1984 244DL air conditioning belt adjustment

Daisy Driver · Post by **Daisy Driver** » 22 May 2013, 11:50

Recently bought Daisy Lilly, our sweet old DL, from a guy who was mechanically challenged. He was trying to change the belts and could not figure out how to tighten the AC belt. Neither can I. He got the old one off by cutting it. So, we have no AC & no power steering.

I looked at old threads and see two ways to adjust. This car does not have the crank shaft pulley that comes apart so you can add or remove shims. There is one bolt holding the pulley on. It has the old square looking York compressor and it is bolted on solidly with no slotted holes and no adjustor. The car was built in Belgium, Jan 1984 and the VIN # ends in 2008982. Can anybody tell me what adjustment it should have and how to fix? I am in the wilds of Montana where I cannot look at a junk yard and there are no Volvo mechanics around. I would like to put it back to how it was originally. I suspect something was changed by somebody who didn't know what he was doing.

Other things on the car tell me this isn't the only thing fouled up but she is worth fixing and keeping with 235,000 mi, no rust & does not use a drop of oil. The only leak is at the speedo cable and thanks to the links at the top, that and several suspension noises will soon be fixed. Great Forum!

Post by **jimmy57** » 22 May 2013, 12:19

Are you sure it does not have the two 6mm studs with 10 mm nuts and 4 6mm bolts holding the two pulley sections together?
If not then what engine is in the car?
If the engine has been changed to a B230F then your best fix is the B230F a/c-power steering bracket with that compressor. That style uses a hinged compressor that swings out to tension belt. The integrated reservoir P/S pump fits the b230F bracket with aomost no adapting other than a few washers used as spacers.

Daisy Driver · Post by **Daisy Driver** » 27 May 2013, 14:34

Yes I am sure. Don't assume that I am stupid. Shouldn't the B230F be the original engine? It sounds like you are saying that it is not.

It doesn't sound likely that the engine is not original. There was nothing in the history of the car telling me the engine was changed and no evidence that it was every wrecked, so no reason I can see that the pulley would have been changed. Everything I can see in the Haynes manual and everywhere else when ordering parts tells me that a B230F with Bosch LH-2.0 Jetronic injection that was on 83 & 84 models is the correct engine for this car. On the timing belt cover there is a decal that says B230F. If this car is supposed to have the separating pulley, can I buy one? I cannot see spending the money for a compressor and bracket being the common sense solution.

Post by **jimmy57** » 27 May 2013, 15:38

I work tech support. I would ask a highly acclaimed brain surgeon if he was sure if his car was in Park if he said it would not crank when he turned the key. I only asked because that is an unusual way to tension a belt only seen rarely and then only 20+ years back.
B230 came out in 1985 in 240's execpt for the 1985 240 Turbo which used the B21FT for its last year.
Your 1984 240 DL would have a B23F as original engine. The B23 compressor bracket will bolt up to a B230 but would not have the two part crank pulley since the B230 was fitted with a rotary compressor that is hinged and tightened belt by moving compressor.

Daisy Driver · Post by **Daisy Driver** » 27 May 2013, 18:44

Yea, I would ask questions too if I was dealing with the mechanically challenged, but I was very clear that I knew the difference between the pulleys. That is why I took the time to explain. I am a 62 year old engineer who is getting very tired of dealing with people who jump to conclusions and do not take the time to address the questions asked. When I was looking for an alternator I must have phoned a dozen places in Las Vegas where I flew to pick her up and asked all of them the same question: "Do you have one in stock?" 11 of the 12 gave me a price first instead of answering my question. ONE person, who was female actually answered my question. So every conversation has to be three times as long. Very frustrating. I would have left without buying the car if I had not given the guy a deposit because he still has not answered half of my questions. I know, it is an epidemic.

Again, how do I tell which engine I actually have? AND, wouldn't the injection be different if this is not the original engine? The plaque on the fender just shows VIN#, not engine type. None of the other labels anywhere on the car tell me. The guy who owned it said it was a B23F but it does not have the pulley with shims. That decal on the timing belt cover is two decals thick, not original. I really suspect that the engine is original but the pulley is not. So again, how do I tell and is it possible to buy the pulley only? I suppose another question should be are the pulleys interchangeable?

I am smart enough to do some sort of shade tree mechanic type of fix, but that is not what I am looking for. I would like it to be correct. The car is worth it.