Hi I'm trying to do some research for my father. Neither of us know much about Volvos let alone turbos were both classic car guys really.

He has a 1994-5 Volvo 850 turbo 2.3L turbo I guess it is. Well the oil pup went the other day and now its knocking like a **** so he looked online and bought what he thought was and was claimed to be a 96 850 GLT Turbo that was in an accident. The hood was so mangled he couldn't open it and he just got it home now. I got it open and well its not a turbo motor. I guess its a 2.4L 20v?

Is there much difference in the motors they look the exact same. Could He put the turbo from his on it or will the motor even swap into his at all?

 

97+ GLT's are turbo96 is an air pump..

Making a N/A a turbos is BIG work and BIG money..
Why doesnt he contact the sell and tell them that this was not the car discribed...
Why not sell the N/A, and rebuild the turbo motor?

 

Matter of time and money really. He was hoping for a quick fix. Hes 63 and disabled/retired and mom has muscular distraphy and they need the car to get her to the drs and such since she can't get up in his truck.


Will the NA motor just bolt in though? I suppose he could do without the turbo he has a 62 Galaxie I gave him if he wants power. I would assume he would have to swap the computer, wiring, tranny?, and maybe even the dash cluster since they are both different. At least thats what a friend told me I know nothing about these things though I hate working on newer cars too much stuff to screw up.

 

Might want to wait for one of the other guys to chime in on if you can put the N/A in the turbo...

I think you can if your swapping the harness and computers but im not 100%...

BTW where are you located? I might be interested in the turbo trans if your getting rid of it..

 

I'm up in Maine. He just bought the turbo car last month. Hat to put the turbo on it and some other minor things.

Oh and btw. Love the quote. I think that moose line should be on the welcome sign to Maine.

 

It can be done but it is alot of work. You would have to change the engine harness and ecu's over as well.
Are you sure the oil pump went?

Also BTW not all 96 turbo cars have an air pump. There are some out there with no EGR or air pump.

 

Well this 96 GLT "Turbo" Says turbo on the trunk. Has no gauge for the boost/psi in the cluster unlike the 94 turbo. Visually I couldn't even find the turbo or any piping for one under the hood. The motor looks the exact same as the 94 except for the fact that there appears to be no turbo.

I might just tell him to cut his losses and sell em. He just paid like $1500 for the 94 and $300-500 for the 96.

I honestly don't think he would like the car without the turbo. He liked that it had some pep to it and got pretty good mpg still.


The pump is the only thing we could really think of. He was driving home and the oil light started flashing so he pulled over and checked the oil it was full. Was only a mile or two from home so he continued on and it went solid and then started knocking..

 

Ok sounds like it might be the pump. They rarely ever go out.
For pretty close to what he paid for the other car he could have replaced the oil pump and all rod bearings on the turbo car.

That sucks that he got screwed. It also sucks to see another one go out to pasture.

 

He figured being a newer car and a foreign one it would cost a fortune like my KIA did to work on and it would be cheaper to find a motor.

Probably just put em up on craigs I guess. It sucks that turbo was surprisingly peppy. I really didn't expect that out of what I've always laughed at as a soccer mom car :P

 

Yes it really sucks.
These things are alot more of a sleeper then alot people realize.

 

Tech, don't some of those oil pump issues get fixed with the seal kit? Do you think it's toast? Not sure if this is the ANSWER but read this info on this page:
Oil Sump O-Ring & Gasket Kit

Sounds like someone stuck a turbo sticker on the car at some point, or changed the trunk. I would likely ask for a refund or 1/2 of one.

@ Matt, I don't think the tranny from the '94-'95 will work right in the '96. I have one and it's missing the plug in this photo (the '96 tranny has some kind of sensor in this spot).


I cleaned this one up and didn't use it. I have it on CL for $100.

 

It sometimes happens on the 850's but it happens more on the 99 and up motors.
But the rod knock means it is now damaged.

 

Well ends up the 96 motor is no good anyway. Big chunk taken out of the bottom of the block, motor mount torn off the block, the accessories tore off, thermostat housing tore off, heads messed up also. Somehow it still ran pretty good though.

 

Wow that much damage and still ran good.

 

Other than the whole no oil in it at all thing yea it ran surprisingly good. Oil filter was ripped off too.

Heres a pic of it. Not the best quality I got a cheap phone lol.

 

Will the crank in that 2.4 work in the 2.3 in case the crank in the 2.3 is ruined? Dads friend is saying it should but It never hurts to ask.

Also will that intake work? Ive cleaned up and polished a few ford EFI intakes/throttle bodies figured I could for that too.

 

It might work but I am not 100% sure as I myself I have not tried.
If trying to save some $$$ I would use the rods and rod bearings from the 2.4 and the 2.3 pistons.