Windshield Washer.

My Amazon didn't have a windshield washer installed when I got it. (I'm not sure if US-market Amazons didn't come equipped with washers, or if it was removed by the previous owner?) Being cheap, I wasn't about to pay a hundred odd dollars for a genuine Volvo setup.

During my last trip to the wrecking yard, I picked a $10 washer reservoir and pump out of a 70's era Toyota pickup. (Side note: it's surprisingly difficult to find a simple, no-frills washer tank and pump. Vehicles made after 1980 seem to employ incredibly labyrinthine washer tank designs.)

I made a bracket for the washer tank out of some 1/16" steel bar and fixed it to the driver's side radiator mounting.



The wiring harness already had a lead for the washer pump located near the voltage regulator on the passenger side. It supplies +12 volts to the pump when the wiper switch is pulled fully out. I connected the other lead of the pump motor to a good chassis ground.



I ran about 6' of new 9/32" tubing from the pump through an opening in the firewall (I used the temperature gauge sender opening), into a 3/16"x1/8" x 1/8" tee, and then into the nozzles via two shorter (about 3' total) lengths of 3/32" tubing.

I used zip-ties to secure snug down the hoses around the nozzles. (Unfortunately, I managed to flood my stereo before realizing this was necessary.)

I can see clearly now, the grime is gone!

Fuse Labels.

A while back, I saw a picture of a fusebox lid with the original cardstock insert.



I thought it'd be handy to have one, since I can never remember which circuit is on which fuse without referring back to my Haynes manual. I fired up the desktop publishing suite and got to work.



Aside from adding an "R" (for "Reproduction") to the Volvo part number, I tried my best to match the original, including the perplexing reference to "Saxomat" on fuse #1 (possibly an electric clutch mechanism on automatic transmission equipped Amazons?).

For best results, print on 80lb or heavier cover stock, and use a 1/8" punch for the hole in the center.



I've uploaded a template for 8.5x11 paper here and one for A4 paper here.

Dome Light.

I'm cheap and I refuse to pay $70 for a proper dome light. Cringe if you will, but I don't care that much about keeping my Amazon completely stock.

I'd searched far and wide for aftermarket dome lights, and found nothing that looked appropriate. It's also surprisingly difficult to find an aftermarket dome light with a three-position (off-on-door) switch.

Shamir and I were at the wrecker's last weekend, where I poked my head in a first generation Suzuki Sidekick and spied the perfect dome light. Modest, minimal, with a three-position switch. I boldly drilled a couple of mounting holes for the new light in the original dome light mounting plate (not through the roof), and installed it with self tapping screws.



It's not original, but the new light is functional, and more or less fits the mid-century styling of the car. I think it actually looks quite dapper. (I just hope Jan Wilsgaard doesn't find it an offense to his sensibilities.)



Next, I need to shampoo that headliner...

Headlight Flasher.

I'd read on Ron Kwas's website that the Amazon was originally designed so that a pull back on the turn signal stalk would flash the high beams (as on most modern cars), but that the feature was disabled for the American market during the 60's due to Department of Transportation regulations.

With wiring already in place, the addition of a three-terminal relay is all that's needed to reactivate this feature. Three wires (red, black, and grey) are wrapped into the wiring harness together near the reverse light relay.



I couldn't find a three-terminal relay, so I picked up a standard 30 amp, 12 volt, SPST relay from Radio Shack. The Radio Shack relay has four terminals (coil power, coil ground, and two poles of a normally open connection). I made a "y" harness and split 12V from the black wire to supply power to both the relay coil and the headlight. The grey wire is the "control" wire (grounds when the turn signal stalk is pulled back) and connects to the coil ground terminal. Red connects between the headlights and the other pole of the relay.



I mounted the new relay next to the reverse light relay using an existing screw. A pull back on the turn signal now activates the high beams momentarily, while the foot dipper next to the clutch still switches between high and low.

As Ron Kwas cautions, this setup isn't designed to deal with continuous loads (would need a heavier duty relay, and a dedicated wire from the battery to power the headlights), but works fine for momentary signaling.

Valve Adjust.

Along with an oil change, valve adjustment is probably something I should have done sooner, and certainly before I started messing with my carbs.

Having never done a valve adjustment before, I was a bit intimidated, but I faced my fears and delved under that valve cover.



It seems that every Amazon junkie has his or her own favorite method for adjusting valves, but after reading various articles I decided to go with the "Rule of Nines" method which seemed to be the best balance between accuracy and simplicity:

"To adjust any particular valve, take its number, then figure out the other number you will need to add up to nine. Turn the engine so that valve is wide open, then adjust the one with the first number. For example, to adjust number one, turn the engine so that number eight is open all the way, then adjust number one. Moving on to number two, turn the engine so that seven is wide open, then adjust number two, and so on."

Interestingly, all of my intake valves were 0.018" (cold), and the exhaust valves were all 0.019". An early warning sign of valve recession, perhaps? I set everything so that a lubricated 0.020 feeler gauge would pass, but a 0.022 would not.