Technical => Engine Tech => Topic started by: JoeNoble on October 02, 2007, 10:07:27 PM
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: JoeNoble on October 02, 2007, 10:07:27 PM
Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions. Though I’m not ready to do it myself (based on knowledge and finances) I want to acquire all the info I can so everyone please post any links to any pages with info about the head swap that you have.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: P71 on October 03, 2007, 10:07:56 AM
It involves lots of welding and fabrication and money.
And BoPort's Iron head still made more HP. So it's all for the "wow" factor.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: BCA on October 03, 2007, 10:39:09 AM
Don Haulsee did it on his Capri II. His goal was to see if it could be done cheaply and without welding.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: JeremyB on October 03, 2007, 11:57:16 AM
Quote from: Aerobird Motorsports;180492
BoPort's Iron head still made more HP. So it's all for the "wow" factor.
Do you have any links to dyno/track comparisons between the two?
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: P71 on October 03, 2007, 03:47:50 PM
The highest HP Volvo car (on TurboFord anyways) made 440rwhp. Bo made 511rwhp with his regular iron Ford-headed car.
There are also 2 cars in the 8's (Flanders, Huber) and one in the 7's (Morgan) with the Ford 8V style head. None of the Volvo guys are out of the 11's.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: gumby on October 03, 2007, 05:06:29 PM
who cares? the guy here asked for info on the swap, not if you think its worth it or not.
when i was lookin at info, i jus used google. there is alot to be found there.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: martin0660 on October 03, 2007, 08:29:13 PM
Quote from: BCA;180498
Don Haulsee did it on his Capri II. His goal was to see if it could be done cheaply and without welding
Don has been saying he is going to do a full on write up of his conversion. You might want to wait on this as it will likely become the template for this conversion. No welding of the head required, but it does take machining of the block for freeze plugs. I think it could be done in the car with a mag base drill, but that only specualtion. Keep in mind, he has a very custom intake / header, and no matter how you go at it, these will be needed. His car keeps the distributor the way the intake is made.
I saw Don's car in person at the Columbus NMRA. He was there with the other euro Capri guys. He drove the car a ton of miles ot get there / home, and it basically ran flawless. His conversion is VERY clean, well done, and it started and ran good from what I saw.
I really dont think anyone has done the swap to this point looking for the best numbers. Most of them have been for the novelty at this point.
Quote from: Aerobird Motorsports;180563
The highest HP Volvo car (on TurboFord anyways) made 440rwhp. Bo made 511rwhp with his regular iron Ford-headed car.
I can assure you there ARE higher HP Folvo's out there. Not everyone posts on the internet.
Bob Myers
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: P71 on October 03, 2007, 08:34:11 PM
Good point Bob.
But until Don's conversion becomes known, it's just not an "average" guy swap. I've read the other write ups and it's amazing, but all of that work is very difficult and technical. Not to mention still doesn't make the #s (we'd of heard of a 10 second Volvo/TF if it existed).
I think Don is approaching it much better, but there is still a lot going on, especially in the intake/exhaust. And even he freely admits a BoPort SIII or Essy AL could be had for the same price.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: Tbird232ci on October 03, 2007, 09:41:55 PM
Quote from: Aerobird Motorsports;180563
The highest HP Volvo car (on TurboFord anyways) made 440rwhp. Bo made 511rwhp with his regular iron Ford-headed car.
Keep in mind, peak numbers mean nothing. Honda's can peak 200 horsepower, but only make it at 9K rpms.
Also, the 8v head has been around for well over 20 years, thats a lot of years for people to learn, tweak, port, cut, etc. The Volvo head is still relatively new, and still being experimented with.
You can go by a "recipe" for a 2.3L, and go fast, you gotta figure out the Volvo head setup.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: gumby on October 03, 2007, 10:07:41 PM
Quote from: Tbird232ci;180666
You can go by a "recipe" for a 2.3L, and go fast
some people can, anyhow. others cant even keep em runnin :hick:
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: P71 on October 04, 2007, 12:07:06 AM
Even Bob's blown more then one shortblock.
There's 2 types of 2.3T people. The ones who break stuff. And the ones who break stuff but don't say anything.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: jcassity on October 04, 2007, 12:13:28 AM
Quote from: Tbird232ci;180666
You can go by a "recipe" for a 2.3L, and go fast, you gotta figure out the Volvo head setup.
now if there was a clutch setup out there to match besides the stock one the size of a center cap:hick:
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: Chuck W on October 04, 2007, 09:00:06 AM
Quote from: jcassity;180731
now if there was a clutch setup out there to match besides the stock one the size of a center cap:hick:
There are guys who have made conversion plates to mount a 5.0 bell/flywheel on a 2.3.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: Thunder Chicken on October 04, 2007, 09:23:42 AM
IMO the easiest way to have 16 valves in a TC is to drop a 5.0 in :hick:
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: ipsd on October 04, 2007, 09:56:49 AM
I haven't done it. It sounds like to much work for not enough gain. That is from endless reading. There are people making 400-500hp with the 2.3t 8v head. Yes it takes work and tuning but at least you don't have to rework the water and oil passages to the head to do it. Just less to worry about with the 8v head. Just my 2cents
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: JoeNoble on October 04, 2007, 10:17:06 AM
This is the first I've heard of a V8 head swap on the 2.3. Does anybody have pics or links to any info pages? I know people have made some really impressive HP from the 2.3 with the original head but can't you squeeze more out of a DOHC than you can a SOHC? To be honest I wasn't sure if the Volvo head would give more power opportunity or not but it looks cool as hell and I was thinking about it the other day and it would be really cool to have the 2.3 with the Volvo head swap in a Mazda FB3S (1st gen RX7). I used to have one with the 12a carb engine but it ran py and needed a lot of work but I still loved the out of that car and I think with a bad ass engine it would be an awesome car to have.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: Chuck W on October 04, 2007, 10:20:33 AM
Quote from: JoeNoble;180773
This is the first I've heard of a V8 head swap on the 2.3. .
Huh?
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: JoeNoble on October 04, 2007, 10:33:02 AM
Quote from: Chuck W;180774
Huh?
Yeah, I don't know... I misunderstood. I'm pretty sure that's not possible. You'll have to forgive me I haven't slept yet.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: martin0660 on October 04, 2007, 08:41:08 PM
Quote from: Aerobird Motorsports;180728
Even Bob's blown more then one shortblock.
Someday, I really want to try some of what you are smoking out there.
I've been hammering these 2.3 turbos since 1992. My silver 87 TC left me with the stock shortblock in place. My Maroon 88 TC left me with the stock shortblock still in place. I melted my first piston EVER this year in the Capri. I know what I did wrong there, knew it was going wrong, and didnt lift.
By my count, thats ONE piston in ONE shortblock in my stuff. As hard as I push this stuff, I'm a lucky SOB, but its still only ONE.
Bob Myers
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: CougarSE on October 05, 2007, 07:50:42 AM
If I ever had a 2.3 it would have the Volvo head.. its just super cool.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: P71 on October 05, 2007, 09:49:42 AM
That's not what MAP told me Bob, but whatever. We all know you're the almighty go-fast on stock 2.3 guy, but don't kid us, you've broken your fair share of parts and had to miss a few races. We ALL know you have more wasted T3's laying on your bench then I have blown HG's.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: martin0660 on October 05, 2007, 04:39:15 PM
Quote from: Aerobird Motorsports;180985
That's not what MAP told me Bob, but whatever.
Your listening to a guy that has his head in fiberglass resin all day and that is building a Pinto ;) I am telling you, this was the first short block I EVER hurt, for whatever its worth.
Quote from: Aerobird Motorsports;180985
but don't kid us, you've broken your fair share of parts and had to miss a few races. We ALL know you have more wasted T3's laying on your bench then I have blown HG's.
For sure, if you are going to bracket race a 2.3 powered, stick shift car, parts are going to break. I know the price of it, and am willing to do it because its my thing. This summer I fell into a sprial of buying other peoples junk, and ate three T3's in four weeks. Thats the story on that. I bought a fresh rebuild from Evergreen (my 1st "new" turbo ever) and have been fine since. So yeah, I have a pile of junk T3's, none of them tuning related, just plain trying to use junk to go semi-fast.
BTW, I did not miss a race this year, the two weeks the Capri was down, I raced my truck, and went rounds with it too. (runner up once, semi's the other).
Bob Myers
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: Tbird232ci on October 05, 2007, 05:46:37 PM
Quote from: Aerobird Motorsports;180985
That's not what MAP told me Bob, but whatever. We all know you're the almighty go-fast on stock 2.3 guy, but don't kid us, you've broken your fair share of parts and had to miss a few races. We ALL know you have more wasted T3's laying on your bench then I have blown HG's.
Also consider that Bob was on the verge of overspinning nearly every T3 that he had on that car. If he had a good turbo on it, he wouldnt have been eating them alive.
Bob was able to keep his parts together and he actually ran his at the track with good results ;)
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: jlewis05 on November 24, 2007, 01:49:48 AM
What is this "drag racing" you speak of?
A properly setup Volvo head will yield double the power of a stock iron head on the same boost, in my opinion, I haven't proven it yet but will try soon. You can play with the SOHC heads a lot but I doubt you'll ever hold the powerband and port velocity of the 16V head. Bo's 511 rwhp was with a big cam, I'm sure he did just about the best porting imaginable, and he built a header that costs more than most of our cars. A lot of the Volvo setups use log headers that cost a 300 bucks or less and homemade intakes. I'm not knocking Bo, it's clear he's doing a good thing and honestly most people are very well off with a good ported SOHC engine.
The DOHC project is a frankenstein and has many implications and complications and ifications but it clearly works and is clearly structurally stable, even more so by Don's method which prevents welding on the heat treated head.
I would argue that anyone should be able to turn 500 HP type numbers from a Volvo head engine. Big talk I know but that's just because my confidence in it has been built up for actually driving one a bit. I'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as I can get to a dyno with it working good.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: daboss351 on November 24, 2007, 01:30:41 PM
Quote from: martin0660;181035
Your listening to a guy that has his head in fiberglass resin all day and that is building a Pinto ;) I am telling you, this was the first short block I EVER hurt, for whatever its worth.
For sure, if you are going to bracket race a 2.3 powered, stick shift car, parts are going to break. I know the price of it, and am willing to do it because its my thing. This summer I fell into a sprial of buying other peoples junk, and ate three T3's in four weeks. Thats the story on that. I bought a fresh rebuild from Evergreen (my 1st "new" turbo ever) and have been fine since. So yeah, I have a pile of junk T3's, none of them tuning related, just plain trying to use junk to go semi-fast.
BTW, I did not miss a race this year, the two weeks the Capri was down, I raced my truck, and went rounds with it too. (runner up once, semi's the other).
Bob Myers
He kids you not, i watched him DESTROY a t3, and in the truck he got and raced it!
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: t3skidoo on November 24, 2007, 02:26:44 PM
Joe,
If you have any questions, you can PM me here, or email me using [my screen name] at yahoo dot com.
Title: Has anybody on here done the Volvo head swap cuz I’ve got some questions.
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on November 25, 2007, 11:23:03 AM
What good is a mega-horsepower anything... IF you can't drive it on the street???
Sure XYZ made 90 bazillion hp on the track for 1/4 mi, but in IMHO it ain't worth a $$@*% if you can't drive it EVERY day(and not break)...
I drive my car to and from the track, on trips(one over 1400 mi), and been to Carlisle (320mi) with it FIVE times... All with the A/C blowin' cold and cruse set, listen' to the tunes..