I recently got for free a 1985 dl. From what I'm told the timing belt broke while the car was being driven. How do I set the correct timing when I replace the belt ? Could there be any possibility the engine was damaged when the belt broke ? Thank you in advance.

Jim

 

nearly zero chance of engine damage on a US model 240. some euro models had higher compression engines that could impact the valves, and the 16V engine used on some 740/940's were 'interference' designs, but the straight B230F on a 240 would only be at risk if the head and/or block had been shaved more than spec during previous repairs (quite unlikely... our 240 has gone 400K miles on its original head gasket).

you align the notches on the various pulleys to the corresponding notches like so...



if you google 'volvo 240 timing belt replacement', you can find numerous detailed 'how-to's. if you don't know the history of this car, you probably should replace the tensioner (its supposed to be done every other timing belt), and if there's any sign of oil seepage, replace the crank shaft and cam shaft seals too, as you're already 80% of the way in there. many people replace the water pump and thermostat when they do a timing belt as a precautionary measure, but I would ONLY do this if you use REAL volvo parts as the aftermarket stuff is likely to be worse than the pump you removed.

 

Thank you very much. Looks like a few dollars and some time I might have a nice car.

 

let me also suggest getting he Bentley book on 240's, its a quite decent shop reference.

As an electronics geek, I find the greenbook wiring diagrams (year and model specific) extremely handy for debugging the inevitable electrical gremlins on a 20-30 year old car. 1985 falls in the 1983-1987 range of 'biodegradable wiring harnesses' where the engine wiring was quite prone to failure with age. seems they changed the insulation materials in 1983 to be less toxic or something, and the new stuff didn't last as long as it should, they rectified this in 1988.