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?'s for step 1 of a +T

A

autoloclys

Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Location
Boston MA
I am about ready to start +Ting my '92 wagon. Living in New england and not having a garage of my own is forcing me to plan things out a bit more than i would otherwise. I have short term access to garage space and want to make sure i have tools and parts on hand once i start. All the parts are volvo bits which should be largely bolt-on

It seems like the first big step is to do all the stuff under the car.
-swap in oilpan with welded -10 fitting
-add oil cooler
-swap coolant hoses
-new oil, coolant, filter
-new motor mounts

questions.

i have found differing accounts of how much is involved in dropping the oil pan. some say its possible to do without pulling the steering rack, others say that lifting the engine off the mounts will give enough clearance to rotate and remove the pan. which is true?

Im imagining that it should be possible to do the stuff listed in a weekend and put the car back in a drivable state (capping the oil drain fitting and coolant lines to the turbo, finding a temp place to hang the oil cooler) until i get another weekend to do the rest of this. Am i a fool? will i need to also install the intercooler or is there enough play in the coolant lines to get that in without draining coolant?
 
I've read that supporting the engine from the top and dropping the subframe is the way to go. I'd probably try to drill a drain without dropping the pan if I had to, but that's just me. You'll have to take off and trim the coolant hoses to fit the intercooler, and add turbo coolant lines if you have em. Also obviously do the fuel and ignition computers.

Is this car your daily?
 
It's pretty easy to drop the pan in a 240. You will need to get a couple things, namely, something to support the engine. In the image below, I had just purchased a house and used the for sale sign as my engine brace. The realtor wasn't amused.

At any rate, there's a hook eye in the middle of that thing connected to the support bracket on the thermostat housing and you can safely lift the engine several inches with that provided you disconnect the motor mounts from below the crossmember and separate the steering shaft from the rack (kind of a pain).

With this done, you can rotate the pan 90degrees and plop it out. It's challenging but once you get the hang of it, very doable.

148635480.Vwk6Q9k2.liftingtheengine.jpg
 
I did this over the summer, the oil pan is the worst part honestly. I did the wooden thing like in 740atl's post and dropped the subframe. Didn't need to remove the steering rack. Took about an hour of fiddling to actually drop the oil pan off the pump. Trim the inside of the baffle in the new oil pan, it'll help a lot when trying to get it around the oil pump to install it.
 
Since motor mounts are on your list, do pan and mounts, drain coolant and mount the ic, and plumb oil cooler, then if you’re running out of time, cap off and start again the next weekend. Start with the stuff that can easily be done that doesn’t need to be undone.

If you only have the weekend, start early on Friday night and have extra hands on standby, if nothing else, extra hands make for productive beer runs.
 
I am/was in a similar situation with my +T in my DD. Slowly pieced it all together to the point of having the intercooler installed and having PVC pipe plumbed across my engine to get my intake air over to the throttle body. Then one day I realized I could make the jump....install the turbo and last pieces but still be able to drive the 2 hours back home.
 
The oil pan is my least favorite job on these cars. Maybe front suspension.

I might suggest pulling the rad at the same time and also doing your timing belt.

1. This allows you to actually SIT under your car in the gap between the front structure, and the front of the engine. This will allow you to SEE inside the oil pan to better maneuver it around the oil pump.

You should ALSO DEFINITELY order a handful of the orange oil pump o rings. Why? Because you're ultimately going to get to a spot where you inevitably decide to take the oil pump out to do the oil pan. And you'll THINK that your o rings are fine. Then you'll put everything back together, and they'll turn to dust right when your back gives out, and you'll just die under your car with no o rings or oil pressure.

Plus, it's 45 cents.

2. Regarding the no weld. Forget that. The LAST thing you want to fail on a turbo is the oil. Just weld it. I know it's a pain, and those of us that weld will say it's not that bad. No... it's a pain to have to pull it all out, go to a place, explain to the welder what you need... it's a whole thing. But in the end, it will work and you won't ruin the car.

3. If you live anywhere in the rust belt, you'll probably never get your steering knuckle off.
 
Cwazywazy said:
I don't see why the no weld wouldn't work, as long as you prep it well. Obviously welded is better though.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree. But it's just one of those things that I feel like on a 30 year old car is just gonna be a pain. And since pulling the oil pan is a pain, why mess with it?
 
Hi
I did my +T a few years ago.
The oil pan removal is definately the worst part. I didn't have to remove the steering rack, only unbolt it from the steering wheel & crossmember - just remember to bolt it up again! Car is right hand drive, but I can't see that making a huge difference. Replaced the engine mounts as they had to come off too.
I used one of those bolt in fittings for the oil return. It wasn't 10AN but was a push on fitting that came in a variety of angles. If I'd have seen the 10AN one I would have got that. Anyway, it came all the way from China & three years later it's still not leaking. (I do have a turbo block waiting in the wings though) With the oil pan off, the hole is easier to drill, deburr & clean up.
+1 on trimming the internal baffle to get it back over the oil pickup.
 
Honestly I went with tapping the drain fitting into the block. I liked this idea better because the car is low and I don't have to worry about it getting caught on something.
 
You still have to drop the pan for that nonweld fitting. So, you may as well weld it. Also, a B230ft swap is the way to go. **** messin with all the bull****. Just put tje turbo engine in.
 
Hey man I am in the same boat as you with no garage in New England, I have been looking into renting an industrial property but I found a DIY auto shop in Warwick, RI. Called gearhead systems international. From what I understand its 20 bucks an hour for a lift and full tools. Not bad at all in my opinion, might want to check it out if your close enough, I plan on doing my engine swap there ( I live in a condo complex and they freak out if you check your oil), But good luck either way!
 
Went to all the work to get the pan off... why not just weld it? Every one of those fittings I’ve seen has leaked.
 
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