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Key to abbreviations: AM - Aftermarket OE - Original Equipment (not necessarily from Volvo) SC - Scrap parts from breaker yard 340s For (1.4L) The 1.4 engines can be very economical with averages of up to 47mpg have been recorded. A light simple unit was modified over the years with the last revision in 1984, a generally reliable unit with little to go wrong and easy to work at. Insurance is cheap, and models are plentiful with many low mileage cars in use by 'older' drivers. Against (1.4L) Not very refined, overhead valve gear does chatter but not indicating a fault. Mileage rarely exceeds 130K miles. For (1.7L) A powerful engine with good torque, light refined modern unit, with close tolerances internally. Can be used as a direct replacement for the 1.4 unit that fits onto the drive shaft. Tappet buckets are used, similar to B200 engine and gives little valve guide wear and quiet top end gear. Against (1.7L) Whilst this is the most modern refined unit it is also the most unreliable, and has many problems. Almost all cars exhibit poor idle, with oscillation or surging. Many cars exhibit stuttering on application of power caused by carb or ignition problems. Coolant systems leaks and oil leaks add insult to injury. These problems make cheap motoring on an old car an impossibility, why have this when you can have a 360. Following is a collection of problem I have come across in the past. Many of the faults are common, but some are more related to driving style. All 300 Series
340s (1.4 + 1.7) Faults
360s For Generally the Engines are bomb proof and should out-last the car, virtually all 360s go to the scrap yard with engines still running well. So plentiful supply of engines and parts, fitting of larger 2.3L units from 240s is also possible, I'm just waiting for someone to try fitting a 2.4L Turbo from a 240 or 760. Trim and colour coded bumpers on 86 on models make these look pretty good. Standard equipment is better than 340. Most are GLE / GLT having electric front windows and central locking, and a nice thick steering wheel with a full centre horn rather than the hard to find buttons. The horns are a bit more butch than the 340 and can really scare the shit out of people. Against The heavier engine causes premature wear on the front suspension, and brakes if driven hard. Fuel economy is not good, coming in a little above 240s at around 30MPG on the motorway. New / recon engines fair a little better. The higher mileage achievable on the 360s tends to show up more unusual faults than might otherwise be seen on 340s. Typically the more obscure faults start to show after 10 years. History (UK)
360 Faults
General Spare parts Over the years I have formed the very firm opinion that you should generally stick with Volvo or OE parts. When I've selected other parts I've almost always regretted it. It seems that the cheap Ford and Vauxhall supplier works by supplying a large volume and solving quality problems by the shear volume of use, the same suppliers of 'Volvo equivalent' parts do not get the same opportunity to solve those problems. Heres some good and bad examples and recommendations. Front Brake Pads Use only original Textar or Girling, I'd recommend Textar especially for the heavier 360. Most cheapies I've used either do not dissipate the heat well under stress because they are too thick, or the material is in the wrong place, usually towards the disk centre again reducing performance. So pay the £20 instead of the £10, but no need to pay £40 from Volvo. Rear Wheel cylinders Used AM parts may times without problems. They are so cheap and easy to replace it does not matter if they don't last as long as its not sudden failure. Usually the original units seize up in cars that have low mileage but old age. AM parts are less than £10 usually. Steering racks Make sure you get the same model of rack, it should be the same year or younger than your current one, you should get an adjusting preload (missing on older ones) and the rear location pin should not be broken. Thermostats Use only Volvo. AM ones are the wrong temperature causing the needle to sit about ¼ full scale instead of half. Gaskets Again Volvo are the best. AM head gasket kits offer a considerable saving, but the B200 types do not match properly and usually are for B19 engine with different cooling and oil ways, also you don't get the correct valve cover gasket which is needed as it inevitably breaks on removal. Rubber is of a noticeably poorer quality, Volvo types are supple with AM ones hard, and go brittle more quickly, that is if they seal atall. Exhausts Always buy Volvo exhausts from the dealer. They are very good value and last well if fitted correctly with all the brackets and mounts, the full kit is the only option now as they have priced out the individual bits, but even at £100 it gives a very satisfactory result. Quickfit types do not last much more than a year and do not fit accurately. If you get Quickfit to fit a down pipe expect to see scorch marks on the crossmember as they apply the oxy-acetalene torch to it to stop it touching. Rust Internal rust proofing is worth the hassel, especially in wet countries. New panels should have this done, and it has been noted that many garages do not do this. Touching up bubbled rust needs mechanical removal (with angle grinder) and replacement of the zinc layer either by a Zinc spray, or an Electroplating kit, at the very least use a Zinc based primer, otherwise rust will reappear. Holes should have patches welded in where possible, as opposed to fibreglass as cracks tend to appear at the edges of the filler. Sills / jacking points should be repaired by welding patches rather than AM sills as these devalue the car, look bad and provide only temporary cure to rust. Cars on which knowledge based
Best car: The authors 360 GLE 4dr, high milage and very, very reliable. Under overhaul for boot panel rust, and general respray for perfection, and engine re-con even though it runs fine. Car bought for £1000 5 years ago, still looks good. Best Value: The 360 GLS, bought for £400 2 years ago, in near show room condition bar apart from a broken front bumper wing mount (held in by an ugly screw), a badly serviced engine, and a weak brake servo. After a good service it runs like a dream, quiet, smooth and with torque to embarrass many a sports car driver. The good thing about this car is its low mileage ment little work had been done on it, so most of it was factory original. What work had been done, in particular to the carb, was wrong and the main cause of the bad running (the initial fault being a blocked breather port on the inlet manifold) |
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16.May.2008 14:09 |
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