1990 Volvo 240 DL Sedan

I purchased a Volvo muffler from Tasca Volvo, Cranston, Rhode Island, and am ready to install it. I’ve also searched this and other Volvo forums for “how to” information, and have a god list of what to do/not to do. A few remaining questions:

• One person wrote - Rear muffler hangers - when installing put a drop or two of ATF on all the pins, lets them slide right on. My neighbor (a Ford person) recommended a few drops of oil.

But won’t ATF or oil damage the rubber hangers? Here is what I found on a google search – “ATF has petroleum lubricants in it which are hell on most any type of rubber either natural or synthetic unless the rubber is specifically manufactured to be oil resistant.”

Assuming ATF and oil should not be used, what is the easiest way of installing the rear muffler and hangers?

• On the pipe clamps, is it ok to use an anti-sieze compound on the threads so they will come off easier the next time?

Thanks!

 

I just use a flat blade screw drive and guide the hangers. I didnt use any lube.

BTW....Spit works really well!

 

Vaseline petroleum jelly works good on the hangers. It doesn't seem to degrade the rubber.

Anti-seize on the pipe clamps is fine.

 

Thanks.

The install will be done tomorrow after PB Blaster gets to do its job on a few of the clamps.

Today I took the rear muffler off its axle side hanger using a pry bar and put it back on mostly by just bending up the hanger and inserting the muffler mount into it.

So it seems like the easiest side to start on for removal and to finish on for install is the axle pipe side. And first mount the hanger on the car and then insert the muffler part.

One other question.

Is it best to loose connect the axle pipe to the rear muffler before hanging the rear muffler, or best to hang the rear muffler and then loose connect the axle pipe to it?

It would seem like it would be easiest to first hang the resonator and rear muffler and then loose connect the axle pipe to both. This might avoid undue stress to the axle pipe when hanging the rear muffler.

But possibly this makes it more difficult to now position the axle pipe? So what is the proper (or best) way?

Thanks again.

 

It's a two-man job unless you want to use a separate jack stand for the muffler. I mean a second person can help a lot holding something up while you fiddle with the hanger or the clamp. I would use antiseize on everything -- where the pipes slide into each other, the clamps, bolts. If you're just doing the muffler, as opposed to a cat-back replacement, it's pretty easy and not critical whether you hang the muffler first or the exhaust pipe first. Just make sure the tail pipe is positioned right before you tighten those clamps. Stand behind the car 10' or 20' to see if it lines up. If you're using new donuts just cut the old ones off unstead of prying them off. I suggest you spring for new donuts and clamps, bolts, nuts. Post back.

 

The job is done. I did from the cat back. I was tempted to just replace the rear muffler since the axle pipe end for the rear muffler was in very good shape, but decided to be conservative and do it all. I think the next time, I will go the other way.

But it looks like I did not do something right. I hear an ever so slight flutter from the tail pipe; not like a bad muffler though. I decided to look under the rest of the car and noticed something dripping down from the connection from the cat pipe into the new resonator. At first I thought it was possibly the anti-sieze I put on the pipe connection, but when I felt it, it was just condensation.

So is the very slight flutter from the tail pipe and this condensation connected? And if so, what do I do?

Thanks!

 

Might this be why I get the condensation from the cat pipe to the resonator?

I used a tie-wrap as a come-along when hooking up the second resonator rubber hanger. When I cut off the tie-wrap, the resonator centered itself between the 2 hangers.

But I may have tightened up this one clamp before I cut off the tie-wrap. Could this be the problem with the condensation leak, and thus the very slight flutter from the tail pipe?

And would loosening and re-tightening this one clamp resolve it? Or?

 

It looks like a camp tightening issue. I loosened the clamp connecting the cat pipe to the resonator, moved it back slightly and re-tightened the clamp. The leak stopped.

But the leak reappeared at one of the other clamps. So I loosened each up as it leaked, moved it back slightly and re-tightened.

Feels like a game of wack-a-mole.

The original leak has now been resolved. The one that seems to leak the most still is the clamp at the rear of the resonator.

So how tight is tight? Is there a danger of over tightening these clamps? Is the clamp location (approximately 1/2" from the end of the female end) too far back?

Is some small leak from one of these connections okay? That is, will it just go away by itself as some rust builds up at that point??

I'm learning

 

I just replaced the exhaust system all the way up to the catalytic converter on my 240. So I've been through just about all these issues as well and went with the vaseline and never cease.