Hello, new potential 340 owner

Post by **Spearson** » 22 Mar 2007 09:38 pm

Hi, i'm new to volvos recently myself and several friends have been thinking about a summer project to fill the gap between finishing school and starting uni. While round my friends house the other week i noticed a volvo 340 (I believe its a 1.4) parked up in his paddock so we went to investigate, it turns out that it used to be his sisters car and had been sat there for about 3-4 years. So it was decided that the volvo would be our summer project. Spent some time going over it before trying to start it, checked the oil, coolant, petrol, belts etc. all were fine considering it had been parked up so long, fitted a new battery and commensed to turn it over and thats all it does. After much thinking it was decided that no fuel was getting through and we are not entirly sure why, so any help would be much appriciated.
While i'm here i will also say what we are doing to it over the summer, the plan at the moment is to completly strip it out give it a good clean see how it comes up, then we will give it a service and replace anything that needs replacing. Then the real fun begins, i have the facilities to respray cars so it will be stripped of all its exterior trim and resprayed probably black, then the wheels will be taken off and the suspension jacked up for more ground clearance, a nice set of round rally style foglights fitted. If anyone has any more ideas for modifications to it then feel free to post them up, any ideas will be considered. Anyway i look forward to being part of this forum thankyou. (I'll try and post some pictures up of it in the next couple of days)

Post by **classicswede** » 22 Mar 2007 10:43 pm

The petrol will be stale in the tank if it is over about 3 months old. What I would do to get it started is gravity feed from a petrol can

Post by **petefarrell360** » 23 Mar 2007 12:16 am

Good work on having a tinker with a 340! Dai is right, start by feeding it directly to reduce the amount of variables involved. On the 340's there are short sections of cloth covered pipes running to the mechanical fuel pump in the engine bay, that join to the plastic ones running from front to back, then another short section at the rear running into the tank. These perish with age and allow air to be sucked by the fuel pump, not fuel! So it never reaches the carb. Buying a length of the correct diameter fuel injection pipe (as it is thicker walled and not like the cheapo cloth covered stuff) and some jubilee pipe clamps is the answer to replace these sections.

If not it may be the mechanical fuel pump on the side of the engine block that has deteriorated with age and standing.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Pete

Post by **Spearson** » 23 Mar 2007 08:04 am

I kind of suspected the fuel pump but i hadnt thought of checking all the fule lines over, thanks for replying and i will dfinatly keep you all posted on this project over the course of the summer

Post by **jtbo** » 23 Mar 2007 02:09 pm

I just put electrical fuel pump as my old fuel pump had problem that fuel did not stay up, worn valve or something so as I had one electrical lying around put that in, now I'm getting really nice starting as fuel pump will circulate fuel before I start the engine, much better than mechanical pump, imo.

Also prices of electrical pumps are not so high anymore so worth considering this kind of 'mod'.

Post by **Spearson** » 24 Mar 2007 10:45 pm

As promised pics of the 340

Post by **Ronnie** » 25 Mar 2007 01:56 am

Spearson wrote:As promised pics of the 340

Mmmmmmm... Fungus

Post by **Spearson** » 25 Mar 2007 09:48 am

Yeah is has gone a bit mouldy but it has been parked in the same spot for the past 4 years or so. Fortunatly its just the exterior thats gone mouldy

Post by **Spearson** » 27 Mar 2007 05:26 pm

Finally managed to get the 340 running today, it was the fuel lines that needed replacing. It runs really well for having been stood and not run for 4 years. Nothing snapped, it didnt overheat, the brakes wernt even seized. drove it up and down his drive and everything seems to be working really well so im pleased, should make a good base for a project knowing nothing major is wrong.

Post by **classicswede** » 29 Mar 2007 12:10 pm

Nice Saab

Post by **Spearson** » 29 Mar 2007 08:02 pm

Tiz, a very nice Saab although unfortunatly it isn't mine its my friends. They all sem to have too much money, hes only 17 and he drives a classic 1975 saab 96 that is in pristine condition. Another friend has a 1971 land rover 1-ton one of the rarer land rovers. Me on the other hand, im stuck with a polo with a dodgy fuel tank, what more could i ask for.

Post by **foggyjames** » 30 Mar 2007 12:31 am

Sounds like you guys are having a lot of fun with your cars

cheers

James

Post by **bennett** » 31 Mar 2007 08:25 am

nice project what are the plans?
thanks
lee

Post by **classicswede** » 01 Apr 2007 04:49 pm

I used to have a 71 saab 96 in usable condition. It ended up standing ofr a couple of years before i sold it to a chap in Irland.

I'll have get on with my P1800 before to long - been spending to much on newer cars that need taxing!

Post by **Spearson** » 01 Apr 2007 07:10 pm

@Bennet

the plan at the moment is to completly strip it out give it a good clean see how it comes up, then we will give it a service and replace anything that needs replacing. Then the real fun begins, i have the facilities to respray cars so it will be stripped of all its exterior trim and resprayed probably black, then the wheels will be taken off and the suspension jacked up for more ground clearance, a nice set of round rally style foglights fitted. If anyone has any more ideas for modifications to it then feel free to post them up, any ideas will be considered.