Howling rear brakes 240 Wagon

DonRobertson · Post by **DonRobertson** » 15 Jun 2012, 19:13

I am sure this has been covered many times before. I just bought a 1992 240 Wagon. It is in really great shape especially for Maine. It is blue-green too. WoW!

My rear brakes are howling at low speed stops. I believe they were worked on recently, but before I bought it -last week.

So, are there shims for the 240 series calipers? And where do I purchase them?

Or do I just go out and buy true-blue Volvo pads and install those? I have 189,000 miles on this one. (I have a 1990 white 240 sedan with an unknown number of miles. Bought it with 229,000, but realized the odometer didn't work after I bought it -six years ago-. I just fixed that odometer (and speedometer) a few months back. It was an intermittent connection underneath with the windshield wiped mechanism on the column.)

I will bookmark this post and see if someone out there can save me a lot of trouble and time with some good advice. Thanks in advance.

Here's a picture, of my two Volvos in Northern Maine -Aroostook County! (I am 250 miles north-east of Montreal, Quebec). Check the maps, if you do not believe it.

Here are my two Volvos, both of which have non-interference engines, a really great Volvo motor. Both cars are in this picture, but the forum loader cut the image in half.

Thanks-

Don Robertson
Limestone, Maine

Post by **MoVolvos** » 15 Jun 2012, 19:51

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EDIT: Be liberal with the anti-squeal stuff just not on the pads. Also check for rear parking brake rubbing.

http://eeuroparts.com/Parts/PartDetail. ... ke+Pad+Set

The O'Reilly Organic $13.99 worked great on my 98 s70 T5. The 240 units look like the S70's. Installed them several months ago and they felt smooth even though I did not turn the rotors. I also like the easy over the counter Lifetime Warranty if needed. I thought perhaps being organic they might wear faster than the rotor. When I worked at Acura in the mid 90's the factory were putting 10K-15K rear pads on the Integra's to help with potential noise. My 87 Integra lasted 70K. Did quite a few rear pads during warranty period but that got old quick with the Factory and they quickly brought out another replacement.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/searc ... make=Volvo

Blessings,
BKM
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DonRobertson · Post by **DonRobertson** » 15 Jun 2012, 21:04

Thanks, BKM. Your vote allowed me to see the light about the brakes.

I also ordered the upper timing-belt cover, which the previous owner had destroyed somehow trying to pry it off with two bolts still holding it on. He must have been working in the dark. And he didn't change the timing belt, after making such a mess. I did the timing belt the other day. This one had been 140,000 miles, so I replaced it as general preventative maintenance.

Thanks again.

Don Robertson
Limestone, Maine

Bigblue · Post by **Bigblue** » 15 Jun 2012, 22:09

You should have ATE calipers back there and they should have shims already...If they were left out (yes, it happens) IPD has them for less that $5...They are silicone rubber coated and sticky goo is not needed...It's a personal thing, but I don't like that stuff and never needed it...Pull a wheel and look into the back of the caliper with a strong light...If the shims are there, you will see them between the pistons and the pads...When I had the 245 and the 740 I always used IPD's pads and they came with shims...

DonRobertson · Post by **DonRobertson** » 15 Jun 2012, 22:43

Nice black 122 in the photo. We used to buy them for $50. Oftentimes they needed brakes, rings, or a piston might have spit out a ring, requiring a replacement, but always from just another parts motor. But the best 122's we bought were invariably diagnosed as, "It won't start when it's wet."

LOL. Some mechanics back then were replacing the plastic insulator behind the points with paper.

That works fine, until it rains.

Thanks for the tips.

Don Robertson
Limestone, Maine

Bigblue · Post by **Bigblue** » 16 Jun 2012, 07:06

That's a big surprise to me...There were several 122S's in the family and nobody ever had that problem..Long Island is notoriously humid...Gotta be Maine's climate...I drove mine to work every day for 17 years and the only time I had to leave it home and use the wife's Dodge was the day I had a flat in the garage...Most reliable car I ever had, bar none...If the 122S were still available, I would buy it...