This weekend I'm going to attempt to bring my 300TD brakes up the the excellent feel of my 300D-T. I have searched and educated myself on the frozen piston issue as I have two (both on the driver's side)

Some time ago I replaced the master cylinder and bled the brakes. Although the brakes are perfect in consistency, the pedal travel is too far and I'd like to gain what I have in the other car.

Is my problem caused by the two frozen calipers (one piston forward-inner and one aft-outer), or do I have another problem that I'm not aware of?

Any further pointers would be appreciated

Thanks

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

Get the pistons freed up and new pads (and rotors if you need them!), then bleed ALL the old brake fluid out. This can take awhile, but is worth it. Old brake fluid will have water in it from the air.

Long pedal travel is either air (makes for a mushy feel, too) or excessive piston retraction from too large a run-out on a warped rotor.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Thanks PSFred:

I hope its not the latter problem.

You still running that Volvo diesel? My Volvo is getting real tired at 276k

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

Don:

Sure do. Daily work car. Starts OK, gets decent milage, needs new tires, something goes "clunk" in the right front, smokes too much on heavy acceleration, but it goes. It only has 213,000 miles now, so I should have a few years left.

Mine is a 740, VERY nice car, still in excellent shape body wise, so I'll keep her going as long as I can. Hard to beat those Volvo seats and ride.

I do have a question you might be able to answer -- how the blankity-blank do you get the #6 glowplug out without taking the IP off? It has been shot for the last two or three years, but I can't even get the buss strap off, let along get the damned thing out. Big pain, makes the car run funny!

By the way, if you can feel a ridge at the outer edge of the rotor on the MB, put new rotors on. By the time the ridge appears, they are too thin to resurface. Quick and dirty way to check -- happens about every third pad replacement.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

No kidding on that 6th glo plug. In the early days when I had others swap out parts, I think they just routinely ignored that one. I love the no hassle part of the car though. Paid $2400 in July of 93 and haven't looked back. Have run it from 153k to 276k. I've hit two deer and a car has run into me but the body is still in pretty amazing shape. I let it idle for hours at a time in this climate as the compression is very low.

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

I've rebuilt the turbo and IP (probably PO neglect) and some other piddly stuff like struts and ball joints, drive line U-joints, etc, but nothing major. Fixed the AC this summer (plugged orifice tube, huge pain, but it works now! -- black on black gets HOT in the summer).

I've had mine since 96, have put almost 70,000 miles on it, so have no complaints except the excessive smoke. I think it needs an "Italian tuneup" -- mabe I will get new tires on it and drive it to Florida this spring.

You don't want to rebuild this engine -- piston set is on the order of $2500 and it isn't sleeved so you have to get oversized pistons. Head is probably already shot, too.

Have you done a leakdown test? You may only have bad valves, although since they are Stellite coated, valve wear is essentially nil on this engine. The head tends to crack between the valves, leading to low compression, too. It can get so bad the valve guides float up and down before then engine stops running!

If you haven't done so yet, plate off the EGR -- most likely it is like mine, and leaks like crazy both ways, causes serious running problems (low power and HUGE smoke clouds), craps up the intake, etc.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

You bring up some interesting points. During my Volvo days, I rarely did anything to the car except oil changes. All other repairs (rare), I took in.

Upon buying two MB's I've re-entered the DIY market and am thoroughly enjoying it (just swapped out a starter). Therefore, although I plugged the EGR on my 300TD, I never thought about the Volvo. If you think yours smokes, you should see mine. In fact, just look towards Michigan and you'll probably catch it tomorrow morning. Huge joke at church and the youth group loves it.

My ideal car so far would be the MB power plant in the Volvo body. The side stuff lasts much longer on the V, but there is no comparison with engines. My MB's are tight and don't even sip oil whereas the V drinks it down.

Will do the EGR though.....good advice. As for the engine valves and pistons, etc. I'm just waiting for her to finally give in. She owes me no money and too many things are wrong. I'll get a 3rd MB since I'm beginning to gain some good experience there.

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

Don:

I know what you mean about smoke -- these are not smokefree engines anyway -- versions were used in the Rabbit and Audi and every single one I've seen makes smoke all the time, more when you really stand on it.

Mine, prior to the IP rebuild, would make an enormous inky black cloud in which following cars would vanish -- great for tailgaters on the highway -- the ALWAYS back up when the smoke cloud goes over the top of their car!

Turns out the smoke was partially improper injection advance (the cold start device was stuck) and partially the EGR blowing open a full throttle rather than closing.

When I fixed the turbo, I still had huge clouds of smoke and terrible performance as soon as it heated up, pulled the EGR hose and most of it stopped. I later discovered that the spring in the EGR was bad too, and it opened at high throttle anyway. I made a plat from 16 guage sheetmetal and inserted it between the exhaust manifold and the EGR. I recomend you do this rather than just pull the vacuum line, but I would certainly pull the vacuum line pronto. You may eliminate a lot of the smoke!

Are you sure you are burning the oil? These cars aren't bad for leaks, but it is possible that it isn't going down the engine.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Might be leaking and not burning but trust me that I have enough problems to not loose sleep over it. Vacuum pump leaking, OD wires & shifting knob, heater fan sings, either plugged in or running when 30 degrees or colder....

Quick question: My drive train is making more consistent noise when taking off under load. I suspect u-joints. You mentioned that you've rebuilt or replaced them. Was that difficult? I've never done them but as with the MB's, I'm doing stuff every week that I've never done.....

Thanks

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

Don:

U-joints on a Volvo are a breeze -- unbolt the flanges, remove the center carrier if you have a two-piece shaft (some 240s do, some don't), then remove the clips and press the old ones out and the new ones in. Replace clips.

These are just like the american ones, any set of instructions will work.

The only think you have to watch is getting the sections back in original alignment -- don't rotate a section 180 degrees, it is almost certain to be out of balance then!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Peter:

I sure do appreciate all the advice. This one (u-joints) is getting quite urgent. Will attack it soon.

Thanks again,

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

diesel don,

Just out of curiosity, what does the volvo part of your signature mean? Do you mean you HAVE 24 of these diesel volvos sitting around?? Or that there were very few made? I am intruiged, as I have been looking for a couple years and not sucessfully found a diesel volvo.

__________________
Sean Roland

2004 Saab 9-5 AERO 138k (for sale)
2000 VW Jetta GLS TDI 215k (sold)
1999 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 - 132k (sold)
1999 Saab 9-3se -- 84k (sold)
1986 MB 190e 2.3 16v -- 221K (sold)
1985 MB 190e 2.3 16v euro -- 145k (junked)
1992 Saab 9000t 5sp. -- 142k (sold)
1994 Subaru Legacy -- 264K (sold)
1998 Audi A4 1.8TQ -- 102k (sold)
1983 MB 240D stick -- 160k (sold)
1988 Saab 900SPG -- 156K (sold)
1983 MB 300D -- 270K project or parts (sold)
1986 MB 280SE Euro stick -- 150K (sold)

Sean:

I think he wants to get to 300,000 before it dies on him.

Diesel Volvos are rare -- the non-turbo (240 series) are somewhat slow, as the engine is a 2.4L six. The turbos aren't exactly road racers, but do fine.

My sister had one, very nice car, so I bought mine when it appeared. Only six or seven were sold here between 1983 and 1986 -- they stopped selling them in 1986. Too bad, as they are very pleasant to drive, and I usually get 29 mpg in town, 30-31 on the highway.

Unless wrecked, they seem to get to 300,000 miles with no or little work, at least as long as they are service correctly. Most are gone now, either from neglect, collision, or boredom. I know there was at least one other one driving here a couple years back since my mechanic worked on it, and bought another one to repair. Not too happy about that, though -- very expensive to do the engine, which is why they usually end up in the junkyard.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Silverfish....

Yes, I am attempting to get to 300,000 miles. Since purchasing the car in 1993 from a banker in PA, I have literally looked at every volvo (240 series) I've passed. I've seen two other diesels in those 9 years. One was in San Fran, and the other in Michigan.
The car is slow but virtually indestructible. I change the oil religiously but the other stuff I have a "fix it when it breaks" mentality. So far, I've fixed very few things. Never done valve adjustments, no radiator flush....I mean very few things.
I'm doing much better on the maintainence of the MB's as the engines shock me. To have an engine over 200k that doesn't use oil blows my former perception of diesel engines.

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

Thanks for the clarification everyone. Good luck to diesel don, I'm sure you'll make it to 300,000 with no problem!

I was actually turned onto diesels by a friend who drove a 240 diesel volvo wagon, I loved it! It is his first car, and it will be for a long time (his father is a diesel mechanic). I guess I'll keep looking for one, sometimes they go REALLY cheap on ebay, but they look terrible.

Just another dream car...kinda.

__________________
Sean Roland

2004 Saab 9-5 AERO 138k (for sale)
2000 VW Jetta GLS TDI 215k (sold)
1999 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 - 132k (sold)
1999 Saab 9-3se -- 84k (sold)
1986 MB 190e 2.3 16v -- 221K (sold)
1985 MB 190e 2.3 16v euro -- 145k (junked)
1992 Saab 9000t 5sp. -- 142k (sold)
1994 Subaru Legacy -- 264K (sold)
1998 Audi A4 1.8TQ -- 102k (sold)
1983 MB 240D stick -- 160k (sold)
1988 Saab 900SPG -- 156K (sold)
1983 MB 300D -- 270K project or parts (sold)
1986 MB 280SE Euro stick -- 150K (sold)