To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: "c303tgb112003" Date: Thu, 09 Dec 2004 13:54:41 -0000 Subject: [Volvo303] Re: OM617A in a Volvo Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com --- In Volvo303@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Molloy" wrote: > Christer, > Do you have any photos of your conversion? The OM603.960-equipped > W124 was brought into the US only one year...1987. What is the > maximum engine speed of the 603? Like the 617A, maximum hp is > achieved at an rpm higher that that of the standard B30A engine. The > OM617A started into production in 1977. > > Jim Molloy > Waldersee Farm > http://www.northwestmogfest.com > http://www.volvo4x4.com Hi, Jim Sorry to learn that the OM603.960 is not wildly available in the states - a great engine. Actually the also quite hard to acquire in Europe (and expensive), due they are "new" in a MB world=85. I am not worried about the engines life span in a C303 application, the "same" engine DT(OM603.950) is used in H=E4gglunds Articulated tracked vehicle BV 206, (mid 80 to mid 90) and this vehicle is heavy (approx 4.5 ton) and run with a high rpm i belive, at least it sounds like it inside the cab. (Off course you need a proper cooling) I don't know any details about the expected life span of the old OM617 engine. You should all have in mind that you should not do an engine conversion to save money, you won't. But you can increase your vehicles maximum rangem and diesel is less flammable (devastating engine fires in C303 is not unheard off - keep always a good fire- extinguisher close to the B30 engine!). I posted a picture of the engine installed in mine C303, under new folder "C303-conversions". Best regards=20 Christer Johansson To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: "Willem-Jan Markerink" Date: Thu, 09 Dec 2004 15:59:28 +0100 Subject: Re: [Volvo303] Re: OM617A in a Volvo Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com On 9 Dec 2004 at 13:54, c303tgb112003 wrote: > Hi, Jim > Sorry to learn that the OM603.960 is not wildly available in the > states - a great engine. Actually the also quite hard to acquire in > Europe (and expensive), due they are "new" in a MB world=85. I am not > worried about the engines life span in a C303 application, the "same" > engine DT(OM603.950) is used in H=E4gglunds Articulated tracked vehicle > BV 206, (mid 80 to mid 90) and this vehicle is heavy (approx 4.5 ton) > and run with a high rpm i belive, at least it sounds like it inside > the cab. But I doubt these tracks make even 50k miles in their entire=20 life....;)) > (Off course you need a proper cooling) I don't know any > details about the expected life span of the old OM617 engine. You > should all have in mind that you should not do an engine conversion to > save money, you won't. But you can increase your vehicles maximum > rangem and diesel is less flammable (devastating engine fires in C303 > is not unheard off - keep always a good fire- extinguisher close to > the B30 engine!). Are there any typical causes for an engine-fire with these vehicles? Notorious wear-spots in fuel lines perhaps? Or perhaps caused by the fact that there might be flammable stuff in the proximity of the engine, laying around the engine-cover-hole, in the cabin? It's one of my main objectives against gasoline....the inherent safety of diesel (diesel won't even ignite if you throw a burning match in a puddle!). And no spark plugs of course....:)) > I posted a picture of the engine installed in mine > C303, under new folder "C303-conversions". Did you use a custom-made adapter, or one of those offered by a=20 Swedish marine-supplier? -- Bye, Willem-Jan Markerink The desire to understand=20 is sometimes far less intelligent than the inability to understand [note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!] To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: "extrm303" Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 17:11:51 -0000 Subject: [Volvo303] Re: OM617A in a Volvo Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com --- In Volvo303@yahoogroups.com, "c303tgb112003" wrote: > > Hi, Jim > You should all have in mind that you should not do an engine > conversion to save money, you won't. But you can increase your > vehicles maximum rangem and diesel is less flammable (devastating > engine fires in C303 is not unheard off - keep always a good fire- > extinguisher close to the B30 engine!). > I posted a picture of the engine installed in mine C303, under new > folder "C303-conversions". > > Best regards > Christer Johansson Christer, Is it possible for you to elaborate on the "303 Vehicle fires" you mentioned earlier? I've heard, that at times with the oil vapor from the valve cover condensing on the air filter in the original (black) air filter holder on top of the Zeniths, that the engine may back fire and ignite the air filter. Is that why they may have moved the air filter to a separate box (aluminum) a longer distance away or is that perhaps solely for serviceability sake? Also, oil accumulating and seeping from the original box is directly above the exhaust manifold along with any older or leaking gas lines feeding the "T" and including it between both Zeniths. Again both precipitously perched over the hot manifold. Your thoughts? To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: "c303tgb112003" Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 18:43:35 -0000 Subject: [Volvo303] Re: OM617A in a Volvo Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com --- In Volvo303@yahoogroups.com, "extrm303" wrote: > Christer, > > Is it possible for you to elaborate on the "303 Vehicle fires" you mentioned > earlier? > > I've heard, that at times with the oil vapor from the valve cover condensing on > the air filter in the original (black) air filter holder on top of the Zeniths, > that the engine may back fire and ignite the air filter. Is that why they may > have moved the air filter to a separate box (aluminum) a longer distance away > or is that perhaps solely for serviceability sake? > > Also, oil accumulating and seeping from the original box is directly above the > exhaust manifold along with any older or leaking gas lines feeding the "T" and > including it between both Zeniths. Again both precipitously perched over the > hot manifold. > > Your thoughts? Fire in C303 My observation is dated back more than 10 years then I was in the Swedish army, and I thought then and still do, that the problems lies some there in the fuel line. It could be the T-connection or the fuel filter (the type of a glass bowl with a ceramic insert), but and do don't really know, I know only the result. Sorry I can't really help. Best thing; get rid of the B30 engine! (Is not really the best engine for the vehicle, and have never been, the decision is dated back to some strategic and political decisions in the early 70-ties, read diesel: not good for severe Swedish winter climate and Volvos only petrol-engine in the power range was the B30!) Keep in mind that the B30 engine is a great engine if you have cheap supply of petrol! As you all know the design is very reliably, except the fire hazards... I have never seen the aluminium air-filter box, do you have photo? (Plastic in the Swedish army vehicles tgb11/13 I saw and in my "vattenfalls" C303 vehicle, now changed to a MB OM603.960) Regards Christer To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: "John Roddam" Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2005 20:58:05 -0000 Subject: [Volvo303] Carburettor Leak Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com Hi, My TGB11 just passed it's uk roadworthiness test (MOT) which was a big relief, but the night before when I was moving it out of its shed, it developed a really bad petrol leak from the forward carburettor. The floatbowl just emptied out via the brass capped nylon plug in the bottom. This plug had just dropped out of its seating a couple of mil. I made a temporary repair with PTFE tape but obviously need a permanent fix. Has anyone else had this? Is the answer simply a new 'o' ring? What is the purpose of this plug? Thanks as always John To: From: "John Allen" Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 07:56:02 +1000 Subject: RE: [Volvo303] Carburettor Leak Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com -----Original Message----- From: John Roddam [mailto:john.roddam@btinternet.com] Sent: Thursday, 6 January 2005 6:58 AM > Hi, > My TGB11 just passed it's uk roadworthiness test (MOT) which was a > big relief, but the night before when I was moving it out of its > shed, it developed a really bad petrol leak from the forward > carburettor. > > The floatbowl just emptied out via the brass capped nylon plug in > the bottom. > > This plug had just dropped out of its seating a couple of mil. > > I made a temporary repair with PTFE tape but obviously need a > permanent fix. > > Has anyone else had this? > > Is the answer simply a new 'o' ring? > > What is the purpose of this plug? > > Thanks as always > > John John, Bit exciting given the proximity to the exhaust system. It doesn't do much for the fuel consumption either This has happened to me (and by the number of spares that I got with the vehicle properly to previous owners). I have considered changing the assembly to accept a screw in type of fitting. But there are other things I here I intend to chase as well. To adjust the air / fuel mix not easy unless you have special tools on the C300 carbys. (Need to press things about) Similar units have either an adjustable needle (accessed from the top or alternatively an adjustable main jet location that features a screw from the bottom of the bowel assembly that requires no tools (apart from instrumentation to know the air / fuel mixture) to effect an adjustment of mixture. So at this stage I have put a loop of wire under the plug. John Allen Australia http://www.bananasinpyjamas.com/science/k2/trek/4wd/Over62.htm xxxxxxxxxxxx Fire Fighting Foam In all my years of driving, I've had a few cars catch on fire. The first one was in my third Kombi van (OK, sometimes I'm a slow learner). This was after I had stopped being a scientist, and had turned into a long-haired film-maker/cab driver/roadie for bands. I was helping a friend shift her stuff to her new flat, and had just carried the last load up the stairs. As I came down to the Kombi, I saw flames licking up the body out of the engine compartment, and out of the side door. It didn't take very long to destroy most of my possessions, including my only shoes. I had an interview the very next day (Monday, 9.00 am) for a lecturer's position at the Sydney Technical College. The funny thing was that even though I didn't wear any shoes to the interview, they still offered me the position! The next car fire I was involved in happened a few years later. I was driving my '59 Pontiac (the one with the huge rocket fins) along the road when the car in front suddenly had flames erupt out of the bonnet. Everybody stopped, and I rushed up to offer help. The driver was panicking, but luckily he had in his car a small red fire extinguisher. I remained perfectly unruffled (probably because it was not my car), calmly read the instructions on the fire extinguisher, lifted the bonnet, and put out the fire. In the next vehicle fire, I was not so relaxed. It happened on our First Grand Triumphal Tour of Australia (ie, the shakedown cruise) in our 4WD Volvo C304. We had just filled both tanks with petrol at Three Ways in the Northern Territory - about 300 litres! Mary was driving, I was in the passenger seat and Little Karl (LK) was on the special seat in between us. We had been on the road for about an hour, heading east towards Queensland, lumbering along at a comfortable 70 kph, when Mary said (God bless her observant eyes, and excellent mirror habits) ''There's a big oily black cloud coming out from under the petrol tank on my side. Should I be worried?" Suddenly my brain went into overdrive, and then into video replay, and the most likely cause of a ''big black oily cloud coming out from under the petrol tank'' popped into my mind. There was an immediate diagnostic question, which I asked ''Mary, what's the oil pressure, please?'' ''Zero'' replied Mary. ''Mary, switch off the engine right now, then quickly pull over to the side of the road, and I'll grab Little Karl''. She stopped the vehicle, I grabbed LK, and joined her in the middle of the dirt track, about 10 metres from the Volvo, as we watched black smoke and flames lick up under the petrol tank. We were alive, which was the most important thing. We watched for another few seconds, and then I said ''I may as well get the fire extinguisher''. Mary agreed, so I handed LK to her, dived into the truck, grabbed one of the fire extinguishers, and dived out again. Then Mary and I had a minor panic as we tried to read the instructions, and then I rushed over the truck, lay on my back at the side of the truck, squirted the fire foam all over the oil lines, rolled away from the truck, and rushed back to Mary and LK. The fire was out, and it stayed out. It was all my own fault, of course. I hadn't properly re-seated the oil cooler adaptor plate a few days previously, when I had changed the oil and the oil filter. When I was preparing the Volvo for Outback trips, I had been worried about the engine oil overheating. The only way I could install an engine oil cooler was to insert a special adaptor plate under the oil filter. The act of tightening up the oil filter held the adaptor plate on. The plate had an outlet and an inlet, which went to and from the oil cooler up at the front of the vehicle. Of course, being obsessive, I had bought really expensive, fire-proof, flexible rubber oil hoses. As Mary was describing the smoke cloud, I remembered that I had not been entirely happy with the fit and angle of the adaptor plate, when I was refitting the oil filter. I had fiddled with it a few times to get it right. Obviously, I had not gotten it exactly right. Obviously, it had come loose, letting hot engine squirt out onto the nearby stainless steel exhaust pipe. And when Mary said that the oil pressure was zero, that confirmed my diagnosis. The next thing to do was fix things up. The fire had melted the resin in the top of the nearby oil pressure switch (which turned on a red light when the oil pressure was zero). No worries there, because, being obsessive, I carried a spare oil pressure switch. Practically all the engine oil had gone, but I always carried a spare 5 litres - so that was easy to fix. The oil filter was loose, so all I had to do was tighten it properly. The rubber oil hoses were, to the naked eye and feeling fingers, undamaged by the fire. A wiring bundle was slightly damaged. But one beauty of a fairly low-tech vehicle is that it is quite easy to fix. I just soldered up a few wires together, using a few bridging pieces of wire. Finally, I checked the fuel lines and the filters. I remembered the incredulity at the Volvo shop from some of the younger mechanics, when I returned with 13 metres of fuel hose that cost $7 per metre. This top-of-the-line hose, which had a wall some 7 mm thick, was rated to be fire-resistant.''Maaate'', a few of them had cried,''why didn't you get some 30 cents per metre clear plastic hose?'' If the fuel line had melted as easily as the resin on the oil pressure switch, I would have had 150 litres of fuel dribbling onto the fire. Six months later, lying on my back on a dirt track under my now-repaired Volvo, I was really glad I had bought the better fuel hose. Copyright © Karl S. Kruszelnicki