Volvo FL7 help

You Funny Man Mammoth. This old girl is growing on me, just pleased it is not my checkbook for parts.
No springs near the back of the cab except the ride springs with air shocks (that aren't connected up properly either). There is a pair near the front, and possibly they are weak but i can't tell. If I had one sitting next to her maybe I could tell what is different. There is a pair of rubber bumpers at the front which the cab is sitting down on, which I have a suspicion should be sitting up an inch or so.
Anyoen know of an FL7 on the Sunshine Coast??? Anyone able to post a close up picture of the front of one with the grille up?? I took some yesterday but forgot to bring the camera in to upload them.
Cheers,
Glenn.

Well, Volvo man came out this morning. Essentially put some more oil in, bled the system and pumped like crazy. He thinks that the replacement pump is not all it should be, just not producing enough initial pressure to overcome the force. He got it wo work ok most of the time. It was interesting that they had tried to understand how it works but he said they eventually just said "its Volvo, replace bits as needed and it works"...
Oil leak is apparently a domed cap on the front of the power steering pump which has an O-Ring that gets hard and brittle. Have to pull the pump, use a press to push the dome down a little (has a big spring behind it), release the circlip and pray that it comes up on its own and evenly as you take the pressure off. Apparently 50% chance that it will distort and have to be forcibly removed and replaced.
Exhaust brake has a diaphragm that needs replacing, but most likely not available as a spare part so replace the whole thing ($$$Ouch$$$).
Thanks for everybody's help and input. Maybe the thread will help somebody else in the future.

One other simple question... the gearbox oil level is the plug on the side I assume???

G'day mate.

Yep the gearbox oil level is checked by removing the bung on the side,you'll need a 12mm Allan key.

I've overhauled a couple of EPG's {Exhaust Pressure Governor's} Not from an FL7,but from FH16's,I think they area bigger unit in a FH16.
From memory they have an engine inlet valve which is used as the plunger,there's a pink ceramic seal in the housing that leaks.
If yours is the same,this could be the problem. You would need to clamp the EPG in a vice to remove the collets from the inlet valve to be able to strip it.

Parts for these should be avalable. Be aware though that these EPG's become brittle and have seized bolts due to the heat. So can turn into a can of worms when trying to strip them.

To bench test them,you can plug a workshop air line into them and they shouldn't leak.

The bloke I work with has just overhauled a cab tilt pump,not from a Volvo,but a very similar pump. To replace the seals and 'o' rings cost about 15 bucks,maybe worth a shot.

Alternatively you could try a wreckers for an EPG and cab tilt pump.

Good luck Jamie.

Volwreck = 03 9357 7081

Genuine parts from Volvo otherwise from Multispares or Donaldson Motors

Thanks Jamie. Pirtek found some seals for the pump but they are not exact and nla from Volvo as a repair kit so I have to do some modifications on the old pump to get it working. the Volvo Dude started telling me that ir relies on a "relief valve" of sorts built into the hand pump underneath the plunger not just the seals. I am not convinced, but hey my expertise is computers.
I have the old pump mostly apart except for the plunger barrel, which somebody has previously "dismantled with a pipe wrench" and I will hopefully get apart to see if he is right.

I got home last night and thought OK, he has got it working and I can continue from here... not to be! He had left the cab sitting at about 30 degrees to see if it dropped (which it hadn't) so I though cool I'll tilt it fully so I can safely work on the engine. Pump away and get 2/3 of the way there and then pump runs out of oil. Add oil and keep pumping until cab gets over the hump and starts lowering all the way on its own, sucking in more air. So then I think ok, lets try puttin git back down. Pump away and it heads back, keep pumping and all is good except the oil I added all ends up on the ground under the pump. So I reverse the valve again and pump as fast as I might I can't get the cab to move up. Basically back to square and no doubt charged for a callout. I have to ask, are theer two sizes of pump reservoirs for these??? I just can't see that it is big enough to hold all the oil from the stroke of the ram, even taking into account the return oil to the other side (which is much smaller as the rod takes up most of the volume). I just dunno now. New pump $750 which would be fine if it were definitely the problem and we could return the other one.

Thanks for the tips Mammoth.

BTW, the air system seems to have settled down. Maybe I was just being impatient, or draining the wet tank and making it work a little has cleared the breech....

Another update:
Today the cab tilted first time I tried (pattern developing here, tilts once then not again for some time???) so I got stuck in and did the air filters, diesel filters, gearbox oil, fixed the pre-heat wiring and found the break in the fuel gauge wires. It had rubbed through where the loom goes through a hole in the chassis rail right aboout where the injector pump is. Difficult to get at and find it but we got there. Bad news is the tank sensor is not accurate. Tank is 1/2 full but gauges says almost full. Shook the tank sensor a little and it then said 3/4 full so definitely a dodgy sensor. The deck is being removed to be modified so that will be easy to get at while they have it off.
Also pulled the end off the EPR and found no evidence of the piston left, but the seal was there and a bunch of what looks like bits of the spring all worn down but the spring is still there and looks whole???. The cylinder is marked as well so I guess a complete replacement is due. I took the clamp ring off but the whole thing refused to come free easily so I have reassembled it for now so it is still driveable. Found 4 unused air lines folded up under the steering wheel, one of which has air pressure and was just folded over to close it off. Pulled those back to the chassis rails and will track them right back tomorrow and hopefully get rid of them. Have to rejoin the seat air line properly. Greased half way, do the rest tomorrow as well. Occurred to me the radiator probably needs a flush and change the coolant. The power steering reservoir has a small leak where the rubber hose is on the bottom (hose needs replacing) and also the pump itself as previously noted.
Unfortunately went to tilt the cab again later on and pumped away until I was blue in the face but no lift. :-[
One other thing I have to do is reconnect the air ride valve actuating rod, which has been cut and extended and the arm is also actually on backwards for who knows what reason. Correct me here if I have it wrong, but when more weight goes in the cab it drops and then the air should start entering the rubber boots at that point???

Pattern repeated today. First thing, pumped and away she went like a trooper. Topped up the reservoir as I went and all was good. Back down dumped excess oil out. Can't help but think the pump is the wrong one, only other choice is air in the system somewhere but that would mean this system is pretty much on hte edge in its design.
Had a very disconcerting thought late today though, the turbo is either EXTREMELY quiet, or isn't spinning. Ran out of light to take the inlet pipe off and look but have a nasty feeling that it is not running as I hear nothing like I expect to hear. Anyhow, she is off to Bundaberg to have a rum or two (just kidding, Bundy Rum is fantastic but doesn't suit Volvo insides ) on Wednesday to have her deck modified for the Excavator. Will see what they make of her and keep you updated.

Out of interest, I have replied to a private message and sent a message and both are still sitting in my outbox even though both people have been online. Is that normal???

Out of interest, I have replied to a private message and sent a message and both are still sitting in my outbox even though both people have been online. Is that normal???

Yep, normal. The one in your outbox will stay there until you delete it. It HAS been sent! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Thanks Bugly, just being ignored then.... I can hack rejection!!!!

Draining the coolant. My knowledge is based on older models but the new fangeled FL series might be the same. There is potential for air pockets in several spots and you have to take care to drain from multiple spots and then close off as you fill.
The exhaust side of the turbo can get choked if it has done a lot of slow work and not got hot. You will know if it is not working because you will be well down on power. How much noise do you expect it to make?
Some times the aftermarket specialists can supply parts that Volvo can't, and prices between them can be wildly different either way.