The Morbidmobile Blog

[TomSaintJames]

I've thoroughly clutched at straws Dave - that was my very first action! It seems there was just a couple of unfortunate events and a miscommunication back along when I did the initial degree modules.

As far as the hearse is concerned, I don't think we can sell it - it's too useful as a utility car and is way too cool

I might want to get it done before I start studying, I won't have time to mess about with another car so we're not getting the 940, the LPG system will probably be in a poor state at best on a car of almost 200K anyway, never mind anything else. I have been looking today and found these:

THIS is an AQ151C (so better sized bearings and rear thrust bearing, which I understand to be a good thing) penta block and appears to be in quite good nick, at least to my untrained eye and at a reasonable price, if from Canada! A rough price works out as £220. I've emailed to ask if it used a raw or fresh water cooling system.

THIS is a dusty and dirty B230 of indiscriminate age, type or anything! There is a Long Sutton 15 miles from me, but also one in Lincolnshire so i've messaged the seller for more details.

THIS looks like it may have had a turbo, but not sure from the dodgy pictures, but is cheap and not too far to collect.

Am I right in thinking that from the great advice given so far, even if the blocks from any of these are worn/dirty etc, it will not matter so much as they'll be being re-bored and de-coked etc anyway? As long as they aren't cracked, or have excessively rusty coolant channels.

Also, do I need to match the penta crankshaft to the appropriate block, in terms of bearings? Or can the bearings be replaced to suit the crank in whichever block? I say this as there seems to be a choice of bearing sizes and thrust bearing positions:

AQ151A smaller/thinner main bearings with thrust bearing in the middle
AQ151B either small bearings and rear thrust, or the other way around!
AQ151C onwards larger/thicker main bearings with thrust bearing at the rear

We may also be getting the exhaust replaced for a long-life guaranteed type, IIRC Dai suggested 2.5" throughout? If the exhaust manifold is staying then it matters not when it is done, sooner if we can afford it. I have tried to stop it blowing, but really only bodged it further each time!

Thanks all, I would know even less what I am doing without all your sagely advice.

[Laird Scooby]

Shame about those straws Tom! They could have told you in the first place about the extra 4 modules though!

The 960 was another suggestion as either finish the work needed for the MoT and use that as your camper or transplant the engine, box etc into your hearse. You could gain air-con as well that way.

I'd probably avoid the Canadian engine, lots of grief with Customs no doubt but also if it turns out to not be as described, imagine sending it back for a refund!

The Long Sutton is indeed the one in LIncolnshire, looking at the sellers other items i found this listed as being in Spalding which is very close to Long Sutton :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-...s/193032472133

Looking at the pics of the "dodgy" looking engine, i'd say it was n/asp - they're diabolical photos though, usually poor photos are used by sellers to hide things but you can get bargains.

You haven't made any comment on the AQ151C i found and linked to earlier in the thread?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VOLVO-PEN...T/223576106382

So far the most complete out of the other stuff you've found but in fairness, may need a complete rebuild.

Whichever way you do things, sort the exhaust last and patch it until then. No point spending £££££ getting a nice exhaust sorted now only to have to cut it later.

[classicswede]

The penta engine looks ok if you are will to gamble on the bores being good.

2nd engine would be fine to rebuild. Looks like a B230A

3rd engine is not turbo but does have EGR

[TomSaintJames]

Apologies Dave, I did take a look and added it to my ebay watch list - but I am quite put off by the price! Although my reading has revealed that the penta engines used 531 heads (quite a better flow intake I gather) which is a bonus. At that price it'd probably have to go straight in, having done the service items first of course.

If the bores are no good Dai, it will run roughly and the exhaust will have blue smoke due to worn piston rings?

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by TomSaintJames

Apologies Dave, I did take a look and added it to my ebay watch list - but I am quite put off by the price! Although my reading has revealed that the penta engines used 531 heads (quite a better flow intake I gather) which is a bonus. At that price it'd probably have to go straight in, having done the service items first of course.

If the bores are no good Dai, it will run roughly and the exhaust will have blue smoke due to worn piston rings?

I wondered if the price was a stumbling block on that one Tom - however, when you consider the others you've been looking at, they all look as if they will need a fair £££££ thrown at them in addition to the service items so it's swings and roundabouts. I know it says "project" in the description of the one i linked to but there are many things you can do that will help ensure it has a good chance from the word go.

The other alternative is buy a B230x, strip it down, buy the long-stroke crank at your leasure, inspect the bores, pistons, valves, head etc and do whatever restorative work you can (eg decoke + valve lapping, check/set the clearances etc), get the head checked for flatness and/or have it skimmed then rebuild with all new gaskets etc.

Once rebuilt, fit it in a weekend and hope it runs - it should do if you've done it right.

If you go down the rebuild route, it would pay to fit new big ends and mains and a new oil pump too and you'd then have to treat it as a new engine and give it a gentle running in.

[TomSaintJames]

So it's been a while since I last posted, further qualifications and courses with work mean I come home, eat dinner and go straight into studying.

We also have a 4 month old puppy to take up our time! The OH and I both grew up with dogs, and have been waiting for the right moment to get one ourselves, we picked up Tulip - our Lurcher pup 5 weeks ago, she is 1/4 Saluki, 1/4 Greyhound and 1/2 Collie and is a very bouncy but beautiful girl.

As far as the Hearse goes, we've just been using it, it's graced a couple of festivals in August and September and I have fitted a Flettner slimline ventilation fan as we were asphyxiating ourselves on alcohol fumes sleeping in it with no ventilation

Today is MOT time, it failed on emissions, the lambda reading was too high and the CO as well.
The chap is going to weld a sleeve over the front pipe-to-extension-pipe to stop the blow at this joint and thinks this should resolve the lambda fail, but is unsure of the CO.

Am I right in thinking the CO is adjustable on the K-jet? A screw on the inlet manifold/throttle body somewhere? The mechanic didn't know offhand, but i'm sure Dave and I have discussed it on here before.

BTW Tulip prefers the hearse over the Kia of boredom, she sleeps in the hearse but whines in the Kia

[Pete940]

Yup, a little screw which you can probably find with the help of google images. If I recall correctly, a volvo specialist told me to adjust it back after the MOT because they run better with a little extra fuel. But they're so slow it probably doesn't make a difference!

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by TomSaintJames

So it's been a while since I last posted, further qualifications and courses with work mean I come home, eat dinner and go straight into studying.

We also have a 4 month old puppy to take up our time! The OH and I both grew up with dogs, and have been waiting for the right moment to get one ourselves, we picked up Tulip - our Lurcher pup 5 weeks ago, she is 1/4 Saluki, 1/4 Greyhound and 1/2 Collie and is a very bouncy but beautiful girl.

As far as the Hearse goes, we've just been using it, it's graced a couple of festivals in August and September and I have fitted a Flettner slimline ventilation fan as we were asphyxiating ourselves on alcohol fumes sleeping in it with no ventilation

Today is MOT time, it failed on emissions, the lambda reading was too high and the CO as well.
The chap is going to weld a sleeve over the front pipe-to-extension-pipe to stop the blow at this joint and thinks this should resolve the lambda fail, but is unsure of the CO.

Am I right in thinking the CO is adjustable on the K-jet? A screw on the inlet manifold/throttle body somewhere? The mechanic didn't know offhand, but i'm sure Dave and I have discussed it on here before.

BTW Tulip prefers the hearse over the Kia of boredom, she sleeps in the hearse but whines in the Kia

What were the emissions Tom? Was he even testing it the right way? You should get a pass on upto 3.5%CO and 1200ppm/HC on yours. Further it has dispensation for not being able to meet the original 1992 cat limits which even if it was a 1992 car, would still give the same limits.

The adjustment of the CO is carried out with an Allen key (i forget the size but 4mm rings a bell) to a screw in the top of the fuel distributor - the chunk of metal near the starter motor with the 4 thick injector hoses coming out of it.

This photo shows the approximate location, there is often a tube around it with a tamperproof cap in it :





Second shows a photo of it in a car. This last photo shows the idle bypass screw on the manifold/throttle body - only use this to adjust the idle speed if it goes out of spec.



Hope that points you and/or the tester in the right direction but first make sure he's checking it on the right limits! You won't be the first on here to have a failure sheet because the tester didn't test to the right limits!

Tulip has good taste if she whines in the Kia!

[TomSaintJames]

Mental red flag just went up!

Tester mentioned the CAT might need cleaning, and I replied that it doesn't have one! Does this mean he may have tested it it using emission limits for CAT equipped vehicles? I imagine such figures would be tighter than for pre-CAT cars like this one.

Not sure on the emission values, it was a very brief discussion over the phone when I snuck out of the lab for 5 minutes! I'd like the exhaust blow sorted anyway, so will speak with the mechanic on Monday.

The emissions were very good last year, with the a lesser exhaust blow though:
CO - 0.437 (max 3.5)
HC - 60 (max 1200)

Thanks for the info guys, and pictures are always useful - thanks Dave.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by TomSaintJames

Mental red flag just went up!

Tester mentioned the CAT might need cleaning, and I replied that it doesn't have one! Does this mean he may have tested it it using emission limits for CAT equipped vehicles? I imagine such figures would be tighter than for pre-CAT cars like this one.


Thanks for the info guys, and pictures are always useful - thanks Dave.

Did the tester even look at the reg plate or check the year of registration?

It sounds very like he's tested it using the 0.3% CO nad 1200ppm HC limits set for 1992 on cat-equipped cars.

Also he hasn't bothered checking to see if the car itself is eligible for the BET - which he should have done as a matter of course during the test.