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Volvo 144 Head Mods Questions

hiperfauto said:
The F gasket is .039" compressed.

The B18 rods are notoriously weak. 6 bolt B20 rods are reinforced in the problem area and aren't a problem under 6500 rpm. 8 bolt B20 rods can be swapped for M rods if you don't think they're up to the task.

B20Rods2.jpg
Click to expand...

I do have seveal sets of B21/B23 M rods and I don't think it is possible to harm those..but are we 100% on his pin being 24mm?
 
No, he didn't specify the year of the engine although the crank/rods can be swapped into any year block.
 
If you can't get to the flywheel to count the number of bolts check the size of the crank pulley bolt. 6 bolt cranks use a standard bolt with a 13/16" hex. 8 bolt cranks use a metric bolt with a 22mm hex.
 
Sounds good. That will probably happen at the same time as the head comes off and cam changes, correct? Sorry, I'm new to car engines - used to motorbike engines.
So process would be:
1) Figure out what the cam I will be using
2) Depending on cam, figure out compression
3) Decide on whether to deck block or mill head, and get thinner gasket
4) While head is off, figure out if I need the M rods by measuring the size of the crank pulley bolt

Is that correct? Seeing this, the cam is gonna be the blocker at this point. Would love advice on the best way to move forward with it. Head should be done in about a month.
 
I don't think so. Crank pulleys interchange between all B18/B20 engines. The pulley with holes is just an updated part. It first appears in the '67-'72 140 parts catalog
 
hiperfauto said:
The F gasket is .039" compressed.

The B18 rods are notoriously weak. 6 bolt B20 rods are reinforced in the problem area and aren't a problem under 6500 rpm. 8 bolt B20 rods can be swapped for M rods if you don't think they're up to the task.

B20Rods2.jpg
Click to expand...

The rods on my PV's motor had weird little wear(?) marks *right* where that red arrow is pointing. Right on that spot, on both sides of the rod, little lines across the inside of the big end. As far as I can tell, the big end was flexing at that spot, perhaps just a little.

P5202489_zps0fb90edd.jpg


I noticed this the last time I had it apart to replace a piston with a little broken chunk on it.
Flexing big ends on rods didn't seem like a good idea, so I put it back together with another set of B21Ft pistons and a set of B20 rods.
 
Last edited:
CRatcliff said:
Jumping back to previous topic - any advice on a cam to use? Not sure what the core needed is for the custom one, but I know it's been hell trying to find one.
Click to expand...

I've been using an Isky VV81, it is a bit weak below 3000 - 3100 rpm, but it screams past that up to as fast as I dare spin it (7K).
 
I've also used factory R and S cams in the past, they were fairly similar to the VV81. A rather 'vintage' feeling performance cam, clearly sacrificing low-end torque to make high-end HP. They both noticeably 'woke up at a certain RPM. I understand that more modern cam profiles can produce less of a tradeoff.

I was going to put a KGTriming KG18 in it once, but they said 3 - 4 months wait, so I moved on.
 
Iskenderian added 3 cam profiles to their lineup of pushrod cams for Volvo a few years ago, the Z series. They are of a newer design and run tighter valve clearances (except for the super competition cam), more lift and less duration. My experience with these cams is that they provide a more tractable power band in the lower rpm range while still making very good power at the top end. They're ground on all new blanks so no core is required.

IskyCamChart.jpg
 
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