S-L-O-W 1993 240 Classic wagon

dmg4 said:

Faaaaaack. I'll do it. I just need to find a home for four new 205/70/14.

I located the same tire in 195/65/14 for $87 each. I assume these will fit the OEM 14" wheel, yes?

Can someone let me out of my locker now?

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Fack 'em. Run your monster truck tires all you want. Unless they are paying for it, then free tires is free tires man.

But seriously yous guise need to lay off the tire talk and start talking about building a stroker motor with ITB's and a worked head!

HiSPL said:

Fack 'em. Run your monster truck tires all you want. Unless they are paying for it, then free tires is free tires man.

But seriously yous guise need to lay off the tire talk and start talking about building a stroker motor with ITB's and a worked head!

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Exactly this. Bigger tires are better on the highway. Spend your money on a turbo or doubling the amount of valves if you really want speed.

fwiw I've been running 25.5 inch tall tires on my turbo 240 with a 3.31 rear. It's nice to have a crappy old car that can comfortably cruise above 80.

Hi 205/70/14 is a terrible size for your 240

I amazed you found a tire shop that would sell you such an
obviously wrong sized, too tall, too wide, too heavy, too much side wall tire

The suggestion of 195/75/14 is even more sadly laughable

Easiest upgrade is 185/70/14 and get a sedan speedo for some quicker times and dead-nuts
or get some big boy 15s and try a 205/60/15

Also your 0-60 is probably better with the stock M cam

Uffda. I tire of tires.

Nothing more to do now until it gets a bit warmer and I can see about increasing compression and perhaps open up the exhaust.

dmg4 said:

Uffda. I tire of tires.

Nothing more to do now until it gets a bit warmer and I can see about increasing compression and perhaps open up the exhaust.

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Exhaust first.

I can't remember, did you get an adjustable cam gear? That's worth a bit too. It's more about tuning the torque curve into a useful range for your setup vs just adding power.

VX, IDK why?
Sounds like you're kinda going backwards for longevity for a rare/desirable/useful 245 Classic in a cold climate to delete the airbox pre-heat &/or install a cam that won't stump pull/idle glass smooth off idle?

T > M unless it needs to pass CA NOX in L.A. from brand new for an OEM thru the warranty.

The VX-copy in inferior/non OE metal is fairly worthless, I guess it has less reversion than the B does if you have to drive in the city/don't blow the carbon out of it all the time or have CI FI continuously rinsing the backs of the valves point-blank with a fine/variable nozzled spray, otherwise I'd just install a T or A of cheap & factory reliable / quality metal cams?

Is the auto-tragic a little worn out or injectors dirty or compression questionable or crankcase vent a little stuffed/sludged up?
Pre-heat tube installed & working probably isn't a *bad* thing if you live somewhere where 0?F is common...

Super light 240 classic wheels & 185-70-14s are going to be nice & light to spin up.
205-70 is real heavy/flubbery for 240 steelies or classic wheels for economy or acceleration / both.
Other than the crazy wide sidewalls to protect the rim, IDK what you're really gaining there?

195-70-14 / mini-truck size is kinda the go-to for the modern compromise instead of OEM wagooon 185R14 (tho as dl242gt sez, classics & some 1993 245s w/optional classic wheels took the sedan size & speedometer (as did 245Turbos on Virgo wheels).

IDK on 'n/a 240 performance' it's a slow & old car? Be happy it goes at all & hopefully the motor/drivetrain's healthy & it drives straight & isn't (too) bent ?
Why make it noisier, risk breaking anything you probably can't get anymore in quality/proven bolt-in no fuss replacement/OE, get worse MPG or have less 'usable power' @ off idle &/or super lean-burning max cruising efficiency in the flat ~1500-2200rpm that either the super lazy AW-70 w/slow stall speed converter/tall gears lazily keeps the engine at &/or super wide ratio M46/47s have w/super tall 3.31 rear axle or impact longevity?

Is this thing super strict CA emissions 1993+ with pulse-air injection & EGR?
Delete or block that off (to be saved if restoring to stock or CA squeaky-clean compliance) if it isn't required / install different ECU/ICU for 49-state version?
Not really good for anymore peak HP (no EGR at heavy load), but usually an MPG or two cruising or HP available at low rpm to pull-along?

I haven't had melted cats be an issue on cared for non-abused cars that ran tip top & didn't have some other fairly severe issue?
Worn / non-reactive catalyst, sure, but it still flows?
The OE kitty has a larger honeycomb than most aftermarket & bolts in & works & lasts?

Good morning All,

We're coming up on 3 pages now, so some review is in order for those without the time or inclination to read the entire missive. This is causing us to plow some old ground.

Here's the short version:

1. Car is a 1993 240 Classic wagon with 145000 miles. Looks new. All stage 0 maintenance and then some was performed: plugs, wires, cap, new injectors (Bosch), new belts, hoses, filters, fluids flushed and replaced, flame trap and oil breather box replaced, replaced all vacuum lines.
2. 0-60 time afterwards was about 16 seconds
3. Installed IPD VX cam. At the same time replaced the missing duct from the exhaust manifold to the airbox.
4. 0-60 time 15.4
5. Started post here
6. On suggestions received, disconnected duct from manifold
7. 0-60 time dropped to 13.4 seconds. Much joy. It used to rev to 4000, hang there, then shift to 3rd at 55 mph. Now it revs steady to 5500 rpm, and it will stay in 2nd well past 60 mph.

Horses beaten to death:

1. Some of you don't like automatic transmissions.
2. Most of you don't like the tires that are on the car.
3. It's going to be "relatively" slow no matter what I do, but there is room to shave about 1.5 more seconds off the 0-60 time.
4. A few of you don't like the IPD VX cam.

What's left:

1. Too damn cold here to work on the car any more right now (8F this morning)
2. Next steps will be increase compression to about 10:1 and/or exhaust mods to 2.25". 531 head, if I can get one, planed 0.040". Otherwise 530 same plane. I can afford to run premium fuel.
3. At that point, I'll be done. Bang per buck drops precipitously beyond that, and we'd get onto odd mods.


And now, back to our show.....

Idk if you’ll be able to effectively really use more cam than a T or possibly A with the stock super slow stall converter laaa-z shifting AW-70 & 3.73s, even if yours is one of the 245 classics that came with ski-Dan 185-70-14 tires on the super light strong mesh classic wheels to spin up?

Idk how much the pistons stick up above the block deck (if at all on your particular B230F), can order a thinner mls headgasket or deck the block for tighter squish/more compression?
Much North of 10:1 compression isn’t likely to run on regular gas as well as it did originally without pinging w/ stock EMS &/or a stump puller emissions cam.
B230F is quoted at 9.8:1 from the factory.

The original under-axle crush in the exhaust & chambered rear muffler are the major exhaust restrictions apart from where the downpipe joins together.

The earlier downpipes have slightly longer twin tubes & are a bit more durable (tho no compressed fibers for sound isolation, but thicker better metal), tho the late 1992-1993 use the iron ring/donut flange & in some cases 7/9 style cat, so the early dp isn’t exactly bolt into a 1993. Only a couple years of DP/their support bracket fit the later 4-speed auto cars.

Idk how worthy 80mph cruise is as a goal in one of these; given their aerodynamics MPG drops like a stone above 70mph.

The 205 steam rollers aren’t really a value-add except more rim protection on the 14s.
Burn them down or keep getting free take-offs?

If it’s really 0F out you probably want the airbox preheat installed and working for longevity, strictly speaking…

Kjets On a Plane said:

Idk if you’ll be able to effectively really use more cam than a T or possibly A with the stock super slow stall converter laaa-z shifting AW-70 & 3.73s.

Much North of 10:1 compression isn’t likely to run on regular gas as well as it did originally without pinging w/ stock EMS &/or a stump puller emissions cam.
B230F is quoted at 9.8:1 from the factory.

The original under-axle crush in the exhaust & chambered rear muffler are the major exhaust restrictions apart from where the downpipe joins together.

If it’s really 0F out you probably want the airbox preheat installed and working for longevity, strictly speaking…

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Well, at this point I'm really happy with the VX cam. It now idles as smooth as the M cam that I swapped, and the butt dynamometer shows equal stump pulling characteristics. The big difference between the M and the VX in my car really shows up as power above 3000 rpm, and in the rpm ceiling. I needed a little more oomph for passing, and now I have some, but I'd not turn down a little more. Gas mileage is fine. I'll report back more when I get chance to drive it far enough on the highway to see if it is further improved.

Duly noted on compression. I'll run premium fuel for now, and full-time if I increase compression. Cheap insurance against knock in a car with no knock sensors or ignition compensation for the same.

Yeah, WHY is that crush even there in the first place??? It must have some purpose, as it would require intent to do that. The crush is even there on the IPD high-flow 2.25" SS exhaust. Why, why, why upsize the pipe and then stomp it like that at the axle?

About the heated air intake: I think it's primarily purpose was emissions control to cause the MAF to lean out fueling at low temperatures; nothing more, and it is irrelevant very soon after startup. This car warms up incredibly FAST! Even at 0F, the engine is near optimum at about 1.5 miles from takeoff. Lots of aluminum in there. Cabin heating system was probably specked by Satan.

volvo loved to gimp the exhaust, the port, the dp merge, the axle crush, perhaps for cost/emissions?

Your volvo with ez116k ignition has a knock sensor and does per cylinder knock retard and short term trims. The built-in curve is atrocious though

As an FYI, your 93 has pretty decent knock detection and preventative tuning. If this was an older car, using older ECUs well it would be a different story.

You can probably get by just fine with regular, but you’ll notice a slight dip in power and MPG as the ecu pulls timing. I did a fair amount of heavy towing and road trips through the mountains with my manual cars with a shaved head and B or VX cam. You can run significantly more CR when using lh2.4 fuel management.

culberro said:

As an FYI, your 93 has pretty decent knock detection and preventative tuning.

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Excellent. One less worry.

Just got a quote for a rebuilt 530 cylinder head shaved 0.040", for $475 with free shipping and a 5-yr warranty from Clearwater (Odessa) Cylinder Head in FL. This seems very reasonable in Covid times. Good firm, and they do quality work. I got a head for a 960 from them several years ago and beat the snot out of it. I wanted a 531 head, but they are made of unobtanium.

I'll swap my VX cam into the new head upon arrival (about a month from now), and put the other aside for a rainy day.

We'll see how that runs with the present exhaust system, and then adjust, declare victory, and go home.

Check their reviews, I did when you mentioned them earlier. Some stuff looks very very questionable.

culberro said:

Check their reviews, I did when you mentioned them earlier. Some stuff looks very very questionable.

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I checked Google reviews beforehand, and it's a mix of mostly good, but some pissed-off. Reading a number of the pissed-off, many are just shouting and not following the stated policy to get a new head or refund. A few look like legit gripes. Clearwater offers a 5-year warranty, but you need to return the head first for inspection. Not ideal, but not unreasonable. As I mentioned, I've bought from them before, as have several friends: all good experiences.

I also called and spoke to the owner, and made sure we were both very clear on exactly what I needed. Now, I'll follow that up in writing when I get the quote, and file a copy of that correspondence as a resource in case there is ever a dispute. Caveat emptor.

I'd say the reviews are the usual mix of mostly good and about 15% pissy. I used to work in customer complaints for a major airline, so I recognize a few types that likely f__ed something up and now someone else needs to pay. Heck, if you can keep 85 % of today's customers happy, you are doing something right.

I checked out a shop nearer to you in Portland, OR (http://www.aluminumheads.com/), but they can't get 530 cores, and I'd have to ship my cylinder head there and back, and they'd rebuild it. Very good reviews, and the owner knows 240s well. They offer the same degree of rebuild as Clearwater for the same price.

While we're here: I assume that if I shave 0.040" off the cylinder head, that I'll retard the timing somewhat as a consequence. Is there a table of much timing is retarded per 0.01"?

My main concern on their work was a few valve stems that looked like they were shot blasted with gravel. Those would (and did per the reviews) wear the valve guides excessively.

For cam timing on these motors, it’s 1? of crank timing per 0.010” removed.
Most (all?) of the cam gears for redblocks measure cam degrees. So that’s double crank. At 40 thou off the head, you’d want to advance the cam 2? on the gear. You can also dial them in by measuring TDC lift.

Just saw your edit:
AHR does decent work. I’ve had mixed experiences with them. That’s why I ended up purchasing my own cylinder head tooling for rebuilding heads.

But, they generally do a very good job on redblock heads. Sometimes their valve jobs aren’t super concentric… and that’s why I check them and correct them.

I’ll also say that I’ve done some not very good valve jobs before (sorry klr142!), but we got it all fixed and working well.

http://www.240.se/litteratur/katalog.htm
Then click "tillbeh?r 90tal" then goto page 999. Its interesting, Volvo states 9hp more on B23A (carburettor, ~110hp) when switching to the "GT-exhaust" thats quite an impressive gain! I dont know if the later exhausts fitted to B230F was any better?

JE Jr said:

Volvo states 9hp more on B23A (carburettor, ~110hp) when switching to the "GT-exhaust" That's quite an impressive gain! I don't know if the later exhausts fitted to B230F was any better?

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Grasping, clawing, clutching, scrrrrrrrraping for one more normally-aspirated HP... one more ft-lb of torque. Spirits, give me hope that I may yet get from 0-60 in less that 12 seconds.

Of course, the Toyota Pious can do it in 10.2.

dmg4 said:

Grasping, clawing, clutching, scrrrrrrrraping for one more normally-aspirated HP... one more ft-lb of torque. Spirits, give me hope that I may yet get from 0-60 in less that 12 seconds.

Of course, the Toyota Pious can do it in 10.2.

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With the AC on full blast.

JE Jr said:

http://www.240.se/litteratur/katalog.htm
Then click "tillbeh?r 90tal" then goto page 999. Its interesting, Volvo states 9hp more on B23A (carburettor, ~110hp) when switching to the "GT-exhaust" thats quite an impressive gain! I dont know if the later exhausts fitted to B230F was any better?

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The later dealer-replacement exhausts go over the axle fairly smoothly.
That said, they just sell Walker 'muffler shop' cheap corrosion-prone thin chinesium junk now at dealer(s)?
Been a minute since I've had to buy one, but within the last ~2 years IDK quality was still decent?

As to early/late DP & chambered rear muffler, you'd have to figure that out in some way that makes sense?

Not trying to be a kill-joy here, just as time's gone on I sorta accept these for being slow, but reliability/longevity & slow/MPG & cargo-carrying & originality being more important for the N/A boring driver on various lousy fuel is all?

As to heads, the stock ports are uh...less than great.
The exhaust is basically the same on all the Volvo SOHC.
The 405/531s chamber's a little more un-shrouded ~ the exhaust valve & intake has the fin/swan's neck-thingy before the valve guide there.

It's not a *bad* design for its day, but the exhaust short side radius is what it is (almost a sharp kink/limited options w/that) & it takes a while for the ignition flame to get all the way across the bathtub without it being more wedge-angled & heart-shaped for a 2V.

If it's really ~0F out & you aren't using a block heater, the airbox pre-heat isn't a *bad* thing per se for some nice ~80?F air being immediately available before having to wait for all that coolant to warm up. ~90% of engine wear happens on cold-start in normal driving/operation in the first few mins. I'm sure emissions is part of the equation, but so is longevity in the cold w/EFI especially?
Especially if the OEM can't rely on avg. joe to block off the radiator/operate the window shade like the old SAAB 93s & 96s & 122Amazons had for the radiator (they also didn't have T-static engine cooling fan clutches & did have carbs/engine bay & its mechanicals to keep *somewhat* warm).
Wouldn't want the throttle body to ice up or to wash things down longevity or MPG-wise with excessive fuel, right?