42030 - Volvo L350F MODs and Improvements

[evortigosa]

20 hours ago, teos said:

Update: disregard my previous statement.  I just put on the tires and they appear to work without issue.  My only concern is that they rub against the front fenders, so it may be a little better if those were moved back by one stud.

It was exactly what I thought. Front fenders are too close :/

[teos]

I wanted to verify something about efferman's mod before I start the upgrade.  After reviewing the instruction guide(pdf) it appears that there is a medium motor instead of a servo.  Is that correct or did I overlook an important detail?  Thanks!

P.S. I did notice that the picture of the parts list has a m-motor too.

[efferman]

this is correct. the servo not used in the volvo when you have done the mod

[teos]

Excellent.  After today's mail I should have all the parts to build the saddletrac and complete your steering mod to this set.

[Jon61]

I was given my first ever Technic kit (42056 Porsche) for Christmas - I've not played with Lego since I was a kid which was way before Technic was invented. I really enjoyed building and tinkering with 42056, so as a second set I got 42030, particularly for the PF components. For my first post here, therefore, I thought I'd offer this very simple mod for the 42030 B model. It addresses what Sariel in his review called the 'Gear That Does Nothing™':

 

I know it was meant to represent something on the real vehicle (an air filer perhaps?), but it did seem a bit odd. So it now does something - it opens the hood. The simple changes only use parts leftover from building the B model:

 

1-3: Under the hood, the yellow angled connector #5 is exchanged for a black angled connector #6, then extended below with a 2L pin, connector #1, DBG 3L pin/axle and a black 2L round pin connector.

4-5: the blue 2L axle pin holding the gear is exchanged for a 3L axle and (after inserting the axle through the existing black 2L lftarm, not shown in this picture) one of the leftover black 9L bent (7-3) liftarms is added as shown.

This is the end result, shown after turning the gear to open the hood - fortuitously the notch in the #3 panel is just at the right place to latch the hood open  :

And, if I can successfully link to a video here, this is the mod in action (I hope this works):

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Jon61
reinstated photos & video lost from Photobucket

[Ngoc Nguyen]

Since there has been no picture about 42030 with Claas tyres in this thread, I suppose I can do a favor for those who consider swapping tyres, including myself. For easier reference. This picture isn't mine by the way. It's by Cumulonimbus in a thread about 9398 with Claas tyres.

[Paul B Technic]

Those looks much better :)

[Ngoc Nguyen]

There's one thing about the 42030 that I don't recall having seen in this forum yet: the front part is frustratingly hard to disassemble. Since pieces with axle holes tend to snap, I have to partially disassemble the model occasionally to replace the broken parts. And for some reasons beyond my comprehension, the designer decided to lock everything in a way that is very hard to undo.

So I want to share some mods that make maintenance easier:

 

1.

Replace 6L axle with 7L axle. Doing so will give you a 1L axle sticking out, and makes removing this subassebly easier. The part sticking out can be covered with a 7L or 11L liftarm in yellow. It would help cover the LBG color of the frame also.

 

2.

Use 4L axle with stop instead. This way when you pull the 2x4 L-shaped liftarm, the axle will be pulled out too.

 

 

3.

Replace 2L pin with 3L pin and bush. https://brickset.com/parts/4140801/2m-fric-snap-w-cross-hole

 

 

4.

Replace 5L with stop axle with 8L with stop axle. Doing so will give you spare space to grab and pull the axle out. The bare 3L part of this axle can be covered with a 2L yellow tube (https://brickset.com/parts/6173122/tube-w-double-4-85-hole) and 1/2 yellow bush (https://brickset.com/sets/containing-part-4239601).

Edited May 3, 2018 by Ngoc Nguyen

[Bartybum]

@Ngoc Nguyen In part 2 I just replace the black 4L with a 5L with stop

Edited May 3, 2018 by Bartybum

[Ngoc Nguyen]

@Bartybum That's even better !

[Jack van Dijk]

I've build this model during the summer in the original setup. Worked fine. Then discovered this topic and read about the steering mod. So ordered those parts and have now rebuild the Volvo from the ground up with the Efferman steering mod. The steering mod works great but I have a problem now with the driving. It drives forward without problems, but it doesn't want to drive reverse. It seems to get stuck then. I'm thinking that maybe a cable somewhere is to close to a gear somewhere or so. Need to check it out tonight. If anyone has other ideas where I should lookout for, then please let me know.

[harrygee]

I fell in love with the Volvo loader quite a long time ago and finally got one from ebay. After a complete rebuilt I wanted to build in few of the mods you showed here.

Thank you efferman for the authentic steering mod! It's awesome and the steering is way better compared to the servo engine. In addition, Rock Crusher 1.9 XT tires and plenty liftarms & tiles completed the model. The original loader was well designed, but too naked. The cabin was extended with bend yellow liftarms and also filled a bit up. The black panels in the back bumper fit somehow better, although yellow ones look also great. Can't choose at the moment. The upper engine body was rebricked as I didi't like the loose exhaust pipe. Also an external air filter was copied from the real loader and an additional filter/oil reservoir behind the front wheels was attached.

Hope you like it. I do not have any building instructions but can share pictures how I made the rear bumper and other stuff if someone needs that. All the rest is self explained I guess.

 

Edited December 24, 2022 by harrygee

[Maaboo the Witch]

Very cool! Nice use of stickers from 42082. 

[Leanderv]

On 1/23/2021 at 2:13 PM, harrygee said:

Hello brickfriends,

I fell in love with the Volvo loader quite a long time ago and finally got one from ebay. After a complete rebuilt I wanted to build in all the cool mods you guys showed up here. Thank you efferman for the awesome steering mod! It's really awesome and the steering is way better than with the servo engine. In addition, the Rock Crusher 1.9 XT tires, dozens of tiles and rebricking completed the loader. The original model was good but too naked for me. So in addition I filled many gaps with black liftarms for the bucket arm and yellow ones for the vehicle body. The cabin was extended with bend yellow liftarms and also filled a bit up. The black panels in the back fit somewhat more although the yellow ones look also great. Can't choose at the moment. The upper engine body was rebricked as I didi't like the loose exhaust pipe. Also an external air filter was copied from the real loader and an additional filter/oil reservoir was attached in the front part.

Hope you like it. I do not have any building instructions but can share pictures how I made the rear bumper and other stuff if someone needs that. All the rest is self explained I guess.
 

 

I've also just ordered the set from ebay and want to make it even nicer. Do you have a parts list and some instructions?

On 12/1/2014 at 2:57 PM, efferman said:

Small update

The LDD file is finished and list the necessary parts is done too

only 84 parts are not included in the set

edit:

 

 

Can you repost the parts list and ldd file, the links are invalid and I just got the set from ebay.

[JaBaCaDaBra]

1 hour ago, Leanderv said:

 

I've also just ordered the set from ebay and want to make it even nicer. Do you have a parts list and some instructions?

Can you repost the parts list and ldd file, the links are invalid and I just got the set from ebay.

Yes, I'd like these too

Edited June 26, 2021 by JaBaCaDaBra

[efferman]

20 hours ago, Leanderv said:

I've also just ordered the set from ebay and want to make it even nicer. Do you have a parts list and some instructions?

Can you repost the parts list and ldd file, the links are invalid and I just got the set from ebay.

The links are fixed in the original post

[kiwimtnbkr]

Is it just me or is there a Liftarm Thick 1 x 3 missing from the image?

Subset4 on Page 3 of the MOC instructions shows 2 x Liftarm Thick 1 x 3

Edited June 27, 2021 by kiwimtnbkr
part clarification

[efferman]

i guess the missing liftarm is included in the set.

[kiwimtnbkr]

5 minutes ago, efferman said:

i guess the missing liftarm is included in the set.

Unless I am have a 'complete boy look' or I am totally confused, I can't see either an item 32523 or the alternate item 41482 anywhere in the parts lists for the 42030.

I am happy to be corrected though if I am wrong.

 

[efferman]

Maybe iam wrong, maybe you. This model ist a Long Time ago.

[kiwimtnbkr]

On 1/24/2021 at 2:13 AM, harrygee said:

Hope you like it. I do not have any building instructions but can share pictures how I made the rear bumper and other stuff if someone needs that. All the rest is self explained I guess.

 

My son and I would gratefully received any other pics you have to share of the top of the engine bay and around the pivot point.  We're pretty sure we've worked out which pieces you've used but any more in-close pics would be fantastic.
And can you confirm for us what pieces you used to build the external air filter and the additional filter/oil reservoir.

Edited July 7, 2021 by kiwimtnbkr

[harrygee]

On 7/7/2021 at 10:52 AM, kiwimtnbkr said:

My son and I would gratefully received any other pics you have to share of the top of the engine bay and around the pivot point.  We're pretty sure we've worked out which pieces you've used but any more in-close pics would be fantastic.
And can you confirm for us what pieces you used to build the external air filter and the additional filter/oil reservoir.

Sorry for the Delay, i was super busy with moving to another place but here are some more pictures. Hope it helps