Join Today
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 47
  1. #1
    Member
    This user has no status

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    37
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts

    940 turbo build thread

    Having owned my brick for a good couple years now, I've learned a lot and fixed a fair few of its issues (on a shoestring budget and it's my daily, so often had to learn and do quickly as well). Nowhere near an expert, and plenty of others in the UK have done more than me. But for the sake of providing a resource for someone and getting it all written down rather than bouncing round my head, I figured I'd post it here. Pic uploader doesn't seem to be working properly, so will hopefully update once it's working nicely.

    Quick history / spec list:
    Bought at 143k miles ish in May 2017, having spent all its life in a field in Devon. Pretty scabby underneath. 1997 Volvo 940 LPT, completely stock. Interior was pretty good, wrinkly door cards and a few missing clips but mostly present and tidy.


    First job was to replace the clutch and general service, this was one I had to get someone else to do as I had no time or experience working on anything mechanical. Turns out I should have put an uprated clutch in, and made sure the mechanic was reputable...
    Name:  20170915_130323.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  712.3 KB
    Prior to its first MOT with me, it then killed its fuel pup as I filled up right before taking it to its test. Had it towed home, left it there for a month or so while I went down to uni. Fast forward and in November I had it as my daily at uni (trading my alcohol, partying, and food budget for fuel money), and trying to keep it alive. Replaced a few things for maintenance, the cambelt and front oil seals being done in February (lovely job in minus temps). Replaced the distributor in April 2018. Finished out my third year in great fashion with zero fatal issues, and performed exceedingly well taking me and my mates on beach trips, pub jaunts, and the like.

    Got it home, and set about putting an MBC and boost gauge in. Turned up to 0.85 bar and ran it for about 4 months like that. Clutch slipped a bit, thought to be due to the dual mass flywheel.
    More oil leaks caused by using aftermarket seals on the front (definitely worth using OE Volvo seals). Rebuilt my brakes all round that summer prior to its MOT and went with EBC Ultimax (OE+ specs) on the front and stock pads on the back. New caliper on the front and reconditioned the others as best I could, eventually they all started working. New discs, new handbrake shoes. Now it stops brilliantly, and while they don't deal with fade amazingly, they're a great budget upgrade which doesn't count as an upgrade on the insurance. Noisy and dusty, but I don't care about that kind of thing.

    Had a gaping rust hole in my passenger side sill welded as well,in the hope of getting it through its MOT first time.
    It subsequently failed, but only on a handbrake imbalance and missing daytime running lights. Advisories on a windscreen crack, cracked number plate, and a few minor issues. But I got it through just about.

    Back to uni for my fourth year, and had even less money this time around.
    In November I realised upping the boost, while fun, also killed my 13c. Great opportunity to replace with a bigger spooly boi, so I got a used 15G from an 850. Had a bit of trouble getting the wastegate actuator we fabbed up to fit around the oil lines, so decided to run with an open wastegate until I could get a flexible braided line fitted. We also realised while we were replacing the oil and coolant that it hadn't been done when it was 'serviced' beforehand. Pretty frustrating, especially when it got to 1am and we still hadn't finished fitting the turbo. Few notes about this:

    * The compressor housing and core both have to be rotated to fit a RWD engine. There is a snap ring on the compressor side which is a pain to get off, and the best pliers we could get for it were from a independent supplier in Bristol I found. The two sets I ordered off Amazon were both more expensive, ££££e quality, and the wrong size. Lesson somewhat learned...
    * There are four studs in the exhaust manifold on a 90+ turbo manifold. There were two Inconel studs in the cast iron turbo exhaust housing. They wouldn't come out without excessive heat application with heavy hitting with a mallet, and eventually we decided to cut the corners off the flange with a grinder.
    * Given the hassle we had getting the 15G with a conical flanged exhaust housing to fit, it would be worth going straight for a 16T with a straight or angled flange. Minimal extra hassle to get the downpipe to fit, and much better flow. Plus 16Ts are more readily available, and marginally bigger than the 15G.
    * I reused the wastegate actuator from the 13c because it has a stiffer spring than the later turbos, which are designed to work with a solenoid rather than due to the gauge air pressure.

    A slow few months ahead. I realised the core of the 15G was knackered, so ordered a brand new one from turborebuild.co.uk. Arrived quickly and the staff were great for helping me work out which one I needed, as the website listing wasn't the clearest. Meanwhile, I fitted the braided oil line. This was horrendous without taking off the oil filter relocation arm / oil cooler thing, but eventually I managed it. Had to grind, heat and bend a 19mm spanner to get it past the chassis rails and in to the banjo bolt on the block. Stubbornness as I refused to take the filter arm off, given that (I believed) the exhaust manifold would have had to come out to do that, and knowing my luck, I'd have sheared a stud or something. Another job completed in minus temps
    Also put in some new front indicator lenses, replaced with clears. Looks much better!


    Eventually got round to fitting the new core in January 2019, following university exams. Once again, I did this in cold conditions; there was a decent depth of snow on the ground around me, but this wasn't as bad as the other jobs. Reach in, pull the old one out, stick the compressor housing on in the right orientation, replace it. Done. Turned it up to half a bar and enjoyed turbo noises again. Also put some Toyo T1Rs on the rear, as the old tyres were a bit perished.
    Name:  20190131_121503.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  412.3 KBName:  20190201_113500.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  789.7 KBName:  20190201_133737.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  324.7 KB

    Due to requiring ankle surgery in February and therefore not being able to drive for a few months, progress stalled. Realised my heater core and heater control valve were leaking in March, so these got bypassed with a copper pipe, sealing tape and hose clamps in the engine bay so it could be driven without losing all my coolant. I also designed and 3D printed a boost gauge holder, and moved my boost gauge back to within my eyeline. It had previously been in the radio slot, having replaced the radio with more suitable in car entertainment.
    Name:  20190825_161529.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  221.7 KB

    Once back on my feet, got back on with things. Took the back box with its daft S bend tailpipe off and left it that way for a bit, while I made up a 304 stainless 3" straight pipe for the rear end. Used a 'reducer' to adapt from the diameter of the over axle bend and took it out to just inside the rear bumper. Sounds great and although it's a bit rice, I like it. Also sorted out a minor advisory from the previous MOT by doing that, which was obviously my reasoning for doing so.
    Name:  20190825_161435.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  511.7 KB

    Then I put in a V cam, as I'd noticed another oil leak from the camshaft seal. Turns out the original T cam had a slight groove on it and was weeping past the (admittedly crap) aftermarket seal. Now revs up nicely, fuel consumption is even worse, and I love it. Whacked the boost up again to 0.7 bar, will go higher sooner or later. Also plumbed in an eBay catch can inline with the original PCV separator box, and using the original vacuum source from the pre turbo intake pipe.
    Name:  20190313_194534.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  356.1 KB

    That's pretty much it on the performance side, as it's just failed its MOT again. This time, on one thing only! And only three advisories, a new record!
    - Rust hole in the passenger side rear by the jacking point, courtesy of not cutting out all the rust when the sill was previously welded. Thanks to the welding guy for that one...
    - Windscreen crack, from last year. Not a failure as it's right on the other side of the screen and doesn't obscure anything.
    - Oil leak, coming from somewhere strange. Looks like it's dripping off the aforementioned coolant hoses bypassing the heater core. Definitely a weird one, but I'll accept it as it's a 22 year old car now.
    - Front exhaust mount broken. This was a recent breakage, I'd noticed it was bodged together when I replaced the turbo. Started rattling only a week ago. I'll sort it when I sort out a new exhaust.


    Tl ; Dr:

    + 15G at 0.7 bar
    + V cam
    + Upgraded front brakes, reconditioned rears and handbrake.
    + Everything works in the interior, including sunroof. Only things that don't are the rear washer and headlight wipers, which have been removed.
    +I estimate I get about 25mpg on average, not bad considering my driving style and I drive through town a lot too. I think I only got 28mpg when I first got it at 135* bhp, it's now running just shy of 200* bhp I'd say.
    * compared to factory figures.
    + minor visual upgrades - it's decent paint underneath but has scratches all over, so touched up a few bits where it's flaked off. A few stickers, and prancing moose badges. Painted my front grille black, and replaced the headlights and front indicators for a pretty clean look if I do say so myself.
    Name:  IMG_4127.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  774.5 KB

    Upcoming plans:
    + Lowering springs and GAZ adjustable dampers
    + possibly an adjustable panhard rod from Viking Fabrications
    + KL Racing intercooler
    + 3" 304 stainless exhaust from turbo back, going to switch to a straight or angled flange housing for this.
    + Replace my heater core and control valve (Now rocking horse fecal matter as it's a non AC model) with an electric setup
    + e-fan and the bigger stock radiator to go with this
    + Wasted spark conversion
    + Hoping to do some LH2.4 tuning too, once I pull my finger out and get a wideband, Ostrich, and some blank chips. Way too many ideas for my own good to be honest

    And down the track I potentially have a B5234 T5 engine to go in. It needs a rebuild though, and instead of making it work with the M90 I'll probably go with a BMW 330d gearbox or something. Need to research this all more, but my perfect car is a RWD brick with a turbo 5 pot, so it's a pipeline idea.
    Last edited by Jfxv; Sunday 22nd September 2019 at 21:20.

  2. #2
    Member
    This user has no status

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    37
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts
    Starting a new job tomorrow so progress will slow down, but finances and skills will improve.
    Next up on the list is welding on Tuesday to get it through the MOT, then going to fit lowering springs and hope the original dampers don't blow out immediately. Will replace them with -40mm GAZ adjustable dampers, but finances are tight right now.
    In the meantime, working on getting a 12V electric fan heater to work without setting fire to anything.

  3. #3
    New Identity
    Back in an AWD....Oh the grip!
    Dangerous Dave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    West Midlands
    Posts
    8,921
    Thanks
    2,491
    Thanked 2,582 Times in 2,051 Posts
    Great story so far!

    Looking forward to future updates, have fun learning more about your pride and joy
    1996 Olive Green 850 AWD - Follow the Project - Forged rods, 19T, big blue injectors, 960 TB, 3.25" MAF, Ostrich, 608 binary, arduino data display, active exhaust control with Focus RS tips, 320mm front brake conversion.
    1996 Nautic Blue 850 AWD - Failed its MOT, now it's a donor for the green thing.
    2004 Sapphire Black S60 D5 - The new daily hack.

  4. #4
    Gearbox Killer
    Proving the power of the
    15g....13.4@104.3mph
    MoleT-5R's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Mid-Wales
    Posts
    5,624
    Thanks
    2,798
    Thanked 2,673 Times in 1,797 Posts
    As above, great thread and interesting read, don't know how i missed this before, keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing future updates.

    Current Volvo's 1995 854 Gul T-5R 1996 855 Olive T-5R 1997 855 Olive AWD 1999 V70R AWD and 2005 XC90 D5 AWD
    Previous Volvo's 1987 745 gle 1989 745 GL 1995 855 Olive GLE 2001 V70 p2
    My Ebay Items http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/quik.connection

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Appreciative
    kmb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Suffolk & Rhone Alpes
    Posts
    1,396
    Thanks
    926
    Thanked 455 Times in 375 Posts
    Nice work to save the car, enjoy the tinkering and keep us updated!

  6. #6
    Member
    This user has no status

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    37
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts
    Thanks for the kind replies all!

    It's been a while since I did anything performance wise, other than turning up the boost a bit further. Now running 1 bar on the 15G with a V cam, pulls hard but the clutch slips in 3rd at around 3k. I've been told this is due to the dual mass flywheel rather than it being a cheap clutch, so a TTV flywheel with 850R clutch is on the list.
    As it's my daily/only car, can't get too silly with it. A few jobs to do now that temperatures are falling, despite my hatred of working on cars in the cold.
    These are:
    * front oil seals - I'd replaced the camshaft (easy access) one with a genuine Volvo one recently. The aux and crankshaft seals are now leaking, so they need doing.
    * distributor seals - not too bad but it's been dripping oil onto my downpipe for months, so probably should get around to sorting those.
    * need to get one of my wheels repaired as it's got a slow (actually quite fast) leak
    * heater core - I started this today as it's cold but at least not raining. And driving in winter with no heater is absolutely miserable, so this is the most immediate concern, and I wish I'd finished the job when I last tried to do it in August.

    These cars have issues with failing heater cores, understandable as they're all at least 21 years old now. Mine gave up a while ago, but as it was summertime it didn't matter so much; I just bypassed it and planned the job for when I was less busy. I gave it a go in late August and got stumped at the point where I had to remove the air distribution box. Everywhere online says it's held together by 10 7mm screws which are painful but fairly accessible. Mine, being a late model car, is different, and of course there's no mention of it anywhere on the internet. Joy.

    I've just spent this morning pulling the interior and I'm at the same stage I last reached - a lot quicker this time as I didn't have to pull any of the ducting out, having not put it back in the first place. Bit more research and it appears that mine, because it's a 'Classic', has a different way of doing things (for no discernible reason) and therefore is even more of a pain in the ***. At least it doesn't have AC, which simplifies it a bit, but it's still a £££££££ of a job. As a result this is going to be the first (to my knowledge) documented heater core removal on a 1997 RHD 940. Everything I can find is about LHD, or older cars with a different system to mine.

    Key things to look out for: most distribution sections seem to be black plastic, from what I've seen on the internet, and screwed together. The one I'm dealing with is white plastic, and held together using (17, I think) clips which are mostly accessible, apart from one directly in the centre of the car above the trans tunnel, and this was the major cause of fury last time I tried this. Couldn't get at it at all with my hands, and I'm basically a human version of a noodle. Therefore (purists look away now) I'm mostly likely just going to hack it off with tin snips, a die grinder, or whatever I can get at it with, and when it all goes back together, there'll just be one missing clip. Bigger issues to deal with tbh, I just want a working heater. In any case, it's better than doing this:
    The whole bottom section looks to me to be riveted to the rail attached to the firewall, and these will most likely get the same treatment if it doesn't come off with the clips. Can you tell how little patience I have for this thing now?


    Pics to follow, I've just come in to charge my phone, so when I go back out I'll take some pics for the education value.

    In more positive news, I decided to remove my centre face vents and put some 52mm gauges and a cupholder there instead. I've been prototyping the panel and the required mounts this week. Hopefully will get it finished and modelled in CAD soon for 3D printing; once that's done, I'll be able to supply them to anyone who might want some. It's designed to retrofit with minimal modification (at the moment, two holes drilled in the steel brace panel on top of the glovebox) and works pretty well, just needs a few refinements, so if anyone wants, shoot me a PM. I'll be designing some for an 850 too in the future.

  7. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Jfxv For This Useful Post:

    kmb (Friday 8th November 2019),woz (Sunday 17th November 2019)

  8. #7
    Member
    This user has no status

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    37
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts
    Apologies for the awful formatting... I'm not too savvy with forum posts.

    Got some pics of how the heater core and distribution box looks in these later models. It's held together with a load of clips rather than inaccessible screws, like most 940s.
    Name:  thumbnail_20191108_150042.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  175.5 KB
    Name:  thumbnail_20191108_144927.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  233.6 KB

    Slightly less of a pain to get apart. After taking off all the air ducts from the white distribution box, I ended up getting the bottom half off and wrestling the old matrix out, through cutting one of the old rubber hoses (going to replace with silicone ones), and this a) takes time and effort and b) damages the old core. The bottom half can be removed from the car once the matrix is out but...

    A much easier way of doing it appears to be through removing the scuttle panel (two nuts on the wipers, then three M6 (10mm) screws and nuts within the engine bay). Removing the panel above the ventilation duct allows access to two bolts.
    Name:  thumbnail_20191110_121150.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  313.7 KB

    Undo these and a single bolt in a bent steel bracket behind where the glovebox would be, and then the whole upper half of the air duct drops down.
    Name:  thumbnail_20191110_121209.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  299.8 KB

    The mounting rail can be detached through undoing two nuts on studs on the driver side in the engine bay. Make sure the two heater hoses are removed from the valve and core return pipe in the bulkhead - I'd already joined these to bypass the core ages ago. The whole assembly then should detach with ease, and can be removed from the car after disconnecting a few cables from the control valve and wires and things. This makes the job of removing the matrix from the distribution box much easier once it's on the bench.

    After I got the new matrix into the distrib. box, I got sidetracked trying to sort out a leak I've had for a while, and I found a load more rust which needed sorting.As it stands, I'm going to go out tomorrow and try to get the box and matrix assembly into the car as a complete thing, and sort out the cables and things. I'm amazed that I've not seen any posts anywhere about removing the scuttle panel to speed the job up; I'm assuming this is because there's no info /anywhere/ about doing this on the RHD 1997/8 cars, but it must be worth a look for anyone trying to do the job on the older cars, and definitely helps the job on this model.

    I also need to get some silicone hoses into place between the matrix and a new control valve I've ordered, as the old one was leaking. Those were ordered yesterday, so should have the job finished by the end of the week. Also going to be ordering some GAZ adjustable dampers for the fronts soon; I've got a set of Kilen lowering springs to go on. I'd done the rears already as one of my old ones had collapsed, so it looks silly with a rear rake at the moment. Once I have the GAZ shocks for the front, the new springs and topmounts (with camber mod) can go in. I also have a set of new Bilstein B4s for the rear, these can go on fairly easily as they're separate from the springs, but I've got my hands full with the heater stuff at the moment. Once the springs are fitted all around, I'll update with some pics.

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to Jfxv For This Useful Post:

    woz (Sunday 17th November 2019)

  10. #8
    Senior Member
    Appreciative
    kmb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Suffolk & Rhone Alpes
    Posts
    1,396
    Thanks
    926
    Thanked 455 Times in 375 Posts
    Good info, thanks.

  11. #9
    Member
    This user has no status

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    37
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts
    Finally finished the heater core on Wednesday. It's nice having heat again! I also replaced my distributor seals in an effort to stop that leaking and dripping onto my downpipe.
    Took way longer than it had to, but that's the result of having to wait for parts to be delivered etc.

    As cable operated heater control valves are no longer available, I decided to grab a generic one from carbuilder solutions. £22 delivered, and the actuator travel is reasonably close to the original, but it works in 'reverse' compared to the original configuration. To make it work, it needs to be rotated 180 degrees and sealed in place in the bracket - I used some polyurethane adhesive/sealant called Nemesis, but it didn't work too well the first time, so had to reapply it more liberally and leave it for longer to set. I've yet to see how it holds up, but 'next time' I'd go for something stronger like sikaflex 291i, the marine adhesive I was recommended to use the first time. £4 a tube versus £12 though, so for the saving I was happy to put up with a bit of inconvenience.

    Name:  20191122_162710 copy.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  768.7 KB

    To get the cable to work properly, it has to act downwards to push open the valve, and pull it closed, so it needs to be re-routed slightly. I had to cut it down in length slightly, to make it fit more easily. At this point I'd given up on doing it neatly and cabletied it in two places to the clutch pedal bracket. It works, so I don't mind it looking a bit trashy. There is also a cable that travels across underneath the dash, and operates a flap that diverts the air away from the matrix when the valve is closed; good idea for when you want actual cold air, in addition to shutting off the coolant supply to the core. I didn't bother making it work with the new valve, so the job isn't really finished, but it's 90% functional. I don't mind this personally, as I never use the cold air setting anyway. Sorry to any future owners!

    The original hoses were unusable, so I replaced with silicone hoses. Simplest way to do it is just use 2x 90 degree elbows (ID is 16mm) and cut them to fit. This works absolutely fine, and was necessary as the core is a different design, with one hose coming off at an angle.

    Name:  20191122_162702 copy.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  712.3 KB


    Hopefully going to keep it going well for the winter, and in spring will probably get on with more performance stuff. As it is, I'm quite happy with it; everything that makes it pleasant to own works now. Heater, heated seats, electric windows, sunroof not leaking, nothing's broken on it really. Winter plans are to sort out the front oil seals, front suspension, and rear dampers. Then in the spring, sorting out a 3" exhaust, wideband, adjustable camgear, and tuning it properly. Next goal/milestone is 250bhp / 210-220 wheel hp.
    Last edited by Jfxv; Saturday 23rd November 2019 at 17:47. Reason: One day I will figure out how to keep image sizes manageable. today is not that day

  12. #10
    New Identity
    Back in an AWD....Oh the grip!
    Dangerous Dave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    West Midlands
    Posts
    8,921
    Thanks
    2,491
    Thanked 2,582 Times in 2,051 Posts
    Nice workarounds!

    Unfortunately it's gonna get worse trying to find obscure parts like that.
    1996 Olive Green 850 AWD - Follow the Project - Forged rods, 19T, big blue injectors, 960 TB, 3.25" MAF, Ostrich, 608 binary, arduino data display, active exhaust control with Focus RS tips, 320mm front brake conversion.
    1996 Nautic Blue 850 AWD - Failed its MOT, now it's a donor for the green thing.
    2004 Sapphire Black S60 D5 - The new daily hack.

  13. The Following User Says Thank You to Dangerous Dave For This Useful Post:

    Jfxv (Saturday 30th November 2019)

  14. #11
    Senior Member
    If in doubt thrash it and see
    what happens
    woz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Bristol BS5
    Posts
    661
    Thanks
    58
    Thanked 107 Times in 90 Posts
    Thanks for the trip,out in "SCV" the other night, pulls like a train, barring fuel-cut and clutch slIp issues which you will resolve I am sure. That heater was lovely and warm and ntoastybwhen it was 0 degrees outside. Great motor, look forward to helping sort the suspension upgrades in due course. Hecking heck it could be as fast as my 850...one day... LOL.

  15. The Following User Says Thank You to woz For This Useful Post:

    kmb (Saturday 7th December 2019)

  16. #12
    New Identity
    Back in an AWD....Oh the grip!
    Dangerous Dave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    West Midlands
    Posts
    8,921
    Thanks
    2,491
    Thanked 2,582 Times in 2,051 Posts
    Good to see local members helping out (and sharing the experience). Nice one!
    1996 Olive Green 850 AWD - Follow the Project - Forged rods, 19T, big blue injectors, 960 TB, 3.25" MAF, Ostrich, 608 binary, arduino data display, active exhaust control with Focus RS tips, 320mm front brake conversion.
    1996 Nautic Blue 850 AWD - Failed its MOT, now it's a donor for the green thing.
    2004 Sapphire Black S60 D5 - The new daily hack.

  17. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Dangerous Dave For This Useful Post:

    Jfxv (Sunday 15th December 2019),kmb (Saturday 7th December 2019)

  18. #13
    Member
    This user has no status

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    37
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts
    Thanks all!
    Woz is right, stock clutch and flywheel are struggling with the power a bit. The plan is to go TTV and 850R clutch in the future, but for now I'll just have to turn the boost down a bit, or learn to not beat on it so it holds up. No longer a cheap, fun car!

    Recently sorted a water leak into the cabin, and had a buckled wheel repaired that was leaking a lot of air. Replaced the rear dampers with Bilstein B4s.
    Surprised that it wasn't a particularly noticeable difference over the original shocks, but it's a cheap and easy job. Need to order the front dampers, but I already have topmounts and springs so can crack on with the job when they arrive.

    Have a new cam cover and gasket to go on in the meantime, as the existing one is weeping a bit. Pics to follow once it's all painted and fitted. The info is all out there on Turbobricks and places, but for anyone not in the know who's reading this: Using a dab of gasket sealant like RTV in the sharp corners of the gasket helps to stop it leaking, as they tend to allow oil through the square bends around the ends by the distributor and the pulley. I ordered an Elring gasket, as other brands are reputedly crap, despite my poor experience with their oil seals on this motor. We shall see how it holds up!

  19. #14
    Member
    This user has no status

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    37
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts
    Quick update: since doing the job and writing about it, I have since found out that I was wrong about the air distribution box for the heater system. The white plastic box is standard on non-AC 940s. Hadn't seen anything anywhere on the internet about it until last week, then it turns out I was wrong and it's not that uncommon. Can't go back and edit my previous posts so here is a correction in hindsight

    Not done much to the car recently but will be working on getting it tuned properly soon using TunerPro and attempting to get the fueling right for my setup. There's a great thread on Turbobricks about it and a good resource here: https://ipdown.net/jetronic.info/tiki-index.php
    The stock fuel map is pretty rough and has weird things in it. So immediate priorities are (first to refresh front suspension) get a wideband in and a chip burner, and start messing around with things I don't understand very well.
    If I don't manage to blow my engine up doing that, then the same process works for the EZK (ignition module) too. You're welcome to have a sweepstakes on how long it takes me to bend the rods

    ( I am joking of course).

  20. #15
    Member
    This user has no status

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    37
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts
    It's been a while since I said anything; recently moved house and started a new job.

    Here's a picture of the cam cover I took way too long to paint, photograph and upload. I think it looks alright. Annoyingly various hoses run across it (that PCV breather pipe from my ****ty eBay catch can in particular) and have rubbed away the paint in places. I also replaced the seal in the oil filler cap and stopped that from leaking for once, so it's yet to have puked oil over the cover at least. I'm amazed that the catchcan and PCV system are actually doing a decent job; my other oil leaks are negligible as well. Realised when I swapped it on that my oil was disgusting (only 5k miles since last change so pretty good timing.

    Name:  camcover.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  911.2 KB

    Did a couple of oil changes in January before I moved, at a really short interval. No way am I putting any of that engine flush ££££e through it, figured a short oil change would do as good a job without dislodging all the sludge and getting it somewhere it shouldn't be. It came out gross either way.

    Name:  Screenshot_20200107-185528_Video Player.jpg
Views: 0
Size:  428.9 KB

    Took it on a dyno to see how much (little) power the turd makes. Went to JPR Tuning in Bristol, wholly recommend and one of the guys there is a Volvo guy too so was good to have someone who knew something about bricks and LH2.4.
    It made 195.9 (flywheel) horsepower at 5195, and 221.7 ft lbs at 3370. Peak wheel hp was 154.8. Full spec list at the time for direct reference:
    15G at 0.6 bar, V cam on stock timing, standard LH2.4 ECU and EZK. Muffler deleted, and generally a fairly healthy engine. Useful to put some numbers on the wall rather than guessing and talking ££££.
    This also highlighted some of weaknesses of my setup /LH 2.4 in general. Leans out on throttle tip in around 3000 RPM, and then goes too rich up top (AFRs of 12.5 ish and then down to 9s above about 5400). As a result, I didn't turn the boost up as was the original plan, but probably wise as the clutch isn't holding it either.

    Went and got some custom chips from Martin Smith (I believe he's on here but rarely), to tide me over until I sort out a proper management system. Great service from Martin and 100% recommend!

    Haven't had it back on the dyno yet, but will be getting a wideband in and sorting out the front suspension before I do. Have an electric fan to sort out and am going to be sorting out a new management system. It's gotten to the point now where everything I want to do is actually quite expensive.

  21. The Following User Says Thank You to Jfxv For This Useful Post:

    kmb (Monday 17th February 2020)

  22. #16
    Member
    This user has no status

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    37
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts
    Quick one: the Elring gasket I used between the cam cover and the head was pretty rubbish. Used a load of RTV to plug the gaps but I'm pretty unimpressed.
    I know it's a standard thing for these gaskets to leak. Doesn't stop the fact that Elring are, in my experience, 3 for 3 in making subpar products.

  23. #17
    New Identity
    Back in an AWD....Oh the grip!
    Dangerous Dave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    West Midlands
    Posts
    8,921
    Thanks
    2,491
    Thanked 2,582 Times in 2,051 Posts
    Thanks for the updates!

    Cam cover looks great BTW and don't worry the oil cap seal will soon dry out and leak

    Most gaskets I tried on my 940 leaked so it's not limited to Elring.

    And I forgot how easy it is to access most things in the engine bay in the 940. Ah those were the days
    1996 Olive Green 850 AWD - Follow the Project - Forged rods, 19T, big blue injectors, 960 TB, 3.25" MAF, Ostrich, 608 binary, arduino data display, active exhaust control with Focus RS tips, 320mm front brake conversion.
    1996 Nautic Blue 850 AWD - Failed its MOT, now it's a donor for the green thing.
    2004 Sapphire Black S60 D5 - The new daily hack.

  24. The Following User Says Thank You to Dangerous Dave For This Useful Post:

    Jfxv (Friday 21st February 2020)

  25. #18
    Member
    This user has no status

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    37
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts
    cheers! Yeah I'm going to order one from Volvo; apparently all the paper ones leak but the OE ones are better.

  26. #19
    Senior Member
    If in doubt thrash it and see
    what happens
    woz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Bristol BS5
    Posts
    661
    Thanks
    58
    Thanked 107 Times in 90 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Dangerous Dave View Post
    Thanks for the updates!

    Cam cover looks great BTW and don't worry the oil cap seal will soon dry out and leak

    Most gaskets I tried on my 940 leaked so it's not limited to Elring.

    And I forgot how easy it is to access most things in the engine bay in the 940. Ah those were the days
    MOST things ... LOL.

  27. The Following User Says Thank You to woz For This Useful Post:

    Dangerous Dave (Wednesday 18th March 2020)

  28. #20
    New Identity
    Back in an AWD....Oh the grip!
    Dangerous Dave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    West Midlands
    Posts
    8,921
    Thanks
    2,491
    Thanked 2,582 Times in 2,051 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by woz View Post
    MOST things ... LOL.
    Indeed
    1996 Olive Green 850 AWD - Follow the Project - Forged rods, 19T, big blue injectors, 960 TB, 3.25" MAF, Ostrich, 608 binary, arduino data display, active exhaust control with Focus RS tips, 320mm front brake conversion.
    1996 Nautic Blue 850 AWD - Failed its MOT, now it's a donor for the green thing.
    2004 Sapphire Black S60 D5 - The new daily hack.


 

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
This website uses cookies
We use cookies to store session information to facilitate remembering your login information, to allow you to save website preferences, to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.
     
ipv6 ready