Hello,

My car is experiencing multiple electrical problems. At first, I thought all it needed was a new fuel pump. I was able to get it to run for brief periods at a time by priming the intake manifold with gasoline. After replacing the fuel pump, the car still had the same problem. I could hear the fuel pump come on some of the time and sometimes it would run on two cylinders for a brief period. If I tried to step on the throttle, it would backfire and stall. After awhile, it wouldn't even start with priming it with gas.

I checked the ignition switch, but couldn't find any obvious problems with it. I think the problem is with the master relay, but am not sure. My dad has several other Volvos out in the desert that I would like to fix, but it appears that they may have similar problems.

What is it that goes wrong with older Volvos that can cause multiple symptoms like these?

 

The car is 37 years old. There is a slim chance that there is more than one thing wrong. It sounds as if it's out of time and/or the plugs or wires are crossed up and/or the distributor cap and/or rotor may be bad. Additionally, if the car has sat up for any length of time your fuel distributor could be gummed up big time. My very best advice, if you are truly interested in getting the car running, is to purchase a manual for the car and learn the car.

 

New problem: the fuel injectors are flooding the engine so severely that raw gasoline is pouring out from every seam in the exhaust system. On a cold startup, it runs for about 30 seconds before it floods out. This is similar to what it did previously, but without the leakage from the exhaust system.

I have another, slightly older, 144 out in the desert that has the dual Stromberg carbureator setup. Can I swap the manifolds and carbs from it to the one that I'm trying to fix?

 

Sure you can. My 73 144 was originally DJet but the idiot I bought it from sold the ecu and injectors. Rather than buy untested ecu's that may or may not work I bought a set of SU HS6's that originally were on a 67 122. I warn you, the carbs will probably need rebuilding. Your car most likely has a fuel distributor issue. The tolerances in them is critical, dismantaling and repair really isn't an issue...it will never go back together properly. Used ones can be had off of turbobricks.com. It is possible to use any KJet FD.
Converting to carbs is as simple as swapping the exhaust and intake manifold for the Siamese variety or a separate intake and exhaust set up. I opted for the 67 122 Siamese...flows the best of all stock set ups. Block the injector holes with freeze plugs, install a mechanical fuel pump on the block, remove the electric one from the side of the fuel tank. Here's twin SU HS6's on my 73 144E...

 

Wow, your car sure looks pretty! I don't think I'll go for an all-out restoration on this one, though. I just want to get it running and find someone who wants it. My dad had a bunch of old cars parked out at his friend's place in the desert north of town. I'm just trying to fix and unload as many as I can to prevent them from rusting into the ground. They've sat there for too long as it is. I will either sell or crush the ones that I don't fix personally, but it's hard to find people who want them. I have about four 144s and a 145 left out there that you might be interested in for parts if you're interested in restoring another one like the one you have.

By the way, do you have any vaccuum diagram information available that you could share with me in order to do the conversion properly? I don't think the one that I got the carbs from was completely hooked up. The carbureator model is Stromberg 175 CD-2. There are two of them, and they sit on a combination intake/exhaust manifold that looks like it could handle a third one in between these two. I know that the vaccuum circuits shouldn't be too complicated, being that the car is pre-1975, but it's important that I get it right.

Sincerely,
Michael

 

Thanks Mike...it started out an empty husk...

 

Per the advice of my friend at NAPA, I have decided not to pursue fixing the 145 wagon, even with the Strombergs. The parts are difficult to locate and expensive, and there's no telling what's going to break next. He suggested that I part the car out or find someone else who wants to completely restore and keep it. The market value of that car in this area is very close to what I would spend in parts on it. I'm not a particular fan of old Volvos or any other old car for the same reasons: I don't fix cars for a living, and I don't have enough time to devote to them as a hobby. I'm just trying to clear up my father's affairs before he dies, so that I can go back to California to my family once he is gone. If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in these cars, please let me know. Home: 575-415-3145 Cell: 323-527-5015.

 

I'll send the pictures of the other cars as soon as I'm out there again, probably this weekend.