Quote:
Originally Posted by 142 Guy
The B20 / M45 bellhousing as used in the 240 would actually be fairly rare. The B20 was only used in the very first 240s before Volvo built the B21 engine. In North America I think that was only the 1975 model year; but, some early 1976 models might have a B20. A lot of those cars were probably equipped with automatic transmissions making the B20 / M45 bellhousing uncommon.
The T5 is available with a whole bunch of different ratios. There are also different versions of the box depending on the applications. There were versions of the T5 that were 4 cylinder specific with higher ratios. The ratio mix you describe I think is the common ratio for the Ford spec T5 for V8 Mustangs. I think Ford used a T5 version behind the 2.3 l Lima engine Mustangs which had a 3.9ish first gear and I think first gear ratios up to around 4.10 were available.
The T5s ended up in lots of applications and it is moderately easy to find bare ones for sale because they are often the only useable thing left from the vehicle that they were originally in. Aftermarket parts support for most of the T5 variants is strong.
That said, if the T5 or an M410 / M46 won't fit because of length, then the discussion is academic. If there is a length constraint, I assume that this is not going into a 164? If you want to chase the M47 you had better start your search for the illusive B20 /M45 bell housing.
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And the search endeth! The bolt patterns on the B20 and B30 are very much NOT the same, it seems. I wouldn't just take the word of the internet as gospel, but I've googled under new parameters and come up with comparison photos that show them quite different. Unfortunately, this seems to be one area where Detroit clearly has the edge. Where companies like GM use the same bolt pattern for a huge list of 4-, 6-, and 8-cylinder engines, Volvo does not seem to have standardized, even amongst just the 140/160 series. The only bolt-on option is the Dutch company that c1800 mentioned above, and you already know my reservations there. If I decide to persevere, I'll have to make my own adapters.
That's a very iffy if at this point. The M47 in my 240 wagon is giving excellent service (after only 32 years, though!), but I keep turning up constant criticisms online about it in comparison to the earlier boxes. The very poor reviews of the relative strength of the M47 are giving me doubts about this as an option. The same search turned up a dimensions chart on the much-touted T-5. The only model that is short enough for my use was used on a Jeep CJ (that's a good recommendation), but only from 82-86. With such a short service history by Detroit standards, I don't imagine those are too plentiful either.