Volvo FL7 help

Hi Guys,

New here so please beat the crap out of me if I break any rules, but know that it is unintentional....
So my little Brother rings and says " I put a silly bid on a truck at auction and got an invoice in return....).
Volvo FL7 8 x 4 rocks up with a long flat tray and a hiab behind the cab. Keeping it short, crane was not mounted correctly, no PTO on gearbox even, also needs 10 years inspection and new rules mean it has to have "rated limiter" fitted which is more than the crane is worth. Scrappy is collecting crane this week
Cab tilted once and back now won't tilt, used hand pump on its way, exhaust brake don't work, plug disconnected - connect it up and air issues forth somewhere and won't stop - wait for cab to tilt to investigate further. Fuel gauge don't work, fuel tank filler neck is under tray - can't easily fill. A/C compressor blows fuse - gotta be mag clutch. After cab tilted back gearstick isn't engaged where it should be, sitting right back and can't change gears. Anyone know if maybe it needs to be in a certain place when tilted back to engage properly???
So now we need to put a 12 ton excavator on the back. Main chassis rails have been extended about 600mm at the rear to support the long deck. We are contemplating cutting off the extensions and making it into a beaver tail with ramps. How can I work out if the tray will carry a 12 ton beast, especially considering the track gauge will sit outside the main rails? It has about 100 x 40 x 6mm (guesing here) C channel cross-wise about 400 apart at the rear but 800 apart going forward and similar running fore and aft down each side, with chequer plate steel deck.
I am assuming that if I cut the back off and attach it back at about 15 degrees down I will then have to add gusset plates to add strength at the join, and add some more strength generally to the beaver tail part.

Will rpobably have to get a shop to do this, but getting thoughts together in case I do get enthusiastic.

Any out of work body builders in teh Sunshine Coast area need a project???

Anyhow,

Mate I maybe able to help with some issues.

The FL series would all do that with the gear stick when you put the cab back down,you need to force the gear leaver forward and it will return to the correct position.

Provided of course that it's still fitted with a Volvo box,probably the 16 speed SR62 or could be the 14 speed SR1700 or SR1900.

With the fuel gauge you need to get at the sender unit in the tank. With the key on and disconnect the electrical plug for the sender unit and with a test light or multi meter make sure you have power to one of the terminals,if so good,now join the the two terminals together with a short piece of wire. The fuel gauge in the cab should now read full if it does then the chances are that the sender unit is crook.

You'll have to loosen the tank straps and disconnect the fuel hoses to be able to turn the tank to be able to remove the sender unit. These sender unit's did give trouble.

I think from memory the exhaust brake is a button/switch on the floor?
With the exhaust brake you first need to check that the button switch on the floor is working correctly and not stuck closed. Again with a test light or multi meter check that there's power to the switch. Without pressing the switch there should only be power to one side of the switch,if it has power to both sides when not pressed then the switch is crook. These did give trouble.
If the switch is working correctly then it will only have power to both sides when pressed.

If the switch is good then you need to check the electrical/air solenoid that supply's air to the exhaust brake or EPG [Exhaust Pressure Governor] as Volvo call it. This is the round cylinder mounted near to the turbo with a braided hose attached to the side.

I can't for the life of me remember where the EPG solenoid is. Possibly on the r/h side of the engine on the chassis. Try and follow the braided hose around the engine until it connects to the solenoid.

This solenoid will have a two pin plug and should only have power when the button on the floor is pressed.When it gets power it will activate and supply air to the EPG.
It sound like this is working correctly and that it's the button on the floor that's faulty.

Good luck,hope this helps. Jamie

g'day Trackhappy and welcome to the forum .. the cab will not tilt over if the grille isn't released and/or the micro switches at the base of the grille are out of adjustment, so lift the grille...then try to tilt the cab

...also the gearshift does need a decent forward shove to centralise itself in its proper position (after cab tilt and return)

hope that helps...cheers

Yeah I forgot about lifting the grill to tilt the cab,it's been a while.....

Wow! Great replies already. Cab tilt pump is definitely cactus. Stripped and piston seal is just little bits. We found the front grille interlock and bypassed it to prove the pump was crook before we stripped it.
I'll try the shove on the gearstick. Didn't want to force it without knowing what I was doing.
I was thinking that the floor switch must be crook as when I plugged in hte solenoid air leaked out, indicating that the solenoid was being activated. The floor was wet and as Jamie said it is a floor mounted switch and the terminals are all corroded. When I get to tilt the cab I guess I will find out whether that is the extent of the problem.
It's a 6 speed original Volvo box with a 2 speed (splitter?). It has 2 switches on the gear stick... what are they for???
Bear in mind I am a computer dude here who loves dozers and tractors, which don't have road speed gearboxes/

...keep plugging away Trackhappy .. as Bugly recently made mention... the big problems can all be broken down into a series of smaller ones...

with the gearstick pogo arrangement you may find some wear and tear, so as you lower the cab try to ''feel''the stick into place as an assist in its attempt to centre...bit of a pain, but that's how old trucks become with a degree of neglect : :

Thanks Guys, it is nice to know I have help.
I am at Ilkley, 4554, Qld, in case anybody is nearby and keen.
Serious about getting an out of work body builder (truck) to help if there are any. There is payment available. Bro has a D5GXL turning up which will need to be picked up in Brisbane and taken to Coffs and this Baby is the means of transport. I can do a certain amount but there is no substitute for knowledge and experience.

Hey track happy it might just pay to stick a tape measure over the 12 ton digger height wise and tray height just to make sure you have enough height before you go chopping into tray?

The usual box will be a 14 speed and from memory they were 3 speed with 2 ranges with splits giving 12 speeds plus a deep reduction with split adds up to 14 ratios. All synchro except for crawl. Or could be a variation on this theme.
Big Cam is your one stop shop for bodywork in Brisso

TH - I have sent a PM to you.

Just regarding the gear stick on those FL Volvos the gear stick stays in place on the floor/engine tunnel when the cab is tilted and the shaft back to the gearbox is telescopic to allow the cab to tilt forward. When this happens there is a spring loaded latch that disconects allowing the selector shaft to telescope/lengthen. When the cab goes back down the stick is normally laying back and has to be shoved foward to rengage the spring loaded latch. Next time the cab is up have a look at the gear selector shaft and it will all make sense. Debo.