300td4x4 Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 I am considering putting a Legacy engine/tranny in the front of a Volvo 245 wagon. Does anyone know if something like this has been done before? (i.e, using a Subaru engine/trans to go to AWD from a formerly RWD car? Here is a link to another hybrid wagon I built a few years ago: http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1185395 I have done some careful measuring for the "Volvaru" project and an ej22 will fit between the "frame" rails of a 240. There is about a 1/2 -3/4" clearance on each side. The length of the engine with a radiator will fit behind a 240 grill, too. The cutting would be around the engine crossmember area if you want a relatively low ride height. With a 3 inch lift there would be very little cutting there. The top mounts of the subaru struts are out about an inch each way of the Volvo mounting points. The subaru struts have mild steel flanges with two bolts. Elongating these bolt holes would allow for correcting the camber provided the axles will telescope enough, which I think they will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carfreak85 Posted March 12, 2005 Share Posted March 12, 2005 Well, I can see how it might work. In my mind, the Front drive line is the real issue. You could do something like taking the front steering knuckle that the front axle of a subaru and adapt the suspension to that or find a knuckle from a truck that would attach the stock volvo strut. You could then adapt a custom set of front axles that would be the right length and style of coupling. Then the mounting of the AWD gearbox. That could get tricky too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstaru Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 i knew a guy that put a ford v-8 into a 240 series........i think like carfreak says,it is a matter of the front driveline.i own a 79 volvo 245dl.and have thought about it a couple times myself......engine swap that is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtlover Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Speaking from the Volvo side of things, the biggest obstacle is the front suspension, never being intended for FWD or AWD. People have considered various bits, notably stuff from Cossies, but I don't know of anybody who's made it work. Excepting people who've simply thrown a Volvo unibody on a Ford Ranger chassis or other similarly warped stuff. The rear end will be easy - the stock rear is a Dana 30, and it's good for about 250-300 hp. But for the front, you could make a new subframe, or new mounts for Subie suspension bits. The upside is that the ej22 is at least 50 lbs lighter than a B230 motor, and it'll be sitting a bit lower to boot. Oh, and it will be different from the sea of conversions using 5.0 and SBC mills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebz Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 INteresting that you should bring this up. When I had the B230 out of my 740 during my +T conversion, I actually picked up an EJ22 off the shop floor just for the hell of it and set it under the hood of the volvo.. I was curious about the fitment. It appeared to be a decent fit, but the mounts looked as though they would be a bit forward of the volvo xmember if one were to use an EJ tranny. That would make for some interesting axle angles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
300td4x4 Posted March 28, 2005 Author Share Posted March 28, 2005 INteresting that you should bring this up. When I had the B230 out of my 740 during my +T conversion, I actually picked up an EJ22 off the shop floor just for the hell of it and set it under the hood of the volvo.. I was curious about the fitment. It appeared to be a decent fit, but the mounts looked as though they would be a bit forward of the volvo xmember if one were to use an EJ tranny. That would make for some interesting axle angles. I would use the Subaru subframe and find a way to mount it to the Volvo chassis. Cool that you physically checked the dimensions. By my measurements there is about 1.25" clearance total between both sides of the frame rails and engine. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtsmiths Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Brian, I just noted your location ... dug out yet? I lived up Hwy 4 below Bear Valley for years, and my ex lives in Tragedy Springs (with about fifty sled dogs). I guess they had almost fourteen feet on the ground at one point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
300td4x4 Posted March 28, 2005 Author Share Posted March 28, 2005 Calebz, By the way, what is a +T conversion? Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
300td4x4 Posted March 28, 2005 Author Share Posted March 28, 2005 mtnsmiths, We are only at 4000'. We got only about 3" of snow last week. Then it pretty much all melted off. It was snowing when I left for work this morning at about 5:30. Where do you live? Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtsmiths Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 In Whitefish, MT, far NW corner of the state. About 40 air miles south of the Canadian border and 95 miles east of the Idaho border. Very top of the Flathead Valley, right at 3,000' elev. We're at the base of Big Mountain, which is relatively low, (about 7,000') but usually has great powder, and we can be sitting in on the lift 15 mins from our driveway (thank you Subaru). We've had the warmest driest winter on record. We actually LOST money on our ski passes this year. We watched storm after storm veer south from the WA coast and dump on you guys on the CA/NV Pacific Crest ... SIGH! BTW, love the Merc! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebz Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 I would use the Subaru subframe and find a way to mount it to the Volvo chassis. Cool that you physically checked the dimensions. By my measurements there is about 1.25" clearance total between both sides of the frame rails and engine. Brian I don't have the EJ22 here to check any more( don't have the shop any more for that matter) But I can measure the fram rails for you The +T conversion is when you take a 9.8:1 volvo b230 longblock and slap all the 8.5:1 b230 turbo turbo crap on it Motor designations N/A 2.3 B230F Turbo 2.3 B230FT Mine B230F +T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now