1980 Volvo 242GT to:

1980 Volvo 242GT+TiMSnSWB

Step 5 - Install Replacement Engine and 15G Turbo

After discovering that my replacement B21F needed pistons, I did the math and figured out a complete B230FT from a junkyard would be cheaper and a lot faster to complete.

I sourced a 92 engine with something around 80K on it, with a six month warranty, and installed it over the course of three weekends. It's been a while since I did that, but here's some pictures.. and with as few people as see this, and since I'm probably done with this monster for the time being, it's a lot of hodge podge:

Part 1 - turbo time.

Toby (Infector944) hooked me up with this well ported manifold

which meant I had to port the turbine housing to match.

I opened up the wastegate hole for better flow, so far so good

Then I fabbed up brackets to hold the Garret WG actuator.

Cobbled together a drain, not pretty but it works.

And here's the finished product!

Part 2 - engine swap

On the left, the new engine, on the right the old B21F, in the middle my vast domain of filth and hardware

One last chance to say goodbye to the trusty powerplant. It carried many people on 200K of journeys, now it's time to retire.

My Brother-In-Law Bob doesn't seem too choked up...

The actual swap is over and done, just gotta do peripherals.

Part 3 - no picture time... err.. I mean final hookup.

got the intake and wiring on, taking some time to revise the Megasquirt harness. Fired it up and popped three oil filters before figuring out that the shims I put in the oil pump were ill advised. Time to pull the oil pan again (this is about the fourth time!) to remove the shims (washers). Put it all back together, and shazam, it's alive!

The first little bit I drove it, the wastegate lever was disconnected, so I had no boost. But I could tell even then that things were going to take a serious turn for the amusing. The larger engine (2.3L versus 2.1) is really noticable.

Added boost (5PSI) and started with the serious grins. It'd been three weeks since I'd had boost, and it was great to be back in the saddle... but of course, something had to give, and this time it was the clutch. I upped the boost to 7, and ordered a dual diaphagm clutch with a stage one disc from SPEC.

Put that in, and good grief was it stiff. After conversing with the peanut gallery at Turbobricks, I lengthened the pedal about an inch. Made quite a difference - added more leverage and put the pedal under the ball of my foot instead of the toe.

Yesterday (4/17/05) I swapped in a K cam. Don't know what you punks complain about, this thing has plenty of low RPM torque, and the idle is fine... sure it pulls less vacuum (12in roughly) but it's smooth and strong. Then I went to Toby's place and he hooked me up with a different MBC, that got boost settled in at 10PSI rock steady. YES! Some MS tuning with his able foot on the gas got rid of some low RPM pinging, and I'm a happy camper, pushing something on the order of 190HP on 87 octane. I think I'm pretty much done with mods for a while, man this thing runs like a champ. Thanks again to the whole Tbricks crew.

Some random pictures: