Pete saved my arse and I went to get a box and diff off him i've taken the backplate off and as suspected the welds on the diff have broken, a big bit of weld has falled off, got trapped between the crownwheel and the casing and smashed a hole in it Not the end of the world, it didn't attempt to lock and kill me, just got very noisey. At least I can weld the new one off the car a bit better this time!
I would presume it's ok, but it may have the later type 360 anti-roll bar mount. I think you can fit the early (and all 340) type, so it's no big deal.
I won't have the car for at least a couple of weeks, and I'm guessing you're in quite a hurry.
FYI, repair panels are available - don't throw the old one away - someone will have it as a donor for repair.
Lol im in abit of a hurry yeah, is it still repairable? any idea on the price of the refurbished ones? only got the car on saturday. (sorry for the thread hijack!)
Not at all - threadjacks most welcome (within reason ).
You need to buy a new spring seat and have it welded on. They're not expensive, but it's a bit of a fiddle, as you need to have the strut in pieces. I can put you in touch with a man who can supply you with one, if it would be of use. I'd be tempted to get both sides done at once (or at least get the other side inspected), as the other one probably won't be far behind.
It's a fairly common problem - they're obviously of an age now when the seat is sufficiently corroded for the joint to fail.
I'd definitely take the struts apart to do it. It's a bit of a fiddle, but it's pretty much the only way to do it safely.
The standard units aren't inherantly weak...but 20 years of moisture lingering in caked on mud will take its toll. You can add additional vertical braces, but to be honest you're probably just as well off simply painting it well and keeping on top of the cleaning.
Try speaking with George Mitchell of Friends of the Volvo 300. You can reach him on 01786 824740. Tell him James put you on to him. He'll probably try to get you to join the club
Does it have electric mirrors (which you'd be prepared to part with )?
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Just had a quick look at some old posts:
Tero Huikko wrote:RHD and LHD mirrors indeed have different angles. I found out it the hard way.
petefarrell360 wrote:Also, one thing to remember that we've learned through mirrors from Right Hand Drive vehicles being installed on Left Hand Drive vehicles, is that the angles appear to be wrong, even on full adjustment. I think it requires the internal mounts to be swapped from side to side.
Maybe they won't be suitable for my LHD car ...
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i've taken the backplate off and as suspected the welds on the diff have broken, a big bit of weld has falled off, got trapped between the crownwheel and the casing and smashed a hole in it 
Not the end of the world, it didn't attempt to lock and kill me, just got very noisey. At least I can weld the new one off the car a bit better this time!
).
