Will a 1989 240 run if I take out the alternator to have it repaired? Someone said it might drive the fuel pump so its too risky.

 

You need current for the car to run. It will run for a time without the alternator until the battery gets completely drained, then it will all die; may be 20 minutes... Not advisable! Also, the belt runs other accessories, so it will be more unknowns...

 

the fuel pump is electric and under the car, so totally not involved here.

on our 87 240, the alternator is on its own belt (2, I think), but the a/c compressor drives the belt for the power steering. different years have different belt configurations, however. as lev says, you might get 20 or maybe even 40 minutes on a fully charged battery before it starts to run down. leave your lights off, or you cut that in half.

That said, 99% of 'alternator repairs' are just replacing the brush+regulator module, this can be done in the car, easily.
Voltage Regulator Brush Pack

if your alternator is totally worn out, I'd swap it for a rebuild (rebuild quality is all over), or replace it with a new one (expensive but more reliable). no one actually repairs these things in house anymore, labor is too expensive, and parts availability is too difficult.
http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volv...-dl-745-al157x

 

Clarification: Auto repair shop that does alternator rebuilds said the alternator on my 89' 240 might drive the WATER pump (not fuel pump) so its too risky to drive without the alternator while I am having it repaired. I have had to use a charger to charge the battery every day and I only get a few starts before it dies during the day, its much worse at night. Lowest estimate for a new alt is $89 retail and probably $50-60 for auto repair shop that does rebuilds.

 

for $50 or $60 that shop is slapping in new brushes and not much more. a full rebuild involves new bearings, new rings, new diode board AND new brushes, the parts alone are nearly $100 if you can find them.

the correct Bosch alternator for your car is about $130 brand new from FCP (link above), and the brushes are trivial to replace yourself for about $45. (other link above). if you're replacing the alternator, you really should replace the belts too, just on principle, that will run another $10 or something for good belts. http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volv...-245-10x920set

re; the belts, look at them, and see. I'm pretty sure my 240 has a separate belt for the water pump, and another for the alternator, but I could be wrong, its been awhile since I looked. in fact, I think the water pump is driven by the TIMING belt, not the fan belts that run the alternator and a/c and power steering.

 

Buying a new alternator will solve your problems in the long run. As Pierce said, to have one rebuilt the new bearings, new rings, new diode board and new brushes. If it was me, I would spend the extra $30 for a new alternator that is genuine Volvo.

 

um, the Bosch alternator I linked above should be the same one volvo uses,. From a Volvo dealer, its a LOT more expensive, to wit, TascaParts.com and then note they have a $50 core charge, leading me to susect that 'factory' alternator is a rebuild?!?

 

You could also go to an auto parts store and ask for a Bosch for the same year and model for less, couldn't you?

 

I wouldn't bet a chain parts store would stock the right alternator. if they did, they'd likely be suspect quality rebuilds.

I'd probably get this one here,
Volvo Alternator (244 245 240 242 740 760 940 DL 745) - Bosch AL157X | FCP Euro

for $130, as FCP has a very good reputation At this price point, its got to be a remanufactured alternator, I don't think Bosch makes new ones anymore. The Volvo one, for $300-whatever is likely rebuilt to higher standards by Bosch themselves, while the cheaper ones are probably rebuilt by independent US rebuilders, for whatever thats worth.

other than the brush and regulator assembly, which can be replaced externally as I already mentioned, there's only 3 things that can wear out. 1) bearings can go bad. 2) the rings that the brushes press against can wear deep grooves, and 3) the diode board internally can go bad. For $100-ish, most rebuilders just clean it up, inspect the bearings & rings for excess wear, and put new brushes on it, and ship it out.