Hey guys,
I'm fairly new to this forum and to the volvo world honestly. My ex wifes dad had two volvo 240s that I bought to help out the family when he had to be placed in hospice because of his dementia. If there was anyone that was knowledgeable about these cars it was him. He was a master tech for 22 years and specialized in volvo. One is an '89 and the other is a ;93. I recently came across a '95 camaro that has the corvette LT4 engine and 6-speed tranny installed. I actually got the entire car at a very decent price seeing as it had some damage to the front end from them rear ending someone. Does anyone know if anyone has attempted to put an LT4 in a 240? I've seen and heard of the LSX,LS1,LS2, etc swaps but i cant seem to find online where anyone has put an LT4 in one. Can it be done? If so, any and all pointers are greatly appreciated as this will be my first ever huge project build. I know there is a lot more to it than just swapping the engine for sure but what all am i getting myself into here?

Thanks in advance!!

 

add this to your bookmarks: https://jagsthatrun.com/collections/volvo

As with any swap, the first thing to consider is size of the new engine, then lower end fit (ie for the oil pan ) and then overall how the new tranny will fit (again size of the tranny/bell housing etc). After that you can sort out the wiring harness issues. As the engines get newer, the more reliant on and complex the wiring harnesses get. Suppliers like Summit Racing probably sell a harness intended for swaps - I know they sell crate engine + tranny kits to help ensure compatibility as well - even if you are looking to find a used engine/tranny its good to check out.

One other thought - research other makes/models. I know BMWs are very popular for LSx swaps so you can probably peruse some of the bimmer boards to see what issues and solutions those folks came up with. And if you find a good thread for somebody putting an LS into a 840Csi, let me know :-)

 

Thank you for that information. It at least gives me somewhere to start. Also I'll definitely let you know if i see a thread with someone putting a LS in a 840Csi

 

exhaust manifolds, engine mounts, all that sort of stuff will have to be custom fabricated. an LT4 is likely much heavier than a B230F, so you'll need to beef up your front springs quite a bit, and run a much thicker antisway bar in front.

the Volvo dana30 based differential will sorta take that kind of power, as long as you baby it and don't slam it. I'd want MUCH beefier brakes to match the horses.

the volvo speedometer is electric and driven off the rear axle, so as long as you keep your rear wheel outside diameter approximately the same as stock, the speedo will be accurate. they make adapters to run a 4 cylinder tachometer off a 8 cylinder ignition system.

bonus points for getting the heating and air conditioning working. 240 HVAC is pretty simple, so I'm sure its doable, just more stuff to take care of.

 

True story... many years back I was having our 850T serviced at Volvo of Westport when I saw all the techs standing around looking under the hood of a rather pedestrian looking 740 in the parking lot. Since I was waiting I walked outside to see what the deal was and there it was - a small block stuffed into the Volvo - perfectly like it came that way from the factory. Turned out the owner of the car lived locally - some guy named Paul Newman...