Hi all, I’m relatively new to the form but having done a good deal of reading both here and elsewhere I have created a mod plan for my 1989 740 Turbo that I just wanted to run by anyone who may have answers/suggestions for me. As I’m only at the planning stage please do come back and have a read another time if you don’t have time now as your knowledge and experience is invaluable.
Unlike previous cars I’ve owned, I’ve decided to make a good plan, gather the bits and fit them all in one go (in summer 2011 hopefully). My previous car was a little 1.3 hatch that I just kept doing more and more ridiculous mods to until it was fairly quick but achieved about 15mpg, like an angry, greedy little puppy!
My aim for the Volvo (having been looking for a manual 740 turbo saloon in good nick for 5years!) is for it to be fairly stock looking and not too bad on fuel, until I push a few buttons and all goes mental!
With this in mind I’ll be using the following controls:
· GFB Deceptor Pro in-car adjustable BOV (adjusts between recirc and atmos dump)
· QTP Electronic Exhaust Cut-out
· Greddy Profec B Spec II Boost Controller (the only thing I have fitted and will be fitting until the big job)
· Megasquirt with switchable control between maps (need to read more about this – injection is fairly new to me!)
· Home-made HHO generator (to help fuel economy when in economy mode)
Bearing in mind I’m in the UK, the actual mods I HOPE to be able to be doing to the B230ET are as follows:
1) I have seen that the crank from a Volvo Penta marine engine is a straight swap to make the 2.3 a 2.5 litre and that I will need different pistons but not sure which?

With everything considered I’m pretty sure I’ll also need some forged rods and pistons (as I believe my engine has the supposedly weaker 9mm rods?) but not sure which new ones I’ll need?
2) Custom steel exhaust (when I get the welder up and running again): 3” Downpipe leading to 4x motorbike cans of a suitable bore, with the cut-out valve somewhere in the middle.
3) Intercooler Upgrade: largest type of Isuzu NPR truck intercooler (27 row).
4) MAF Upgrade from a later 960 (1991-1994) to cope with the boost increase?
5) Ford Browntop injectors (are there any UK cars that come with the right ones?) or 850 T5-R ones – which are best in this case?
6) 16V Head conversion as per thread:
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=162853&highlight=740+16v+conversi on

• Mildly porting the head and up-rating the cams if I can?

· I believe double valve springs are required, but not sure what is means?

7) M90L2 (If I can find one) Gearbox conversion to handle the power: Using clutch combo that is said to hold 450NM tourque – will this be enough for my mods?
8) Larger turbo but which would suit best with the other mods: 15G, 16G, 18T or 19T?
9) Would I need an aftermarket adjustable fuel pressure reg also?
10) Is there anything else I’d need or any other suggestions?
11) Any guestemates as to the final bhp and max boost I’ll be able to run with?

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any help.
Tim.

 

With this in mind I’ll be using the following controls:
GFB Deceptor Pro in-car adjustable BOV (adjusts between recirc and atmos dump)
If you want a blow off valve that’s a very expensive one, and I mean, this like I’ll say below is one thing y ou’ll mess with for about a week and then never touch it again.
QTP Electronic Exhaust Cut-out:
IS MOT going to look kindly upon that? I personally would skip this if I was doing a 3” system
Greddy Profec B Spec II Boost Controller (the only thing I have fitted and will be fitting until the big job)?
You already have this on? If so then sure keep it, but that’s a pricey valve when you can make your own from bits available at a hardware store for like 10 bucks. I mean sure you can control it from inside the car but, with these cars, or any car you usually end up cranking it up to like 15lbs and leaving it anyways. Kinda like coilovers, you spend all that cash on them just to crank them down low and never adjust them.
And before I go on, all that stuff above is a lot of cash. I mean you’re looking at about $1500 in American for that stuff. So what like 900 pounds. That’s a lot of cheese for something that can be done for maybe a 100 bucks total just as well.
Megasquirt with switchable control between maps (need to read more about this – injection is fairly new to me!)
You’re going to need a laptop to keep in the car at all times. It’s doable though, and not crazy expensive. Maybe like another $1000 all together.

Home-made HHO generator (to help fuel economy when in economy mode) Yeah this doesn’t work. I don’t’ know if you get Mythbusters over there yet but it’s a television show that scientifically tests myths and urban legends. They found no improvement in gas mileage doing this, in fact I think that there gas mileage dropped because the alternator had to work so hard.
Bearing in mind I’m in the UK, the actual mods I HOPE to be able to be doing to the B230ET are as follows:
I have seen that the crank from a Volvo Penta marine engine is a straight swap to make the 2.3 a 2.5 litre and that I will need different pistons but not sure which?
Ohh man I wish it was that easy. Crank, rods, pistons, some machining from what I hear. Quite an expensive endeavor for .2 liters. Probably easy into the 1200 range. Might as well pick up a 92+ block while you’re at it too.
With everything considered I’m pretty sure I’ll also need some forged rods and pistons (as I believe my engine has the supposedly weaker 9mm rods?) but not sure which new ones I’ll need? Uhmm you can run probably up against the 300 hp mark with the skinnier rods in your motor. Really its not the HP, it’s the detonation that will kill your motor.

Custom steel exhaust (when I get the welder up and running again): 3” Downpipe leading to 4x motorbike cans of a suitable bore, with the cut-out valve somewhere in the middle. Leaving amterials out of this it’s probably your best bet. I don’t think I could recommend the motorbike exhausts though. Seems like a lot of weight, and cost for something that might restrict your exhaust. Because those motorcycle exhaust tend to be baffled and chambered which is a no no for a turbo car.

Intercooler Upgrade:
largest type of Isuzu NPR truck intercooler? Honestly I would do this and the exhaust and a boost control valve first. You’ll see some extra power and it will be relatively cheap.

MAF Upgrade from a later 960 (1991-1994) to cope with the boost increase? Ahh the ohh so sought after 3” MAF. Well if you go Megasquirt you won’t be using this. If you decide to stay with the LH fuel injection, and use this plus a chip from say, thelostartof you could benefit.

Ford Browntop injectors (are there any UK cars that come with the right ones?) or 850 T5-R ones – which are best in this case?
The brown tops are good, they flow a lot of gas though. I have the 850 t5 injectors in my car, they’re nice. I think you’ll have a lot easier time getting the orange tops from an 850 than you would the browntops from a lets see what do you guys have over there. The XR4TI, and possibly the scorpion. I think they both had the ford 2.3t motor. Or some other cossie products.
16V Head conversion as per thread: That’s a whole other money tree to shake there. It’s not just those plates and a few pulleys and bolts. It’s a lot of work. But go for it, just read up a bunch on it before getting to far into it.

Mildly porting the head and up-rating the cams if I can? The 16v or the 8v head? You know you can get 531 heads over in England like all day long for fairly cheap.

I believe double valve springs are required, but not sure what is means? It means one spring within another per each valve. It’s a conversion over from the Ford 4.2l motors.
M90L2 (If I can find one) Gearbox conversion to handle the power: Using clutch combo that is said to hold 450NM tourque – will this be enough for my mods? They’re a lot more findable over there than they are here. Very doable.

Larger turbo but which would suit best with the other mods: 15G, 16G, 18T or 19T? Shoot the moon why not, building what your talking about and staying on that same frame might be a waste of time. Why not a giant Holset.

Would I need an aftermarket adjustable fuel pressure reg also? Probably a rising rate FPR, but again that depends on your EFI setup.

Is there anything else I’d need or any other suggestions? You’re probably going to want to brace your rear subframe since it will rip out on that 740. Uhh suspension in general will need a lot of work. So will brakes you’re going to want to be able to stop all that extra power.
If I might make a suggestion, looking at your plans you have a 7000 to 8000 dollar plan for just the motor up there. If you’re going to do that, and I can’t even quote you a possible HP number because there are a million open variables. Why not drop in a motor from a T5 or a T6? It’s been done, the formula is out there and those cars are pretty tasty. Nothing sounds cooler than a really done up 5cylinder motor.

Any guestemates as to the final bhp and max boost I’ll be able to run with?
Eleventybillion, No seriously, I don’t know could be as low as 0 hp, or as high as 400. You’re leaving a lot of variables open and well, can’t really answer a question with all those open ideas.
But good luck I’ll be out there looking for you.