hey all, im new to the forums and wanted to ask a question. i have a 1996 volvo 850 turbo, platinum edition, and have been doing a lot of research about them. according to wikipedia as well as a few other sources, there was an AWD version of the 850 made in late 96/97. does anyone know alot about this car? i was looking into converting my volvo to AWD, but cant find out if the awd version was a european exclusive or whether any were brought here. also, does anyone know how strong the awd transmission is/was? im hoping to awd the volvo instead of trading it in, any positive input would help. thanks guys!!

 

You might be able to do a S70 AWD Swap because they look a like, but I'm not sure how well it would go.

 

i hadn't considered using an S70. looking at the differences, it seems my 850 has a B5234T motor, whereas the S70 has the AWD for the n/a model(B5244 T3) and an R model (B5234T3). what is the difference between my B5234T motor and the B5234T3?

 

The only difference there is one is HP turbo and other is LPT.
The 850 AWD is pretty hard to find in the U.S. not all that many here.

 

after some more research, it appears that the transmission i'm after is an M58 (or so it was called), the AWD m/t from the 850s in canada. i have sourced the tranny itself, but does anyone know what else im going to need? ive seen a lot of posts about switching from auto to manual, but not auto to manual AWD. thanks again for the help guys!

 

your going to need a whole new rear sub frame and everything.... different exahust, different everything basicly. best off finding a donor AWD car.

 

I'm looking into doing the same.
Reason is that the fee for registering a new car in Norway is often up to 4x the sum you pay for a car.
So, I would save huge on upgrading my existing 855 to AWD.

If found a few donor cars. But - I'm uncertain, is the rear subframe from a AWD bolt on to the chassie on my FWD ?
Does the drive-shaft from front to rear fit the tunnel where the present exhaust system now runs ?

Or do I need to cut and weld to fit AWD to my FWD ?

Any one knows if there were differences in the chassie between AWD and FWD ?

 

i have a 97 AWD Turbo Manual wagon (im in canada)
and here there not that rare here in canada. the guy i bought my car off was stupid and sold it cheap. but people who know what they have sell them for quite a bit. and if theres ever a parts car around id be the first one all over it.

like was said, ive done some reaserch into it, and even finding non oem shocks + springs is hard, because everything was made for FWD only.
it wouldent be a small thing to do.

 

I've got a 1997 850 AWD. I agree with Matt it wouldn't be an easy thing to convert a standard car into an AWD.

The suspension is 14mm higher than a standard car. The AWD has a limited slip rear diff, a viscous coupling between front and rear axels that disengages when braking and traction control that works on the front brakes below 25mph. Mine is fitted with the 193 BHP 20 valve low pressure turbo engine and a manual gearbox. It's a great car - very sure footed and surprisingly competent on wet mud. Obviously ground clearance is an issue along rutted lanes.

 

I just purchased one of these today and am excited to get it on the road...Although I have to admit that Im starting to feel that I may regret the purchase as I am scared I will one day end up breaking the angle gear or something as I would like to be running an 18t in manual wagon however the awd version might not be the version I want.
Anyways the new car looks pretty good so we'll see how it goes.
Anyone know much info about these engines and m58 trannys

 

really man, these are not the best engines to be putting an 18t onto.. 2.4L.
im going to be doing a 16t with 15-16psi max...

 

like i said, thats why i am thinking of getting rid of it

 

james_casa

So you bought a 1997 850 AWD 5 speed manual wagon?

What color, what options (Platinum Edition?) how many miles. If you were to sell it, how much, where are you located, etc.

Autoxray

 

It has 270000km has all possible options including dark walnut trim, European own quick release hitch, factory dog cage. Trac control, power driver and passenger seats, built in car seat. Clean engine bay, newer clutch. I'm looking to trade for a manual wagon or not sure how much cash I would want. How do I tell if it plat edition?

 

Located in Toronto Ontario, could possibly drive it to Carlisle

 

I think the limit for the awd trans and configuration is about 250AWHP. After that, I would say it's borrowed reliability.

Another thing about the AWD from what I faintly remember is the ABS and traction control system operates the limited slip for the car. So if it were to not work properly, it would most likely result in an awd system not functioning 100%.

Also, to put in a 2.3L motor (850 turbo motor) , it would require a updated PCM and tune. I could be wrong on that, hope someone can clean this up with what is all needed for a 2.3 in place of a 2.4.

 

you could throw a 2.3 in and a t5m ecu and youde be good to go

 

WOW 850 AWD seems nice! Post more pics if you guys will?? looks awesome.

 

check out my post for all details:
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-850-16/everything-you-need-know-about-volvo-850-awd-canada-edition-40602/

 

i like it! great in the snow? does it have the rear heated seats too?