039 or whatever. Thats the Bosch p/n and should be cross referencable to get the correct rotor/cap.

 

Thanks! Would it really just be an issue that it wasn't a bosch part? I pulled the number off the distributor- its 0 237 506 003. I haven't been able to cross reference it anywhere, and when I've looked online at different sites I get conflicting info on what part the rotor is. Depending where I look its either 04138, 04170 or 04216. And they each seem to be different. I'm going to have to order it online, and if I do it soon I can have it here tomorrow. Otherwise with the holiday it wouldn't be until Tuesday. Any thoughts?

 

Oh, and there's also this one: 04038, but it says for Bosch FI only. Is that bosch fuel injection? How do I tell if I have that?

 

k, bosch 0237506003, VADIS say is a Volvo 1336737, for B23F except turbo.

for that distributor, VADIS says your cap is Volvo 243797 and your rotor is Volvo 1336240. there should be a condensation shield in there too, 1336242. this is a hall sensor distributor. your 84 should have Bosch LH (hot wire air-mass meter) electronic fuel injection ( probably pre-2.2), and a chrysler ignition control unit mounted on the right fender.

cap: Volvo Ignition Distributor Cap BOSCH 100247 1235522056 03010 243797 028851300100
rotor: Volvo Ignition Rotor BOSCH 100260 04138 1336240 1234332309 028851401388


see the note on the rotor. I bet you're getting ones for the /other/ distributor with a different size shaft.

 

oh, the bit about Bosch LH injection, Chrysler Igntion, is specific to US models. world market cars could have a lot of different stuff on them.

If you have LH, there will be a Bosch AMM/MAF in the air pipe between the air filter box and the throttle body, and the injection will be electric.

An electronics module mounted on the right fender just behind the headlight, that has a vacuum bellows on the bottom front corner is the signature of Chrysler igntion (used on US model 240's from 8? to 88), this is your ICU

 

Thanks for all the help. I looked at IPD, but another site (I can't remember which one) said the 04138 rotor didn't fit my car and listed another bosch one. I ended up ordering both of them and the cap, just to be safe. I can return which ever one doesn't work.

I do have the system you described, so hopefully this will work. I'm still confused about why the old rotor I had was working fine for awhile, and then I'm suddenly having this problem stripping out rotors. Is there anything else I can check out while I'm waiting for the new parts to come in?

 

I got those volvo part numbers I referenced from VADIS (older Volvo parts catalog), starting with the Bosch PN of your distributor so I'm inclined to trust that IPD cross reference to the correct bosch rotor+cap. a lot of sites just go by the model/year, and don't realize Volvo sometimes mixed and matched parts based on what they had available.

 

I was just checking out the distributor again, and I realized that there is a small amount of play in the shaft. Its not much, maybe between a millimeter or two. I also looked more closely at the interior of the new cap, and there is what may be a scratch in one of the metal terminals. So now I'm wondering if the problem is the rotor hit because of the play in the shaft. If that play is the problem, is there a bearing or something for the shaft that I can replace, or am I looking at a whole new distributor?

 

I believe its a bushing, not a bearing. I know there are still some old school auto electric shops that can rebuild a distributor, although thats becoming a lost art. you probably can use the distributor from /any/ 240 at least through 1988, as they all use the same hall sensor.

 

Just an update, I'm pretty sure the side to side movement is the issue here. I hunted around and found a used distributor (same Bosch part number) that is in good shape, and is from a reputable place, and I should have it in a couple days. I also have the Bosch cap and rotor for it. Once I get it here I'll swap out the old distro and see if that takes care of it

I'm also going to disassemble my old distributor once I pull it and see if I can replace the bushing or whatever is worn, so I have a backup and also just for general reference.

Oh and for the record, IPD was right, it is the 04138 rotor. The 04170 rotor is made for a smaller diameter shaft. So if anyone else runs into that, there's the definitive answer. I'll update once I get the new distributor in, and also the results of the teardown. Thanks for all the help!

 

yeah the 04170 fits later 240's and mid 90s vw's!

 

I suspect you could use any number of different Bosch distributors as long as the mounting collar and drive shaft is the same, and they have hall sensor timing with no mechanical or vacuum advance.

 

I've found a few threads on this issue with this specific year, and, at least in the ones I've seen, people think it should work, but no one has actually tried it with any success. People very may well have done this, but I haven't come across anyone saying they have. There was a thread about this a few years ago on this forum (https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...btanium-71338/- you actually contributed quite a bit Pierce), and what the poster found was that the 84 uses the mechanical advance weights of the older rigs, but with the vacuum moved to the ICU.
Since I couldn't find anyone who had successfully used another model, I was hoping to find either a direct replacement or working used one. Assuming this one is good I can tear apart my old one and see if I can get whatever worn parts I need to rebuild it, and still have a working one in the meantime. That way I can hopefully avoid this problem should it ever come around again. Although, this distributor has lasted for over 300k miles so I can't really complain either.

 

Again, I think the key thing is, some years in particular, Volvos are a bit of a random selection of parts. There can be several different distributors in the same year cars. There are reportedly 740's which have 240 style side mount distributors. things like brakes, there's sometimes 2-3 different brake calibers used in a single year and each requires different pads, rotors. I know late 80s 240's have at least 2 different steering racks, which use different and incompatible inner tie rod ends.