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Techs or DIYers: HELP needed putting together a B8444S

A

agent008

Member
Joined
May 1, 2017
Location
Brazil
Hello there.

I've joined this forum a couple months ago, as the desire of owning a B8444S-powered prototype took over me.

Searched high and low for information on the engine (which is scarce making it all the more fun) and found a few brave souls dealing with adapting this V8 - for example Alex and Karl Buchka with their 242 "fake racecar" (their own name to it) project.

After a while I found the courage to buy a fairly cheap(for Brazil at least) B8444S. With the caveat that it is completely pulled apart. Everything seems to be OK with the exception of a bent conrod, broken piston and scratched cylinder - seems the engine had a taste of water and didn't feel very well after!

Anyway, the block will be rebored and honed, the conrod will be replaced and a set of 0.4mm oversized pistons will be custom-made. With that the damage it suffered will be fixed.

What is bothering me is that we have no idea on how to set the engine's timing. The heads were already taken apart when I got it so all we have now is this big puzzle of metal parts, putting it all together is not so much the difficulty, but we have no tools to pin the camshafts and the crank, and no reference to set them on the right positions.

The service manual (as per alldataDIY.com) calls for several special tools, however after much searching I could only find for sale the following:

* 9997235 "position setter" - seems to be used for turning the crank while setting the timing
* 9997236 "position setter" - used to lock the cams in the right position

The B8444S has a total of 3 timing chains - 1 main timing chain and 1 in-head chain for each cylinder bank (they link the intake cams to their respective exhaust cams which in turn are linked to the crankshaft sprocket via the main timing chain), and I need to put all of them back together and in sync...

The procedure outlined on the manual is fairly simple,although the text is not very detailed so I'm left to wonder whether I'm not missing anything and if these are the only tools neded to set this engine's correct timing?

Is anyone able to tell me whether these two tools would be enough to put the engine in sync? Or are other tools needed, if so which ones and are they available for non-dealers..?

Thanks
 
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Some images from the manual about the use of both tools:

QOqwsza.png


AeGsiQe.png
 
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Just as a follow up, I got this answered on another Volvo forum and think it'd be good to share here for future reference.

qaz996 said: 07-09-2017 09:12 PM

Quote Originally Posted by agent008 View Post

If I understood correctly - all I need to do is align the crankshaft with the "lever/wrench" tool (first picture below) and the cams with the "locking plates" (second picture). Then align the in-head chains - yellow marks with dots on the cams, and the main chain - orange mark with the dot on the crank, yellow marks with the cams & balance shaft?

QOqwsza.png


AeGsiQe.png


Yes, you've got it.

The chains that connect the 2 cams in each head must be aligned with the camshafts loose (not installed). Once the 2 are timed together, install the tensioner between them and then fully install the camshafts.

You will install the "cam locking plates" from your second picture only when the camshafts are fully installed and right before you put the timing chain on.

You may already know, but it's worth noting: the camshafts are hollow and fragile. Be very careful installing them or they will break.

2007 S40 T5
Click to expand...
 
Like most of the hollow hard cams they can even break if not tightened down very carefully and evenly. Quite a shock when you hear the "TING".

Rotate the cam to a position having the least pressure on the valve springs as you tighten it down.
 
Damn, why do ours have to be hollow? Anything to do with the oil pressure-controlled VVT gears?



TestPoint said:
Like most of the hollow hard cams they can even break if not tightened down very carefully and evenly. Quite a shock when you hear the "TING".

Rotate the cam to a position having the least pressure on the valve springs as you tighten it down.
Click to expand...
 
Time to bring this thread back from the dead.

After sitting on the shop for more than 4 years, my B8444S is finally being put together.

Figured I'd post a few pictures of the process. I do intend to make note of all tolerances/gaps the mechanic has used (we had to figure them from similar engines since there isn't much info around for this engine).





The mechanic will weigh the piston+pin+rod assemblies both original and the new ones in order to calculate the weight difference. I fear that if the new ones are too much lighter than stock, some kind of modification will have to be done to the balance shaft.

EDIT: I had a hard time making the photos appear and don't seem to be able to resize them to a smaller size. Sorry and if anyone knows how to do that just tell me and I'll do it.
 
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Originally in 2017 I wanted to install it into a Locost (Lotus/Caterham 7 DIY replica), however I haven't even got around to start building that car yet.

Last year I have bought a Pontiac Solstice with the base 2.4 4 cylinder engine and am considering trying to fit the B8444S into this car to make a modern take on the V8 roadster theme. Most/all Solstice V8 swaps use Chevrolet LS engines which are crazy expensive around here due to their rarity (and adaptability to any and all vehicles) in Brazil. Whereas the B8444S I bought it dirt cheap (compared to the local prices) with a hydrolocked bent rod and am now rebuilding.
 
News. The engine is closed and delivered back to me. Took a few months until the people at the shop finally gave up on finding the crankcase windage tray so I bought another one from a wreckers. Yesterday took delivery of the engine and one surplus windage tray (the original one, haha.)... oh well.

What I have now is basically a closed longblock, with the oil pan. Have to add all accessories, manifolds & respective gaskets, Injectors, rails, etc.

Next step, take some measurements to find out whether it would fit into the Solstice. I have a feeling it might fit but will need a lower intake manifold. Perhaps one with individual runners instead of a plenum.... just would need a common entry point for the MAF sensor so all runners would have to meet at some point upstream of the throttle body.
 
Very cool. Please keep coming back and posting updates!

I have a B8444 out of the car for a reseal and transmission work. I really need to put it all back together soon.
 
James M said:
And then into your new 242....
Click to expand...
That would be so cool, but sadly I do not have the skills to pull that one off. If sombody built an adaptor plate for a transmission and had a base tune for an ECU I would heavily consider it though. 4 cam vvt and an orphan bellhousing are pretty big hurdles to clear.
 
If only someone was planning on putting it Infront of a high torque capacity 5 speed manual that people have put in 240s before..

Maybe the Pontiac solstice AR5 for example
 
James M said:
If only someone was planning on putting it Infront of a high torque capacity 5 speed manual that people have put in 240s before..

Maybe the Pontiac solstice AR5 for example
Click to expand...

I'm now trying to figure out the best way to bolt the B8444S to the AR5/MA5. There's a guy in Sweden who seems to have hacked the bellhousing of a AW-TF80 into a "slice" of another bellhousing (I don't recognize which one) and then with a couple adapter plates to a Toyota Supra gearbox which is also made by Aisin and has a lot in common to the Solstice's AR5: -> https://www.garaget.org/?car=4775&image=271843

I'm not sure I agree this would be the best way to do it and I don't have the AW-TF80 that came with this engine.

Since there never was a factory manual B8444s, my plan is to check whether an adapter plate can be made to bolt the Solstice bellhousing directly to the engine; or make a custom bellhousing such as the Buchka brothers did for their "fake racecar". The question also remains as to what to use in terms of a flywheel. One possible way is to order a custom one from the likes of Exedy or Spec that matches the Solstice's clutch and pressure plate, but custom drilled to match the B8444S crankshaft pattern.

Anyway the first thing I'll pursue now is refit all the engine accessories and wire it to a standalone ECU to fire it up "on the bench".
 
I bought someone else's kit to mount an AR5 behind a OM606, it included a cut and shut bellhousing. Seems cut and shuts are pretty common over in europe, If you've got a lathe and tig welder (and skills) it shouldn't turn out too poorly
 
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