Hey everyone im new to the forum, i was told to join a volvo specific forum to see if anyone else has knowledge of how to tune up a 2004 S60 2.4L naturally asperated (turboless). Recently i began looking for performance improving parts such as cold air intake, chips, cat back exhaust systems etc... im having a real hard time finding parts thouh. After a bit i went to volvo and they just told me i should trade in and buy a 2.5T at least because it wont be worth tuning mine as it has no turbo. Just curious if anyone has experience tuning a car like mine, where can i get parts? Would it be possible to add a turbo to my car? Am i just wasting my time trying to tune this car or should i keep searching for performance? Thanks to anyone who helps out!

 

1. Welcome to the forum.

2. Dealership has it right on the money, sell or trade in your N/A for a turbo model. Trust me you wont look back.

3. https://volvoforums.com/forum/general-volvo-chat-5/volvoforums-resources-thread-7317/
That link will take you to a thread with a lot of links. Look at it.

4. I tried to tune my N/A 850 years back. Custom catback, custom intake. Made no difference, just sound. Not worth it when it comes right down to it. The only thing worth while doing to a N/A Volvo is cosmetics and suspension. Engine not worth tuning.

5. You can add a turbo, but it isn't that easy. You have to purchase a lot more then just a turbo.

-Turbo
-Intercooler
-Vacuum lines
-Turbo hoses
-Charge pipes (Intercooler pipes, hard pipes)
-Water or oil lines for turbo
-Boost gauge
-ECU tuning, most expensive to do right and will take dyno tuning to get it spot on and that takes a lot of money and time to do it right.
-Downpipe
-Catback
-Etc...

FYI I believe and most others will say it to, your wasting your time trying to tune a N/A Volvo.

 

I agree. The dealer isn't just trying to sell you another car. It wouldn't be worth your time/effort/money to tune the N/A. You would have to spend quite a bit just to get to the performance level of the low-pressure turbo model. Luckily used turbo models are getting fairly cheap.

 

I agree.... but it all depends on what is do the the NA to make it more enjoyable.... Thant is really all that matters....

BUt yes, Tuning a turbo'd car will gain more power than a NA volvo.....

 

To get to the level of even a LPT Volvo you'd have to put some good money and time into the car to make it worth it. In the end tuning a N/A engine wise is pointless. Cosmetics and suspension are what N/A owners should stick to.

Your not going to gain much from the engine without money and time and more MONEY.

 

Well thanks for all of the help! Ill just stick to the cosmetics i wanted done such as detailing and paint... i already paid for a chip so ill use that too but probably wont go further.

 

I bet you could make some solid power out of the NA motor through some work, but they're right, might as well trade in on a turbo. Though I have mounds more respect for anyone that can build a powerful NA motor. Thats where the true art is.

 

You paid for a chip from where and how much?

 

The answer is yes you can. TIME and MONEY is what it takes and it is possible. But the average person that owns an N/A probably doesn't have that kind of cash just laying there waiting to be spent readily.

 

What about random skill and a really nice spare SEM

 

SEM?

What it comes down to upgrading a N/A isn't worth it. When a turbo can be bought and modded from then on out.

It will cost way too much to get a N/A to where a LPT is from the factory. And even more to where an HPT is from the factory. With slight mods the LPT and HPT are potent and yes it is expensive to upgrade these as well, but not as much as it would be to turbo a N/A or to build a N/A up.

I have seen this all too often, when a N/A owner buys their N/A and wants to mod it engine wise then they realize it isn't worth it in the long run. Have people with N/A's modded them yes. I was one of them. Custom intake and catback didn't gain much if anything, just sound. Even a N/A ecu upgrade wont give you that much of a bang for the buck. Just not worth it.

 

SEM = Standalone engine management.

I think the recipe for a fast NA straight 5 would be. Independent throttle bodies, a tuned length header and exhaust, ported, polished and shaved head to up the compression, knife edged and lighten the crank and balanced rods and pistons. A super hot cam, like in the 280 to 300 duration range. Finally tons of tuning on a dyno with a quality VR style SEM. You might get just over 200hp, and have dropped probably about 4000 on it.

I know you can get way more power out of a FI motor but it is possible to have a crazy NA motor. Just takes work.

 

Volvos aren't Mustangs. You can't just open up a Summit Racing catalog and order those parts off the shelf. There is a reason many aftermarket parts for NAs don't exist. Most people planning on tuning would rather start with better (turbo) platform. And the fewer number of parts sold by a company, the more each part is going to cost.

I completely agree that if someone wants to have a unique NA, they could make it better. But you will hit a brick wall in terms of increasing power. Maybe $4k for the first 30HP. Then it might be $2k for another 5-10HP. If you really want to stay NA and get tons of power "there's no replacement for displacement".

How many people willing to spend that kind of time and money tuning their NA would still want to get smoked by a mildly tuned turbo? Or a completely bone-stock T5 or R?

 

4000 for the first 30hp? To start with throwing around those numbers is how internet lore starts, present facts first, and no one said anything comparing these cars to mustangs. And if you look around, there are people who make and sell things to make the NA 2.4 produce power. For example, anyone on the street and buy the BSR PPC and reprogram an NA car to make high 180hp at the wheels. Cost 900 dollars.

http://en.bsr.se/products/t1625/

 

That 4000 was your number. 200HP was your number. The NA was rated at 167HP at the crank. I just did the math. I am not claiming to be a tuner. I could care less about specifics. And I wasn't trying to spread misinformation.

Whether you are chipping an NA or a turbo, the cost is relatively the same. You just get a better return on your money with a turbo. That is all.

My comparison with the Mustang is that everyone and their brother makes parts for it. Parts for the NA Volvo are limited. IPD doesn't even bother making a ECU upgrade for it. That should tell you something. But yeah, people do make stuff for it.

I am done with this topic. You win. In the end, people do what they want regardless of others.

 

I'll give you that, I mean Wheel Horse Power which is the true measure.

I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm saying its possible. But a waste of time and money, unless you are a hardcore NA person. Which I used to be but gave up on and came over to the dark side.

 

No one said it wasn't possible here. What we are saying is it isn't worth the time and money it would take just to get a N/A to where a stock LPT or HPT is from the factory.

Hardly anyone makes a N/A ECU upgrade for Volvo, yes they are out there but not many. And your not going to gain that much power from it. Maybe 10-20 if your lucky and your looking at spending oh $300-$1500 for lets say depending if you find a company to do it or your go the SEM route etc... Maybe more for the SEM. Not many SEM's available for Volvo either. CIVINCO is one of them I know that. I know of two more, but forget the names off hand.

Yes some companies makes some N/A parts, but your not going to gain much if anything from them, that is why there aren't that many made to begin with, also most people would rather start with a turbo and mod from there on out. I will give it to anyone that produces a powerful N/A, but it isn't going to happen over night or with simple parts from a catalog. It is going to take a custom tune, custom parts. And I guarantee that your $4k is just a small part of the coin your going to drop to make a N/A have real power.

As it stands Volvo aftermarket prices are outrageous and not that much exists. Yes yes there are a few sites that sells good parts, but they aren't cheap. IPD used to, might still sells a downpipe for $1500. HEICO sold a catback system for $2k+. IMO not worth the prices for the performance you would have gained. And these were for turboed cars.

 

the nice thing about a tuned NA car, is that you are probably going to be faster through an AutoX track then you would a FI car....

Spray the NA, and call it a day. lol

 

So when it all comes down to it the bottom line is that in order for me to tune my n/a car to a point where it will perform as a lpt would im better off just using the money to buy the lpt then tune from there or if i want it to perform as a hpt the cost will be more than that of the car im trying to equal out to? by the way my chip came from global auto shop for 150 (usd)

 

Does the chip work? That is extremely cheap. How much power did it actually give you? You do a dyno before and after the chip to see the gains or losses?

And yes it is a waste of time to mod an N/A if you want LPT or HPT performance. Unless you have the bank to spend on the N/A to make it powerful, with a lot of custom parts. Sell it and buy an LPT or even an HPT. You wont be disappointed, and there are more modding options for the turbo models then the N/A models.