240 Turbo conversion
 

Anyone doing 240 turbo conversions for customers in 2021 (I'm in the North East but would rather travel to the end of the earth for a good job - hell I'd take it to Sweden if necessary)? If so, how much should I budget?

Any special models I should look for when I find the base vehicle? I read the 2 litres are stronger but not sure how the trade off in CC works). I remember getting a quote from a really helpful and friendly guy from Anglesey, but can't recollect his name and don't know if he's still on the scene.
Been about 7 years since I sold my last Volvo to emmigrate.

Now i'm back though and need a 240 in my life.

I'm guessing with prices for whole donor cars rising, a +T might be becoming a more attractive (economical?) option. Would certainly be my preference. Ideally would want something capable of making 250-300bhp for the sake of a bit extra if I'm paying for extra grunt anyway.

Would have a go myself, but no driveway and too many other issues going on at the moment.

It may be worth asking 360beast (he has a very good thread in the 700/900 section: https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=290481)

Alan

It was probably Dai at Classic Swede you spoke to, yes he’s still very much involved in the scene.

Have a read of this guide I wrote:

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=290295

I appreciate you don’t want to do the work yourself, but it’ll give you an idea of what’s required.

If it’s a late Torslanda or a late se then the wiring will be less work, but conversion looms are available. If it’s a carb car then you’ll have to do some fuel plumbing which you won’t have to do on other cars.

Cheers

Thanks for this, and yes it was Dai. I will track him down now.

What a write up, very helpful, do you have any thoughts on my theory that it might be more economical to +T an existing 2.3 lump rather than the full swap in 2021 given the rising prices of donor cars?

Also, quick note on your last comment about a later Torslanda or SE am I right in understanding it would be easier for the loom but harder for the gearbox swap? Persumably, the wiring is more awkward than the gearbox mods you detail if you felt led to raise that specific here?

Thanks once more, so helpful.

Does it have to be a red block turbo swap?

https://youtu.be/hDmtezlc98o

That's a popular swap, the guy who made that video now produces the engine mounts as well it seems. Also the auto box from a Lexus LS400 is near identical to the AW70 that Volvo use in a lot of their later autos, some still used ZF boxes but the mounts are all similar and any other bits can almost certainly be picked up from the various breakers on here/ebay/similar.

Using a rotten or accident damaged LS400 would give you 250bhp easily from an under-stressed V8 that's surprisingly economical.

If you still want to go down the turbo red block route, decide in advance exactly what you're looking for as the options are pretty much endless.

Hi,

I bought a loose engine to start my engine conversion, I’m not sure I’d recommend the same route as I ended up having to buy a load of other bits I didn’t realise I needed/that had been removed from the engine/didn’t come with it- the advantage of a donor car is of course that you’ll have everything to make the engine run when you begin. Tatty 940s with no mot do come up for about a grand, given that some parts could be sold off as you break the car it might still be the most economical way to do it (look at ebay, Facebook marketplace and salvage places like copart).

The advantage of a Torslanda or a late se is that they’ll be running 2.4lh injection already, so the wiring is done for you and you’ll only need to swap the ecus.

If you had one of these cars then a +t might work out fairly well as the engine would ‘only’ need turbo manifold and turbo, exhaust pipe to suit, intercooler and pipework, oil feed and drain adding for the turbo and a clutch suitable for turbo power.

If you bought a car with k-jet you’d need to change the inlet manifold and block the k-jet injectors holes in the head as well as sorting out the wiring and the items listed above.

If you bought a car with a carb you’ll need to plumb in a flow and return line for fuel, as well as everything above.

So overall, I’d suggest buying a tatty 940 turbo and breaking it, but you may be able to find all the parts you need to +t a car relatively easily by putting wanted messages here and on the various Facebook pages. It may be easier to look for a suitable 240 and then see what you need.

Gearbox wise, in 1983 volvo swapped from a cable drive speedo (cable drive from the gearbox) to an electronic speedo with a sensor in the rear axle- a post 1983 car will be an easier car to convert as the majority of early cars came with 4 speed gearboxes and 5 speed gearboxes for early cars with a cable drive are rare. If you want to convert an early car here is a write up of a hybrid speedo conversion kit I wrote.

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=312439

But assuming you buy a post 1983 car for a moment, it will most likely have an m47 5-speed in it, which are ok but not amazing. The later M90 gearbox is noticeably better and not hard to find.

Cheers

Entirely NOT helpful lol. I don't need anymore temptations. Have you known anyone to do it in the UK?

Yeah, I'd be looking for a 12-1500 base car a 1989-91 GL or something I'd guess. At least that's what I've seen since I've been looking again. There's one in Lincs with a knackered clutch for like 1200 on Gumtree which might fit the ticket as I'm going to mess about with it anyway so don't want a mint one (that would be somewhat sacrilegious).

I do :)

https://forum.retro-rides.org/thread...ke-best-noises

Have a read of this thread.... a good read even if you don’t want to take that route.

Cheers

Or this perhaps- auto, but swapping to manual would be easy as part of the conversion, already 2.4lh so no wiring to do:

https://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-...rce=ios_social

Cheers