turbo into Volvo

[celi85]

is anyone familiar with adding a turbo to a N/A Volvo? im assuming its not much different than any other car, but i just want to know what im getting into before i start. any suggestions, ideas, comments, would be greatly appreciated.

:)

[Burns]

Forg is the expert

thease should help a bit too

http://www.linkline.com/personal/dbarton/

http://mcbrooms.com/volvo/fast200.htm

http://www16.brinkster.com/towerymt/links.html

[Forg]

Depends in a big way on what year model it is. If it's 1984 or earlier, it's an easier task than 1985 & later.

What's the plan, attach turbo to existing engine?

[Forg]

Oops, I take that back ... as you're in the USA, you're looking at it being harder to do if you've got a car after 1981. Easiest way to do it over there is probably to get hold of a good-nick pre-1985 760 Turbo motor, or any 240 Turbo motor, and bolt it in (along with any intercoolers, ECU's, etc).

[celi85]

ok. i have an 84 Volvo 244 DL that i will be turbocharging. it has the B23 motor. i also have an 82 242GLT which has a B21FT motor. im sure you already knew this, but i was just clarifying it. it seems to me that the only major difference between the two motors is the placement of the throttle body. the 242 sits on top of the intake manifold, where as the 244 comes from the right side (looking into the motor from the front). the exhaust manifolds seem to be the same, the intercoolers are the same, and the only things that would need adjustment would be the intercooler pipes themselves. of course this is not figuring in the other mods that would need to be done, ie: larger fuel pump and injectors, cam, forged internals, etc.

bolting in a turbo 240 motor is an option, but an expensive one, as there are not very many left around here. i would pay a premium price just to find one....
:wtf:

[Forg]

Ah, I just re-read your post. The following assumes you were planning on scavenging parts from the 242 for the 244; looking back at your post you probably aren't. However, I'm too lazy to retype it 'cos a lot of it's still relevant. :)


Your engine already has forged internals; the only differences between your B23F and the B23FT in 760 Turbos are ECU, compression ratio, cam, a hole in the side of the sump to accept oil from the turbo, and the exhaust gas recirc system. The recirc system I'm not entirely sure about, I might add ... come to think about it, dunno what the pollution laws are like in Atlanta so I don't know what the state registration people are going to say about this turbification process ...

But anyway, conventional wisdom says you need to reduce the C/R of your engine. However, if you're happy to run low boost that might not be needed; if this is a relatively low-budget conversion, it might just not be worth the hassle, especially as there're forged crank & pistons in there already. You should be able to bolt the external stuff onto your engine, get a pipe welded into the sump to accept the outgoing oil from the turbo, and you're most of the way there. If running a low-boost setup like this, you might find it's pointless to change the cam too, although that depends in what it's like to drive.

Hmm, I just remembered; you've got an EFI system & head, the B21FT has K-Jet (mechanical injection). There may be problems getting your EFI system to run a turbo car, although as it has an airflow meter (rather than MAP sensor) & lambda it might adapt OK ... I wouldn't bet too much on it though. I suppose it's a matter of trying it & seeing how it goes.

For fuel pumps, the later model 740T pump is a drop-in to replace your existing in-tank pump, but you need the bracket that it mounts to as well. Probaby worth getting a brand new sock-filter for the end of the pump while you're mucking around in the tank. You can fit any number of aftermarket EFI pumps to replace the external one, they'll be cheaper than Volvo ones (although if you find a 740T at a pick-a-part to scavenge from, use those pumps).


Note that if you're not swapping the stuff out of the 242, the exhaust manifold is definitely not the same. The attachment points on the head are the same, but there's nowhere on the naturally-aspirated car to mount the turbo. You need to get hold of a turbo echaust manifold.

Your n/a car has no intercooler. You will need one unless you drop the compression ratio of the engine, and it's probably cheaper to get a used 760T or 740T intercooler (ensure you get mounting brackets) from a pick-a-part than to reduce compression-ratio.

Basically, if the 242 isn't a parts-car that you're moving all the parts over from, make sure you copy everything off it. Hang on, might as well give a list of what's most-likely needed (may miss stuff);
* better pumps
* turbo
* turbo exhaust manifold
* intercooler & piping
* fiddle with injection system
* turbo airbox
* oil cooler & thermostat (thermostat mounts under oil filter)
* may need the threaded rod in block that oil-filter screws into off a turbo car (check the length of it)
* oil return line in sump
* water plumbing if water-cooled turbo (unlikely any oil-cooled turbos will still be working)
* oil plumbing for lubricating turbo

There's probably a lot more, but that'll be the major stuff.

[celi85]

im an idiot. i meant that the two cars shared the same bolt pattern on the exhaust manifold. of course the turbo would require someplace to mount and get airflow from. i forgot to mention that. sorry:rolleyes:

anyways, i found a good used oil-cooled turbo that still works. its almost brand new in fact. i also bought a donor parts car for the conversion. the donor is a 242 GLT. ill use the turbo ECU, intercooler, manifold and injectors from that. someone told me that i can use a fuel pump from a Toyota Supra turbo and it will work better.

as far as the emissions laws go, it will be ok. i never had any problems with my turbo Celica, so i dont expect there to be any now.

i was actually planning on retaining the stock 244 airbox for two reasons. A) the turbo box is on the left and the N/A is on the right. B) it will be easier to run the intercooler pipes this way. which means that i would have to move the ECU and radiator overflow bottle from the left hand side, to a different location. too much work for me. i want to make it as simple as possible.

any other insights you may have would be greatly appreciated. youve been a big help so far.:D

[Forg]

Originally posted by celi85
anyways, i found a good used oil-cooled turbo that still works. its almost brand new in fact.
Schweet ... :)


i also bought a donor parts car for the conversion. the donor is a 242 GLT. ill use the turbo ECU, intercooler, manifold and injectors from that. someone told me that i can use a fuel pump from a Toyota Supra turbo and it will work better.
I've heard the same too; allegedly a drop-in replacement, which is always good.
Not sure if it replaces both pumps, though; would be interested to hear. :)
Note that turbo 242's don't have an ECU. Even though the n/a cars got EFI in '82 over there, the turbos stuck with the dribbletronic (:)) K-Jet until they stopped making 'em. Should make it easier to install.


i was actually planning on retaining the stock 244 airbox for two reasons. A) the turbo box is on the left and the N/A is on the right. B) it will be easier to run the intercooler pipes this way.
I would think it's six o' one, half-dozen o' the other. The stock turbo airbox is on the same side of the engine as the turbo, so you have to cross the engine bay to get air from teh n/a airbox to the turbo. I can't see how this would affect the intercooler, though, as you still have to go turbo->intercooler->throttle-body.
What I have wondered, however, is whether you can shift the intercooler+radiator assembly over to the right, and mount the n/a airbox on the other side of it. The mounting points for the airbox & radiator+intercooler look interchangeable, so it may be an easy move; although I don't know if it makes it harder to fit the oil-cooler.
Having an oil-cooled turbo, you definitely need the oil-cooler.


any other insights you may have would be greatly appreciated. youve been a big help so far.:D
*bows*
:)
Happy to have been of use; I seem to ask more questions than actually answer any, most of the time. :)