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240 accessory bushings - what to use ?

Not sure how those aluminum bushings could wear out unless the bolts weren't properly tightened. The aluminum bushings need to be press fit (0.002" larger than the bore). Put the bushing in freezer to shrink before installing.
 
On my DD (40k miles/year), I've gone through several iterations.

My original rubber bushings were beat when I put the car together. I figured 'poly is better' so bought the iPD bushings.

1. iPD poly bushings. They lasted a year or so and that was it.
2. Yoshi aluminum bushings. They also lasted about a year.
3. Yoshi aluminum bushings welded to the arms. Again, about a year (wore out where the bolt passes through).
4. Stock rubber bushings. Lasted about two years.
5. Replacement rubber bushings with a washer added to the outside of each bushing. Three years and counting. I also added a steel spacer on the pivot of the alternator. Blue Loctite on the bracket bolts into the block help prevent them from getting loose (and falling out).

The washer seemed to do the trick. I seem to recall it being a 7/16" fender washer (but you should verify). I suspect its because the force is spread over the face of the bushing rather than just being concentrated at the steel insert. Compressing the bushing slightly helps keep it in full contact with the bushing bore and prevents it from squirming (deforming) under load too much.

Overall, I've been terribly unimpressed with the longevity of any of the poly materials in automotive applications. Mobile One synthetic seems to degrade the material pretty readily and keeping these old motors leak-free is unrealistic.

The conclusion that I've come too is that these old V belts that we use need some minor amount of flex in the pully system that they run in to absorb the harmonic vibrations that they are subject too. If the material is too hard, the bushing doesn't absorb enough and wears rapidly as the cyclic motion of the vibration moves the bushing against the steel bolt/bushing center. The key is to have enough vibration absorption while preventing rotational movement to limit wear.
 
Not sure how those aluminum bushings could wear out unless the bolts weren't properly tightened. The aluminum bushings need to be press fit (0.002" larger than the bore). Put the bushing in freezer to shrink before installing.
Shiet was tight
They just fit, some slightly tight some not, even yoghurt says it

See below

On my DD (40k miles/year), I've gone through several iterations.

My original rubber bushings were beat when I put the car together. I figured 'poly is better' so bought the iPD bushings.

1. iPD poly bushings. They lasted a year or so and that was it.
2. Yoshi aluminum bushings. They also lasted about a year.
3. Yoshi aluminum bushings welded to the arms. Again, about a year (wore out where the bolt passes through).
4. Stock rubber bushings. Lasted about two years.
5. Replacement rubber bushings with a washer added to the outside of each bushing. Three years and counting. I also added a steel spacer on the pivot of the alternator. Blue Loctite on the bracket bolts into the block help prevent them from getting loose (and falling out).

The washer seemed to do the trick. I seem to recall it being a 7/16" fender washer (but you should verify). I suspect its because the force is spread over the face of the bushing rather than just being concentrated at the steel insert. Compressing the bushing slightly helps keep it in full contact with the bushing bore and prevents it from squirming (deforming) under load too much.

Overall, I've been terribly unimpressed with the longevity of any of the poly materials in automotive applications. Mobile One synthetic seems to degrade the material pretty readily and keeping these old motors leak-free is unrealistic.

The conclusion that I've come too is that these old V belts that we use need some minor amount of flex in the pully system that they run in to absorb the harmonic vibrations that they are subject too. If the material is too hard, the bushing doesn't absorb enough and wears rapidly as the cyclic motion of the vibration moves the bushing against the steel bolt/bushing center. The key is to have enough vibration absorption while preventing rotational movement to limit wear.


Thought about #3 so that?s good to know
Would switch to 7/9 accessory bracket but can?t on the 16v with dizzy in block

Will do #4 thank you very much. Awesome write up

What brand ?
 
What brand ?


Whatever it was that Rock Auto (I think) sent me.

I did the same thing (the washers) to the 91 245 that my wife drives on an old set of rubber bushings. Doesn't seem to matter brand as long as you use the washers.

The alternator seems to be the worst/highest wear location.

the #4 scenario was with Volvo NOS bushings (made in Germany).
The #5 scenario was with the 'whatever' brand bushings that Rock Auto sent. They were the cheapest ones that I could find. I had given up and was just going to replace them every year as a matter of course. With the washers and steel spacer in the alternator I haven't had too.
 
Whatever it was that Rock Auto (I think) sent me.

I did the same thing (the washers) to the 91 245 that my wife drives on an old set of rubber bushings. Doesn't seem to matter brand as long as you use the washers.

The alternator seems to be the worst/highest wear location.

Yup agree on alternator but did have working AC compressor take a crap .... made noise one day... shet better change bushings... next day it seized up :omg: fuk


I hate accessory bushings, sounds like this is the trick


Do you put washer inside and outside of bushing along with spacer or just outside ?
 
Do you put washer inside and outside of bushing along with spacer or just outside ?

Just on the outside. As I recall, I had to buy a slightly longer bolt as well to compensate.

The first spacer actually came from a 1965 Dodge D300 truck. They used a spacer in a similar way and I had an extra from my Power Wagon project. On my wife's car, I just went down to Ace Hardware and they had some steel spacer bushings. I bought a few to make sure I had it long enough, cut one piece to length and welded them together to make one piece.

Its a PITA to get the bolt, alternator, bracket and spacer all lined up with only two hands. Be sure to disconnect the battery and the oil pressure warning light (for when you drop the alternator and rip it off otherwise :grrr:).
 
People -
Recognize: belts are easier to replace than these bushings.
Either go whole hog and re-enginerd it,
or perhaps do as I do: install the belts just tight enough not to slip, verify with tension in under 100 miles of run-in. Next, don't touch it.
Then when they chirp or squeal, adjust them one last time, and add them to your next oil change driven parts order.
Yes the adjuster brackets should work for 60k miles like they originally did. They don't. Sucks, but whaddaya gonna do, complain?
Under this maintenance and adjustment scheme, even the brackets cracked behind the a/c p/s mess generally keep working in their squeaky way of working without fail.
Face it, we drive Volvos, not something you can order a kit from "March" to convert to serpentine belts. It ain't fair, but no 1/8" of magic bushing material cures what ails us.
Hate to throw water on the idea of a better mousetrap than living with mice, but dammit that's how it seems from here.
 
People -
Recognize: belts are easier to replace than these bushings.
Either go whole hog and re-enginerd it,
or perhaps do as I do: install the belts just tight enough not to slip, verify with tension in under 100 miles of run-in. Next, don't touch it.
Then when they chirp or squeal, adjust them one last time, and add them to your next oil change driven parts order.
Yes the adjuster brackets should work for 60k miles like they originally did. They don't. Sucks, but whaddaya gonna do, complain?
Under this maintenance and adjustment scheme, even the brackets cracked behind the a/c p/s mess generally keep working in their squeaky way of working without fail.
Face it, we drive Volvos, not something you can order a kit from "March" to convert to serpentine belts. It ain't fair, but no 1/8" of magic bushing material cures what ails us.
Hate to throw water on the idea of a better mousetrap than living with mice, but dammit that's how it seems from here.

They didn?t last 60k. I didn?t come to complain. I came to ask what?s worked for who....

Serpentine belt conversion isn?t difficult on these
 
Another thing you can do to have longer lasting bushings on the upper alternator bracket on a 240 is using the later B230 setup. The earlier B230 uses an upper bracket with a long cylinder with the adjuster at one end attaching to the alternator and the other end has the bushing and bolt going into the block. This has a lot of side load causing problems with bushing life and worse with broken bolts. Instead the later setup uses a thick spacer and the cylinder is short on the upper bracket. This also uses a longer upper bolt. But this reduces the side load and that upper bracket issue goes away. If you look up parts for a 93 240 it'll show this upper bracket setup. I put it on my 82 turbo with a Denso 80 amp alternator.
 
Dunno, got about 6 years on the Superpro's, pulled them in place of OEM while trying to figure some noise **** out, had nothing to do with them, and they are still VERY serviceable and sitting in the spares pile.

Most of the aftermarket poly ones like URO and such are complete junk. The Superpro's don't turn to hard plastic in 6 months, and they actually stick into the accy bracket sockets.

I did see similar issues with the aluminum ones on a local's car.
 
Has anyone tried to source a bronze bushing for this application?

Bronze should be twice as hard as aluminum. Even brass bushings would be better durability wise, I think.
 
5. Replacement rubber bushings with a washer added to the outside of each bushing. Three years and counting. I also added a steel spacer on the pivot of the alternator. Blue Loctite on the bracket bolts into the block help prevent them from getting loose (and falling out).

The washer seemed to do the trick. I seem to recall it being a 7/16" fender washer (but you should verify). I suspect its because the force is spread over the face of the bushing rather than just being concentrated at the steel insert. Compressing the bushing slightly helps keep it in full contact with the bushing bore and prevents it from squirming (deforming) under load too much.


The conclusion that I've come too is that these old V belts that we use need some minor amount of flex in the pully system that they run in to absorb the harmonic vibrations that they are subject too. If the material is too hard, the bushing doesn't absorb enough and wears rapidly as the cyclic motion of the vibration moves the bushing against the steel bolt/bushing center. The key is to have enough vibration absorption while preventing rotational movement to limit wear.

This.
When you tighten the bolts the bushing squished and bulges and sits tight in the OD and lasts.
Ideally it should be a slight press fit..about 010"

Surprised it isn't..an easy slide fit, its gonna rattle and wear, rubber, poly or aluminum.
 
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