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  • Dave's 240 parts hoarding thread

G'day guys,

Bought this car as an unfinished project some time ago now and have just had a boost in motivation to get moving on it.
Pretty good pile of parts to start with so hopefully a nice all round car at the end.

Interior is nice and body is pretty good too.
95 B230FK squirter
90+ manifold
15g turbo
chipped lh2.4 ecu
AW71L
Head dismantled and oil cooler failed

I've always tinkered but never taken on a project like this, so feel free to dish out advise wherever.
Pulled the motor and box out, always a good confidence booster.


Let the swearing and hoarding commence

Separated the auto junk from the block today, made note of flywheel positioning and all that as I went.

assuming this ring doesn't go back on under the flywheel as it looks like it'd put the sensor out, am I right?
Need to do some learning about the finer intricacies of clutch and flywheel installation before I attempt it but for now I"m happy to be moving along at this rate. Inspected the head, manifold and turbo and they all look in good shape so will be putting the top end back together next I think
That inner steel section needs to be removed also and a bearing needs to go into it.
Pulled the input shaft from the T5. Now to research if it's a swap out or custom cut and lengthen job. All markings on the box say it's a 93 if that makes a difference



It's likely it will be a mustang gearset. This is what a matching ef and mustang gear angle looks like.
25 days later
The joys of picking up someone else's project... When you start to find out what's missing/broken/damaged... Should have guessed it. Firstly, the turbo has two large internal cracks but I do have a spare hotside that looks ok, so might just look into swapping it.
After that I was cleaning some surfaces and noticed one exhaust stud hole was badly cracked and has the stud sitting on a funny angle, so I guess I'll need to do some research on best repair method for this, any recommendations?


I decided to stop work for a second and do something I should've done at the start, stocktake all the parts/bits and pieces I have vs need. It was at this point I realized there seems to be one of everything missing;
1 exhaust stud
1 exhaust gasket
1 valve cover acorn nut (unless it uses a normal nut somewhere??)
And the list goes on... So that's where I'm at, bout to drop some dollars and order all the parts I need and see about getting the stud rectified. I can see on one stud and manifold where p/o has just gone ahead with the angled stud and marred the nut/manifold and misshapen the gasket.

I wouldn't worry about the cracks in the hotside, it's pretty common. I'd just spend some time porting it out so it flows better and then it shouldn't get any worse.

For the head you'd probably need to break that fractured bit the rest of the way off and have it welded up, new threads tapped and exhaust flange milled flat.
VolvoHordz;c-138824 wroteI wouldn't worry about the cracks in the hotside, it's pretty common. I'd just spend some time porting it out so it flows better and then it shouldn't get any worse.

For the head you'd probably need to break that fractured bit the rest of the way off and have it welded up, new threads tapped and exhaust flange milled flat.
Buying a good condition 531 should be less than the cost of above

I fully agree about the hotside
@Philia_Bear not what I was hoping to hear, this head was recently refreshed and new valve stem seals too. What would you estimate the repair cost?
heavy_dd;c-138872 wrote@Philia_Bear not what I was hoping to hear, this head was recently refreshed and new valve stem seals too. What would you estimate the repair cost?
$300-400ish... for welding time and machine time
A cheap and nasty way would be to cut away the fractured section, drill the hole out to accept a helicoil and throw in a new stud. The proper way would be what Volvohordz suggested. A third option would be to find another 531 and put the refreshed parts into that one and not worry about cutting and welding fractured metal.
Slowbrick;c-138897 wroteA cheap and nasty way would be to cut away the fractured section, drill the hole out to accept a helicoil and throw in a new stud. The proper way would be what Volvohordz suggested. A third option would be to find another 531 and put the refreshed parts into that one and not worry about cutting and welding fractured metal.
This is exactly what I was starting to think, find another 531 and get my teeth into some head work. I entertained the idea of cheap and nasty but I'm no longer a teenager/apprentice so that is what I'll try avoid. I'd like to have this car a long time...
heavy_dd;c-138899 wrote
Slowbrick;c-138897 wroteA cheap and nasty way would be to cut away the fractured section, drill the hole out to accept a helicoil and throw in a new stud. The proper way would be what Volvohordz suggested. A third option would be to find another 531 and put the refreshed parts into that one and not worry about cutting and welding fractured metal.
This is exactly what I was starting to think, find another 531 and get my teeth into some head work. I entertained the idea of cheap and nasty but I'm no longer a teenager/apprentice so that is what I'll try avoid. I'd like to have this car a long time...
I too would go for the third option so that way its done and done properly. You might even be able to onsell the broken 531 for parts value and use it to help offset the cost of the rebuild of the new 531. Its not a total loss.
I've fixed a couple of broken castings like that a cheap and nasty way, but it actually worked and never looked like failing. I drilled the hole out to clean metal, roughed up the inside with a die grinder, and then filled it with a liquid metal or metal 'putty' compound. I then drilled/tapped the hole for a helicoil. That way you have a large portion of the casting held together by the compound and the helicoil pulling on the whole area and not just a portion of the casting. No doubt it's best to fix it the right way, but if an engine is in a car and pulling the head/spending money is not an option, this can work okay.
@Slowbrick never a total loss if you learn some skills along the way
Very true man. Off topic Q but did you sell your other 240 turbo?
No mate, not one single offer has been made. Only swaps for commodore or pulsars or the like. I'm going to pull the manual swap gear from it for this project and sell the rest as a complete turbo conversion for cheap. But still, no offers on that either.
That's crazy that you only got that level of interest. Especially on a turn key 240 turbo that probably just needs a stage 0 to be set straight. Maybe it was meant to be and will help you get this new one put together the way you like it.
@Slowbrick I absolutely thought it would've sold straight away. I might try convince a mate to let me store it on his property and just keep it, take bits when needed. I'd really like to see someone use it though, and I think for the money it's a bargain and convenient.
heavy_dd;c-138927 wrote@Slowbrick I absolutely thought it would've sold straight away. I might try convince a mate to let me store it on his property and just keep it, take bits when needed. I'd really like to see someone use it though, and I think for the money it's a bargain and convenient.
If I had more room I would have grabbed it
But alas I have way way to many cars
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