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big block chevy swap!!!

MeRcZePh79

MeRcZePh79

New member
Joined
Feb 26, 2006
Location
york pennsylvania
hey guys,

does anybody know what the weight of my b230ft engine. It is in a 1986 740 turbo wagon. I am considering an engine swap and want to be able to figure out the base line weight and what I will be adding to the car with the new engine. Has anybody put a big block chevy 454 in one of these cars before. any thoughts would be great. thanks
 
77240dl said:
anything is possible with enough money and skills...
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Yeah, but it might be more than a little difficult to get a big block into an engine bay originally meant for an i4. 305's are common, 350's maybe...I think the biggest problem is that the big blocks are just TOO big (and heavy). You might be able to wedge it in there, but you'll probably have to do a LOT of fabrication just to get exhaust manifolds on...not to mention having to source some rather beefy springs to keep the front end off the ground.

You might consider a twin-turbo small block instead, if going V8 is what you want to do. Do a search on 'Volvette' for a crazy LS1 twin turbo 745.
 
As far as i know no one has ever put a big block in a volvo, athough 77240dl is right about it being possible. However, with the wealth of information on dropping in a small block and the exessive weight of big blocks, a small block would seem a far easier solution. But if you want to go through the work you'd have a pretty unique car.
 
BBCs have been done in a Volvo, JTR mentions it in their swap manual. According to them it was a POS. Not that they can't be done well, but it's going to be a pretty involved swap. Check over at http://brickboard.com/V8 and see if there's anyone with big block experience. I have a feeling you're going to get into relocating front suspension pieces.

Why a big block? It's not too difficult to coax 500hp out of a small block, certainly easier than shoving in a big block and a heck of a lot lighter.
 
I really think you'd be safer doing an LT1 or LS1 motor.... If you are looking to make some good power you could pick out a good heads and cam package for an LS1 and it should fit fine...

As previously mentioned there is the Volvette, which will be a twin turbo LS1. He has done a ton of custom work as far as the turbos go, but if it was just an N/A car it would have already been done (700-series wagon).

I really don't see the benefit of doing a 454 unless you just want to do it to say it was done.
 
I can't say there's anything wrong with a big block volvo. Don't get me wrong anything can be done but considering the "TORQUE !!!" bigblocks make it's just incredible at the same time the 454 wasn't exactly the most athletic of the chevy line. Aluminum block,heads and a hell of alot of valve work and nice came with a turbo to boot..who needs a small block ? By the way a 427 would slip in relatively well.
 
3liter914-6 said:
BBCs have been done in a Volvo, JTR mentions it in their swap manual. According to them it was a POS. Not that they can't be done well, but it's going to be a pretty involved swap. Check over at http://brickboard.com/V8 and see if there's anyone with big block experience. I have a feeling you're going to get into relocating front suspension pieces.

Why a big block? It's not too difficult to coax 500hp out of a small block, certainly easier than shoving in a big block and a heck of a lot lighter.
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JTR's reason for not going into it was because they provide emmissions compliant swaps, and california emmissions require a motor of the same year or newer and it has to be from a passenger vehicle. Chevy big blocks didnt go into any cars from 1975 on. Maybe a caddie 502 or something theyre rat motors, right?
 
MrBill said:
Maybe a caddie 502 or something theyre rat motors, right?
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Yes and no. Cadillac didn't make a 502, they made a 500, so the Cad part is wrong. There is, however, a 502 Chevy, which didn't come in any production vehicles, it's a crate motor.

I've long floated the idea of a big block of some sort in a volvo around my mind, and as others have said, it can be done with enough time/talent/money. If you just want the cubes, because really, there is no replacement for displacement (except massive boost:-P ), maybe consider a stroked tall-deck small block. I've heard of some with 454 cubes, and you could undoubtedly get more. Run an aluminum block and heads, and you eliminate not only the issues of fitment, but weight as well, and reap the benefits of massive torque.
 
what about the all-aluminum big block? The bare block only weighs about 110 lbs on one of those, the total engine owuldn't be mofe than 350-400 for a 454. How's THAT for fighting weight issues.
 
Big Lan said:
Yes and no. Cadillac didn't make a 502, they made a 500, so the Cad part is wrong. There is, however, a 502 Chevy, which didn't come in any production vehicles, it's a crate motor.

I've long floated the idea of a big block of some sort in a volvo around my mind, and as others have said, it can be done with enough time/talent/money. If you just want the cubes, because really, there is no replacement for displacement (except massive boost:-P ), maybe consider a stroked tall-deck small block. I've heard of some with 454 cubes, and you could undoubtedly get more. Run an aluminum block and heads, and you eliminate not only the issues of fitment, but weight as well, and reap the benefits of massive torque.
Click to expand...

Ok, i thought the caddie motor was just rat motor, too bad. Either way, weight is the reason I chose to use an LS1 in my 240, I haven't purchased it yet, but I got a really good deal on the carburator kit for it, which means one easy swap. Later I'll fuel inject it, but not till everything runs perfectly and I see if my rear breaks or not. The LS1, with a nice cam, some cheap porting/valve work(1000 bucks), some less-restrictive block huggers, and a nice holley carb should have be hugging 400 wheel. Thats the goal, at least...
Edit: plus there is no distributor... mmmm (the kit comes with the igniton computer)
 
MrBill said:
Ok, i thought the caddie motor was just rat motor, too bad. Either way, weight is the reason I chose to use an LS1 in my 240, I haven't purchased it yet, but I got a really good deal on the carburator kit for it, which means one easy swap. Later I'll fuel inject it, but not till everything runs perfectly and I see if my rear breaks or not. The LS1, with a nice cam, some cheap porting/valve work(1000 bucks), some less-restrictive block huggers, and a nice holley carb should have be hugging 400 wheel. Thats the goal, at least...
Edit: plus there is no distributor... mmmm (the kit comes with the igniton computer)
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What he said. With the LS1 you get an aluminum block/heads, NASCAR inspired heads, crazy power for not much money. For a lightish car, it will far outperform the BBC in pretty much any event, and you'll get 26+mpg with it as well.
 
MrBill said:
JTR's reason for not going into it was because they provide emmissions compliant swaps, and california emmissions require a motor of the same year or newer and it has to be from a passenger vehicle. Chevy big blocks didnt go into any cars from 1975 on. Maybe a caddie 502 or something theyre rat motors, right?
Click to expand...


actually they 454 fuel injected engines were in trucks up untill the early 90's

caddy made a few nice engine,s the 472 and 500, either with a set of aluminum heads and intake will weight less than a SBC with iron parts so ... something to think about as we got 500hp and 20mpg out of one in a 32' jag with a Q-jet


big engines and big torque is fun but it is also what breaks everything
 
thelostartof said:
actually they 454 fuel injected engines were in trucks up untill the early 90's
Click to expand...

Because it came from a truck, I California it still wouldn't be legal to use a 454 in a car even if it was from the right year.

Peter
 
MrBill said:
JTR's reason for not going into it was because they provide emmissions compliant swaps, and california emmissions require a motor of the same year or newer and it has to be from a passenger vehicle. Chevy big blocks didnt go into any cars from 1975 on. Maybe a caddie 502 or something theyre rat motors, right?
Click to expand...


Well JTR doesn't provide any swaps, just some of the parts and information on how to do it. I wasn't addressing motivation, as they didn't in their manual here's the section I was referencing:
JTR said:
"No More Big-Blocks
One of the Volvo wrecking yards around here installed a big-block Chevy into a Volvo sedan. We continually hear about the car. People talk about this car with great enthusiasm. We don't get too excited about this car because we have seen it and it is basically a piece of junk. It's not smog legal. It's not what we consider driveable. And it isn't even that fast. So what does the guy do with his big-block powered Volvo? He talks about it a lot. But mostly, the car just sits because it is a piece of junk. But the owner/fabricator will gladly tell you what a neat swap it is, even though he rarely drives it. He will even tell you about wealthy people who want him to install big-blocks in their Volvos. Of course, we have never seen this acttually happen. The point is: If you are going to do an engine swap, be realistic if you plan on using the vehicle for daily transportation"
Click to expand...

If someone were hell bent on a BBC conversion they could stick it in a diesel 2/700 and never have to worry about smog. The reasons JTR doesn't offer a big block swap manual are:

A. the V8 swap market is small enough, writing a BBC manual would be a tiny fraction of a tiny market. Not worth the investment.

B. It's not an easy or repeatable swap. The level of skill and fabrication required to do a BBC is such that every car and swap is going to be a little bit different, and if you're gonna do the swap you'd better have skills beyond what their book can teach.

C. It's not an elegant swap. They make a big deal (as I did in my swap) of keeping things factory looking. A BBC will not look factory. It's also carrying 1-200lbs more than a SBC.

D. It really has no advantage over a small block for this swap. You can easily get 400whp and 500ft/lbs of TQ with junkyard components.
 
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