BTW: From memory:
- John
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170 Bhp is really not that hard to do. Since you already have an 1800 ES, you are probably in good shape with regards to the bigger U-joints and drive shafts. I believe that all of the FI 140s/1800s got bigger drive shafts and U-joints. If not, you may end up wanting them as you start to increase your power.
Anyways, there are a few simple tricks to getting the power up, basically it starts with the idea that you want to make the engine as efficient as possible. This means that you want as little restriction in getting air/fuel in and exhaust out. Porting your head is a good first step. You will want to also look into using cut-down valve guides (shorter, so there is less in the way of the air/fuel mixture), and getting a 5 angle valve job. The latter will help the mixture as it enters the cylinder. Also consider planing the head and raising the compression. The higher you raise it, the better the fuel you will have to run. IPD can give you some insight into what some of their customers have done. I have taken about .080" off of the B20F head I used.
When you port the head, you also want to look at matching & porting the intake and exhaust manifolds. You (basically) want a smooth transition from the intake manifold to the intake port and from the exhaust port to the exhaust manifold. I said basically, but there are some tricks you can play here. If you can find someone who really knows how the Volvo heads flow, you can play a little trick with the matched ports. If you make it so that the intake port is slightly bigger then the intake manifold at the right place, then the disjunction will actually help you. When the intake charge comes in, it can find a closed valve, and bounce back out. If you make the discontinuity in the right place, instead of bouncing back up the intake manifold, the charge will see the ridge and stay in the intake port. I have not done this to my car, but I have been in a 318i that had it done, and it made a big difference.
The other thing to be aware of when porting is that too smooth can also lead to problems. At high rpms, you want the intake as smooth as possible. At low RPMs, you want some turbulence to help make sure the fuel/air mix better. That's why many cars with hot cams and ported heads have sort of a loping idle.
You may also want to get your FI box modified by IPD. They have some modifications to allow you to adjust the mixture, and hence get a little more power out in some situations (which the FI computer does not cope well with on its own).
You may also want to look into high lift, roller rocker arms. The additional lift will allow you to get more fuel/air into the cylinders without such a wild cam. (Although the Street Performance Cam from IPD is pretty good). There is a company in Syracuse called "Vintage Performance Developments" that sells 1:1.7 roller lifters, and has experience making very hot Volvo B20 motors. I have not dealt with them other then to talk to them at a VCOA meet (last year). Their phone number is (315)478-1229. They vintage race a P1800.
On the exhaust side, the freer flowing exhaust you have, the better the high end power (and the worse the low end torque). On my 145, I put a racing exhaust, consisting of the stock exhaust manifold (this is actually recommended for the hottest "Stage IV" cars by Volvo R-Sport), the stock front pipe from a 142E, a 2.5" pipe back to a 2 chamber FlowMaster under the rear seat, and then a 2.5" pipe straight out the back. This gives the car plenty of high end power, but because there is very low restriction, and the cam has quite a bit of overlap (time both the intake and exhaust ports are open), the car has very poor power below about 2500 rpm. Starting from a stop almost means either slipping the clutch, spinning the rear wheels, or bogging down. Unless you are racing, I would not recommend this setup. (BTW: I use the IPD Street Performance Cam in the car.)
The other thing to look at is the displacement of the engine. Back in the 70s and early 80s, Volvo R-Sport (when there was such a thing in the US) sold a 2.2 liter big-bore kit for the car. The extra .2 liters of displacement mean a lot in terms of power. Various sources I have talked to have different reports on going that big. Some say it does nothing for longevity, but other say it really hurts the longevity of the motor. Most of them agree that the kit IPD used to sell to take the motor to 2.1 liters is safe.
Now, neither IPD or Volvo R-Sport sell the kits for over boring the engine, but don't give up hope if you really want to go this route. There are several companies in the US that will custom make pistons for quite reasonable prices. There are also companies that will custom make copper head gaskets to your specifications. So, if you really want to increase your displacement, you can do it. I don't remember the names of these places off hand, but I have seen adds in Hemmings and some Hot Rod magazines.
BTW: While you are playing around upgrading the engine, don't ignore the suspension and brakes. If you don't have vented brakes, look into getting some. I know you can use 164E vented front rotors on a 140, so I suspect they will work (with new pistons) on an 1800 ES.
You will also want to look into a heavier clutch/clutch plate. IPD used to sell a 50% stiffer clutch kit for a very reasonable price. I haven't checked recently to see if the still do. My mechanic installed a Volvo Competition Clutch in my car (he used to rally/race 140s, then 240s, then a 242 GLT Group A car, then a VW Golf, and now he is ITB racing a 142).
>Maybe I'll see ya at a few car shows?
Probably not. I don't do that much showing of my cars, I prefer to drive them. Right now, most of my interesting Volvos are not even drivable. They are in different states of modifications. I am planning to pull the motor from my 145 and drop it in my '65 122. With the exhaust on that car, I expect about 150 bhp, but good drivability (and possibly some problems with the driveline). The 122 has a B18 block in the engine bay and a b20 head in the trunk, waiting for me to pull the block and drop the new motor in.
My really fun car these days is my essentially stock, 210 bhp, AWD, 4 door sedan. It's a limited edition Mitsubishi Galant VR4, and it is really fast.
Still, if you are interested, give me a call, and we can talk more.
BTW: I often tell people this about my 145: "I spent a lot of good money making this car very fast, and very unreliable, but when she is running she is lots of fun." As you start increasing power in a car, you start finding our how many other things need to be increased to handle that extra power. Some of them are obvious (drive line, clutch), and some are more subtle (cooling/radiator, engine mounts).
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>Hi, All. I'm in need of advice... > >I've been looking for a spare car to drive around while I do some necessary >repairs to my '83 245 (rust, engine harness, hatch wiring, the usual), and >have come across a '73 144 at the local car donation lot for $100. It has >only 83k miles, appears to have received regular maintenance, and needs a bit >of surface treatment to look fairly decent. Unfortunately it has a couple of >(hopefully) small engine problems.The B20 is all cast iron! Very hard to destroy - particularly at 80K miles. Biggest problem on the manifold gasket will be avoiding breaking studs to remove. Manifold gasket leaks were a relatively common problem. Also a possibility is a cracked manifold. Can be welded by a good shop. When you do get it off, be sure to use new hardened washers and nuts, and replace any studs that appear badly rusted. I usually replace them all as a matter of course.
On the water pump - easy to replace - the volvo one is more expensive, but in my experience, lasts much longer than any other.
Overheating is unlikely to crack or warp the head unless it got hit with cold water in the process. Head can be planed if need be.
FOr the idle - is the car carbureted or fuel injected?
If fuel injected (Bosch D-Jetronic), most problems can be solved with a little maintenance and adjustment. There are only two commonly failing parts, one ~$30, and one ~$80. Most common problems are elecrical connections (especially ground connection) and dirty injector trigger contacts (in bottom of distributor).
If carbureted, for SUs, clean and replace dashpot oil with synthetic tranny fluid. Check for worn throttle shaft bushings - they suck air and it won't idle worth a darn.
For Stromberg, look for broken diaphragm along with worn throttle shaft bushings.
Check valves if vacuum is erratic, also look for worn timing gears if the timing jumps around with a light.
If you are not interested - get it to DC and I will give you $200 for it!
Steve
>I have a 'new' 1973 145 wagon which has a problem >idling too high. Upon starting, the car idles normally, >then the idle speed rises until it is at least 2x what it >should be. A mechanic friend of mine suggested >looking for a vacuum leak. I found that the hose between >the FI manifold and the distributor advance was old and >cracked, replaced it, and the problem still persists.Yes - you could have a leaking diaphragm in the brake booster. Quick check - after engine warmed up, shut off and disconnect booster line and plug the manifold nipple. Restart - if idle now OK, then brake booster is your problem.
If you mileage has gone to heck (like 16 or less), and it runs very rich at idle, but great performance at high speed, suspect your manifold pressure sensor (main load sensor for FI system.
If not brake booster or manifold sensor, suspect your auxiliary air valve - acts like a high idle for cold starts. When they fail, they generally stick. Then, the idle usually gets set higher for cold starts, but when warmed up, is too high.
Also, if someone set the idle with the wrong screw, it messes up the injection system. Idle should be set on warm engine, vacuum to disto disconnected and plugged, and set using the fat screw under the front of the intake manifold (has a locknut on it. You might consider taking the screw all the way out and cleaning the air port, then replacing and adjusting. It is essentially an air jet that bypasses the throttle plate. Before adjusting, however, you should make sure the throttle plate is set according to the manual, and the throttle switch adjusted. Lots of untrained mechanics try to set the idle using the throttle plate stop screw. THIS IS WRONG and it not only screws up the throttle plate setting, but also screws up the injection system. I highly recommend you get the factory manual for your car - price is reasonable, and the section on fuel injection is EXCELLENT - provides both theory of operaton and specks and adjustment/repair procedures.
Steve Seekins
> The other alternative is to locate one of the old Jusdon > Superchargers and slap it on, though these are somewhat hard > to find....IPD used to sell a turbo kit for the B20. They don't sell it anymore, buy you might see if they can get you stuff for it, or at least point in th right direction.
To me, the better solution then changing the motor is to simply upgrade it. With a little work, you can have a B20 putting out about 170 bhp. In fact, the Volvo R-sport Stage IV B20 put out a little over 200 bhp.
I recommend taking a B20, boring it to 2.2 liters (There are sources for pistons and head gaskets), re-camming it with an IPD Street Performance Cam, and doing some head work (take an FI head and port, polish, and plane it). You will also have to do some work to the intake and exhaust tracts, and possibly changing the carburation (The d-jet just need a little change, twin SUs or Strom's need to be replaced either with FI or a pair of 45 DCOE Webbers. The single down draft Weber does not work well over about 110-120 bhp. It just doesn't flow enough.)
I agree that some head work is very desirable, as well as 45mm DCOE's. I used a stock FI head with 40mm DCOE's, and found the power curve basically fell flat above 5000 RPM.
The 2.2 head gasckets are made by Elring, I don't know where one can get these anymore.
Another option (non-volvo) is to look at adapting the 4.0 liter Ford 60 degree V6. I've done this with an early 2.8 capri in a 144, and the fit was easy (except one exhaust manifold that needed to be cut & rewelded) This is a very compact unit, and the 4.0 with EFI would move a "light" vehicle very well.
>Steve mentioned a 16V DOHC head for the B20. > >That sounds like just the thing to give my 1800 some better performance. > >Does anyone know more about this head?I have seen one of these -on a 544 owned by one of the execs at Rockleigh. The car was not finished when I saw it a couple of years ago at one of the open houses. The head was a racing head for the B20 - aluminum and appeared larger than the block itself! It hung out on both sides of the B20 block to acommodate the cams. I seem to remember someone telling me that there were still a couple of them around - big $$$. I would get hold of Steffanson Automotive - they would likely know where there would be one if they don't have it themselves.
There was also a 16v racing head for the B21 engine. I think that Portland (ME) Volvo had one of these on a 240 that they competed with in the New England region.
The other alternative is to locate one of the old Jusdon Superchargers and slap it on, though these are somewhat hard to find. I sold the one that I had. You could also go for a modern version - a Vortek system or similar. Then there is the guy in Canada that shoe-horned a small block Chevy V-8 into his 1800 - looks stock except for the large wheels and tires and the dual exhausts! Frank Dirks from Canada put a B23 into his 1800 - great installation and makes the car really perform - seems to be just the right amount of power for the car - 150 to 180 hp allows you to start doing some serious throttle work in the corners.
>I've been talking to a few folks about increasing the power of the stock >rebuilt B18 in my '67 122S. Some of the areas that I'm considering changing >first are: > >1. Exhaust. I have the stock exhaust with the skinny pipes. What's the >easiest way to increase flow? I understand that the B20 exhaust manifold is >of larger diameter pipe than the B18. Would it fit onto the B18 head? If >so, I could re-plumb from there using B20 parts. > >2. Head. Anyone have a spare B20 head laying around for cheap? > >3. Carbs. I have the twin SU set-up. They are tuned up as far as possible >with the existing parts. If I want to play with different main jets, do the >jets have size numbers stamped on them so I can see what I'm starting with? > >4. Tune-up. What do you set your valves at? I've been using the tight end >of the spectrum but staying within standard spec. How about setting the >gaps and timing. I've used stock numbers (don't recall them offhand).I believe that the B20 head will work on the B18 block. The larger valves and ports should help. Consider a mild street cam and possibly double springs, lightweight lifters and hollow pushrods - the end result will be a much faster valve train. And if you want even better flow, locate a B20 E or F head from a FI engine. Just plug the FI ports, making sure they are smooth on the inside.
If you want to play with the SU carbs, get the Haynes SU Carb book (avail from the club at discount). It has tables listing the available jets and needles and their parameters as well as detailed info on how to assemble and tune them properly. If the carbs are old and worn, it would be a good plan to have them rebuilt including having the throttle plate shaft holes drilled out and rebushed. Talk to Tom Bryant in ME (see classified in Rolling under 'Services"). You might consider updrading to a later/larger SU. The B20s used the same throat size (the HS6 and the HIF6 both have 1.75 throat diameter), but there is an HIF7 model with a 1.875 throat.
The SU's in good condition are best for power, but there must not be any jet or metering needle wear. I've used the stock KD needles, for stock engines they work well.
You should try to get a B-20E exhaust manifold with the twin down pipes. These are difficult to find in good condition, as they have a tendancy to crack between #2/3 cylindars. If I remember correctly, you will need to modify the locating pin in the head to work with this manifold (or perhaps it is the combined manifold that must be modified--this is a bit hazy, been about 10 years).
You can also cut apart the one-pioece cast iron manifold and use the exhaust portion, this works too.
In any case, use the Aluminum intake manifold with the SU's.
Make sure that your distributer advance is operating correctly. Many af these ase sticky or too loose, resulting in erractic timing and inconsistant performance. I always completely disassemble the distributer and clean/buff/lubricate/adjust as needed to get them to "as new" condition. Often, it is just best to buy a new one! Make sure you get one with vacuum advance, not retard!
All for now, have fun
> The block heater is excellent to reduce engine wear by reducingBlock (freeze plug) heaters and as someone mentioned coolant circulation heaters can reduce cold start wear but instant cold weather starts are only guaranteed on a well tuned engine. I use my diesels block heater on a timer year round and at my mileage shows little wear. Block heaters are easy to install, inexpensive to buy and operate. the circulation heater provide instant cabin heat and defrost action on the coldest winter mornings. The radiator hose heaters are not as effective. In Europe Kenlowe and Webasto come to mind as makers of these units. In the US a company called Phillips and Temro with a home page at http://www.zerostart.com offers more cold-weather starting products (battery, block, fuel, etc.) than I ever new existed. thecirculation heater I purchased was high quality 1000w unit ~$25
1. The fast idle cam needs to be reshaped to add more throttle when the choke is fully closed. Typically, I file/grind these to add about 1/8 inch more opening to the throttle at full choke. Follow the old curve, just accentuate it. It then needs to be polished very smoothe so there is no stickeyness when opening/closing the choke. This may take a few tries to get the best shape, but I've found this will make the car much more drivable when cold.
2. Make sure that the water heating to the manifold is connected. The best way to connect this is to use a restricted hose fitting in the back of the block (by restricted, I mean about 1/4 inch internal passage) to source the hot water. The water should return to the lower radiator hose, I use a hose from the P1800 with the oil cooler. This hose has a 1/2 inch hose TEE'd off which I connect to the manifold H2O fitting. This setup will give you excellent water circulation and speed the warm up. BTW, this same setup works equally well in to keep the carb from overheating in the summer!
3. Adopt a hot air intake from the exhaust manifold to the carb air intake. I generally used an enclosed air cleaner (off a Pinto) instead of the K&N open element. This has several advantages: More filter area, quieter, and I can run preheated air to it. You can use the "clamp on" exhaust pre-heat fitting that was used on carburetted 144 Volvos.
--A general winter tip--use a good quality lightweight engine oil (5W-30), your choice of brands. Synthetic is great for cold starting! The car will turn over and start much quicker. I've found that these cars consistantly start within 2-3 seconds even when extremely cold if they are tuned correctly!
And of course, make certain the car IS tuned correctly--Timing, good spark are very important. I've yet to see a truly bad 122 ignition coil, altho I've seen several that were bypassed (they were still good--poor troubleshooting!)
The best street combination I found was to use the low compression type of B20-B head (not sure what year these were anymore) with the IPD/Elring big-bore head gasket and the "A" cam. Shoot for a final true (measured) CR of 9.0:1 or less and it will run great on regular unleaded. Often, this will require that the pistons have the top cut down 0.020 to 0.030 inches. Yes, I know this affects the quench height unfavorably, but it has worked very well for a street engine!
I used a Weber DGV downdraft and a vacuum advance type distributer that was totally reconditioned. I ran the valve settings "stock", and timing was about 12-15 BTDC at idle, with the vacuum advance disconnected. For exhaust, I used the twin downpipe cast iron manifold which had been cut off of a late '60s 144 SU/Stromberg setup, with a stock-type quiet muffler.
With this combo, I consistantly got 30-33 MPG on the hiway in my '65 4 door 122S at 65 MPH. With the "A" cam, there is great torque from idle to 4500 RPM, which is the range where I would run most of the time. This engine is really great if you drive in a hilly region!
I have also built several 2200 CC engines with the B20-F EFI head, using both the "K" cam and IPD street Performance cam. The K cam runs well, and seems to gather power up to 6000 RPM. The IPD cam has better mid-range torque, but has noiser valve train action. I've found that with the EFI head, you trade some low end power for a bit more high-end.
>Greetings from the Pacific Wonderland- > >I'd like to network with other owners of 2130cc B20 engines, in order to >compare notes on things like ignition settings, valve clearances, fuel >grades, effects of different spark plug heat ranges and exhaust systems. > >My desire is to compile this data in order to have a more comprehensive >list of cause and effect relationships of different configurations. I'll >be happy to make this information available to interested parties. > >Many thanks in advance! > >Cameron
1. Make certain the camshaft lobes are not worn down. This results in a noisy valvetrain and reduced power. The hi-milage OEM cams are very prone to this problem. Solution is to replace worn cams and lifters.
2. When a head is rebuilt and the valves "ground", have the rocker arm curved surface that actuates the valve stem tip resurfaced. In fact, this can be done even if a valve job has not been performed. Most quality rebuilders can perform this operation. If the rockers are worn, this operation will make a major improvement in the accuracy of your valve adjustment and reduce noise considerably!
Rebuild the distributer. Start by totally disassembling the unit and cleaning throughly. The shafts and bushings are seldom worn, but the shafts should be polished by using a fine 3M abrasive pad with solvent. The bushjings can be lubricated with a bit of motor oil and a bit of grease. When reassembling, make certain that the centrifical advance mechinism has a very smoothe and positive return action. Any stickyness here will result in erratic timing & idle speed.
There are two springs which perform this function, a heavy one and a light one. I beleive (it's been 10 years since I've done this) that the weak spring should should be adjusted to have a slight tension at all times, while the heavy spring "kicks in" for the second half of the advance curve. Adjustment is performed by bending the tabs that retain the springs. The result of this is a quick initial advance, followed by a slower rate of advance at higher engine speeds.
Also, the distributer shaft generally needs to be shimmed for a total end-play of 0.005 to 0.010 inches (use a feeler guage). Too much end-play results in erratic timing. To obtain additional shims, use that old junked Volkswagon distributer you got for $5.00 at a garage sale!
Once properly rebuilt, the timing can be repeatably adjusted. Typically, I used 10 deg BTDC at idle as a starting point, but this can vary from 5 to 15 depending on altitude, gas, engine mods etc. Dwell will have very little effect on performance except at high engine speeds--I just adjust to the factory setting and don't worry about it!
I've seen a lot of traffic on plugs here, but in my experience they make little difference on a stock normally asperated engine. If you're changing plugs to deal with a fuel mixture problem, your time might be better spent getting the carbs straightened out! Your backfire problem may be related to running too much timing advance, coupled with a lean mixture. A backfire under heavy load is a serious engine tuning problem which may result in engine damage! It may be that you've encountered the classic SU carb symptom where they can be adjusted to work correctly at idle, or under load, but not both! This is due to worn out jet and metering needle assemblies, which must be replaced. Only a few thousandths wear will cause this problem.
Well, enjoy your projects!
>My brother has an 82 240.. It was running pretty rough, and he took it into a >shop. They told him it was the fuel distributor. Is this something that can >be fixed.. or does it need to be replaced? How does it work?There are some things that can be worked on on these units, but if the central metering unit components are worn, then replacement is the answer. However, before replacing, or even lookng into it, I would do a couple of things. First, use BG44K fuel additive - follow directions carefully and be sure to change the oil and filter AFTER use. Second, remove the distributor unit, and take a look at the metering pin that rides on the air plate lever. If it is dirty and does not move very smoothly, you might have some success cleaning it with carb cleaner - DO NOT USE ANYTHING ABRASIVE! If this makes it work better, you may have your problem solved. The one item that can be rebuilt on the unit is the pressure regulator mounted on the side - be sure you have a good manual before messing with it. I would advise against breaking open the two main casting pieces of the unit as these are a machined fit without any gasket or sealant, and usually, once broken apart, they cannot be satisfactorily re-assembled without leaking fuel.
If you do get your unit working OK, then I recommend you start using a regular fuel additive like Techron or AMSOIL Performance Improver (PI). These will keep the fuel system clean and keep critical parts working smoothly.
>>If you keep them set on the close side, they will be a little quieter, but I >>recommend checking them frequently - particularly if you have not had >>hardened valve seats installed for using with unleaded gasoline.At 07:40 PM 12/4/96 -0500, Stephen R. Holmes wrote:
>...to which I must ask: how/where can I get valve seats "safe" for >use with unleaded gasoline retrofitted to my spare B18 head assembly? >I had asked (I think) Don Beyer Volvo (Washington D.C. area) about the >possibility of doing this some time ago and got what amounted to a >"never heard of it" response. I've been running my '66 122 (240K miles) >with its original head/valve assembly on unleaded ever since the "real" >stuff disappeared back in the mists of time, and I've been anxious about >how long this could continue before it finally fried a seat or two. >Related question: are "standard" valves Ok for unleaded once the seats >have been swapped, or should they too be upgraded to a newer metallurgy? >Thanks for any pointers!Just about any good automotive machine shop that does head work should be able to replace the seats. For the B18/20 series cast iron heads, the original seats were cast into the heads and machined in place. What the shop would do is cut out the old seat area and install stellite or other hardened material seats and machine/grind them in place. The standard valves are quite hard and will work fine with the harder seats.
If you find that you are adjusting the valves and having to increase the clearances frequently (every 5K or so) on one or more valves, then it is likely that your seats are recessing badly and need to be replaced. However, as noted here, at the same time, you should also go through the rest of the valve train - cam, cam bearings, lifters, pushrods, rockers, springs, valves - and replace/upgrade any worn parts.
If you have information that would be useful for other volvo-philes, please mail it to me at the above adress.
Articles (C) copyright 1997 by their respective authors.
Compilation (C) copyright 1997 Bram Smits. V1.0, 25-MAR-1997
Use and reproduction allowed for non-commercial purposes.