Follow this link to get your inspiration and creative juices flowing:

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/thi...erbike-killer/

We’ve had some discussion on some of these threads lately about swapping V8 engines into our beloved little 244s. I hope I am not wasting space or somehow using up bandwidth but I really felt motivated to start a new thread for the sole purpose of discussing V8 swaps. Mostly, I wanted the thread to actually say “V8 Swap” or something similar in the title so that the discussion could be found easily at later dates. I have a couple of disclaimers also that I need to state. I personally have NOT yet done a V8 into a Volvo 244/245 swap. So, I am not going to pretend to be some sort of expert. I am definitely NOT an expert! However, I DO have an engineless 244DL that has been a parts donor for my other two Volvo 240 series cars and this car is an absolutely stellar candidate for such a swap. I have been planning and researching this swap for well over ten years now and I have learned a lot! And I want to share what I’ve learned with others and hopefully there will be plenty of other guys to chime in and help teach me some things too. So, here we go!

Originally, I had planned on using a Small Block Chevy (SBC) for my power. I bought the book from Jags That Run (JTR) years ago and have practically memorized it. Here is the link:

https://jagsthatrun.com/collections/volvo/volvo-200

I have learned a great deal and I would highly recommend buy this book for anyone that is serious about putting a V8 into a Volvo even though it was written before the LS engines became popular swapping candidates. As soon as I bought the book and read through it, I realized that the guys that wrote the book must have had me surely in mind. They did not write the book to show ONLY how the swap could be made. Oh NO… they wrote the book with the idea that, not only should a V8 make the Volvo powerful, but the swap should also retain all of the refinement that we would expect from stock Volvo – a quiet, comfortable ride, mild manners in city traffic, zero overheating problems in summer weather with the A/C set on maximum cool and finally, cruising down the interstate at speeds well in excess of the posted limits without even realizing that you’re going that fast. THAT is refinement!

Something of a comparison between SBC engines and LS engines is in order. Basically, the SBC is going to have an iron block and, most of the time, iron heads. This is a heavy engine by Volvo standards and other builders have reported that their Volvos did indeed feel nose heavy with the SBC. Some of this can be alleviated by moving the battery to the trunk, installing a trailer hitch on the car and using a SBC with aluminum heads. These issues are discussed in the JTR book.

The LS engine comes in iron blocks with iron heads in many GM trucks but there are also all aluminum versions found in many of the later Camaros, Firebirds and Corvettes. The weight of the all-aluminum LS is reportedly very very close to the weight of a stock Volvo Red block engine. This means that the 244 could maintain a lot of the nimbleness that we love about these cars. Here is a link to a YouTube video that compares the old SBC to the new LS:


One day I was perusing through the discount shelves at a local bookstore and discovered THIS book entitled, How to SWAP GM LS-series engines into almost anything. I bought the book and started learning about LS engines. I learned so much that I now plan to put an LS engine into my 244 instead of the SBC. This book explains EVERYTHING about LS engines from mounts to fuel wiring harnesses for pre-fuel injection cars. One amazing thing about this book is that it has an entire chapter on what vehicles you can find in the salvage yards that will give you the engine that you want. Here is a link to that book:


I hope this really helps. I also hope that our discussion may attract more enthusiasts to performing swaps of this type. Sadly, I'm not in a position to begin my swap in the immediate future. But when I DO begin, I want to document everything I can and put it right here on this thread.

 

Yeah, pass on that.

 

I've noticed that this forum has a personality all its own - unlike any other.

 

As have I. It appears there is more "traffic" over on Turbo Bricks... I am new to the Volvo forums and used to the very active BMW sites. This forum, IMHO, seems pretty inactive/slow what you will. Just my opinion of course.

 

Having done 5 GM to Jaguar conversions with both auto and manual boxes and FI systems it is fun and time consuming not to mention costly. Considering you have wanted to do this and have been thinking about it for 10 years I doubt that it will ever happen. Post the pictures and results after you do it and maybe there will be more interest.

 

Thank you SO much for the vote of confidence! You sound JUST like my ex-wife. She didn't believe in me either. If you would like to, go ahead and start treating me like a complete buffoon the way she always did and I'll just feel right at home.

And just so you'll know... the reason I didn't get anything else done over the last decade is because, after the divorce, I invested my time pursuing a BA in Foreign Languages and a Master's in Education, which I completed this past summer. So it's not like I've been slothing off.

The next few years will be spent pursuing the PhD. I think I could be forgiven for being a little slow on such projects as putting a V8 in anything. This forum SUCKS BTW. I'm outta here and WON'T be back! It wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if the moderator just deleted the entire thread. I'm sorry I even started the damn thing. EXCUSE ME!

 

Interesting excuses . Enjoy your life.

 

What did you expect jagtoes, you were pretty much a dick to him. It must be a nice life you have where you can instantly jump into and see your conversion to fruition. Some of us have "life" that gets messy some times like divorces, military deployments, new jobs, going back to school, etc... that delay our dream projects.

Yes, I am new here on the Volvo forums coming over from the BMW world, but rude is rude and I don't blame woodenyouknowit for his "attitude"

 

Hey if you can't stand a little realism then don't respond. There has been virtually no interest on this form for this post and I was just pointing it out. I don't think we need to see excuses in order to get sympathy for the poster. We all have our issues but this is not a FB form so no need to tell the world. Enjoy life and thank you for your comment.

 

I Co-Sign your attempt t o swap. I have a 240 DL with a SBC and HEI in it. it runs great. some of us Volvo Owners dream bigger than others. It is what it it. Good Luck. * If you need any tips hit me up.