Let’s Make The Bottom Great Again!
I need to remove the axles to replace the oil seal.
Volvo suggests this puller in order to remove the rear axle. You are basically using the bearing to pull out the outside race.
I don’t like that idea as it can be hard on the threads and possibly marr the bearing surface. If the bearing is still good and you just want to repack it, you just want to go easy on it.
I made this crude but gentle puller instead.
Like so…then I just turn the nuts out and the axle comes along.
The world’s most ignored bearing?? Volvo, or more specifically Spicer, in their infinite wisdom, decided to put the oil seal inside of the bearing. Most rear axles will use the differential oil to lubricate the bearing so they would have the seal on the outside.
In this case, the bearing is only lubed by the grease that was packed when it was installed. You have to remove the brake backing plate and disconnect the brake lines to re-pack the bearing so it is often ignored.
Here is the old oil seal.
192550 to the rescue.
Part number 181217 and a $100.00 (per side!) will get you the bearing and the race.
The axle bearing is just pressed on to a tapered surface so axle end play is important and needs to be measured with a dial indicator. Volvo’s green book is the source for specifications.
The end play is adjusted with these shims available in different thicknesses from VP.
The backing plate have a machined surface that will go against the shims.
I have to double check the end play after backing plate is installed.
VP-Autoparts now offer brake cylinders for bubble flairs if you are keeping the original bubble flair brake line. The early cars had bubble flairs as opposed to the later cars with inverted flairs.
The brake shoe adjusters are often seized but these moved freely. After some anti seize was applied to the threads, they will be good for another sixty years.
Most folks use spring pliers to install the springs on the shoes once in place. I find it easier to just assemble the shoes with springs and then just “pry” them in place without disturbing the linings.
New brakes are SEXY!
Before brake lines and exhaust, I need to clean up the bottom of the car. The old overdrive had some serious incontinent issues as it splattered oil all over the bottom.
Looks like even the early Swedish assembled cars did not get undercoating on the bottom, but being a dry California car, this car still have factory paint left on it.
Because the car is in the shop, I built this “paint cocoon” to keep the dust from spreading in the shop. Proper paint mask is a must!
My cocoon worked great. Now the floor boards are protected with 3M rubberized undercoating.
Now is a good time to freshen up the e-brake linkage.
E-brake linkage in place.
Volvo 665236, Handbrake lever seal.
I have seen very few old Volvos that did not have the e-brake handle loop broken off.
Nice!
E-brake installed.
Volvo used plastic plugs to seal up the holes in the floor boards.
Time to plumb the brake lines. This is the bestest tool I ever used for making brake line flairs. The tubing is steel with a copper coating for corrosion resistance.
In order to bend the brake lines correctly, you use Pythagorean theorem as it is a fundamental relation in Euclidean geometry between the three sides of a triangle. The area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares on the other two sides. Then you can start calculate the radius of the bend…
…just kidding, I bend the damn thing until it fits, this is not brain surgery!
Brake line in place. Don’t forget the rubber grommet when making the line.
Almost too nice to install under the car!
I opted for a Swedish made Simons stainless two inch exhaust.
Fun fact: For a while, I lived just a few miles (kilometers really…) from Ljungsarp in Sweden where they still make these.
The header pipe is stainless as well but I had it treated with a ceramic thermal coating that will keep the heat out of the engine compartment. I did the manifold in a cast finish but the header pipe in a silver.
The early P1800 cars for US market had these straight slash cut pipes and I think they look “racier” than the later style “S” pipes so that’s what I am going with.
I think the “S” pipes came about because of Swedish Law. The authorities wanted the exhaust to emanate behind the bumper of the car and to the side. A bad trunk seal can easily suck in carbon monoxide and murder the occupants in the vehicle. Just saying…
I prefer these “band” style clamps (Right) as opposed to the “muffler shop” clamps as they tend to deform the pipe. With the band clamp it is easy to loosen a joint in case I want to adjust the system after some driving.
Nice bottom! I did wrap the exhaust pipe with heat wrap on a short section where it runs very close to the floor.
Snazzy!
Next: Brake line plumbing in the engine compartment, carburators, heating hoses…and MORE!