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Any other good starter options besides Bosch remanufactured?

142 guy said:
Your 240 (1990) should have had the later design permanent magnet starter design (SR 437X). I had the SR 437X in my 1987 745T and it soldiered on for 27 years until I sold the car. Probably the most reliable electrical thing on the 740. I think all Volvo red block engines from about 1985 had the SR 437X. I have had more problems with the earlier SR 37X non PMG starters on my 140 and 240 cars. On my 140 I now have an SR 437X genuine Bosch reman from Rock Auto installed in about 2016 and it has been reliable; but, my 140 is not my daily driver.

The most common failure point on starter motors are usually the contacts on the solenoid. On Denso starters it is very easy to find replacement contacts and 'home rebuilds' are easy to do. I have never had to deal with contact replacement on a Bosch so I don't know whether the contacts on the solenoid are serviceable. On the older SR 37X replacement brushes are available; but, if the brushes have reached the point of non operation then the commutator is usually toast and the cost of a commutator rebuild is not realistic. If the solenoid on your SR 437X comes apart, examine the contacts. If you can't find replacement contacts, filing and polishing the contact may restore operation.

Any replacement starter is likely going to be a Bosch SR 437X. Can't advise whether any other rebuild vendor is any better than 'genuine Bosch'. About 15 years ago Gustafson listed Denso based gear drive starters for the Volvo
http://gustafsonmachine.com/

I contacted him about 2016 looking for a replacement for my 140 and my recollection was that he said it would be a custom order because there was no demand for Bosch replacements. He maintained inventory for vintage Lucas replacements. You could try him if you really don't want a Bosch. Note that the SR 437X is backward compatible with the SR 37X. The SR 37X replacement may not be so easily forward compatible because of the need for the auxiliary contacts on the later SR 437X.
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Interestng info, I ordered the early style version(SR 37X) direct drive and have not had an issue. Been 2 years in a DD 92 240/ $162 shippd frm Rock. Later Bosch version was in the car originally - zonked out after 220k miles(have a nice stack of repair slips frm th PO, never saw mention of a startr R&R, but who knows?).

:-P
 
Redwood Chair said:
:nod:

I too remember the days of 6-8 240s in each of my 5 junkyards and an almost equal number of 740s, and running wild like a kid in a candy store.

:cameron:
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100+ fresh SAABS & Volvos turning over every month or 3 in their own section w/o having to bother walking thru the kraut cans, jap traps & domestic junk pre $chbitzer-$teal regional self-serve JY monopoly were the days as was an entire pre 1972 section & several competing self-serves racing to the bottom on prices…
…:-(

Pre mouse tickler internet 2.0/row52 & all that noise as well.
Pager & a pay phone in the corner of the small town/no ‘bedroom communities’, sliver houses/McMansions/HOA cul-de-sac subdivision land really growing like Zerg creep yet, not much traffic, have your 145 fixed up that week (if you drove much in those days?) & all your money back before you even get back to town/reach Alaska-lite East county/felony flats in those days…
…economy was chugging along pretty good, almost like you could actually live & work here low stress, ****ty & rainy backwater as it was (in a good way)?
So much for that…
…the corporations & yuppies/suits have (99%) seen to it…
 
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Kjets On a Plane said:
100+ SAABS & Volvos in their own section w/o having to bother walking thru the kraut cans, jap traps & domestic junk pre $chbitzer-$teal regional self-serve JY monopoly were the days as was an entire pre 1972 section & several competing self-serves racing to the bottom on prices?
?:-(
Click to expand...

And a heaping wheelbarrow full of Eurotrash swag was how much?
 
@ the ‘murikun self-serve place in the days of carburetors, K5 Blazers/chebby ‘WT-edition’ (‘work truck’ or ‘white trash’ edition depending on particulars?) on the paper/lumber mill workers front lawns on the way to the JY/over the train tracks & Broke-O Centurions in mill owner & millwright & tool & die maker & above’s driveway , .95c gas, strong economy, timber still going good in ~’98-y2k dollars?

They were mostly tickled pink to sell *any* of that eurotrash to some nerd/dork special needs kid that fixed/diagnosed the Bosch FI cars & dispose of some ‘waste stream’ toxic waste plastic/upholstery? :rofl:

That said, it could be $100+ if you really got the wheelbarrow teetering precariously back-breaking heaping high enough/taller than you with rope/seatbelts containing it on an ‘all you can carry/wheel’ sorta deal?

Now, $100 buys what?
3 distinct items/nothing-special chunks (on the rare corporate-membership half-off?), maybe? :-( :lol:

Prolly coulda saved a lot more of it if people valued the cars more locally & guys on TB drove & liked the cars & valued them & the OE quality parts more? :e-shrug:
Waste not, want not?
 
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Redwood Chair said:
:nod:I too remember the days of 6-8 240s in each of my 5 junkyards and an almost equal number of 740s, and running wild like a kid in a candy store.:cameron
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*sigh*

We never really knew just how good we had it, we took it for granted.

I've fond memories of going to U Pull It in Damascus, Oregon: there was an entire wall of old Volvos against the rear fence; great pickings, I pretty much always was able to find what I needed, and it was cheap.

Not any more.
 
Mr. V said:
*sigh*

We never really knew just how good we had it, we took it for granted.

I've fond memories of going to U Pull It in Damascus, Oregon: there was an entire wall of old Volvos against the rear fence; great pickings, I pretty much always was able to find what I needed, and it was cheap.

Not any more.
Click to expand...

Lol I've been telling you PDX guys this day was coming for 10+ years, just like it had come for 140s then.

But no '240s 4 EVAR' was the chorus.

:roll:
 
I bought a known good SR 37X from k jets on a plane, and I’m enjoying how fast it cranks. I may take my old one to be rebuild locally to have as a spare. With rebuilt parts, it seems like there may be a “generational loss” thing happening, where only the weak and worn out components are getting replaced and rebuilt, causing this cycle as these later starters get older the chances of getting one that’s been rebuilt 3+ times is a possibility
 
OVERDRIVE said:
I bought a known good SR 37X from k jets on a plane, and I’m enjoying how fast it cranks. I may take my old one to be rebuild locally to have as a spare. With rebuilt parts, it seems like there may be a “generational loss” thing happening, where only the weak and worn out components are getting replaced and rebuilt, causing this cycle as these later starters get older the chances of getting one that’s been rebuilt 3+ times is a possibility
Click to expand...

Been driving these cars for 46 years and personally I've never had a problem with a big starter, not sure I'd pay 3X the K-jets price for a spare?

Definitely wouldn't spend any money on a late small one.

:e-shrug:
 
Old Bosch starters are tough. Back in the 80s I converted my 356b to 12v and I just left the starter as is. Also left the horn and relay 6v and man those horns were loud. Used a resistor to drop the voltage for the wiper motor.
That was a fun car. :)
 
Tearing down the majority of the late model starters I either learned(at best):
what Volvo cheaped out on starting in ‘89 on USA models (except the W.Germany replacements installed while the cars were still in production B4Ford -~’98-‘00 that have been 99% cleaned off of warehouse shelves by now/beat down or in the crusher/not in the JY anymore?), what the rebuilder missed on initial evaluation &/or what got ‘lost in translation’ on the Bosch Brazil or Mexico manufacture &/ or not addressed w/the ‘remans’ (whatever that word or brand name means anymore?)’ :nod::lol:

Wish the news was better? :-(
If you got lucky enough to get a quality W.Germany permanent magnet late starter w/quality components or find a good reputable locally(ish) reputable rebuilder w/your pile of usable cores (either type?) (or DIY if you have the parts & tools?), good for you?

don’t really care about the ~ 7lb difference for becauseracecar in weight or brushes/comm that in theory wear out?
(But don’t dispute that PM type is in theory superior by any means & have seen, owned, experienced some number greater than 0 (~3-4in ~20 years :lol:) Volvos w/late starters that I thought worked worth a crap, so I have *some* data points but few/not sure what they mean exactly/draw your own conclusions/don’t take my word for it/grain of salt & all that?)
just want the car to go / not leave me stranded on a cold night if the battery is at all less than perfect if it’s a DD? Any port in a storm?

YMMV, Carry on…
 
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