D24T.com  

Go Back   D24T.com > Forum Info > New Member Introductions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-27-2021, 04:56 PM
jonwaltermoceyhanton jonwaltermoceyhanton is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: agoura hills california
Vehicle: 1984 240 dl wagon
Posts: 7
Default new member in los angeles - desperately needing help please!!

hello friends

my name is jon and i live in los angeles
eleven years ago in february 2010
i bought a 1984 240 dl wagon with manual transmission
it had about 230000 miles on it when i purchased it
it was sold as being "hard starting"
and sadly over the past decade plus i have only been able to drive this sweet ride for significantly less than 5000 total miles
as it has unfortunately been in and out of at least six different volvo mechanics shops all over the greater los angeles area
i have paid for quite a bit of various services to be done on it over the years
but since i got it and even after various repairs is has never started consistently
i have had all the glow plugs replaced multiple times
when i have been able to get it to start it has been prone to overheating regularly
at this point the mechanic whose shop it has been at for over a year now says that the engine either needs to be completely replaced or fully rebuilt
from his testing the compression of the engine is very low
unfortunately he says that after extensive searching he has not been able to find anyone that can rebuild this d24 engine and can not find any full engine replacements available

so i am here desperately looking for any help that you all on this forum might be able to offer??
is there anyone here that lives in los angeles and has diesel volvo experience??
can you all recommend any mechanics in the greater los angeles area that can work on this car??

on a side note:
one dream when purchasing this vehicle was to run it on alternative diesel fuels - biodiesel waste veggie oil straight veggie oil
is there anyone here within the forum who has experience running these d24 engines on alternative fuels??
would that ever even be possible and reliable with this car??

including a few pictures of my beautiful baby attached:
its got a sweet all black on black interior
i really love this car and want to get it back up and running again
its a really sweet ride when it works

thank you all in advance for any help that you can offer!!
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 1984 240 dl wagon 1.jpg (913.1 KB, 19 views)
File Type: jpg 1984 240 dl wagon 2.jpg (613.2 KB, 12 views)
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-27-2021, 10:00 PM
RedArrow RedArrow is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: New York
Vehicle: 1986 Volvo 745 TD
Posts: 900
Default

Car looks mint and body is sharp! Wagons are very practical, I`d say keep it :-)
In the worst case scenario the engine needs an overhaul. A no-rust manual wagon really deserves it, but only if necessary.
Everything probably must be confirmed from the start (about current condition).

Share as many details as you can (in this case the more the better) about what you see/hear/experience when you start/drive the vehicle. Don`t use starting fluid sprays, rather check timing as step one. Ever found oil in water or vice versa, in the time of your ownership?
There is a d24 timing tool etc kit available on ebay as we speak (not mine).

Hopefully the forum can help you to troubleshoot and also help you find parts, the needed d24 tools, maybe even d24 owners near where you live.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-Diese...YAAOSwuDlgHzMq

Welcome to the forum!

Last edited by RedArrow; 02-27-2021 at 10:25 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-28-2021, 12:11 PM
ngoma ngoma is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,351
Default

Suggest you study the sticky on hard starting. Go thru the entire list systematically before you let the mechanic condemn the engine. Several of the conditions for hard starting are simple, yet commonly overlooked.

What were the compression test readings? How was it performed? Wet or dry? How long had the engine been sitting before the test?

Alternative fuels:

Good quality tested biodiesel is well tolerated by the D24 as is. May degrade some older injection pump seals and fuel hoses. Lighter/less soot, more pleasant odor is a bonus.

Used cooking oil is possible, I ran it successfully for several years. Requires two-tank system (heated 2nd tank, heated fuel hoses, heated 2nd filter, switching valves, etc.). In addition to the extra on-car equipment, it requires the means to collect the messy oil and filter/dewater it to the level required to not damage the engine.

Think hard about this if you personally don't have good mechanical skills, understanding of IDI diesel technology, fabrication skills, extensive tool collection. And the space to safely and conveniently store and filter/dewater the oil.

I never made my own biodiesel (had kids in the house so didn't want to risk working with methanol) so can't comment on that.
__________________
1985 744 gle d24t
1985 745 gle d24t
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-01-2021, 08:36 PM
jonwaltermoceyhanton jonwaltermoceyhanton is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: agoura hills california
Vehicle: 1984 240 dl wagon
Posts: 7
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RedArrow View Post
Car looks mint and body is sharp! Wagons are very practical, I`d say keep it :-)
In the worst case scenario the engine needs an overhaul. A no-rust manual wagon really deserves it, but only if necessary.
Everything probably must be confirmed from the start (about current condition).

Share as many details as you can (in this case the more the better) about what you see/hear/experience when you start/drive the vehicle. Don`t use starting fluid sprays, rather check timing as step one. Ever found oil in water or vice versa, in the time of your ownership?
There is a d24 timing tool etc kit available on ebay as we speak (not mine).

Hopefully the forum can help you to troubleshoot and also help you find parts, the needed d24 tools, maybe even d24 owners near where you live.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-Diese...YAAOSwuDlgHzMq

Welcome to the forum!

thank you for your reply redarrow
my general experience with starting this car is that it will take several minutes or cranking it over and over again and sometimes after as much as ten minutes (sometimes more sometimes less) after sitting trying over and over again eventually it may turn over and start
this is after giving the glow plugs the right amount of time to warm up
but it is always a real struggle
cold weather seems to exacerbate this experience
on a warm summer day if its been sitting in the sun sometimes it will start right up normally
as for overheating - i will generally be fine on surface streets - but often when i bring it on the freeway and get it up to speed after ten fifteen minutes i will watch as the temperate slowly starts to climb
if i go up any significant hill at freeway speed it really struggles to make it and will almost certainly overheat
this is all after checking the water and oil and making sure they are at proper levels
i have never personally used starting fluid sprays but i believe various mechanics have during troubleshooting
i dont believe that i have ever found oil in the water or vice versa
thank you for alerting me to the availability of the timing tools on ebay
i personally have almost no mechanical experience with engines
so i dont know if this would be of benefit to me
would it be something that i would bring with me to a mechanic??
is it the only timing tools kit that works with this engine??

thank you again for your assistance
i am really hoping someone on here is located in los angeles and has experience repairing these engines
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-01-2021, 08:49 PM
jonwaltermoceyhanton jonwaltermoceyhanton is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: agoura hills california
Vehicle: 1984 240 dl wagon
Posts: 7
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ngoma View Post
Suggest you study the sticky on hard starting. Go thru the entire list systematically before you let the mechanic condemn the engine. Several of the conditions for hard starting are simple, yet commonly overlooked.

What were the compression test readings? How was it performed? Wet or dry? How long had the engine been sitting before the test?

Alternative fuels:

Good quality tested biodiesel is well tolerated by the D24 as is. May degrade some older injection pump seals and fuel hoses. Lighter/less soot, more pleasant odor is a bonus.

Used cooking oil is possible, I ran it successfully for several years. Requires two-tank system (heated 2nd tank, heated fuel hoses, heated 2nd filter, switching valves, etc.). In addition to the extra on-car equipment, it requires the means to collect the messy oil and filter/dewater it to the level required to not damage the engine.

Think hard about this if you personally don't have good mechanical skills, understanding of IDI diesel technology, fabrication skills, extensive tool collection. And the space to safely and conveniently store and filter/dewater the oil.

I never made my own biodiesel (had kids in the house so didn't want to risk working with methanol) so can't comment on that.

thank you very much for your informative reply ngoma
may i ask what you mean by "study the sticky on hard starting"??
is there a thread somewhere on this forum with a checklist of things to check??

i do not know the specific details about how the compression test was run or its readings
but i will inquire next time i speak to my mechanic
if i have him run a compression test again is there a preferred method?? wet/dry?? how long or little to have the engine sit before testing??

i am very limited in my mechanical skills
the most "advanced" thing i have tackled on this car was replacing the windshield wiper motor myself
i have no real experience under the hood with the exception of checking and maintaining fluids
i hope that is not too blasphemous of me to admit to here on this forum
but i am eager to learn!!

i appreciate the input about alternative fuels
a two tank system and collected waste veggie oil would be the goal eventually i hope
but the first step has been to have the engine running consistently and smoothly on real diesel first
its just unfortunately been a very long slow process to just get to that point

thanks again
i really appreciate it!!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-02-2021, 12:04 PM
ngoma ngoma is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,351
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jonwaltermoceyhanton View Post
may i ask what you mean by "study the sticky on hard starting"??
is there a thread somewhere on this forum with a checklist of things to check??
Yes, look in the "Diesel Engine and Drivetrain" section.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jonwaltermoceyhanton View Post
i do not know the specific details about how the compression test was run or its readings
but i will inquire next time i speak to my mechanic
if i have him run a compression test again is there a preferred method?? wet/dry?? how long or little to have the engine sit before testing??
Test dry first, then pour 1/4 teaspoon motor oil in each cylinder, retest "wet," compare. GET THE NUMBERS FOR EACH CYLINDER FOR EACH TEST.
If the engine has been sitting several months or years (looks like may be your case?) the piston rings can dry out and not seal well until oil is introduced to help them seal again. Results in (dry test) low compression.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jonwaltermoceyhanton View Post
i am very limited in my mechanical skills
the most "advanced" thing i have tackled on this car was replacing the windshield wiper motor myself
i have no real experience under the hood with the exception of checking and maintaining fluids
i hope that is not too blasphemous of me to admit to here on this forum
but i am eager to learn!!
We will try to help as much as possible. WARNING: Major time and effort investment!

Quote:
Originally Posted by jonwaltermoceyhanton View Post
but the first step has been to have the engine running consistently and smoothly on real diesel first
Yes that is the correct expectation, glad you recognize that!

General Observation: You mention your mechanics. Do they have plenty of experience on these D24 engines? Or (2nd best) on VW diesel engines from the 70s-early 90s? Otherwise, we can almost guarantee they will destroy the engine, lacking the necessary (and getting harder to source) special tools, and equally necessary special knowledge. Sadly, have seen it happen too many times.
__________________
1985 744 gle d24t
1985 745 gle d24t
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-02-2021, 12:55 PM
jonwaltermoceyhanton jonwaltermoceyhanton is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: agoura hills california
Vehicle: 1984 240 dl wagon
Posts: 7
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ngoma View Post
Yes, look in the "Diesel Engine and Drivetrain" section.


Test dry first, then pour 1/4 teaspoon motor oil in each cylinder, retest "wet," compare. GET THE NUMBERS FOR EACH CYLINDER FOR EACH TEST.
If the engine has been sitting several months or years (looks like may be your case?) the piston rings can dry out and not seal well until oil is introduced to help them seal again. Results in (dry test) low compression.


We will try to help as much as possible. WARNING: Major time and effort investment!


Yes that is the correct expectation, glad you recognize that!

General Observation: You mention your mechanics. Do they have plenty of experience on these D24 engines? Or (2nd best) on VW diesel engines from the 70s-early 90s? Otherwise, we can almost guarantee they will destroy the engine, lacking the necessary (and getting harder to source) special tools, and equally necessary special knowledge. Sadly, have seen it happen too many times.

thank you very much ngoma for all this helpful informative advice
i think a major part of my problem over the ten plus years that i have had this car is that i have not been bringing it to mechanics with d24 experience
i really hope that the engine has not been destroyed
but i guess thats really what i am desperately in search of by coming here to this forum....
really hoping that there might be someone on here located in los angeles that could work on my car or that someone can recommend a good mechanic anywhere in the los angeles area that has the experience and speciality tools necessary to get this car back up and running well

keeping my fingers crossed that someone on here sees these posts and can offer some assistance
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-08-2021, 07:55 PM
Roger P Roger P is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Fullerton, California, US
Vehicle: 1982 245 GL
Posts: 3
Default

Jon,

I own a 1982 245 and have lived in the LA area for over twenty years. I'll pass along contact info for two shops that may be able to work on your car.

Swedish Car Clinic in Harbor City. The service manager was Don Weihs, 310-326-9895. Visited them and talked about having them change the timing belt. Don said Peter that worked there at the time knew how to do it and had the D24 tool set. Did not actually use this shop so I don't have an experience good or bad that can be related.

The timing belt change was actually done in Perris, Ca. at Swedish Speed 951-657-7788 by a mechanic named Mark. They also had the D24 tool set and were working on another diesel when I took my car there for the timing belt change about two years ago. The engine has performed well since then, and I have confidence in his work.

Use to have work done in Long Beach but that shop decided to stop working on Volvos and then recommended the Swedish Car Clinic.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Roger
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-10-2021, 03:00 PM
jonwaltermoceyhanton jonwaltermoceyhanton is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: agoura hills california
Vehicle: 1984 240 dl wagon
Posts: 7
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger P View Post
Jon,

I own a 1982 245 and have lived in the LA area for over twenty years. I'll pass along contact info for two shops that may be able to work on your car.

Swedish Car Clinic in Harbor City. The service manager was Don Weihs, 310-326-9895. Visited them and talked about having them change the timing belt. Don said Peter that worked there at the time knew how to do it and had the D24 tool set. Did not actually use this shop so I don't have an experience good or bad that can be related.

The timing belt change was actually done in Perris, Ca. at Swedish Speed 951-657-7788 by a mechanic named Mark. They also had the D24 tool set and were working on another diesel when I took my car there for the timing belt change about two years ago. The engine has performed well since then, and I have confidence in his work.

Use to have work done in Long Beach but that shop decided to stop working on Volvos and then recommended the Swedish Car Clinic.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Roger

roger
thank you so much for this very helpful comment and the great recommendations
i will definitely reach out to them and see if they can help me
i really appreciate you sharing these contacts
hopefully i can find someone who can help me with my car
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 04-05-2021, 10:40 AM
jonwaltermoceyhanton jonwaltermoceyhanton is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: agoura hills california
Vehicle: 1984 240 dl wagon
Posts: 7
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jonwaltermoceyhanton View Post
roger
thank you so much for this very helpful comment and the great recommendations
i will definitely reach out to them and see if they can help me
i really appreciate you sharing these contacts
hopefully i can find someone who can help me with my car
roger

thank you again for the suggestions
unfortunately peter at the swedish car clinic in long beach no longer has the tools available to work on my car
he suggested another spot in fjords of sweden in bellflower and the owner there named art also does not have the ability to work on the diesels
and it would appear that swedish speed in perris may no longer be in business as their number is disconnected

i am unfortunately at a bit of a loss as i dont have anymore leads on shops that can help me get my car back up and running

i am desperately hoping that someone here might miraculously see my posts here and have a suggestion of someone that can help in the los angeles area

fingers crossed
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 01:07 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.10
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.