Greg's Gold 1991 240GLE wagon B230FT-to-be

Well, the wagon was due for the brake fluid change so I put it up on the hoist and removed the wheels a few weeks ago, thinking maybe now’s the time to get started on the turbo swap. I am in need of motivation! The cold weather doesn’t help. I’m also struggling with the best way to get the engine out. I know you can get it out the top, but since I have the 2-post hoist, I was wondering about dropping the whole engine and crossmember. Seems like it wouldn’t be that hard if I make up a wood frame on some furniture dollies…I could let the car down onto the frame, undo the crossmember and other necessary bolts, then just raise the hoist and let everything sit on the floor on the framework. Thoughts? I guess it would mean disconnecting the 2x rear brake pipes from the junction block, as well as the master cylinder from the booster…and struts would come down too (would make up something to hold them in the vertical orientation so they don’t fly outward. Thoughts? My dad pulled the engine and trans out of his 240 turbo project using an engine hoist and balancer without removing the bonnet or the front end panels. Maybe that’s a lot easier. I could remove the bonnet…front end panels much harder to remove on the 91 as the whole nose cone would have to come off since the upper rad support is spot welded, so that’s a no-go. Damn, I forgot about the AC…it works fine (although compressor is leaking oil) so I don’t really want to de-gas it (has Hychill in it now).

Then, how far do I go on the 740T engine and gearbox that’s been sitting in the shed for about 18 years? Replace all gaskets and seals as a minimum…should I pull the head? Hmm…I don’t really feel like I could be bothered…

Back to my wine! :) Hope everyone is staying warm!

jamesinc

I did it that way one time, I think it is easier pulling out the top. I've had an engine and trans out in an hour that way, without a hoist. Disconnecting brake lines isn't hard I suppose but it is messy and you have to bleed them after, before you can enjoy your fresh turbo redblock - such a chore!

And then obviously you have removed the crossmember and the struts and you will probably have altered your wheel alignment

Yeah you’re probably right. I do need to bleed the brakes, but thinking about how massive it is to remove the whole suspension and crossmember, it does seem a bit crazy and possibly dangerous with all that weight etc. and centre of mass shifting on the hoist. I think I may pull the bonnet off as a precaution then I don’t have to worry as much about being able to get the engine up high enough. Every time I pull an engine out it seems like the top of the hoist wants to go thru the bonnet. One of the nice things about that 740 hinge design I guess! :)

Paul_Roodenrys

Makes me feel better knowing that your B230Ft swap is taking even longer than mine Greg. ?. I think most of us are afflicted with the same issues though: 1) we get distracted by other projects 2) scope creep.

For me I think it’s the fear that once I get into it, the hoist will be tied up for like 2 years, probably because of 1) and 2) above LOL!

OK, so I decided I'd finally get started on this project. Wayne had commandeered one of the shed bays for his work stuff...which meant I didn't have room as I was having to use the hoist bay for one of the everyday cars. That's not really a good excuse - to be honest I've had a bit of a lack of motivation lately. I had a pretty big push with all those cars I wrecked during COVID, and also the re-build of the yellow 245 "barn find" project, then I guess I just had enough. But now I feel like if I don't get started on this my brain is going to turn to mush and I'm going to forget how to do things.

We're about finished re-organising things to make room, so watch this space. I've had the turbo engine & manual gearbox sitting around since August 2004...in dry storage, so hopefully it'll be OK. Maybe the project will be complete by August 2024...and I can have a 20th anniversary celebration LOL!

Car is now in the hoist bay...I'm pacing myself! I started making a checklist/to-do list for the project.

Swap out ECUs (test before pulling engine?)

Need crank holding tool back from Greg Cameron

Remove gearbox and check flywheel type - swap with LH2.4 flywheel if need be

Notch bellhousing for crank sensor

Install pilot bearing

Check clutch fork

Before turning over engine - lubricate front and rear crank and cam seals

Remove and check plugs

Source injectors?

Lengthen AMM lead

Intercooler upper mounts

Radiator fan brackets for 740 shroud

Davies-Craig fan controller, or ECU fan controlled from 940 ECU with 850 fan relays?

Replace ECU coolant temp sensor

Replace/swap engine gauge coolant temp sensor

Remove distributor blanking plate - need to swap intermediate shaft if no gears

Remove intermediate shaft WHILE OIL PAN is OFF!!

740T coolant bottle/brackets

Solution for oil cooler lines

Downpipe

240 or 740T cat, or aftermarket cat?

Solution to join cat to 240T exhaust

Install trailer hitch while exhaust is out? Need to remove from paddock basher or source other style <--low priority

Solution for air filter and washer fluid bottle

Solution for driveshaft

Solution for transmission mount

Wiring and install of Turbo + kit

Wiring and install of oil pressure sender on engine

O2 sensor/wiring/location TBC

Wiring installation for overdrive/relay - while dash is out - plus modify cluster lens light appropriately for "OD" or "5"

Remove dash and tidy up wiring for accessories and gauges

Fit clutch pedal box (check and lubricate pedal bushings

Drill hole for clutch master cylinder

Fit clutch master, pipe and slave/hose before reinstalling engine

Strarted looking through my tubs of spare parts and stuff that I've accumulated over the past decades for this project...it's kinda like the mother-in-law who keeps buying condensed milk when she's got 10 cans in the pantry already LOL! How many new clutch master cylinders do I need etc! Once I get thru everything I'll need to have another sale!

Getting a bit more organised. I discovered the ECU and EZKs I have (both sets) are from my dad in the USA, and he tested them all in his 240, so saves me the trouble of that step. EZKs both have same number; ECUs different, so will research which one is best. Still wondering whether it would be fairly easy to control the electric fan with the ECU instead of one of the Davies-Craig fan controllers I have. Less messy, but I need to research how it's done on the 940. Looks like the 850 fan I have will fit pretty well inside the 740T fan shroud with some sort of brackets to hold it in place. Will need to check clearance to water pump pulley. I have 2x 740T master cylinder heat shields. Holding it up to the master cylinder in the 240, it looks like the rearward brake pipe will foul the shield. Need to look at some pics of the brake pipes on a 740 I guess. The 740T master cylinder looks identical to the 240 one with same pipe fitting locations, so the pipe must just be bent differently on the 740?

jamesinc

I am quite interested to know how you go retrofitting ECU rad fan control.

I'll start doing some digging on it.

nugget_940

If you use 940 ecu's and a 940 thermo controller as well as lh2.4 coolant temp sensor, all you need to do is connect 10 and 11 (high/low speed) on the jetronic (fuel) ecu to the pins on the thermo relay

See diagram https://ozvolvo.org/discussion/9733/bosch-lh-jetronic-2-4-ecu-and-ezk-pinout-tables

The thermofan controller has constant 12v from the battery and the way the fans turn on is by switching them to ground, this makes it easy if you wanted to hook up a manual switch

Thanks. The fan I have is from an 850 and looks to have a black earth wire and a red and a green wire (I assume +12V for the low and high speeds). I don't have a 940 fan controller so will have to see what it looks like, or whether I can just grab the ECU signals and a couple relays to make it work.

nugget_940

https://ozvolvo.org/discussion/comment/218924#Comment_218924

afaik the 850 thermo controllers are the same, otherwise just grab one of these and run it independently to lh2.4, which will likely be the most reliable way. If you dont have the a/c compressor hooked up sometimes it sends the fans psycho https://thermofans.com.au/products/digital-fan-switch-universal-0444

I wondered about that. I do have functioning AC, and on the 91 240 there's a pusher fan in front of the radiator. Wondering if maybe that can be removed if I use the 940/850 fan set-up?