I bought this '87 240 DL wagon from a guy a few streets down from me. When I got it home the neighbor woman recognized it as the car she had sold seven years before. she mentioned that it used to have a break fluid leak. Well, in the seven years since, the new owners must have used two or three gallons of break fluid a year to keep it working because it still leaks!

Since there is no evidence of leakage on the inside of the wheel wells, i figure it must be the master break cylinder inside the power break vaccum bulb on the firewall. Should I just order a master break cylinder and put it in? Any advice?

One other thing? My odometer isn't doing anything.. But the speedometer works. So - I'm hoping the electronic sensor on the tranny or rear axle or where ever it is is still working and it's only a problem of having linked the wrong wire up in the instrument panel which I have messed with extensively.
Anyone know the color wire that comes from the odometer? Thanks!

 

If there's no evidence of any leaks anywhere else, then most likely it is the Master although this is a lot of fluid disappeared over the years.

The odometer/speedometer is a very common issue in the 240. It is one of the plastic gears inside the speedo that has lost teeth... Dave Barton's Volvo site has a good write up and gears--google it...

 

Thanks Lev

 

argh, its BRAKES, not BREAKS. if your BRAKES BREAK, then you are in for some bad juju!

the master cylinder isn't inside the booster drum, its mounted on the front of it. if the master cylinder was leaking as bad as you suggest, there''d be brake fluid all over the place. otherwise, the leakage could be almost anywhere in the brake system, such as the proportioning valve near the rear axle, or, any of the brake lines front or rear.

I wouldn't start ordering parts til you figure out where the leak is. at a minimum, pull all 4 wheels and closely inspect the brake calibers and the hoses/lines going to each of them, inspect the brake lines that go under the length of the car, etc. the metal brake lines on a Volvo are cupro-nickel, a copper-nickel alloy, vastly superior to the old steel brake lines.

 

It goes without saying, (I hope) that you should look for evidence of a leak along the brake lines and around brake components before any major decision... There should be plenty of fluid somewhere around that Volvo.

 

Yeah. I should wash the engine and under the car and then park it over cardboard. The drips do come from the front of the car. Just not visible because probably inside the break assist bulb.

Lev - do me a favor please. Tell me if this 'quick reply' reaches you. I like to say thanks to people and don't know if just replying to my own string reaches them and Thanks!

 

You don't really need to wash... The cardboard idea is fine depending on where you park and how dirty it is around there. Best is to have the car on a lift and just look for evidence of leakage around the calipers, lines, connections, etc. The master cyl. is usually the main suspect but it could be something else too... Gotta make sure. A major master cyl. leakage usually will be visible right underneath where it attaches to the booster; brake fluid strips paint pretty quickly where it comes in contact...

 

Thanks Lev. I'll be checking for the leak.