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Volvo 850R AWD Conversion

340GLT

New member
Joined
Dec 25, 2005
Location
Swansea/Shropshire UK
Hi everyone. In november i bought myself a low mileage 850R Auto saloon with blown headgasket to become my new daily and a quick build project. With the biggest single mod to convert it to AWD using the AWD system from an 850 AWD estate doner and at the same time complete the manual swap. Reason for the conversion is i really dont do Auto or wrong wheel drive..... :p

I also managed to come accross a pair of compomotive MO6's in 18 x 8 fitment to go with the pair i already had. Unfortunately they were the incorrect offset for the 850 so i needed spacers. So instead of going for the expensive extended wheel bolt option, i decided to convert the car to wheel studs and nuts instead as i hate wheel bolts anyway. I also upgraded it to the 302mm discs.

I also decided a small head unit upgrade was on the cards as i wanted iphone feedback. Because of using the single din ALpine unit i wanted to fill the space with something other than a radio pocket so i made a gauge panel using a set of VAG VDO gauges which will also give me nice engine readings too.

In early February i picked up my doner AWD which looks a state but has all the parts i need on it and a fairly low mileage again. I got the car from my local breakers yard hence the knackered roof. The car drove into the yard and the prop was still all connected so i cannot see why there will be any problems with the running gear.

Cheers Adam

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Well the rear suspension is on and all fitted. The driveshafts have been painted as was most other items o the rear suspension.
I have converted the centre console to take the standard gear gaiter by cutting the surround from the manual and bonding it into the auto centre console. Works a treat.
The wheels have come back from the powdercoaters and have had the tyres fitted.
The ride height is ok for now, i cut one coil from the rear springs whilst the suspension was apart.
Overall fitting of the rear suspension has been relatively straight forward like i planned the ABS fuel Pump and fuel sender wires are all a direct plug in. So now its time to move onto the front.
The car has already had the pedlas fitted from the manual and i modified th egear lever for a better driving position. (pics to follow)
I also built a 16t up including porting the cold side outlet. For now i have used a 6cm straight flange hot side so i can use the awd downpipe but i will upgrade this at a later date.
I have also aquired a race cat for the build.
Cheers Adam

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SUBSCRIBED.

I love having allcaps again. Loving the project; get the fail out of the eight fiddy :rockon:
 
Yeh the haldex is there. My plan is to get the thing on the road as is with new coupling sleeve from bevel gear to gearbox and see what she does. If/when it breaks I will look at a proper centre diff conversion and LSD front and rear.
Reading the characteristics of the AWD in a publicity blurb from Volvo it should be fun as standard if working correctly.
I have a broken gearbox that came originally with my doner car that I'm going to pull apart to see exactly how the drive gets to the coupling sleeve. As exploded diagrams fir the M58 box don't seem to exist!!
Thanks
Adam
 
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well , i thought that a 960 diff would slot in there , but the mountings look quite a bit different , perhaps the ally diff cover , could be transferred over .

ive been in an AWD R , it does nothing but understeer !!!!

get rid off the haldex , proper centre diff , now were talking !!

i think theyll make good donors for 3.3:1 rear ends aswell - did you have a look inside to see if the G80 is functioning ?
 
As the viscous bolts to the diff with a standard prop flange, my future intention is to retain the aluminium housing with a custom prop inside so I retain the mounting for the diff on the viscous housing. The locker is working fine and shows no wear on the cw and pinion.
Proper centre diff is what I plan to do. Like I said I have a gearbox with screwed output to the coupling sleeve so I will pull that apart to work out a better way of doing things.
Adam
 
well , i thought that a 960 diff would slot in there , but the mountings look quite a bit different , perhaps the ally diff cover , could be transferred over .

ive been in an AWD R , it does nothing but understeer !!!!

get rid off the haldex , proper centre diff , now were talking !!

i think theyll make good donors for 3.3:1 rear ends aswell - did you have a look inside to see if the G80 is functioning ?

Its a volvo of course it understeers.... Some good alignment, tires, and suspension tweaks and they can actually drive ok.
 
No I made a jig on the pick up points on my awd doner car, then bolted the jig to my 2wd using the common 2wd suspension mounts which both 2 and 4wd shells have. Once bolted on I bolted the new suspension brackets I bought from Volvo and welded them on.
Adam
 
No I made a jig on the pick up points on my awd doner car, then bolted the jig to my 2wd using the common 2wd suspension mounts which both 2 and 4wd shells have. Once bolted on I bolted the new suspension brackets I bought from Volvo and welded them on.
Adam
k I didn't think all the mounting points were there, you can order the brackets that weld to the body from volvo? How much work was it to get them welded on?

Also, I assume your using an AWD gas tank now?
 
k I didn't think all the mounting points were there, you can order the brackets that weld to the body from volvo? How much work was it to get them welded on?

Also, I assume your using an AWD gas tank now?


AWD tank is needed yes.
Wanted to do a conversion a couple of years ago. Ordered the mounting brackets. Received half of them from Volvo with the remark that these items couldn't be ordered anymore. Received the other half of the parts from dealer stock. I wonder if they are still available.
 
Whilst building the 850 i killed my iphone. Only just realised a load of pics of the bracket fitting were lost on my backup phone so excuse the pic quality but i will upload anyway.
Adam

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I have been workig on this but have been way too lazy to update so here is an update:p
I have located and bought a new later M58 box which is mint and warranteed so all is good there.
I have taken the T5 engine out of the R and got it on a stand to sort the head gasket which is now done. All new genuine volvo gaskets all valves decoked, lapped in etc. I have also detailed the engine a fair bit and done the BTCC filler mod, just for the hell of it. Its now running a 960 throttle body and soon to be running blue injectors.
Engine should be going back in in the next couple of days as i have also swapped the 4wd Subframe into the R.

At the start of the project i bought some poly ARB bushes but when i looked the ARB brackets i had wouldnt work. I soon found out that 1993 brackets are required. As an added bonus i found the AWD had a thicker ARB too.
Anyways here are the pics.
Cheers Adam

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