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Swapping a 1995 850 Turbo engine into a Non Turbo 1994 850

craigdarroch

New member
Joined
Feb 1, 2015
Hello Everyone,
This is my first post, I have been on the sight many times, it is great.
My question is : can I swap an engine from a 1995 turbo 850 into a 1994 850 non turbo ?
I just wrapped my 1995 850 Turbo around a tree ( I live in Ontario, the land of freezing rain), last week with no damage to the front end or engine compartment.
I have bought a replacement 850 - a 1994 - but it is not a turbo unfortunately.
If anyone has had any experience with this or can advise me, that would be great !

Thanks T
 
Could you? Probably.
Should you? Probably not. Considering the cost of a nice 850 turbo isn't much and the work involved is way more than just engine/trans swap.

Keeps your eyes open for turbo car then sell your n/a.
 
Thank you tryingbe and lookforjoe for your replies and for the advice, I think I acted too quickly buying the non turbo !

I had just one more question; would the bolts holes, engine mounts, - basically the hardware aspect of the engine line up and transmission line up. I have about 25 years experience working on North America stuff - mainly Gm.
I bought the Volvo because I was sick and tired of GM putting self-destructing parts. in its vehicles. The quality of the Volvo is so superior it is unreal.

I also have an 98 OLDS Intrique which is in mint condition ( No Winters )and was one of the few with the 3.8 stump puller. engine. But just a case in point - GM used a plastic intake manifold on this engine which basically over time was degraded by heatr from the PVC pipe so eventually the cylinders filled up with water when the gasket failed.
It was hydro locked and I went to start in the spring for the first time after the winter and snapped the starter pinion right off. I was lucky I did not bend the rods.
After scraping out all of the contaminated oil sludge it is actually still runs well.
I have other horror stories about GM but I sure you already know about it
Well thanks again and if you could let me about the bolt on stuff for the N/A Volvo VS the Turbo I would appreciate it.

Thanks !
 
only way i would consider trying to swap a turbo engine in is if your 94 was a m56 car. otherwise just get a turbo car. not worth the effort.
 
Hi blkaplan,

Thanks for the advice, no it not m56, not doing the swap that seems to be the general opinion from the responses. Should not have bought it - oh well maybe somebody will buy else !

Thanks for your input
 
The turbo and NA chassis are the same. In that regard the engine/trans, etc will all fit without modification. The problem is that the fuel delivery and EMS also has to be transferred, you can't just swap the motor and trans
 
Thanks lookforjoe for the info, As long as the transmission and engine are physically the same mounting points, I think I can figure out how to modify the computer control and fuel - I am by trade a Computer and Electronics Technician.
I want to keep this engine because the guy I got it from had done a lot of upgrades, he put in a bigger Turbo and there is a boost control and a gauge that is already plumbed. I think he did other modifications as well - he worked on it constantly it was his sleeper.
If I crank up the boost, it will easily hit 18 psi - the car was a rocket - it was unreal how fast it was. the one thing he did not do was upgrade the fuel delivery control so you had about 5 - 8 seconds at 18 PSI before the engine cut out, so that had to be done anyway.
It is so unfortunate that it was totaled, I only had it a year - isn't it always the way

Thanks
 
Very few people convert their n/a 850 to turbo, due to cheap cost of purchasing a running turbo 850.

If you do convert your n/a car, this will consider a unique swap and as with all unique projects, any questions and problems you will encounter will be unique to yourself. You will have no one to turn to for help. If you attempt to take this unique car to a shop, they will just tell you take your money somewhere else.

I strongly advise against converting n/a to turbo, find a turbo car that needs the engine and put the turbo engine in instead.
 
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Hi tryingbe;

I appreciate your honesty, maybe I am being overconfident, I obviously do not have nearly the experience that most guys have at this site. I think I am still in denial over my wrecked 850 turbo, - it only just happened, I feel like I need to resurrect it somehow.
It will be summer by the time i do any work on either cars -I don't have a heated shop, so its a long way off, it is probably is not a good time now to make decisions regarding the car.

Thanks again
 
Hi Bassguy,

I just checked the board since the beginning of the month so I just saw you message.
I live near Peterborough Ontario, west of Peterborough in the Bethany Area.
I have got into Volvo's in the past year always owning Mainly GM stuff. It has been great owning a car that has been made so well, such a contrast to domestic cars. I finally got tired of all the self destruction at a certain age / mileage that seems to be built into domestic cars.
It has been great driving and learning about these pre-ford Volvo's they are pretty amazing !
 
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