740ATL's 242 Project/Adventure

I completely revamped my project thread because I suck at the internet.

The pictures should show up now... hopefully.

I first laid eyes on this car at MikeVolvo's place (that's what I call MikeJr.... his dad (also Mike), I call Mikevolvo's dad.) humor. He had just gotten it back from his deadbeat brother in law. I fell in love. People have asked me over the years what my dream car would be and this was it. 2 door 242 with a turbo 5-speed. Granted, the previous owner (the brotherinlaw) completely ****ed up the body by trying to weld in the trim holes, thus warping every single jack ****ing panel in the process. I didn't even notice the panels. All I noticed was how beggingly willingly the b21ft wanted to rev to 7000rpm every time MikeJr. dropped the hammer.

When he offered to sell me the car, I went against all logic, all reason, and gladly plunked down the $$.

The project started as kind of a fixer upper... it needed a new steering rack... then I decided I wanted power steering again, then I decided, hey, I should megasquirt this, then the b21ft started knocking, and all this before I'd even put 100 miles on the car.

Being the cheap, resourceful, SOB that I am, I figured I'd tear out the tired b21ft and drop in a b230F+T I had lying around along with the getrag transmission. It'd be fun right?.

Well... I had the "new" shortblock back in the car, and my eyes glanced over at the newly procured a 16v head which was collecting dust on a shelf, and I said, "what if..." I plopped it on and it looked natural.

A few minutes later, I loosely installed the stock 16v intake manifold and saw a problem.... another what if was about to happen... I had access to a tig welder at work and I asked myself how hard it would be to weld on my own plenum onto the stock manifold to help clear the master cylinder. About a month later, the manifold was welded up and the engine back running in the car, 16valved (no turbo yet), getrag equipped, and megasquirted using the simple wasted spark setup using a DSM coilpack.... keep in mind, I still hadn't driven the car for more than 100 miles yet.

It was an awesome 2 months. I loved revving the **** out of this car. The 16v head had a 4500rpm torque peak and once you passed it, it felt like a turbo car. I was contemplating adding nitrous to it and leaving it as is, a 16v NA car. I can't really tell you how much fun it was to drive.

A couple months later, the what if bug hit again... this happened in the appearance of a thread by stealthfti where he found an old j-pipe adapter from the stock NA exhaust manifold up to a turbo... what if... yeah. I had a couple 2" (nominal) weld ells lying around and within an hour or two had the basic adapter pipe welded up.. Granted, this also meant I had to "also" purchase all new exhaust ****, oil lines, and oh yea, an external wastegate.... I didn't exactly plan this all very well. I figured I'd just use my stock 60-63 turbo and have fun right?

This turned into another 2-3 month thing, getting everthing ready.

Eventually, by February 2006, it was done and ran like a scalded dog. I had just switched over to the coil on plug ignition system, and had installed the freakishly large powerstroke intercooler. MikeJr. and I decided it was a time for a trip to 'Bama thanks to Kenny and Sam's invitation. Dynoing the car was a trip seeing as I absolutely sucked at tuning and my base map was so far off it pinged like a mofo. Kenny took over the tuning and we were off. We stopped at 14psi at the 271 wheelhp. Clutch slipping, coil fuse blowing fun. keep in mind, this was with my weird ass 60ar stock cold side with the massive stage 3 turbine wheel in the .82ar exhaust housing. What a blast to drive though. Torque peak still at 4500rpm, but with boost, it was a hoot.



The car.


Intake manifold


Subaru Impreza 1.8L timing belt tensioner.


Volvo 850 Timing belt. Gates 20252


Volvo 960 throttle body with pot-tps.


Throttle body linkage. SHortened volvo stock cable.


More linkage.


gluing the head together for good.


closeup of the glue.


Battery Relocation... summit kits suck.


1st incarnation intake.


Stock b234 intake problems.


The real b234 intake problem


mocking up an intake... just cardboard


partially fabbed


underside.


deciding on TB location


early shot of the powerstroke with the quad rectangle headlights


Before of the car


after a bit of junkyard glory.




9/11/06 updates
More of ze pictures.

The car is back on the ground, so that's a good thing...

This cost a bit of money... but needed to be done because the brass pilot bearing insert that came with the adapter plate shattered into tiny baby bits... Frankly, it was asking too much... only 1.5mm thick brass wasn't going to cut it... so I got something more robust. Starting with a BMW pilot bearing (instead of a the Volvo unit) I got a "cover" machined from steel... think "lathe time" and "shop rate"... but man is it purdy...



peekaboo!



ze adapterplatten



the boxed in crossmember and mount- and shifter! woohoo!



9/14/06 updates
running... but now, with more COP.



That's all for now... will be edited again in the future as I upload more pics and make more changes.........

[n xntrx volvo]

wow
whats the width/ yooth count on the t-belt?
sorry bout the faq, its forever going to be a work in progress.

Originally Posted by n xntrx volvo

wow
whats the width/ yooth count on the t-belt?
sorry bout the faq, its forever going to be a work in progress.

the belt's slightly smaller than the b234 crank gear... It's a Gates T252 29/32" x 55 1/2" (148 Teeth)

I would really have liked the T139 to fit as it's wider... and I'm sure it's an anal-retentive thing for me, but it just looks better on the b234 cam gears. But... seeing that the T252 is used on millions of 5-cylinder volvos... T5-R's etc. I'm sure it'll do fine.

I think if we could find a 146 tooth belt with the same length, we'd be in business with the vw tensioner with unmodified stud position.

There IS such a belt in existence... the Gates T319 used on 2000 S80 T6 cars... but it's a hair wider than the b234 crank gear (Gates T319 1 3/32" x 54 3/4" 146 Teeth) by 3/32" compared to the T139 belt ( 1" x 55 7/8" 149 Teeth)

I'm contemplating buying one and cutting off 3/32"... but I'm not sure if cutting a timing belt is bad juju or not

No worries on the FAQ dude... it's all a learning process... besides... if it wasn't for your FAQ, I wouldn't have had anything to go on.

Mike

EDIT... PS... these guys have all the gates belt specs in one concise location https://www.rockauto.com/dbphp/mfr,G...16,Timing+Belt

[shaved240]

You seem so enthusiastic and a have an "I can overcome" type of mentality. Your the type of people that make me more and more motivated to push the performance of my volvo further and further.

Thanks man. I appreciate that. It's a helluva fun long-term project and I enjoy (most ;) )every minute of it..... and have learned a ton in the process.

Mike

[suterman]

im taking notes here, Im panning on doing what you've done but - the MS but + a supercharger. I'm thinking about getting rid of the powersteering and sticking the sc down below an ft inlet mani but i can see form you photos thats not gonna work.

a very interesting article, hope it turns out well

ps, did you weld that inlet mani? with TIG? tell me more please

Originally Posted by suterman

im taking notes here, Im panning on doing what you've done but - the MS but + a supercharger. I'm thinking about getting rid of the powersteering and sticking the sc down below an ft inlet mani but i can see form you photos thats not gonna work.

a very interesting article, hope it turns out well

ps, did you weld that inlet mani? with TIG? tell me more please

thanks man.

I tigged the manifold... I'm not so good at it, but I'm getting better. I describe it all here http://forums.turbobricks.com/showth...ight=yeah+work.

Mike

[fengler]

+t?

well... eventually yes, I'll have a turbo on it... This has been a 9 month process to get to this point... and the spring and summer expenditures to get to this point have drained me and I don't have the spare $$ to build a manifold, purchase a wastegate, etc. It however, is set up for a turbo as I installed an oil feed fitting below the water pump and welded a return into the pan.

However it really isn't in the cards yet... I'm sticking to the plan. I want to learn MS and get proficient at tuning not just fuel, but spark... before I go aventuring with the boost.

besides, I'd really like to get the bodywork/paint out of the way...

[JW240]

nice!

that tig work looks good. I just finished a tig welding course and did a few hours of aluminium there, and i can tell, aluminium is difficult to weld. Great work, looks very good!

Have you measured the OD of the 16V pistons and the ID of the bores? what was the difference? good clearance?

[MikeSr.]

This is an amazing transformation in progress. For those of you who don't know, this was my old car. I bought it with 60k on it and drove it for ten years- it was a very nice car once. MikeJr. took his driver's test in this car when he was 16. Over the years i came to know every nut and bolt on the car. A few years ago, i moved to an apartment and was unable to have room for it, so i sold it. It went thru a couple of owners before Mike H. aquired it, and frankly it was in pretty sad shape.
I am so glad somebody has the car who can appreciate it and give it the attention it deserves. Mike and I have talked a lot about his project, and i can assure you he is going about the build of this car in a staged, professional way, and in the process is incorporating a lot from suggestions on this board, and a lot of innovative things unique to his own vision. I know what he has planned for this car and what he already has in progress, and all I can say is stay tuned to this thread as he moves forward with his evil plan.
Kudos, man!

Originally Posted by JW240

nice!

that tig work looks good. I just finished a tig welding course and did a few hours of aluminium there, and i can tell, aluminium is difficult to weld. Great work, looks very good!

Have you measured the OD of the 16V pistons and the ID of the bores? what was the difference? good clearance?

Thanks man. I'm still very much a novice welder... I would dearly love to take a welding course...and I think when I get my own place (a house that is), and a more stable schedule, I just may do so. I am completely self-taught when it comes to tigging... and I know that with some proper instruction, I could be even better.

The pistons that came from the b234 block were in great shape, were not scored, etc. I could just barely rock the pistons back and forth in the bore.

The pistons that were in the b230 block were in the same condition.

I didn't do any hard measuring... it was strictly a gut decision... But... based on the same relative conditions of both engines, I took a chance.... The b234 pistons and rings in the b230 block seem great. The engine rotates by hand easily... I can rock them back and forth slightly, but eh... it's in there now!

And I can't say I'd recommend this approach... the engine still may turn out to be an oil burner... but I can live with that for now as in a couple more months, I'll have a bit more money with which to do at least a light rebuild... rings, hone, etc. As it stands, the only thing I replaced were the rod bearings when I did the swap.

Mike

Originally Posted by MikeSr.

This is an amazing transformation in progress. For those of you who don't know, this was my old car. I bought it with 60k on it and drove it for ten years- it was a very nice car once. MikeJr. took his driver's test in this car when he was 16. Over the years i came to know every nut and bolt on the car. A few years ago, i moved to an apartment and was unable to have room for it, so i sold it. It went thru a couple of owners before Mike H. aquired it, and frankly it was in pretty sad shape.
I am so glad somebody has the car who can appreciate it and give it the attention it deserves. Mike and I have talked a lot about his project, and i can assure you he is going about the build of this car in a staged, professional way, and in the process is incorporating a lot from suggestions on this board, and a lot of innovative things unique to his own vision. I know what he has planned for this car and what he already has in progress, and all I can say is stay tuned to this thread as he moves forward with his evil plan.
Kudos, man!

lol... thanks man...

especially the part about "incorporating suggestions from the board"

[badvlvo]

Nice work. That makes me excited to get moved to Louisiana so I can start up my build again.

[Nick]

you make the +16v look easy.

what kinda subie did you get the tensioner from?

[Hank Scorpio]

I like it man, the 850 parts will bring you good luck

more pics in the original post...

[shaved240]

in this picture, what is behind the adapter plate?

[socalsean]

Originally Posted by Dear_vs_Coyote

in this picture, what is behind the adapter plate?

You're scaring me....it's the bell housing yo!

Yep... that would be my bellhousing.

One interesting tidbit for those considering a 16v into a 240, is that with the b234f head bolted in place, removing, then reinstalling a transmission is pretty damn difficult... even with a tranny jack.

The b234 head is so close to the firewall... like less than 2 inches close, and as such... it does not allow the engine/tranny to tip back far enough. getting the tranny out of course is a simple matter of gravity and a bit of twisting... but going back in is just a nightmare....

with an 8v head this is super easy... even with the 8v head in place, there's more than enough room for the engine to swing down and tranny swapping is a breeze.

If it weren't for that damn starter "hump" section, it would be easy... but it isn't.

What you see there is my solution after about 7 hours of frustration lying on my back on concrete... ... completely shattering the brass pilot bearing insert because of the input shaft kept ramming into it, clutch fork popping out, etc. I eventually gave up and resorted to installing the clutch, then bellhousing-with-adapter-plate installed.

Thus, my rather long winded explanation as to why there is no transmission in that picture.

Another interesting tidbit is that the next adapter plate I own will be made of steel. The last time I had the tranny out 2 weeks ago to replace the rear main seal, 2 of the adapter plate studs backed out a bit (I installed them with red loctite to prevent such an event) with nice little bits of aluminum shards with them.... I believe this is called galling...something to chew on for those of you purchasing adapter plates...

Mike

[qwkswede]

cool deal Mike, Its nice to see the build documented all in one place.

As far as your tig welding goes, it looks quite good i my opinion. You'll have no problem putting together a turbo header. I did mine from stainless weld els and it just welds like butter compared to aluminum. So easy.

This is the first time I saw the Subaru timing belt tensioner. Yet another way to skin this cat.

This thread reminds me. And Aaron if you are reading this you might be able to add this to the FAQ if its not there already. I just happen to have in my posession a Gates timing belt with 146 teeth, round ones. It cost me a bloody fortune to buy from Sten Parner in Sweden, and I didn't use it because it took 8 months to get. I figured out another solution with the T139 gates instead.

But here are the part numbers and applications that use this belt, right from the box.
Gates part # 5129
Some other numbers: 40353x24
Fits:
Opel
ascona 1.6D 87-88
Astra 1.7 Diesel 91-92
Kadette E 1.6 diesel 87-88
kadett 1.7 diesel 89-91

Vauxhall
astra, belmont 1.6 87-89
cavalier 1.6 diesel. 87-88
cavalier 1.7 diesel 99-92

Not cars available in America. But I can't beleive that this belt costs $100-150 like I paid from Sweden. Are these cars in Australia or somewhere with a more cooperative currency exchange rate?


Sorry to muck up your project thread, just thought it was good info. I can move it somewhere else if there is a better spot.

Hey dude,

thanks a bunch. man... I appreciate that.

no thread mucking up at all... the more information the better! That's why we're all here right? to learn?

How wide is the 146 tooth belt? a 146 tooth belt should be perfect for the VW tensioner with the tensioner stud in the stock location.

Is this a custom belt from Sten Parner? Gates makes the T319 146 tooth belt, but it's unfortunately 28mm wide... I'd love to know more about it.

I suppose I should be happy with what I have... the 850 belt works fine... but I just loved the look of the wider T139 belt... made me feel better.

Mike

More pics...

car runs awesome. I had it out for close to 4 hours on Sunday... a major bug-working-out-session.

First the radiator cap died, splurting coolant everywhere... then the trunk lock motor died so I have a screwdriver permanently jammed in there to unlock it... then my oil cooler banjo bolt seal died... all in about 20 minutes.

Then... with the car driving on the highway, I made it about 40 miles before I turned around... datalogging the whole way, when the electric fan fell off... I know this because of the scraping sound... after a few embarrassing moments cutting in front of traffic to get to stop, the 2 zipties I had holding the fan on, suprise suprise, broke! luckily, I had a wad of spare zipties in the glovebox. Moments, later, I was back on the road.

The car sounds awesome... like Kenny's, but unlike Kenny's at the same time. It's intoxicating.

ANd oh yeah... MS ****ing rocks! I love it how you can actually feel the car get stronger when you richen it at 16:1 full throttle... gah I love MS!

My laptop is still causing repetitive (5-10-20 second reset intervals), but that's next month's problem to fix.

Got my idle afr's kinda down tonight... got my accel enrichments to the point where it won't puke when I press the throttle, and holy bat**** do I love those coilpacks!

and now that everything is falling into place, the stars are falling away from my eyes, and now I'm seeing all the imperfections, the rough areas, etc...... keep in mind this is all being done on about a $300/month budget!

at any rate... more pics!











Oh yeah... and I got the somebitch to stop leaking oil!!! whoo hoooeoo!

[Hank Scorpio]

so hot man!

[FlatWagon83]

So how does it feel? Did you push it very much? This is such a cool thread, completely makes me want to do a 16v swap!