Hi y'all,

If you read my other thread you might be aware that I've had some frustrations getting my red 740 through the out-of-province inspection due to Midas not liking my perfectly good non-stock exhaust system.

Well, that's not all that's not going right for me now. I'm also having problems completing my AW71-M46 tranny swap on my 940. While I had the car up on stands and had the exhaust off I thought it might be nice to have a block heater in the car so I decided to knock out a frost plug and install one. Boy, do I EVER regret that decision !!

First of all it was a real battle getting that frost plug out. I did finally get the #$*%($#@ thing out but I cannot for the life of me get that $$#*%$@!!@#$ block heater to seal. Once I had it down to a very slow weep but after taking it back out and trying again it just pours out of the friggin' thing. I've tried using silicone around the o-ring and plug hole. That didn't work. I've also tried using seal-all the same way. No dice.

I can get the block heater to go a fair ways into the plug hole but it always wants to back itself out again when I start tightening on the anchoring mechanism. When I do get it snug in there the heater is always protruding at least 3/16" or so out of the engine jacket.

I finally gave up and went to a parts store and got some new frost plugs thinking I'd just drive one back in there and forget about it. Well, it turns out I can't get a straight shot at the frost plug to drive it in because the #$$*$%)($#U exhaust manifold is partially in the way. It seems the only way I can drive a new plug in is to take the entire exhaust manifold off which is a bit of a bitch on a turbo. I REALLY don't want to do that.

So what I'm trying now is this: I coated the inside of the frost plug hole and the block heater o-ring with silicone and have reinserted the block heater. I have pushed it all the way in so it is nearly flush with the engine jacket. I am going to let it sit there overnight and cure before I try tightening the anchoring mechanism. If that doesn't work I don't know what I'll do. I'm thinking desperate times will call for desperate measures. I'm thinking that maybe the next thing I'll try is sinking the block heater in there with a generous coating of JB Weld. Just cement the sucker in there for good.

What do y'all think of that plan ? Is there something else less drastic that you suggest I try before resorting to that drastic measure ? I'm, really getting sick of that block heater thing. What a STUPID idea to try and put one in. I'd like to smash the damn thing with a sledge hammer !

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...................

The center support bearing and carrier which was on the manual driveshaft I got from PNP was kind of old and needed replacing. So a couple days ago I ordered a bearing from Auto-value and went down there to pick it up. Turns out it's the wrong one (too small) and I have to take it back. After doing some farting around I got them to order another one and this time it was the right one.

I took the shaft into Certigard over in Montgomery and asked them to press the old bearing and carrier off the shaft and replace it with the new bearing and replace the carrier with the one off the automatic drive shaft from my 940 which was in excellent condition.

It takes them a whole day to do it but that's ok. I went over there this evening to pick it up and brought it home. When I get it out to the shop I decide to give the shaft a spin and see how it rotates. I should've done this back at their shop because the shaft barely spins and you can clearly see the carrier is on crooked. I'm sure the "mechanic" that did the job didn't even test it out to see if the shaft spun easily after he had pressed everything on. Dolt !! I wouldn't be surprised to hear tomorrow that they're going to have to do everything again and are going to have to order in a new bearing and I'll have to wait at least ANOTHER day to my 940 back on the road. The way things are going right now it would just figure.

I could really use a break with this stuff right now...

Heh...that was a fine running 940 you had there...

Two thoughts: First, take off the manifold get the frost plug back in place (yup it's a pain, but when the JB lets go - things get worse) and go find a heater that splices into a hose. I've got one on my car and it works great. Also run some Mobil 1 and things stay pretty easy to turn over in the most frigid weather.

Take the shaft back and beat the guy over the head with it...where are all the decent mechanics these days? That bearing will most likely be toast if it was pressed in sideways. They should be paying for the replacement part as well. I've got one (JUST ONE) shop that I trust to get things right - everything that I'm not equiped to do properly, they do and haven't gouged me yet.

the block heater would need to be hammered lightly into the block to get it to seal. The little retaining plug on it can't get enough umph behind it to pull it into the block.

I talked to the Parts department at Valentine today and they tell me that in mid 1990 the blocks changed on the B230s and a different block heater is needed to fit them. The part number is 1189805. The frost holes on those blocks have no ridge at the back of them so there's nothing for the o-rings on a standard Temro block heater to push up against. The block heaters for the post mid 90 B230s were made by Pyroil. They don't appear to be making block heaters anymore and Volvo shows the part as discontinued. I called dealers in Edmonton, Kelowna, Lower Mainland BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Minnesota and even Newfoundland and nobody has one sitting there as old stock.

In other words, I'm totally screwed.

I'm trying to find out if either Revolv store or Schramm's can sell me a used one but in the meantime I'm ordering a frost plug from Valentine. It seems even the frost plugs are different on those motors so I can't use the standard 40 mm frost plug I got from Auto-value.

Man do I EVER regret deciding to install a block heater in that stupid car.

Now I have to wait until Monday to get the stupid frost plug AND I have to remove the stupid exhaust manifold & Turbo to install the @#*$%^*#!! thing !

(Can I likely re-use the exhaust manifold gasket or should I get a new one ?)

Man, this sucks !!!

Moral of the story - don't EVER try to put a block heater into a post 1990 B23O engine. You'll be SORRY if you do !!

or just don't worry about a block heater period....

Simple answer NO

Sorry for saying this but ... don't be lazy and cheap, always replace any gasket that has been used. Don't replace it and I garantee you will have a leak, if not now it will happen very soon.

C'mon Ian, don't sugar coat it, tell us how you REALLY feel !

I had no issues changing my block heater in my 93 B230FT ... ?

Where did you get your replacement block heater ? Did the frost hole your block heater went into have a ridge or lip at the back of it or was it a straight through bore ? Which frost plug hole was your block heater installed in ? Do you know for sure that engine block is original to the car ?

I know for a fact that the block is not original to the car, thats why he knows its a 93 block.

Ok, but could that block actually be from an older car ? According to the parts departments at several Volvo dealerships that I talked to the only block heater that will work in the post mid 1990 B230 blocks are the ones made by Pyroil and those have been NLA for quite a while. I don't understand how he could get a block heater to work in that block unless he had a heater that was made to work in a block with a straight-through frost hole or the alleged '93 block he'd got has stepped frost holes which would imply that the block was actually made prior to midway in the 1990 model year.

I've even talked with a design engineer at Philips-Temro in Winnepeg and he told me they don't make a block heater that will work in the late model B230 blocks. The closest he could find was one that was made to fit some FIATs and Ladas but even then he wasn't 100% sure it would fit (may be too deep). Even if it would fit just try and find a part for a FIAT or a Lada these days !

So, Raz, I'm deeply curious as to why/how you were able to get a block heater to fit in your "93" B230 block, if in fact you're right about the age of that block.

I bet my original idea of putting an inline heater in is sounding better all the time.

Craig

the 5cyl volvos use in line heaters and we have no troubles with them