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Vintage Volvo 140 Road Noise Reduction

Thank you so much for all the advice. Definitely going to do:
-Scrapers on Windows
-Foam at shifter
-Butyl foil mat on hood, trunk (which has no foam currently), firewall, doors

Down the road I'll install the dampening under the carpets, but they're stock and in amazing condition, so I don't really want to go ripping anything up if I can avoid it.

Yes, adding scrapers would be a good thing.

Butyl mats are vibration dampers. They reduce the vibration of the panel which can amplify noise (think of a drumskin or oil barrel head); but, don't absorb or block noise. A square covering 20% of the surface area on large flat panels - inside of door skin, floor panels, roof panel (if you use the non butyl style which is more $) usually does the trick. Don't bother putting vibration dampers on highly curved surfaces because those panels are usually stiff enough that they don't resonate at frequencies that you will hear.

Mass loaded vinyl over a foam backing does the trick over floors, firewall and in the doors (a major hassle to attach it to the doors and can be a hassle to squeeze under the door card).

3M makes a sound absorber that looks just like the thinsulate insulation for jackets. The exact name escapes me; but, it has a quilted lining on both surfaces with one side being black. SDS used to sell this; but, no more and if you want to buy it from 3M you have to purchase a couple thousand square feet. But, if you are so inclined you could go out to a pick and pull and harvest some from wreckers (as long as it is dry). I know that behind the rear area interior panels on my 2003 Honda Pilot the cavities are stuffed with blankets of this stuff (you can see it when you pull the cover to access the jack). I expect that just about any vehicle that wasn't at the bottom of the price range has the 3M or equivalent stuff in it. You probably want to pick a larger vehicle so that you can harvest some reasonably sized pieces. Use this to line the back seat (to absorb road noise from the trunk) the back of the firewall (engine noise) between headliner and roof (two sided tape to hold it to the roof panel) and any other enclosed cavities. Do not put it into the door cavities because it will get wet which will be a very bad thing.
 
After watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTKAxH7i0t0, I wanna try Lizardskin stuff a few years from now when I get around to starting a restomod project on my '80 wagon.

Also, I second the power of that foam block under the shifter, I had a fairly worn out one from an '81 parts car on a '74, and it alone made a night and day difference.

Also, speaking purely from 240 experience (my '74s all had 4:1:1's), the 3.3:1 rear from 83+ manuals use goes a long way toward a highway driving experience that non-Turbobrickers consider acceptable - but you'd probably have to play with transmissions as well to get something with a low enough first to keep it fun/drivable at low speeds. Even the switch from a '74 1:3.4 1st M40 to a '71 1:3.1 1st M41 was a kick in the nuts.
 
For the Butyl I'm looking at something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Noico-deaden...orbing+panel+automotive&qid=1573506874&sr=8-1

For the acoustic absorber (like 3m) I'm looking at these guys:
https://www.amazon.com/HOUTBY-Absor...tic+absorber+automotive&qid=1573507050&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/SOOMJ-Acoust...r+automotive+thinsulate&qid=1573507074&sr=8-2

https://www.amazon.com/Guteauto-Dea...omotive&qid=1573506874&sr=8-2#customerReviews

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Acous...sorbing+foam+automotive&qid=1573506898&sr=8-2


What do you think would be the key spot for the tire noise? I think that's where a large portion of my noise is coming from. Probably under the carpet?


My understanding between the absorber vs deadener is: deadener on the hood & trunk, absorber on the firewall and wall from the trunk
 
AFAIK Deadener stops panels from vibrating, absorbers soak up noise. So larger panels that can vibrate (doors, hood, trunk, fenders, roof etc.) require deadener, but could benefit from absorbers too. Tire noise probably coming in a lot of places, floor, firewall, trunk, partition to the trunk and doors.

Tire noise can come through things like door and window seals too. Also glass , modern luxury cars have noise dampening built into glass, but that i doubt that’s available for a classic.

Let us know how it goes.
 
Keep in mind the acoustic 'absorbers' will absorb water if they are open cell, so you don't want to put it anywhere is can get wet. I use the eggcrate absorber material in my home studio for a vocal booth. Works well as an anechoic material.
 
Looks like you've received a good bit of advice. Yes, the B20 is louder than a B21 or B23. But, the car doesn't have to be unbearably loud.

Head to 360 Auto Recycling in Lake Stevens. Pull all the seals off the '91 245 there, grab the mats under the carpeting, etc... Add those to your 144S. The only issue I can see cropping up with using the 240 shifter whisper biscuit foam on a pre-'72 140 is the fact that the shifter mounts to the top of the tranny, instead of at the end of the top cover tunnel on a 1972-75 car. You'll need to modify it a bit to get it to work.

The wing windows do provide quite a bit of wind noise even when closed. My '72 142E was kinda noisy above 35 mph, wind-wise. As was my '73 145E, before I replaced the doors with some from a '76. Got a lot quieter when I went to the later door window frames with the larger glass piece. I'm not sure if you'd want to go that far, but it is an option. A set of '74-'77 doors will bolt on and have the correct latches. They also will take the same door lock cylinders. You would wind up with the flush door handles, instead of the older style that are mounted to the door skin.

One of the former PSVCOA chapter presidents had a '70 145 that was converted into a sedan delivery car. So, rear side doors were welded shut, rear quarter and rear door glass were replaced with panels. Was powered by a B20B and a M41 putting power through a 3.91 rear axle. It wasn't that bad, acceleration-wise. 70 was around 3000 rpm. Better than the 4200 rpm or so that my '73 was with its B20F/M40 and 4.10 combo. My '72 142E was around 3100-3200 with its M41 and 4.10 combination. Car originally had a M40, hence the 4.10, instead of the 4.30.
 
Absolutely will install the shifter foam. No upholstery shops around here - should I just get closed-cell foam from Joanne?

I'm realizing that I have to take off the door cards anyway to install the window scrapers, so I might as well seal the doors while I'm at it. Do I just tape the butyl to the outside panel?
 
“Do I just tape the butyl to the outside panel?”

Typically butyl comes sticky on one side and you place a few pieces stuck right to the inside of the door skin. Taping it on won’t provide the desired dampening effect.
 
Sorry yeah, not tape it to the outside panel, but stick it to the outside panel? I honestly realized I shouldn't say "tape" as I was typing it and thought "I'll fix that later". Derp
 
Absolutely will install the shifter foam. No upholstery shops around here - should I just get closed-cell foam from Joanne?

I'm realizing that I have to take off the door cards anyway to install the window scrapers, so I might as well seal the doors while I'm at i. N Do I just tape the butyl to the outside panel?[/QUO 240TE]

Ask Hiperfauto. I got a NOS foam for a 140 from him and installed it in my 240. It made a HUGE IMPROVEMENT!
 
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I'm realizing that I have to take off the door cards anyway to install the window scrapers, so I might as well seal the doors while I'm at it. Do I just tape the butyl to the outside panel?

Get 6mm poly sheet from your local big box (Lowe's / Home Depot) and use some 3M butyl rope caulk to stick it to the door, then reinstall the door card.
 
Here's some more suggestions whst to look into

I'm pretty sure an aluminium valve cover will reduce noise over the standard stamped steel one. And as a side effect it also looks much better ;)

How is your door alignment? No excessive gaps causing noise to get in due to bad sealing?

Rubber sealing at top of firewall thst seals against hood, how is that?

No very thinwalled exhust pipes?

Doors - later 900series got an about 3mm thick plastic foam behind the door panels to reduce noise
 
Ooooh. All great points.
Rubber seals are a bit degraded (seals around door, seals at against the hood).
Door alignment seems fine.
Aluminum valve cover is definitely appealing.
Exhaust pipes are stock and falling apart - definitely could use replacing. Would you recommend replacing with stock?
Definitely doing to line the door panels with something. Debating butyl or the 6mil plastic sheeting - mostly just not sure how much space there is behind the panel.
 
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