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.