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What Are Your Go-To Junkyard Snags?

volvofan1990

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2018
Location
Doylestown Pennsylvania
I went to the junkyard today after a few months absence, and I was blessed with finding a 100% complete 740 turbo in the yard. I pulled all 4 hydras (Only 20 a piece!) but it was too damn cold, so I hightailed home with my finds.

I am debating going back tomorrow to pull some worthwhile parts. I recently acquired a turbo car myself, and am still figuring out what parts are important and what are not. What are some of your go-to's?
 
I always get intercooler brackets(top & bottom), intercooler piping & clamps(usually discard hoses unless they've been replaced or in very good shape). Turbo if it isn't worn out. Exhaust manifold(only if its not too cracked as I can have it easily repaired). Ecu & ezk. Alternator if its a Bosch 100 amp(none of that Denso crap). I fix a lot of Volvo's so I like to have these parts on the shelf ready to go. But if you have no use for the extra parts, then just get what you need.
 
I always get intercooler brackets(top & bottom), intercooler piping & clamps(usually discard hoses unless they've been replaced or in very good shape). Turbo if it isn't worn out. Exhaust manifold(only if its not too cracked as I can have it easily repaired). Ecu & ezk. Alternator if its a Bosch 100 amp(none of that Denso crap). I fix a lot of Volvo's so I like to have these parts on the shelf ready to go. But if you have no use for the extra parts, then just get what you need.
why no love for the denso?
 
951 ecus, and turbo ecu/ezk. I’ve found like 3 951 ecus. Even pulled one out of an 89 740.

Also fuel pump relays, got about 5-7 OE Volvo spares somewhere in my garage. And various bulbs for marker lenses, headlights etc. 1156/7s are what, $2.50 a pop brand new? Not that the price is super high, but having spares in the trunk means you don’t have to drive to the store. Junkyard doesn’t even charge me for bulbs half the time and it’s always nice to have spares.
 
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Since Philski gave you the real answer, here are some other things:

OEM audio gear (amplifiers) from good brands. For example, some OEM Volvo amps are just rebranded Alpine.
As was said before, ECU/EZK from turbo cars. Relays that don't look cooked.
Anything turbo specific. The coolant bottle, washer bottle. The intercooler as well as each and every hose, elbow, and clamp if it's still there. The turbo, the exhaust manifold, the down pipe, the brackets.
Oil coolers, lines, & sandwich plates. Don't cut the lines if you don't have to.
Gauges, clusters with tachometers (240).
Clean interiors: seats that are dirty but not torn, plastic that doesn't look sunbaked. Minimally cracked dashboards.
100A Denso alternators that aren't covered in oil.

Also, any cars that look modified for performance. I've known people to find working Megasquirt setups in random JY cars. And seriously, check under stuff and in the trunks. Lots of random stuff to be found.
 
I always get intercooler brackets(top & bottom), intercooler piping & clamps(usually discard hoses unless they've been replaced or in very good shape).

Connect 6 intercooler hoses/pipes together, shove the little couplers inside, get charged "intake hose, $8" :lol:
 
^^^ yes. Definitely have done that with no issue. I usually get that stuff free as I'm a frequent flyer at the junkyards.
 
Couple small easy things that haven't been mentioned:
Always check for factory waffle mats, easy sale, doesn't get easier to remove. 240 mats are pretty expensive these days, and 7/9 still get good $
I always take as many nice factory hose clamps as possible, as well as nuts, bolts, plastic fasteners
Always pay attention to whats around you. I was at a pick n pull with flat rate prices, alloy wheels are $80 for a set of 4. A Porsche 944 with Fuchs rims was there, so I grabbed them and easily resold them for $600.
 
I tried for a while to get $900 but when I bought a house I just sold them cheap so I didn't have to move with them. They were 15" 7 & 8's, if they were 16" I would have tried harder.
 
A little more involved to remove but, I'll check 850's and V70's for a 15g or 16t turbo. A small little inspection mirror helps to read the label. If the entire thing isn't caked in oil, I'll usually pick one up.
 
Pulled a 3.1* MAF/AMM, charcoal evap can, some trim bits, two VOLVO badges that will soon create one LOLVO badge, from a trashed 1993 240 automatic. It had only been put out two days before but someone had already snagged the passenger seat foam (but left a good grid, wtf) and those stupid fasteners that hold up the felt under the glovebox that I ended up buying from IPD last night. The charcoal can on my car is cracked, and having a spare MAF never hurts. Dash was cracked, most of the exterior trim was bad or missing. I thought I'd see more 240s here in Georgia than when I lived in MA but no.

Didn't know where to look for the ECU but it's probably still there.

Anyone know offhand what size Torx is used for the SRS airbag? I can't get my Torx driver in there b/c it's using bits on a 1/4" driver which is too fat. I have a replacement airbag for the old cracked one and will cut the wires to disable it and pull the SRS lamp. I would not trust a 28-year-old airbag to protect me in a frontal and I always wear my seatbelt. Or can I just put a regular 240 horn pad in there in place of the airbag? Rather do that than have an old explosive sitting in front of my face.

*1993 automatics also had 3.1? I know manuals had that from 199x, my '91 has it.
 
Pulled a 3.1* MAF/AMM, charcoal evap can, some trim bits, two VOLVO badges that will soon create one LOLVO badge, from a trashed 1993 240 automatic. It had only been put out two days before but someone had already snagged the passenger seat foam (but left a good grid, wtf) and those stupid fasteners that hold up the felt under the glovebox that I ended up buying from IPD last night. The charcoal can on my car is cracked, and having a spare MAF never hurts. Dash was cracked, most of the exterior trim was bad or missing. I thought I'd see more 240s here in Georgia than when I lived in MA but no.

Didn't know where to look for the ECU but it's probably still there.

Anyone know offhand what size Torx is used for the SRS airbag? I can't get my Torx driver in there b/c it's using bits on a 1/4" driver which is too fat. I have a replacement airbag for the old cracked one and will cut the wires to disable it and pull the SRS lamp. I would not trust a 28-year-old airbag to protect me in a frontal and I always wear my seatbelt. Or can I just put a regular 240 horn pad in there in place of the airbag? Rather do that than have an old explosive sitting in front of my face.

*1993 automatics also had 3.1? I know manuals had that from 199x, my '91 has it.

Don't disable the airbag on purpose, never heard of it being worse than not having it.
 
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