Jamie wrote:
> This is another post for the 1985 240 DL Wagon I am looking to buy.
> Please excuse any errors, I am fighting bronchitis at the moment.
>
> 230,000 miles. Owner is back, I reviewed a stack of paperwork. Good
> maintenance history - seems to have had almost everything needing
> replaced done.
>
> Engine starts easily, runs strong but is choking a bit. I am sure a
> tune up is in order.
>
> I'd like some help on 2 major issues I see for me to buy the car:
>
> 1- Healthy oil leak at the right (passenger) front bottom of engine.
> Dripping at about 1 drop every 2-3 seconds. The leak 'appears' to be
> coming from a gasket of a red pan bolted to the bottom of the engine.
> I cannot tell with certainty if this is it, or if it comes from higher
> up. Would this seem to be something fairly common? What is the
> estimate to repair? Here the labor rate is about $40-60 per hour.
> $250 does a rear main seal, or front seals.
>
> 2- White smoke from exhaust. The car has been sitting. The smoke did
> thin out, and got less over time.
>
> 3- Flame trap was replaced many years ago, but know it's over due. Not
> sure how much effect this would have.
>
> In sum, I am satisfied with the body, the tranny was rebuilt 25,000
> miles ago. Engine feels strong, good acceleration, smooth shifting.
> Blower motor is fine. Lighting is fine all around.
>
> I am thinking $650. Any comments about that oil leak and some
> estimates for how hard it is to access that pan?
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jamie
>
> Here are the pics, I think this link should work.
>
> http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jamiebab...60762388542718
>


Oil pan leaks are not terribly common, but not unheard of either. It may
just be a matter of tightening up the bolts, don't go too tight though
or you'll deform the pan and make it leak worse. If it needs a new
gasket, that's within the DIY range, you will have to remove the fan
shroud, and unbolt the engine mounts from the crossmember but then you
should be able to jack the engine up enough to get the pan off without
pulling the engine.


White smoke is probably just water vapor collected in the muffler, I
wouldn't worry about it unless it smells sweet.

Flame trap should be the first thing you do, just open it and clean it out.

$650 sounds like a bargain for a nice straight 245.

A few years back, my grandson thought he had an oil leak... many things
checked, tightened, etc.. I finally climbed under his 240 and removed the
oil cooler line which ran to transmission.. on the inside area the line had
'worn' abraded, or whatever where it had been touching and rubbing the oil
pan for many years... fixed that and leak was gone... good luck

--
The novelist George Eliot once said that "it is never too late to become
what you might have been."
"James Sweet" <jamessweet@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Y0ozh.1203$4_5.862@trnddc05...
> Jamie wrote:
>> This is another post for the 1985 240 DL Wagon I am looking to buy.
>> Please excuse any errors, I am fighting bronchitis at the moment.
>>
>> 230,000 miles. Owner is back, I reviewed a stack of paperwork. Good
>> maintenance history - seems to have had almost everything needing
>> replaced done.
>>
>> Engine starts easily, runs strong but is choking a bit. I am sure a
>> tune up is in order.
>>
>> I'd like some help on 2 major issues I see for me to buy the car:
>>
>> 1- Healthy oil leak at the right (passenger) front bottom of engine.
>> Dripping at about 1 drop every 2-3 seconds. The leak 'appears' to be
>> coming from a gasket of a red pan bolted to the bottom of the engine.
>> I cannot tell with certainty if this is it, or if it comes from higher
>> up. Would this seem to be something fairly common? What is the
>> estimate to repair? Here the labor rate is about $40-60 per hour.
>> $250 does a rear main seal, or front seals.
>>
>> 2- White smoke from exhaust. The car has been sitting. The smoke did
>> thin out, and got less over time.
>>
>> 3- Flame trap was replaced many years ago, but know it's over due. Not
>> sure how much effect this would have.
>>
>> In sum, I am satisfied with the body, the tranny was rebuilt 25,000
>> miles ago. Engine feels strong, good acceleration, smooth shifting.
>> Blower motor is fine. Lighting is fine all around.
>>
>> I am thinking $650. Any comments about that oil leak and some
>> estimates for how hard it is to access that pan?
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jamie
>>
>> Here are the pics, I think this link should work.
>>
>> http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jamiebab...60762388542718
>>
>
>
> Oil pan leaks are not terribly common, but not unheard of either. It may
> just be a matter of tightening up the bolts, don't go too tight though or
> you'll deform the pan and make it leak worse. If it needs a new gasket,
> that's within the DIY range, you will have to remove the fan shroud, and
> unbolt the engine mounts from the crossmember but then you should be able
> to jack the engine up enough to get the pan off without pulling the
> engine.
>
>
> White smoke is probably just water vapor collected in the muffler, I
> wouldn't worry about it unless it smells sweet.
>
> Flame trap should be the first thing you do, just open it and clean it
> out.
>
> $650 sounds like a bargain for a nice straight 245.

Jamie wrote:
> Thanks James for the quick follow up. I just completed the stack of
> paperwork for this car. It appears that between 1994-1999 they
> replaced everything under the sun on this car, including, but not
> limited to:
>
> Tailgate wiring harness
> Water Pump
> Tranny at 205K with used one
> Flame trap (until 1999, replaced regularly)
> ***Oil Pan Bolts tightened in 2004 to stop leak (just found that
> receipt)***
> Brakes
> Ball Joints
> Muffler
> Ignition switch
> Fuel Pump Relay
> Front seals
> Rear Main Seal
> Valve cover gasket
> Wiper motors
> exhaust
> kickdown cable
> radiator tank
> auxillary fan
> Air Mass Meter
> Replace TPS switch and adjust throttle body
> Tranny seals
> AC hoses.
>
> Those were the major things replaced. I think the money stopped going
> into the car around 2000-2001.
>
> I am glad, I guess, that they had all this done, but I would not have
> like to be the owner paying DEALERS what I am seeing they paid to do
> this.
> OUCH!
>
> I haven't found main wiring harness in the records yet, but so far the
> car seems asymptomatic and I might can replace that.
>
> JAmie
>
>
>
>
> On Feb 10, 12:19 pm, James Sweet <jamessw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Jamie wrote:
>>
>>>This is another post for the 1985 240 DL Wagon I am looking to buy.
>>>Please excuse any errors, I am fighting bronchitis at the moment.
>>
>>>230,000 miles. Owner is back, I reviewed a stack of paperwork. Good
>>>maintenance history - seems to have had almost everything needing
>>>replaced done.
>>
>>>Engine starts easily, runs strong but is choking a bit. I am sure a
>>>tune up is in order.
>>
>>>I'd like some help on 2 major issues I see for me to buy the car:
>>
>>>1- Healthy oil leak at the right (passenger) front bottom of engine.
>>>Dripping at about 1 drop every 2-3 seconds. The leak 'appears' to be
>>>coming from a gasket of a red pan bolted to the bottom of the engine.
>>>I cannot tell with certainty if this is it, or if it comes from higher
>>>up. Would this seem to be something fairly common? What is the
>>>estimate to repair? Here the labor rate is about $40-60 per hour.
>>>$250 does a rear main seal, or front seals.
>>
>>>2- White smoke from exhaust. The car has been sitting. The smoke did
>>>thin out, and got less over time.
>>
>>>3- Flame trap was replaced many years ago, but know it's over due. Not
>>>sure how much effect this would have.
>>
>>>In sum, I am satisfied with the body, the tranny was rebuilt 25,000
>>>miles ago. Engine feels strong, good acceleration, smooth shifting.
>>>Blower motor is fine. Lighting is fine all around.
>>
>>>I am thinking $650. Any comments about that oil leak and some
>>>estimates for how hard it is to access that pan?
>>
>>


Wow, that sounds like the Saab 900 my ex had, the previous owners had
gotten sick of dumping money into it, at which point it didn't really
need anything because it had all already been done.

Ralph Griffith wrote:
> A few years back, my grandson thought he had an oil leak... many things
> checked, tightened, etc.. I finally climbed under his 240 and removed the
> oil cooler line which ran to transmission.. on the inside area the line had
> 'worn' abraded, or whatever where it had been touching and rubbing the oil
> pan for many years... fixed that and leak was gone... good luck
>


The tranny cooler lines on slushbox equipped 240s often crack where they
bolt to the frame under the car, tranny fluid is bright red though so
easy to identify. Not sure how it would rub on the oil pan.

Jamie wrote:
> James, don't you have a different tax form to fill out when you own a
> SAAB? If it's "built from Jets", you and miss Pelosi might be doing
> taxes together...LOL
>
> Just kidding, I remember you told me about how it feels like a cockpit
> in a SAAB, and I think that is awesome. I want a car like a cockpit
> one day. Maybe I can make the 240 wagon like the cockpit of a 777 -
> lights and switches across the roof, clear back to the rear door?
>
> ;-)
>


I almost bought a Saab 900 Turbo a couple weeks ago. Metallic mint green
3 door hatch, 5 speed, pretty good condition and I could have had it for
$600 but alas I decided it just wasn't a good idea for me to buy yet
another car right now as well as it was a 4 hour drive from me but still
now I find myself kinda wishing I'd bought it, that was a hell of a deal
for a really cool car, but then there's a few 900s on craigslist almost
every time I've looked. If only I had a 10 car garage and time/money to
give them all the attention they deserve.

If you ever get the chance to take one for a spin, do it, but make sure
it's a pre-GM 900 (-'93) with a manual, anything else just isn't right.
I'm not sure which I like better, Volvo or Saab, but the two classic
Swedes definitely have vastly different personalities and each is good
in its own way.