So im beginning to plan out my engine build for the 242.

This will be slow, tedious and probably doomed to fail (not really, im just entertaining myself here)

I don't have a power goal, but what I would like to have is a responsive motor that is both good on boost and off (if I had to put a number to it, somewhere over 200 would be great). Streetability is not really a huge issue as I plan to leave the car stripped bare. Stitch welded and if it strikes me caged, its not going to be my dd.

My first question is... obviously what block should I start with? I have a b21ft stripped on a stand at the moment, and I dont really want to go hunting for a new block as I have a semi decent one already. Whats the advantages/ Disadvantages to building a b21ft? aside from the obvious... displacement. I want to run forged rods/pistons, and will probably have the block decked, honed, and the crank balanced and blueprinted. Is the crank I have alright? is the b230 crank better?

Im thinking that running a slightly higher CR will help with the off boost response, now should I achieve this using a Cometic gasket? or should I just get the block decked a little more while im at it? is this even a good idea?

For the head, I will probably start with a rebuilt 530, cause I dont really want to hunt for a 531. Im hoping someone will chime in with the machining costs of putting in the bigger valves, cause that just makes sense with only 8 valves and all.

intake, port matched b230 intake... not much to improve on here (within my budget)

Exhaust mani - ported 90+, for costs sake at the moment, Will probably move to a custom long tube jobbie eventually.

turbo. not sure what to run here, 15g, 60/63, something along those lines. spool will be important... but im really open to suggestions

ignition+ fuel, ms+s. dosent scare me much... yet. I will probably give this a shot with my now stripped 79 244 and spare b21ft. where I can afford mistakes (aka, rod thru the block). Move it to the 242 when the time comes.

Trans, m46, until it dies... then t5. lightened flywheel and the rest.

cam... I have no freakin idea. probably an a/b until I find something else that I like


So what im really looking for here are comments and feedback, what do you guys think? things that I should be looking for? good sources for parts? anything I should do differently? am I going to achieve what im trying to do?

In the world of perfect, a 94+ (am I right?) B230 block would be wicked sexy due to the larger rods. I believe its the K block.
Other then that a b23 would be my personal next choice due to it being awesome and strong.

A b21 makes the world keep spinning and if you could like to raise the compression half a point then you should buy my cometic head gasket for that lovely block of yours. From my experience with one of them they work well but you apparently need flat surfaces for it to seal correctly (unable to verify as I just tossed one on my old block and hoped for the best, guess I got lucky on that one).

I don't have much info about the heads, one of the more experienced fellows here will be much more insightful.

I have a b230 intake manifold that I did a bunch of work on and adapted the B21FT throttle on and you can use the b21ft throttle cable and all that with the idle air motor all hooked up and wicked. You are welcome to come take a look at it for ideas and I can help you fab it up if you'd like. I even have a spare B230 intake that has been ported at the throttle body side (done by Dale) that we could take a look at and see if it will work. I don't have another b21ft throttle so if you have one then perfect! Let me know though.

I have a 90+ manifold that I just pulled off an engine today but I may use that in my projects, I will check and see if I have any more though.

When are you looking for boost to kick in because that will be a good place to figure out what kind of turbo you'd like.

No idea about the fuel, I am in the same boat as you

Some M46's are wicked strong aka the iron case. I had one in my 242 and that thing still turned until the day I gave that car up to the wrecker. I did pull the pan off it and find about 1/8 of second gear gone but that only slowed down the shifts a little bit.

For a volvo cam on a turbo a lot of people would recommend an A cam because it has nice top end with a decent mid section. The B cam is "peaky" but there are also people who like the T cam because of the low end.

For costs, you will probably find that either people in the club or pnp will be your best friend, though I have seen some really nice deals on turbobricks and kijiji. Keep an eye out on all the classifieds and in the junkyard.

Just searching, found this http://cgi.ebay.ca/2-3-volvo-head-reman-gaskets-optional-cams-warranty_W0QQitemZ290294605060QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item290294605060&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Read the description and it doesn't seem half bad, but it is a bit of coin.

From the top:

There are only a couple things wrong with a B21FT based build: one is that you can only (properly) fit the "small" heads on it (160/398/530), and the other is displacement. The B21 blocks can take a substantial amount of overboring - even up to 96mm and beyond, so long as you don't plan on turbocharging it. A first overbore B21 will be stronger than any B23 or B230 block, not that the block is the strength issue or anything. 405/531/16v heads don't fit on the B21 block very well, and you're compromizing a little flow if you try it.

B21/B23 crank is superior to the B230 crank in a few ways: first of all, they're forged. Second of all, they give you options as far as bearings, rod/stroke ratio, etc. Thirdly, the rods are crank-steered so you don't need to have the pistons SOOOO tight like you do with the B230. The prime advantage of the B230 crank is the smaller bearings. If you want an example of what can be done with a B20/21/23 style crankshaft, talk to Ian Rankin on this board: He's got a 2.6 litre engine built up in his 142 made out of Ford pistons and DSM rods, if I'm not mistaken. Not great for turbocharging (pistons), but the rods are plenty strong and there's lots of possibility there. Custom (or just different) pistons WOULD be required. Besides, I doubt you can get the B230 crank in the B21 engine.

Compression ratio = streetability. Compression ratio = camshaft tolerance. Low compression ratio allows for lots of boost. When you choose your compression ratio, you should also be looking at things like: how much flow can you expect from your turbocharger; how much air do you think you can get into your engine; how fast are you willing to spin it; and how long are you willing to wait for boost? If you're going to stick with a Garrett T3 or an MHI TDO5-based turbo, I'd raise the compression ratio to between 8.5 and 9.0. Not much higher, as these engines aren't really knock-resistant. If you go higher than this, you'll basically have a naturally aspirated engine with a turbocharger attached to it. Dale has a B21FT with F pistons (9.3:1 CR) and on K-jet it was a ping monster at 6 psi. With Megasquirt it would probably be better.

The 530 is probably the toughest of the Volvo heads, as it has the most meat to it. It's also going to fit your block much better than the 531. You'll sacrifice a little intake flow with the 530, but it's not that important because the exhaust flow on both heads sucks. Going to 46/38 valves is easy-peasy - it's basically a valve job and a bit of time with a die grinder opening up the ports. Make sure your machine shop does the guides properly though - no less than 3.5 thousandths stem-to-guide clearance on the exhaust, and 2.5 thousandths on the intake.

The B230 intake isn't as good as a B21F/B23E, and you can get the injectors into the K-jet holes pretty easily. However, since you're using the 530 head, you don't HAVE K-jet holes and would have to get them machined out. I've got a tool for this, but don't have a jig for it at this time. So basically, B230 intake it is. Doesn't matter if it's from an F or an FT.

90+ exhaust manifold is good, better than the -89, but far from perfect. The proper tube header would be superior

For Megasquirt, it's pretty easy to install if you're careful. Tuning it is another matter. I've spent years with this system and it took me the first two to figure out HOW to tune, let alone WHAT the car was looking for. Don't let it scare you, though - it's a heck of a learning experience and it'll make you appreciate even the simplest car for how well the OEM engine management is sorted out.

The M46 isn't strong, but I've never broken one. The iron case version isn't any stronger than the alloy case: in fact, the alloy case has some beefier components. Not in the area that matters, that is - gear width. Both transmissions will tear out 3rd gear with equal abuse. The T5 is better but not great - it's a bit ugly shifting and 5th gear is terrible. If you go this way, I suggest rebuilding it and getting an .80 5th gear in there. You'll have to buy it new (not really available used) but it's not terribly expensive.

Cam will depend wholly on the compression ratio. If you keep the 7.5:1 CR, the wildest cam you'll want is the IPD Turbo or Enem V15 Turbo (basically identical). Either one will let you rev higher than 6500 RPM, but you've GOT to make sure the rest of your car can flow the amount of air required. Heck, I've even had 2 B23s happily rev to beyond 6000 on the stock T cam, with the right supporting mods. (For the record, my engine combination was B23E with stock B23FT pistons, 405 head with stock valves and lightly ported, B21F intake, 90+ exhaust, 60/63 turbo, 3" exhaust. Nothing exotic.) If you're going with a really big cam, you'll be expecting it to really rev, at which point you've got to be moving lots of air and have all your air system optimized, and you'll have to be sure the engine's capable of revving that high (valve springs), and your turbo will have to be really big (and as a result, laggy), plus the added monster cam will make the turbo even laggier & the low-RPM power worse. The big turbo will be choked off by the stock manifold, which means you'll need a tube header and that often hurts boost response as well. Choose carefully!

If you want to save a ton of money, buy a low-ish mile '90+ B230FT. '92+ has piston squirters, which are a negligable benefit. They've still got the cast crank and though they've got the strongest rods in a B230, they're still not as strong as those in a B23. Andy, the K block is the late '88 to late '89 "intermediate" block, with early rods and later crank. I believe the good one would be coded L, but I don't know for sure.

The Cometec head gaskets are good, but it's nice to have a "fuse". The stock head gasket will blow out if you do anything stupid, hopefully saving a bunch of parts from further destruction. The Cometec will hold on long after this, but possibly at the expense of a dropped valve or a melted piston. Head gaskets are dead easy to change in these cars - take advantage of that. Deck the block so the pistons are .010" to .020" out of the block, and with the .050" thick head gasket you'll have the appropriate piston-deck clearance.

Don't piss around with used injectors - buy new from DIYautotune, the same place you should be buying your Megasquirt. I just got a set of 52#/hr Delphi disc injectors for Houston's rally car at $60 each, brand new. By the time you find big injectors and get them cleaned, plus deal with the inevitable resistor pack because old "big" injectors are low resistance, you'll be better off with the new high resistance Delphis. If you MUST have something on the cheap, I've got a set of cleaned and balanced Ford CFI injectors (I think they're 37#/hr, 25% bigger than stock B230FT) you can have for $120.

For Megasquirt, don't cheap out. You can get by with the MS1 chip on a 2.2 board, but for a few bucks more you might as well spring for the MS2 on 3.57. You get a WHOLE BUNCH of improvements, and it'll do just about anything you want it to. They come pre-wired for EDIS, coil packs, standard ignition, whatever you decide. DIYAutotune has a starter harness that's all labeled and ready to go, and also seems a decent deal if you want help there. If you want to mount a trigger wheel to the crankshaft, talk to Dale.

For the flywheel - lightening it is an option, and I'll be looking at what's actually needed here soon, since I've got to do one for myself and one for Dale (and probably a few others, as soon as they hear about this). Using the stock 8.5" clutch is a no-go once you get to about 200 horsepower, so you'll have to look at upgrades from places like ClutchNet. I've never dealt with them (though I'm in posession of two of their clutches, haha) except to email them over and over again without a response. Andy had bad luck with his clutch, in that it wouldn't grab AT ALL until it wore away a good chunk of the pressure plate, at which point it'll now bark the tires in 2nd gear easily. The theory is that the clutch disk is too thick, and the over-center spring doesn't have enough grab until things wear away and the spring regains it's strength. (Diaphram springs are strongest when the PP is gripping the disk, and then go soft when you push on the pedal.)

That's probably enough to think about for a while...

Great article Matt, worth archiving! Especially for all the noobs on tbricks...

I assume you're looking to do this as a learning experience, which is good. I'll just throw out that I've been contemplating getting out of my 242 for a while now, and the engine is the best part of it. If that's something that you'd consider we can talk at great length about it, on top of the PILE of other parts I have in that car.

The only thing I can really add in terms of engine build, is along with your power and driveability goals, keep a budget in mind. The costs really add up, so lay out everything, with time lines, so you can plan accordingly. My "basic" rebuild took the better part of a year, and upwards of $1500 with Matt and myself doing most of the work. That doesn't include upgraded turbo, upgraded intercooler, upgraded cam and such that I've put in since.

I second that motion. This is pretty much what you need to know in a nut shell. I was going to add that if you need good machining at reasonable prices let me know. I've got a shop in the "bridge that does engines for me and they are good, fast and relatively inexpensive. A combination not usually found at the same location.

A good machinist will save you considerable dough and fuss.

Low mile late B230FT is probably the least expensive solution.


The stock B21FTs are really tough and a good condition one of those (getting rare by now) can take a lot of complete boost-addict idiocy that you throw at it. You do gain a lot more response and torque with a B23FT, though the 2.1L displacement doesn't really matter IMO. The increase in bore and SCR is what you really get with a B23 IMO.

I love abusing the B21FT in my 244T. It will run 21psi on the stock K-jet and intercooler etc with the timing at 14-16* BTDC completely reliably and fine. I shaved the head 25 thou and put a 27 thou HG on mine too I guess, so off boost with a 3" exhaust it isn't complete murder to drive. It does LOVE boost though...it is still a lower 8s :1 SCR narrow bore not great flowing motor after all.

There are a lot of gains to be had improving things that are completely external to the bottom end in the land of the volvo. The exhaust manifold, intercooler, exhaust, cylinder head, turbo all need a lot of help and good sorting even with a junkyard motor. Making it all work well together as a system in all situations is the toughest part for me.

You can do 220 reliable wheel horsepower on a K-jet B21FT honestly. Done it with mostly bolt-ons, thinner HG, some headwork and stock manifolds and intercooler. I like turbo k-jet just fine really. I wouldn't even worry about changing it for that level of power.

Cool!

thanks for the great response guys. Good writeup Matt. Ill be revisiting this lots when I start


What I did notice is that everyone assumed I would start with a stock bottom end. Because im going to take my time, im only really going to be starting on the bottom end this summer / winter. Id like to do forged internals, due to strength and weight (rotating mass etc) am I out in left field?

this will be a learning experience, I definitely like a challenge. my +t was a first time from only really changing simple things, and well... it drives.

for the block I will stick with the b21. can I bore it to b23 spec and use the off the shelf b23 (rsport) pistons? and the 21ft rods? i dont even know if the spec is similar, but if the meat is there, then why not increase the displacement.

as for CRs and boost, I definitely like how my 40/42 t3 spools at about 1800rpm, my main goal is fun, but streetability is Important too, I certainly don't mind waiting till 2500 for boost. Compressor maps are new to me, I understand that flow = spool, but beyond that... well I wouldn't be asking. Hearing that a 15g has similar spool to the 40/42, and capable of better flow, combined with its availability in the community makes it a viable option.

revs would be nice, but all aroundness, maybe a little biased to the top end is what I would like.

as for budget, Id like to get the most difficult and costly stuff done so i have a good base to bolt on to. I can change turbos and manifolds till the cows come home, but if I dont have a good start than whats the point? or am I in left field again? with that said, I don't wanna ping out at 6psi, 15 to 20 would be great. I know that lower CR means the capability for more boost. But a lag monster is not what im really after. maybe stick with the stock CR?

otherwise IDK

Sounds like the b21 (overbore?), with the 530 and bigger valves, an A cam etc are the places I would like to start, with emphasis on upgrade ability in the future.

The B21 is fine to bore out to 96mm, so long as you don't boost it. Boosting a B21 at B23 bores (96mm) is risky bad. There ARE measures you can take - filling the block or even this pinning experiment Kenny Howard is trying - but you're better off with 1st overbore B23 if you're going that way.

BTW - adding a drain to a non-turbo block is easy-peasy. I'll help you out there. Oil feed is similarly easy.

I didn't assume you were keeping it stock, but I didn't assume you were going crazy either. FYI - the B21/B23 "high performance" models all have forged cranks and rods, and the B21FT pistons are probably as tough of a non-forging as you're likely to find. They're heavy though, as are the rods. Certain later B21As came with cast crankshafts but still got the forged rods, in case you were wondering.

The rest of the engine combination is just as important as the turbo, regarding spool time. My 60/63 spools by 1800 in my 9.2:1 B23. BTW - your turbo is a 45 trim .42 A/R compressor with a .63 A/R turbine housing if it came in a 240, and a 50 trim .42 A/R compressor with a .48 A/R turbine housing if it came from a 740. Neither case would it be a 40/42. Not to pick nits, but minor housekeeping in the terminology. The TD04H-15G is a smaller, lighter turbo than the T3 - the compressor is probably superior to the 45 or 50 trim Garretts, but the turbine is smaller and more restrictive than even the .48 Garrett, which is asthmatic compared to a .63. There's a reason it spools quickly. If you NEED a MHI turbo, you should look for a TD05H-16T, though they're not exactly a bolt-up on a 90+ manifold - only the Garrett and TD04 turbines are.

The stock CR on a B21FT, combined with the smaller displacement, means you'll be stuck with a small-ish turbo and camshaft unless you're willing to sacrifice power below 3000-3500, at which point you can upgrade to bigger stuff. You'll still get above 200 hp with the small stuff if you pay attention to airflow - heck, I made 185 hp on a wheezy old 310,000 km B230FT using stock everything but camshaft and intercooler. That includes the crappy TD05H-12B turbo, -89 manifold, and bone stock head.

If I were building your engine, I'd probably go with stock pistons & rods if I were on a budget, and flashy stuff if I weren't. The stock replacement pistons are going to be early B21A 8.5:1 compression ratio stuff unless you go out of your way to find a set of Mahle 7.5:1 stuff. Spend the money on the head - get your 530, press out the guides and port the crap out of it, get new silicone bronze guides and oversize valves installed, clean up the transition, cylinder match the combustion chambers and round off the sharp edges. Rebuild the bottom end properly, balance the hell out of it, and carefully assemble it. Get an IPD Turbo cam, a 90+ manifold, and either a 60/63 or TD04H-15G, and run it. This combination will make 200 hp easy, and rev to 7,000 happily. If you need more, you can go with a tube header first (which will get you more top end and less bottom end, generally), MAAAAAAYBE a bigger turbo (T3/T4 combo - 50 trim compressor with a .63 turbine), and raise the boost. So long as you keep ping under control and keep your AFRs nice and fat, that engine will bust transmissions and blow heater cores all day long.

Edit - a late B230FT with 150,000-200,000 km will do all the above and more, though, and cost you a whack less than rebuilding the B21.

I have 3 b21's, 2 fts and an f... so the oil feed/return is no prob as the fts already have them done. also did feeds on my n/a wagon using AN stuff.

Ill just start with the ft i have torn down. thanks for the advise, might be a good way to go since its my first. Now, where would I find me bottom end stuff for a reasonable price? I saw that fcp has bearing and ring sets, oil pumps and the like. but I didnt see if there was any piston/rod sets. and how hard would the Mahle stuff be to track down?

Edit: I really would start with a low mile b230ft, but I like the challenge of rebuilding as it will be a tremendous learning experience for me. I wont learn anything bench racing all day, I need to get my hands dirty. Besides I would like a fresh motor in a fresh car.

Just because it's a low mile B230FT doesn't mean it won't appreciate a hone through the bores, new rings & bearings, checking the oil pump, etc. Most of the rebuild fun without the rebuild price. The block or crank doesn't really wear if oil's changed once in a while, so it should just need a re-ring and it'll be pretty solid.

You don't need to buy rods, just a piston/ring set. IPD sells a set for almost $600 USD, but I don't know if they're Kolbenshmidt or Mahle. You could also google Mahle distributors if you want to, or check around town. Try Cetus Automotive to start. Europe would probably be your best bet, though I think the B21FT pistons MAY have been discontinued and replaced by B21A (pre '81). You can get these http://volvoklassiekeronderdelen.nl/sho ... _id=228690 for $69 euro each - they're 2nd oversize so you'll get nearly 2.2 litres out of it. They're for the B21A and since they're from the earlier years they'll be 8.5:1 compression ratio with the small head.

I've got a set of those pistons if you're interested. I don't see myself using them anytime in the near or distant future. Got them ages ago for a great deal thinking a nice 8.5:1CR 2.2L engine would be pretty damned sweet.
The 2.3 in my 242 right now I'm very happy with, and it's very strong (fully forged) but if I had to do it again, I'd aim for a slightly lower compression ratio. It's about 9.2:1 right now and without fancy engine management is only good for about 13psi on 94 octane.
The up side is that i can't be too tempted to crank the boost so my clutch and tranny have survived this far. I also drive 95% of the time on cheap gas where it is plenty peppy.

sweet Athal,

we will be talking soon, 2.2 sounds pretty good to me too.

Thanks again for all the great info and help guys, I will be bringing this one back once I begin to get parts together.

Ill talk to you soon too Craig about your Machine shop.

As soon as I get free of school and back into the workforce ill be able to tackle this head on.

ps. maybe I will consider a low mile motor for my next build.