This weekend I brought home a $200 91' 940 turbo wagon for a parts car (86,000 miles, mint wheels, radio and #3 interior, with 4 huge 2 inch hold rusted through the roof where the OEM luggage rack was once bolted) The PO said it needed at least a $2K top engine re-build from BHG (he thought) and it has a huge battery drain, So I stuck some gas and a new battery in it to limp it home but it drives like a bat out of hell! Now I see what all the excitement about turbo is.

There is no smoke out the back, no over heat (if I keep the reservoir full) but it drinks about a quart of water every 2 miles. There's no water in the oil. There's no way that much water can leaking out the head, I'd see it dripping. And with without pressurizing the system, there's no way it can get getting into the cylinders that fast and still run so well. I'll pull the plugs and do a compression test but the only thing I see hooked to the cooling system, which I don’t understand, is turbo center cartridge water pump. What in the turbo could be leaking that fast? Could it put that much coolant into the intake and the engine still run that well? BTW is it worth fixing?

 

I would check and make sure the heater core is not leaking.

 

Thanks, didn't think of that with all the water in the car I just assumed it was the holes in the roof.
I checked this morning and there is no heater core, it's been cut off at the firewall. I pulled the plugs and posted the results on flicker
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33680473@N08/3606679209/
All I wanted off this car was the wheels for my 240 so I'm break even at this point. But it's quick and has low miles. I'd like to put a little effort into it as an educational process. At the very least I'd like not to be so intimidated by workings of turbos.


Thanks for the help.

 

Only way to know for sure is to pull the head and check it to see if it worth reparing. If it is within spec, you can just replace the gaskets and be on your way, but if not, then it will need to be sent of to a shop. the compression numbers look like a BHG.
I think my dad spent like $800 for almost everything new (injectors, gaskets, water pump....etc.) when we replaced mine.

they are pretty easy to work on. more room than a 240.

 

yep you're both right, BHG, while the dipstick was clean I took it out and ran it hard this afternoon and found milky oil under the valve cover. So " beyond economic repair" as we say at work.

I must say, even running on 1/2 coolant, the thing really scoots. I see what all you guys are up to with chips and boost, what a blast to drive an ol' brick fast!

Maybe in my next life, for now I'll stick to the Cobra for go fast, and the bricks for style, durability and comfort.

Thanks.

 

Alright....I dont think I would own a NA again....hehehe. I love turbos and superchargers. Boost FTW!

So are you going to use it for the interior swap?

 

ya, that was the original idea. Either way I'm stripping it all out like you did just to see what's good and what's not. I should post pics of the NA I bought as the base car. In hindsight I'd say with the extra weight of the wagon the car isn't as sprite as my 940 sedan NA. Maybe I should look for a turbo wagon for this project? BTW, the 940 wheels look great on the 240.

 

Cool. Post up pics when you get the chance