JTbo's vario issues (vacuum test results)

[jtbo]

Pics of poor quality at:
http://jtbo.pp.fi/images/album/343_vario/

It is not mint condition, but I guess there are worse too, good point of colour is that it hides rust quite well.


Good cleanup will make alone a lot to it, but it does need some rust repairs, windshield frame being one of issues and probably that has caused some bad to floors, must examine at some point, however it is no longer raning on it, so it should help to preserve the car quite well.


Still it is standing well and generally does not look tired at all, so fixing few issues should not be too big problem.

[jtbo]

Bit odd, number 14 fuse was not on place, but I found it inside of car, put it back, did not really effect anything, but also it missing did not cause clock to stop, even it should.

Don't have really time to look much of that vario issue now, but when I return from my travels, I will do that diode fix of rpm relay thing, just in case.

[jtbo]

Hi Jani.
If you find that it is the sender unit in the tank, i have a perfectly good spare
if you are stuck.
If you find it is the gauge, i also have a spare iof you are stuck.
Love to see the pics.
Cheers Mark.

Thank you from offer, I will know when first I have sorted vario issue, with 360 I was able to renew and adjust sender unit as it did not read properly, but I need to examine this one a bit to know for sure and have to get it move properly first so I can actually get it filled up so I can confirm it being faulty, it seem to read some way, like going to half tank when tank is full, that is what seller did say.

2-3 weeks and I can start guessing what is wrong with vario, that rpm relay is my favourite at the moment as it is well known issue causing no overdrive mode. I would say ratio is not changing after 30kph, however when driving 50 and I lift the throttle as downhill comes revs do drop quite some, don't know much about it really. that rpm relay however is something that has not been examined for long time, there was untouched layer of dirt at it, years accumulation really.

This one has one barrel carburettor, single round throttle butterfly, Iguess this type consumes bit more of petrol?

[macplaxton]

Does the carb have a reference number on it?

My engine is a B14.2E

[volvodspec]

single barrel is the Solex carb.
B14.3E engine, 64bhp. is way more economic than the twin-barrel weber and a very good carb really! biggest downside to the B14.3E is the single piece cast-iron manifold (yes, intake and exhaust made out of 1 single piece) the very large temperature difference (intake+cold fuel and exhaust) make that manifold very prone to cracking

the cables that run along the heater box are for the electric heater/engine warmer?

about the revs/variomatic, check this out: http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... =6&t=12314
and if the gauge reads ok untill the tank gets a bit emptier and then gauge drops to empty; then the sender is broken, my 343 does the same unfortunatly so Mark, if you have 2 senders for a 343/345 (3 electrical connections and a round plate + separete locking ring) spare, i'd like to have one too!

great find btw! left a-pillar looks a bit scary half way up, looks like the doors are in a very good shape and the red interior + red car color is a great combination

[macplaxton]

single barrel is the Solex carb.
B14.3E engine, 64bhp. is way more economic than the twin-barrel weber and a very good carb really!

My general view and experience of Solex carbs is that they are a pile of poo.

I'm quite partial to SUs though...

[jtbo]

volvodspec, thank you from link and the article, had not spotted that one yet, really makes it easier to diagnose

What comes to carb itself, it really works well, is perhaps bit on rich as there was hardly need for choke at all, but motor does respond to throttle very well.

[jtbo]

I managed to to few test before I have to go and it is EMV that is broken, connection A does not suck much more even there is a click, connection B test came out ok as well as under the car tests. I try to phone seller and ask if he still has one from spare car he has, just don't know what kind of prices I would except to pay from such.

Of course rebuild kit is possibility if it comes off cheaper and is enough easy to install with my non existing skills?

It was bit difficult to test underside as hose I had was challenge to get tightly inside that bigger hose, but I did manage to get results still.

I was wondering here that it should be perfectly possible to make alternative control unit for vario, I think that even Megasquirt might bend for that, it would result programmable variomatic for all the uses what it may have, for example it should be possible then to get overdrive side more quickly enganged and also engine braking situation could have few presets, it might be possible even to control clutch, maybe it would be possible to make silly good mpg out from it if adjusted properly, who knows, however I'm not going to do such thing as this one is going to be under old car restricted license at some time.

Oh yes, those big cables near heater box, they are indeed heater system wires, there is plug at front of the car, which make it look like an electric car, should get you a pic from it

Car needs full service of course, plugs, oil etc. I don't even know if this one has points or not, at least has not that stupid renix unit that I have great dislike, coil is next to radiator and is bit sad looking really, however seem to be working fine

I have new coil somewhere, it was used with megasquirt setup in 360, also Bosch ignition module but that should not be needed.

Also must check if manifold is craked or not, there is some sound, it sounds like exhaust manifold seal, but might be cracked manifold too.

Might check valve clearances when giving that full service, also coolant antifreeze level is important at this time of year.

Need to get some paint so that I can start with rust issues, windshield surrounding + a pillars are first as they can be quite big underneat, I remember seeing pics here how tiny spot was bit bigger after first layers of metal were cleared...

Still have 360 to work with, but I hope to get it ready during autumn, just needs bit of welding + parts, it should be fairly economical to drive with rebuilt carb. So soon I have 343 and 360 to drive and no french crap it seems

edit: This I fear most, you never know what lies underneath

[MCHUDD]

Hi volvodspec.
The spare tank senders i have are from a 1989 360
and a 1991 340. could there be much difference?
Cheers Mark.

[macplaxton]

Physically maybe not Mark, but the Smiths gauges might/probably run a different resistance range.

I can probably sort you out with a EMV, PM me jtbo.

[volvodspec]

I managed to to few test before I have to go and it is EMV that is broken, connection A does not suck much more even there is a click, connection B test came out ok as well as under the car tests. I try to phone seller and ask if he still has one from spare car he has, just don't know what kind of prices I would except to pay from such.

Of course rebuild kit is possibility if it comes off cheaper and is enough easy to install with my non existing skills?

brilliant! looks like an easy fix then. i'd personnally go for a rebuild kit as those valves are from a brandnew and durable material, all "used" valves have slight cuts into the rubber that eventually cause it to rip.
the EMV rebuild kit is really easy to use, Robbert-Jan wrote a brilliant manual that comes with it with pics of every step, but in short terms it really is nothing more than getting the old rubber valve off and glueing the new one back on

I was wondering here that it should be perfectly possible to make alternative control unit for vario, I think that even Megasquirt might bend for that, it would result programmable variomatic for all the uses what it may have, for example it should be possible then to get overdrive side more quickly enganged and also engine braking situation could have few presets, it might be possible even to control clutch, maybe it would be possible to make silly good mpg out from it if adjusted properly, who knows, however I'm not going to do such thing as this one is going to be under old car restricted license at some time.

as your overdrive/gear up side of the EMV doesn't work atm i'd wait what you think of it once that valve is ok, it makes a biiiiiig difference on further notice, i wouldn't change too much about what and when the the tacho control the CVT, as varying the overdrive and how the engine brake works directly relate to the lifespan of the clutch and cvt belts.
the tacho and emv stands completely away of the clutch, the clutch is operated by centrifugal force and all it needs is a rise in the engines rpm to engage. further it has a vacuum-piston thingy that acts just like the clutch pedal on a manual car would. this system allows you to change gear with the choke on while the engine idles above it's normal clutch engaging point.

Oh yes, those big cables near heater box, they are indeed heater system wires, there is plug at front of the car, which make it look like an electric car, should get you a pic from it

i also allways wondered where the coolant heater unit is located in the engine; i guess on the right side under the exhaust manifold??

Car needs full service of course, plugs, oil etc. I don't even know if this one has points or not, at least has not that stupid renix unit that I have great dislike, coil is next to radiator and is bit sad looking really, however seem to be working fine

yes it has points, if you want to set the ignition; dwell angle 57° and the B14.3´s dizzy 10° before TDC

Also must check if manifold is craked or not, there is some sound, it sounds like exhaust manifold seal, but might be cracked manifold too.

yeah probably the manifold, if you only hear it at the cold start and slowly goes away once the engine gets warmer i'd leave it alone or get a VERY specialisted welder to seal the tear it's a pain in the ass to weld correctly

Hi volvodspec.
The spare tank senders i have are from a 1989 360
and a 1991 340. could there be much difference?
Cheers Mark.

unfortunatly those can't be used.
the fuel tank of a 343/345 has a round flange on top where the sender drops in, with a separate ring to hold it in place.
with the introduction of the big dash and 340/360 these senders had a special pattern cutted into the tank for them where the sender has to be put on top in the slots and then turned clockwise to lock it into place.
in short terms, it doesn't fit and besides that the older senders had 3 electrical contacts. a ground, a fuel level signal(resistance) and a low fuel warning signal (switched)
with the 340/360 the fuel sender just had the ground and fuel level signal where the MFU that's integrated in the clockset switched the low fuel warning signal on once the resistance was at a certain point.

it's a bit of a design problem really, the old senders have a piece of resistor wire wrapped around a flat surface where the floater arm needle comes along, it eventually tears the wire wich causes the problem. the later senders had the same working principal, but with the wire more integrated into the unit. i'm personally thinking about rewrapping the sender but need to accurately measure the resistance over the wire's full length to check wich wire is used or i'll go from 1 vague fuel-sender problem to the next

[jtbo]

I'm not home at the moment, but from memory I did clean the sender and I think that I swap that wire thing around so that fresh surface is touching the 'needle', I can remember wrong too, but I think it was quite simple to disassemble and clean, also from my memory that straight board with wire around it did fit to place other way too, so it was possible to swap it.

Also I did adjust needle arm so that it was touching wire constantly, it had bit of play, also I did bend a bit of float arm as in my 360 I was out of petrol before warning light came on. With all those I got it to work perfectly, also in 360 at least it was very easy to take out from tank.

I need to look 343 sender when I get home.

Thank you from the offer macplaxton, however I'm leaning towards rebuild kit route, it would be at least sure then that valve is going to be ok.

I really hope to see how vario truly is to drive, I have been in vario when I was young, it was brand new 1981-1982 model, so I don't remember much from it, it was brown and it has much better rear seat space than other cars I did travel at that time, at least so I remember, but being little kid I really did not understand much of cars then. So is this now some fulfilled childhood dream or something like that, who knows, but I have always wanted early mkII and also vario, now got both in one package

Once I owned a Toyota, it was 1982 Tercel, FWD model that had engine mounted same way as it is in RWD cars, one of rare cars that had perfect gear ratios, if Toyota has managed to do anything right, I think it is to match gear ratios for engine and car weight/resistances, also every gear is perfect distance from gears next to it, of course vario is much better with stepless gears
Anyway, that Tercel had points and they needed bit of sandpaper from time to time, but from my memory those were quite trouble free, even some evil tongues claim opposite, only ignition I have had trouble is Renix, it has spark weakening built in, which, imo, causes all kind of problems and I'm not too sure about gains.

[SteveP]

That looks in great condition for it's age considering some of the 300's I've seen on forums over there! That interior is fantastic!!

[jtbo]

That looks in great condition for it's age considering some of the 300's I've seen on forums over there! That interior is fantastic!!

It is and for price of 400 it came in relatively cheap, imo, it is rare to get car with engine or original paintwork with that kind of money.

Interior bits that I have spotted missing are driver's side door handle frame and interior light switch, the one that is at roof in interior light, also driver's side door card chrome strip seem to have missing bit of chrome, there is not much else, some good cleaning is of course needed, but interior is quite bit like new. Btw, only driver's seat is heated, there is no heating element at passenger seat, at least can't feel it.

I try to make this car to be mint, so need to get all missing bits at some point.

[SteveP]

Yeah, the earlier models only had the drivers seat heated - and it was thermostatically controlled rather than with a switch in the later models, the one in my 343 never worked as far as I could tell (and most are the same!)!