Re: [DML] Re: PRV Oil/Camshaft Problems

[Nathan Robinson <nathanrobinson@xxxxxxxxx>]

I would agree with DMC Joe on this one, as what he described was
exactly what happened with my car (1980 260 GLE) which is all but
non-existant now because of the problems he mentioned. However,
concerning the cam tensioners/guides, when I went to order new ones
(based on the part # from my microfiche) I was told by a Volvo dealer
that that it was obsolete and a new part had replaced it. We asked
why, and he told me that there was problems concerning the smaller oil
passages in the cam chain tensioners and that for the new ones, the
oil passages were enlarged.

Nathan


On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 02:26:05 -0500, DMC Joe <dmcjoe@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> 
> Bill,
> 
> Thanks for your response. Concerning camshaft up grades in the post 1980
> B28F engines here is information from my PRV-6 B28F library. Referring to
> the Hanes Volvo 260 Series Manuel ISBN 1 85010 287 2 Chapter 13 Supplement
> Revisions P-247 Section 3 reads: "On some 1980 and all 1981 and 1982 models
> new camshafts have been installed". Illustration 13.1 indicates the new LH
> camshaft as #7401269616 and RH camshaft as #7401269615. I also have
> additional first hand experience on this subject.
> 
> Back in 1989 I purchased a Volvo 260 GLE with the B-28F strictly for
> research proposes. At 64k miles the car was in great shape except for
> excessive valve chatter. As you well know valve noise in these engines is
> not uncommon. As the miles increased so did the valve noise level. I decided
> I would go ahead and perform a valve adjustment but when I removed the valve
> covers I noticed that the rear oil passages had a much lower oil flow volume
> compared to the front, I also observed discoloration of the camshaft lobes
> in that area. I in turn called an associate of mine who owns Volset Service,
> a Volvo engine service facility in Atlanta. He told me that this was a
> common problem and he had observed the same condition in many other B-28F's
> of that era. Keep in mind that by that time I had already racked up over 60k
> miles on my DeLorean. I was also several years into servicing DeLorean's at
> DeLorean Services and was wondering why I had not seen this premature
> camshaft ware problem in any DeLorean's.
> 
> About a year or so later, at 83K miles, my 260 GLE seized up from a chewed
> up camshaft. As time passed my Volvo associate commented that it was obvious
> to him that a modification was made to either the valve train oil system or
> camshafts because he was no longer seeing the problem in 1981 and later
> B-28F's. When I retired my DeLorean engine at over 260k miles the valve
> train was still in good shape. Currently we have many DeLorean's with over
> 100k miles, several at 200k, and a couple at 300k. With these facts in mind,
> although there is no factory documentation concerning modification of the
> oil passages, something obviously changed in the post 1980 B-28F's.
> 
> FYI: In addition to two DeLorean's I also own a 1989 Volvo 760 GLE (very
> rare) with 193k on the clock and still running like new.
> 
> DMC Joe
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: content22207 [mailto:brobertson@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 11:30 PM
> To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [DML] Re: PRV Oil/Camshaft Problems
> 
> I respectfully disagree with your disagreement:
> 
> - I have two notebooks of Volvo B27-B28 factory literature spanning
> 1979-1985, none of which contains a single word about modified oil passages
> or different camshaft materials.
> - The only Volvo TSB dealing with PRV camshaft wear (#21112 4/84) addresses
> the problem in terms lighter oil viscosity specification, retroactive to the
> beginning of engine use, not enlarging oil passages or replacing early
> camshafts with later models.
> - The oil passage/camshaft rumor periodically rears it head in BBS's such as
> swedishbricks.com and brickboard.com, only to be discredited by Volvo owners
> themselves. Note that some of these owners have enlarged oil return passages
> of their own volition (others claim that lighter oil alone solves the
> problem).
> 
> Bill Robertson
> #5939
> 
> >--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "DMC Joe" <dmcjoe@xxxx> wrote:
> >
> >  Nathan,
> >
> > I respectfully disagree.
> >
> > In my 30 years of DeLorean consulting and servicing this is the one
> subject
> > I've had to repeat over and over.
> > Once again, here are the facts.
> >
> > The valve train oiling problems and early camshaft failure are
> related to
> > the pre 1981 version of the PRV-6. The majority of these engines were
> > in Volvo 260 GLE's. It was not uncommon for these pre 81 Volvo's to
> > start chattering at around 40-50k miles with complete valve/cam
> > failure at
> around
> > 80-90k miles. As these failures mounted the engineers at the engine
> > manufacturing plant initiated a modification that enlarged the oil
> passages
> > and specified a harder camshaft. This modification completely
> eliminated the
> > earlier problems. This is one of the reasons why the DeLorean gained a
> > negative opinion among mechanics when the DeLorean was first introduced.
> >
> > Your experience with cam chain problems is extremely rare. As a
> matter of
> > fact it is the first time I have ever heard of this problem in a
> DeLorean
> > engine.
> >
> > DMC Joe
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Nathan Robinson [mailto:nathanrobinson@xxxx]
> > Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 1:35 PM
> > To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: [DML] Re: Piston rings + sleeves
> >
> >
> >
> > The PRV-6 engine had problems with oil delivery, and consequently,
> the cam
> > chains wore like a mofo. Also, the cam chain tensioners are hard to
> check,
> > making the engine (you guessed it) develop problems 'later on' in
> life. The
> > blowing up bit I can only imagine is what happened to me.
> >
> > The cam chains wore considerably and broke prematurely. A borked chain
> > thrashing around at the front of the engine cover is quite a chore
> to fix.
> > And expensive. The 'new' cam tensioners and my dad's modification to
> > the front of the timing cover (and also scoring depth marks on the
> tensioners as
> > well - so we can tell how worn the chains are) makes checking up on
> those
> > little beasts a whole lot easier.
> >
> > When those chains break, it's generally cheaper to just find another
> engine.
> >
> > Nathan Robinson
> >
> >
> > Note: On different odds and ends, an interesting tid-bit is that the
> Ford
> > Triton V8 and V10 are also very similar engines to our squirrelly
> > little PRV-6, which was initially slated by P,R,V to be a V8, but gas
> shortages at
> > that time changed their mind. While the Triton engines have more
> > displacement and more cylinders and more electronics, however the
> guts (as
> > far as I can tell from visiting junkyards) look to be the same.
> >
> > Also, (I don't know if this has been mentioned before) another good
> thing to
> > do if you're having problems keeping antifreeze in the system, is
> install
> > spring clamps (instead of those screw clamps) on the engine coolant
> tubes
> > right under the intake manifold. (there are two IIRC) If (when you
> take your
> > engine apart) there is antifreeze on the top of your engine block,
> (and it
> > happens to make a mess when it gets there) run to the junkyard and
> grab some
> > spring clamps off a triton engine (which just so happens to have most
> > everything in the same spot, and the same size, and happens to be a
> far more
> > common
> > engine) and it will fix the leaking antifreeze.
> >
> > Also, (Boy.. i'm on a roll here) another place to get engine parts,
> etc...
> > is www.ipdusa.com and www.swedishparts.net. IPD is a tad expensive,
> but good
> > stuff, and www.swedishparts.net had dirt cheap (OEM and others)
> prices (and
> > photos) of whatever you're looking for.
> > Just remember the same engine (based on the research I've done on the
> > engine) is on a '80 - '82 Volvo 260 series car. (Different 250's I'm
> sure
> > are similar as well, but the engine production years are the same
> for that
> > particular 260 car. ('80-'85)
> >
> >
> >
> 
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> 
> 
> 
>





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