Photo credit via Wikimedia Commons to FotoSleuth / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
The recent struggles with my Volvo 740 crankshaft pulley revealed how it can degrade without obvious signs; and how this degradation can affect drivability, curb idle, ignition timing, and proper indexing of the crankshaft and camshaft sprockets during a timing belt replacement.
A degraded Volvo 740 crankshaft pulley is a relatively common problem, and very hard to detect unless you are pointed in the right direction. This article does the pointing.
Crankshaft Pulley – Timing Belt – Poor Idle and Drivability
Volvo made the 700 series from 1982 to 1992. The 740 was introduced in 1984. The 700 series was gradually replaced by the 900 series, beginning in 1990. The 900 series has more rounded body corners and upgrades to the interior. The last Volvo 740s were built in 1992 for the 1993 model year.
The 740 was a lower-end version of the Volvo 760 intended to be a mid-sized automobile with style, performance, and luxury that surpassed the 200 series. Volvo offered a four-door sedan (sometimes called the 744) and a five-door station wagon (known by some as the 745).
