Hey guys, I've found a 1985 Volvo 240 w/ 135k miles manual trans. The lady says she took it to a mechanic and it needs a fuel pump. She wants to get rid of it for $800. I think this is a decent deal. The car is in really good condition. No cracks on dash or interior and the paint is still pretty decent. Do you guys think this is a good buy? Is the fuel pump in the tank? Approx how long does it take to change it?

 

There are two fuel pumps. One in the tank that just feeds gas to the main pump which is under the car, left side under the back seat.

If the car runs, then most likely it needs just the tank pump. If it doesn't run, then it might need both. Generally it will still run with the tank pump broke but it may not run well when the tank is below 1/2 full. It puts more of a strain on the main pump and will eventully cause it to fail as well.

The main pump runs about $140 - $150 while the tank pump runs $40 - $50 from FCP if you are handy with tools. Don't know what it would cost in a shop.

Really, I wouldn't take her word for it but check out the system yourself. It could need just a relay. To test both pumps, a good writup can be found here:

http://cleanflametrap.com/transferPump.htm

It details checking the pumps and replacing the tank pump.

$800 seems like a reasonable price if the remainder of the vehicle is in good shape.

 

I appreciate the feedback and thanks so much for that write-up I've got it bookmarked now . Do you know if it's possible in the future to do an engine swap with a Turbo model?

 

anything is possible!