Amazon: 1965 Volvo Amazon (121)

[Jackman]

Well i thought id bring you upto date with this project. As many of you may remember i was asked to try and get it done for my friends wedding so i had been doing little bits to the car as and when i could.

Over a month ago i wanted to take the engine out to have better access in the engine bay so decided to take the head off. The engine had run well but i wanted to get a head refurb priced up so it was taken off to get work started on it.

I shall bring up this quote from when i first got it running well.

Originally Posted by 222s

Once the cooling system is working again, imho it's worth doing compression checks on each cylinder and also plumbing in a gauge* to check the oil pressure when the engine is hot, in order to get a better idea of its condition. These engines seem to be more than capable of running smoothly & quietly even when rather tired.

Well i took the head off and instantly knew it wasn't as healthy as it sounded, each had a slight hint of surface rust.

Number 1, fine


Number 2, deep score


Number 3, scored


Number 4, deep score


This is a very bad picture of the cam, however that has a nice wear mark in it.



The head, full of carbon but looked ok.


The block. Full of rusty sludge in all the water ways, its about 1cm deep in places.


After seeing all that i turned the lights off, shut the garage then told my friend it was not going to be done in time. A engine rebuild had not been thought about, a head refub was but nothing as intensive as this requires.

Many times i thought about just scrapping the car but i just left it as it was.

Skip forward to the 24th of March, a few things changed.
I got offered a great job starting next week, massive motivational boost to myself.
I have been speaking to a friend about turbo engines for his car and it has given me motivation to not let a set back get to me. So the time I will have at weekends will be spent on making a engine work area at the back of the garage for me... the project is starting again!

As for the plans. Still similar, finish the welding work once the engine is out and get the bodywork done. Engine, thats undecided yet. As i need to rebuild it do i keep the original engine or do i build a turbo lump and run injection with a 5 speed box (This wont be a all out power build, if i did it, dont see any need for it). All this will appear in the future once ive thought about all the options.

So until the next update when my garage has been organised to give me a workbench, happy motoring.

Jackman

[DQ81]

With the amount of work you have done so far don't give up!

There's obvious metal fabrication skills. Here is what I would advise for a fun, still Volvo powered but up to date powerplant.

Look for a 940 donor. Find yourself an lpt b23. It's a great motor and if you can find one with an m90 (5 speed) you are all set. If you're in the US I can find you an m90 trans and ship it to you against cost. You'll only have to modify the tunnel slightly, fab an exhaust and other motor swap stuff but you'll have a fuel injected, reliable and bullet-proof engine that's at 135hp stock and can with very little effort make close to 200hp and a ton of torque. These are proven engines.

It will be safe, quick, fun and lively. It will also cost you about half as much as a rebuild, especially if you plan to liven that motor up. If you're going turbo on that motor it's gonna be even more.

I have two of these cars, looked at every option possible and though I'm doing some other things, the b230 is the way I'd go.

If you want more info let me know, I can share my research.

cheers

EDIT: just saw you're in the UK. 940 2.3 lpt on ebay all day long with 5speeds for next to nothing. Don't forget 200k miles is still fresh and these things do 500k km's all the time. You might have to fab a different brake booster due to turbo/booster interferance but those 940's are cheap as chips. For under 600 pounds you'll have a solid donor you can drive home. Wiring is not that difficult and easy to cut out/access. I just did one a few weeks ago. You can pull all the extra's you need from the 940.

[Jackman]

DQ, that was exactly one of my ideas. Buy a 940 and run it to get an idea of the condition of the engine before setting up Vems ecu to run the engine, may not produce more hp than the standard setup but its not what im after. I think id be able to get more power and MPG with a standalone ecu using sequential ignition and injection. Couple that with a wideband lambda then it could be good fun.

Id be very interested in any knowlege you could share with me.

Thanks
Jackman

[DQ81]

Originally Posted by Jackman

DQ, that was exactly one of my ideas. Buy a 940 and run it to get an idea of the condition of the engine before setting up Vems ecu to run the engine, may not produce more hp than the standard setup but its not what im after. I think id be able to get more power and MPG with a standalone ecu using sequential ignition and injection. Couple that with a wideband lambda then it could be good fun.

Id be very interested in any knowlege you could share with me.

Thanks
Jackman

Why bother with an expensive aftermarket and therefore complexifying ecu. Volvo did a great job and had that b230 running as good as it can be (although massively DEtuned) by the end of the 940 model run (technically s90 for the last two years). You want a post '96 donor car as all the mechanical weaknesses of the block and head had been worked out by then. These are the motors that will do 500k km's and still run strong.

The reason you want a 'lpt' or "Low Pressure Turbo" which is the b230 FK is that it produces 135hp and lots of torque low in the powerband, it keeps pulling at that strenth close to redline.

BUT, Volvo was very good to us wanting to 'hotrod' this little robust engine. It's more powerful, I believe 160hp, sibling the b230 FT is EXACTLY the same engine. The only mechanical difference in those last two years (and I think the 92-96 range as well) of production was the wastegate on the turbo regulating the turbo pressure. This is has been proven time and time again with full tear downs. The internals are known to be good to 300hp with regular use and 400hp is pushing it but not yet gauranteed fatal.

By the later years, the b230fk had all the right stuff, forged crank, connecting rods etc etc. SUPER STRONG!

It's brother the b230FT produces more power simply by having more boost in it's programming and a different blow off valve that allows the physical 'boost' in boost!

Simply get yourself a 940 lpt, which didn't come with turbo badges btw because it seemed to brash and Volvo wanted to create a distincion in models, get a manual boost controller (and remember, there's a knock sensor so more boost will be met accordingly timing wise by the ECU), a boost gauge, use the 940 wiring loom, ECU etc. etc. your b20 sump, modify your b230 oil pickup tube (the sump and tube mod, are to be able to mount the engine straight up instead of at an angle as in the 940) and fab some engine mounts, do good exhaust, at least 2.5" and a solid aftermarket chip for your ECU. Many are tried and tested. You'll be around 180hp, a ton of torque, better mileage and a lot more money in your pocket for let's say: paint!

From my research what I understand is that with a good chip, open exhaust, boost around 12-15 PSI people are seeing just shy of 200hp. If you want more you are looking at injectors, bigger turbo etc. But from what I've read, you don't. So you should be good to go!

I've got one going in an MGB GT, for all the same reasons. 200hp in that car will be great fun, and it's extremely reliable!


Some links on the b230fk vs. the b230ft

http://www.turbobricks.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=48745

http://www.forums.turbobricks.com/sh...ad.php?t=23466

[Othen]

A fascinating thread Jackman, did the project ever get finished?

Alan

[Jackman]

Originally Posted by Othen

A fascinating thread Jackman, did the project ever get finished?

Alan

8 years later and I can happily say I still own this car.

Unfortunatly its not much further on than from the last update but it is now actually at my house rather than in storage elsewhere.

Ill try fine some time to update this and find somewhere to upload new images but its going to be on the back burner following my 244 purchase.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Jackman

8 years later and I can happily say I still own this car.

Unfortunatly its not much further on than from the last update but it is now actually at my house rather than in storage elsewhere.

Ill try fine some time to update this and find somewhere to upload new images but its going to be on the back burner following my 244 purchase.

Roger. I can appreciate that you want to get the 244 running and riding, but I suspect that may take a while

Alan

[JP 1800]

Originally Posted by Jackman

8 years later and I can happily say I still own this car.

Unfortunatly its not much further on than from the last update but it is now actually at my house rather than in storage elsewhere.

Ill try fine some time to update this and find somewhere to upload new images but its going to be on the back burner following my 244 purchase.

We have all been at that stage at some time. I am working on my 133 since 2014 and it is only gone to paint now. Its one of those type of projects that sit in the corner for some time while other projects come and go. You will get there eventually and then realise good things come to those who wait.