240 General: B23 or B230?

[volvogv]

I'm hoping to buy a 1984 or 1985 240 sedan because I like the quad headlight front end which is more elegant I think...
I did some research and found that the USA 1984 model had a B23F engine but the USA 1985 was changed to a B230F engine.

Does anybody have opinions and experiences that would sway me one way or the other? Thanks...

Mike

[classicswede]

I prefer the B23 because the flywheel is lighter, the crank is stronger and the rods are big heavy solid lumps that take abuse. Uk cars have better spec cams, in the US they are all fairly lame. The one downside with the B23 is that they do suffer if poor quality oil is used or if not changed often enough. The oil ways in the head can block up resulting in the cam seizing. If that happens the head will need dipping and the oil ways cleaning and a little attention to the cam bearings. The B230 is more forgiving to poor maintenance but as with any engine never a good idea to miss oil changes or use cheap rubbish. If everything else was equal between the two cars I would go b23

[skidje]

Originally Posted by volvogv

I'm hoping to buy a 1984 or 1985 240 sedan because I like the quad headlight front end which is more elegant I think...
I did some research and found that the USA 1984 model had a B23F engine but the USA 1985 was changed to a B230F engine.

Does anybody have opinions and experiences that would sway me one way or the other? Thanks...

Mike

Indeed the quad front makes them look nicer than the modern 240's delivered 86+ (in US, here in EU they started with that front in 81).

Reading yr story I guess you go for the looks and the engine model wil be a bonus and else you fidn a nice B230FT and do a swop like Steve and John H did in their nice examples of 240 estates.

Besdies the comments from Classicswede I can add that the B23E here often suffered from piston slap. But as said: It often depends on the level of maintenance.


Goodluck...