B230ft wtb

@volvomidget on your phone, go to this page, and below the comment box is a button that says "add images". That's how you add images. The video you'd need to put on YouTube and link here or something similar.

bgpzfm142;121769 wroteThanks, yes - I know about the bolt upgrade, but that's only half of the problem.

Rick122S;121706 wroteSame with the gear, there is an early and later, upgraded version

If by oil pump gear, you mean oil pump pulley, maybe you missed this part of what I wrote earlier:

bgpzfm142;121694 wrote Again, the pulley was a uniquely B204/B234 part, and they are NLA from Mother Volvo. Nobody in the aftermarket AFAIK makes oil pump pulleys for them, either.

PS: The B21 based oil pumps in the B230 have never had any problems in competition, AFAIK - and none of the Group A 240 Turbos that I know of ever died of low oil pressure at any of the Spa 24 Hour races, or any of the 500 km ETC races. IMO it would be a folly to run a B234 in competition today, because parts that must be replaced on spec to ensure reliability - like that oil pump pulley - aren't available any more.

It also appears most LeMons racers in the US who are using 16V engines do a timing belt change on spec between events, and they use kevlar belts. Even that type of belt is a lot cheaper to replace than an entire valvetrain, and that's what's at risk when a belt breaks or the oil pump pulley ^on a B234^ lets go.

Oh FFS! The oil pump pulley was revised and the newer pulley (as well as the upgraded, newer bolt) don't have the same problems with failing as the early ones you keep referring to! If the upgraded pulleys failed all the time like you seem to imply, do you really think they would be racing or modifying B234F's at all?
They change the belts in racing to minimise the chance of a belt breaking, which will bend all the valves. This won't change if you fit the 16v head to a B230 block, it will become an interference engine. And you'll have to change to a DIS or modified distributor or run the head mounted B234F one anyway because a stock height one won't fit under the intake.
The only reason there aren't heaps of B234F's being swapped into 240's and such is because they just aren't easy to fit. The bottom ends are pretty much the same as one of the desirable B230's anyway. It's got nothing to do with failing pulleys or bolts.

Rick122S;121777 wroteOh FFS! The oil pump pulley was revised and the newer pulley (as well as the upgraded, newer bolt) don't have the same problems with failing as the early ones you keep referring to!

Replacement oil pump pulleys of any type are NLA.

... do you really think they would be racing or modifying B234F's at all?

They're not. They're racing B230s with 16V heads.

Replacement oil pump pulleys of any type are NLA.

They are still available from dealers according to sources i found but anyway it wasn't too hard to find these once I found the part number.
KL Racing also makes one apparently, but the translator wasn't working well enough.

https://www.volvopartswebstore.com/products/Pulley-Genuine-Classic-Part/1240982/9135112.html

http://www.skandix.de/en/spare-parts/engine/engine-timing-control/timing-gears/belt-gear-timing-belt-for-oil-pump/1012526/

https://www.myswedishparts.com/oem-parts/volvo-gear-9135112

http://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info2/9135112.htm

https://www.volvodealerparts.com/oem-parts/volvo-gear-9135112

Happy to help you out.

Rick122S;121793 wrote

Replacement oil pump pulleys of any type are NLA.

They are still available from dealers according to sources i found but anyway it wasn't too hard to find these once I found the part number.

Well fancy that. Seems they've only recently become available again, since none of those places had them in stock in May 2014 when I tried to get a couple. Trivett Motors had them listed at $199 AUD each in their system, and said at that time, Volvo had only one left, at a warehouse in Germany - and they wouldn't be making any more.

A lot can change in three years... or can it?

http://www.skandix.de/en/spare-parts/engine/engine-timing-control/timing-gears/belt-gear-timing-belt-for-oil-pump/1012526/

Happy to help you out.

Uh huh.

That's some nice straw clutching there mate. What about the other 4 suppliers?
Not that it matters anyway as you may have read above that the engine will be dry sump and wouldn't be using the factory oil pump (or pulley, or bolt).
It ok to admit you were wrong.

volvomidget;121810 wroteOil pump isnt a big deal as we run dry sump set up so we have an external belt driven pump

That's good news, since you'd probably run the scavenger pump with a separate belt that isn't integral to the valvetrain drive, like it is in the B234.

The issue with the oil pump on the B234 block however is that it runs off of the timing belt via a fragile pulley that is highly prone to failure, and where the availability of new replacement parts are questionable - I couldn't get any in May of 2014, and a lot of places like Tasca often list parts on the internet which they've never had. Which is why you're on the right track in looking for the B230 block; it makes a better starting point of the two.

It is ridiculous to suggest the B234 block as a alternative for your intended application unless they're doing a lame troll.

It would be great to see some details of your dry sump setup, as most of us are on this site to share and exchange our knowledge and experiences.

Rick122S;121825 wroteThat's some nice straw clutching there mate. What about the other 4 suppliers?

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=294115
&

It ok to admit you were wrong.

@Rick122S don't engage in personal attacks on other forum members, it's rule #2, @bgpzfm142 is at least trying to remain constructive though he clearly is skeptical of the part's availability. FWIW GCP.se list the part as available so maybe it has been resurrected, though it's common for online stores to say they have stock and then turn around and say it's NLA when you actually order the part.

Anyway let's just move on from the whole pulley thing, I don't think there's anything left to be said about it.

jamesinc;121866 wrote Anyway let's just move on from the whole pulley thing, I don't think there's anything left to be said about it.

Pulley, pulley, pulley...oi, oi, oi !! :D
Too much coffee..lol.

So I emailed GCP out of curiosity

bgpzfm142;121854 wroteIt is ridiculous to suggest the B234 block as a alternative for your intended application unless they're doing a lame troll.

OK, I'll admit we've gotten off on the wrong foot with this discussion.

However, can you explain to me what disadvantage using a B234F is in this application, given that the main failing of the design, being the oil pump and it's drive, is not going to be used?
From everything I've read, the bottom ends are virtualy the same, they have piston squirters and the 13mm rods etc.

jamesinc;121889 wroteSo I emailed GCP out of curiosity

That's actually very good news. Until now, I'd had a good faith belief they had been discontinued and were no longer available since back in 2014, and that the guy in the Balkans had gotten the last one. As the TB thread shows, he also had difficulties getting one. Trivett parts dude wanted money up front for the one in Germany before he's even order it, and he told me that the one in Germany was the last one of them all.

It's not very often anybody brings back a part for a car they haven't made in over 20 years. So either they've done that, or Trivett parts dude lied to me about new stock becoming available and I held a false belief they were all gone. Either way, I was wrong about them not being available.

Thanks @jamesinc for confirming it's available again.

nickm;121902 wrote I'm not 100% on the squirters being in all B234 also and the whole balance shaft mess.
B230/4 are not real rev monsters so for an NA application not the best choice of motor.

You could just disable the balance shafts by not using the belt or by removing and plugging them?
I agree, either redblock is not the best choice for an NA setup. My initial reply was in response to the original question.
Hey at least the B234F has a forged crank as standard.

nickm;121902 wrote
I'm not 100% on the squirters being in all B234 also and the whole balance shaft mess.
B230/4 are not real rev monsters so for an NA application not the best choice of motor.

The B204FT & GT did have squirters fitted (#16 in pic) and a wizz-bang windage tray (#18) which is NLA.
The B234 didn't, however, according to the book.



The balance shafts aren't the problem with the B2x4, it's the fact you're still stuck with having that fragile oil pump pulley using the same belt as the valvetrain in high RPM situations, on an interference engine. Doesn't matter if it's pumping oil or not, because it's still part of the belt assembly. Yeah, I do keep bangin' on about that damned pulley because I reckon it's unnecessary trouble waiting to happen, but YMMV.

To get around that problem, you could work out the belt geometry required to keep the cams turning at the correct speed without that pulley being there, then find a belt that will do the job.

Or make your own pulley that isn't prone to hari-kiri. (aka 'Re-Inventing The Wheel')

Or... save yourself time, money, and avoid all that hassle, go with what is cheap and available and strong and known to be reliable, and use a B230 block with a Penta forged crank. If the basic design can handle being flogged at 7500 RPM for 24 hours of Spa under tight Group A rules, it will handle similar with speed shop mods done to it which are outside the Group A rule book, with ease.

After doing a LOT of research and homework on 16V redblock engines a while back, I'd never choose to run a B2x4 in a sustained high RPM situation when I could use a B230 16V instead, and I can't understand why anyone would. It seems Mother Volvo herself shares that POV since the B2x4 block was never used as a Penta.

OP, good luck with your search for an engine.