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1990+ red blocks confusion

J

JordanTBoehm

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Location
Vancouver, BC
I'm getting confused when people say 1990+. Does that mean it's 1990 and above or does it mean 1991 and later. I want to know this so I get a red block with the 13mm con rods and other stuff
 
93 and later Redblocks have oil squirters built in. When most talk about a 90+, they are only talking about the turbo manifold, because it is better. And yes 13mm rods started somewhere in late '89. Before that they were 9mm iirc for the B230.
 
JordanTBoehm said:
Knowing the goodies (conrods, T manifold, oil squirters), I think I'm now in the market for a '93 or later 940 Turbo. Thanks for the info.
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Don't pay more for squirter block just because of that...see the sticky at the top of this forum for the easiest way possible to make any block a squirter block. B20, B21, B23, earlier B230 all become squirter block is just 30-40 minutes of relaxed drilling..
 
Right. That means I could get at least a 1990 7 or 9 series turbo car. But I have the time to find a deal on a 1993 and up 940 Turbo. I'll be patient to find one. I also would be very happy to find an M90 in one. The M90 Wikipedia page says "M90 is the model designation for an automotive rear-wheel drive gearbox that was introduced in mid-1994 Volvo 940/960."... If they started putting them in mid-1994,? when did they stop (what was the last year for M90's in Volvos).
 
JordanTBoehm said:
Right. That means I could get at least a 1990 7 or 9 series turbo car. But I have the time to find a deal on a 1993 and up 940 Turbo. I'll be patient to find one. I also would be very happy to find an M90 in one. The M90 Wikipedia page says "M90 is the model designation for an automotive rear-wheel drive gearbox that was introduced in mid-1994 Volvo 940/960."... If they started putting them in mid-1994,? when did they stop (what was the last year for M90's in Volvos).
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M90 isn't the end of the world..Far better ratios, far FAR better repair parts availability, far less rebuild costs and effort with the T5---there are solid reasons it is a popular conversion..Nothing particularly good worth spending any dough on a M90, espeically if you eventually build a stronger, torquier motor, then its a liability with the crap ratios they have.
 
John V said:
Don't pay more for squirter block just because of that...see the sticky at the top of this forum for the easiest way possible to make any block a squirter block. B20, B21, B23, earlier B230 all become squirter block is just 30-40 minutes of relaxed drilling..
Click to expand...

John V said:
M90 isn't the end of the world..Far better ratios, far FAR better repair parts availability, far less rebuild costs and effort with the T5---there are solid reasons it is a popular conversion..Nothing particularly good worth spending any dough on a M90, espeically if you eventually build a stronger, torquier motor, then its a liability with the crap ratios they have.
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I thought T5 engines were FWD, are you telling me a T5 tranny will swap into a 7 or 9 series?
 
JordanTBoehm said:
I thought T5 engines were FWD, are you telling me a T5 tranny will swap into a 7 or 9 series?
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This is TURBO BRICKs and not FWD consumercar whatever site.
T5 is a Borg warner gearbox which comes in dozens of applications and the good ones are from Ford and GM V8 cars...
Again look around, millions done already...
some people say its the single best mod they've done to make the car feel like a car instead of a old truck.
 
John V said:
This is TURBO BRICKs and not FWD consumercar whatever site.
T5 is a Borg warner gearbox which comes in dozens of applications and the good ones are from Ford and GM V8 cars...
Again look around, millions done already...
some people say its the single best mod they've done to make the car feel like a car instead of a old truck.
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Okay I get the difference between the T5 engine vs the T5 transmission. thanks
 
JordanTBoehm said:
So does this apply to the non turbo B230 too? Is it the same for both engines?
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B230f and b230ft both had the 13mm rods (rather than 9mm) in 1990 and up. 93+ usually has squirters (100% of them do if turbo, some NA 93 motors do..mine does). Late model 89 motors had the thicker 13mm rods but it's a hit and miss.

As John said, you can turn a non squirter motor into a squirter motor with his kit. (John what are the benefits of squirters aside from lowering piston temperature thus reducing the chance of knock?)
 
93Volvo240 said:
(John what are the benefits of squirters aside from lowering piston temperature thus reducing the chance of knock?)
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Keeping the strength of the aluminum up.
Aluminum begins to loose strength rapidly above I dunno 475* or so..

The pressure on the crown can be 75 bar--or thereabouts and thats a lotta pressure pushing on the piston---made of aluminum remember? Which gets real soft quickly at high timps..
We don't want the crown collapsing, the skirt collapsing or the overhanging part above the first ring groove like bending down--and pinching the ring..
Do we?
 
John V said:
Keeping the strength of the aluminum up.
Aluminum begins to loose strength rapidly above I dunno 475* or so..

The pressure on the crown can be 75 bar--or thereabouts and thats a lotta pressure pushing on the piston---made of aluminum remember? Which gets real soft quickly at high timps..
We don't want the crown collapsing, the skirt collapsing or the overhanging part above the first ring groove like bending down--and pinching the ring..
Do we?
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We sure dont. So b230f and ft both have aluminum pistons. The crank is..cast iron? Steel?

I also think the squirters help tremendously with piston slap.
 
93Volvo240 said:
We sure dont. So b230f and ft both have aluminum pistons. The crank is..cast iron? Steel?

I also think the squirters help tremendously with piston slap.
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B230 all version is full counterweighted cast iron, they fine even the so called bad ones with the center thrust and 55mm journals--the problem isn't the position, its the half circle per side--mod for full circle and problem solved..

B21 all forged steel
The vast majority of B23s same PN as B21 forged steel...only a handful cast iron..
For example i have seen in person 1 ever.

And as for pistons, I don't know any car since the 1930s that don't have aluminum pistons...
 
John V said:
B230 all version is full counterweighted cast iron, they fine even the so called bad ones with the center thrust and 55mm journals--the problem isn't the position, its the half circle per side--mod for full circle and problem solved..

B21 all forged steel
The vast majority of B23s same PN as B21 forged steel...only a handful cast iron..
For example i have seen in person 1 ever.

And as for pistons, I don't know any car since the 1930s that don't have aluminum pistons...
Click to expand...

Took John's advice in several threads and did the squirter mod, which took a couple of hours at home and also the the full circle setup for my middle thrust bearing. Ditched the rods for a set of Yoshifab ones and feel very confident about my new motor.

My donor motor cost 250 bucks with all the ancillary stuff like an alternator and fuel rail with injectors and turbo. Had to bore 0,25 over and get Mahle pistons (aluminum) and bigger main bearings.

Cost a little over 1500 when you throw in 400 bucks at the machine shop to R and R the head, install my ipd cam, bore the cylinders off, deck the head and press in new intermediate shaft bearings. This is cheap.
 
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