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B234 tuning,parts advice

K

katluke

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2010
Location
England
I have just purchased a 740 glt (ebay purchase ?221) I had given up on buying it but had a change of heart after a mate of a mate said he could loan me a trailer to go pick it up. I intend to keep it n/a but Im looking for advice on regards to tuning the engine,what power to expect and which parts,suppliers to use.As I live in the UK parts and advice is almost non existant.I intend to remove the engine as soon as I get it home and break it down and go from there.I have used the search option but most of the advice is for the turbo option.Thanks for any replys.
 
katluke said:
I have just purchased a 740 glt (ebay purchase ?221) I had given up on buying it but had a change of heart after a mate of a mate said he could loan me a trailer to go pick it up. I intend to keep it n/a but Im looking for advice on regards to tuning the engine,what power to expect and which parts,suppliers to use.As I live in the UK parts and advice is almost non existant.I intend to remove the engine as soon as I get it home and break it down and go from there.I have used the search option but most of the advice is for the turbo option.Thanks for any replys.
Click to expand...



lol... some ppl pay that price just for the head ;)
 
It all depends on how much money you want to spend.
Most Volvo's have a restrictive snorkel before the air filter.
Get rid of that but fit a tube of sufficient diameter so that the filter still gets cold air
and some sort of radius on the leading edge of that pipe.
A header and an 2,5" exhaust system or bigger with a race kat should give you almost
200 engine hp.
Beyond that you must open the engine and there are lots of things that can be done to it
depending on what kind of power band you are looking for.

Erland
 
Thanks for your reply Erland. I had thought it would be best to start by helping the engine breathe more easy as you say new headers,exhaust,filter modification.I intend to use it for drift/trackdays so any more advice you could give me regarding upgrading the internals would be welcome.I dont want massive power but a nice strong reliable engine.Thanks again. ;-)
 
AQ171 cams?

I want a NA 16v motor to play with....

You've at least got a B234 to play with, and not a B230F+16v, so moar compressi0on!!!!

The boat cams will do something....they're pretty lumpy, though I'd like to know more about where it puts the power.

Staying with NA, guess you've gotta get her breathin'. Mikuni's?

MS it and see if you can't tune it just right?
 
I have actually never built a mild N/A B234 engine but I know of people that use them in endurance racing. There are lots of good camshafts available from different companies here in Sweden and I guess also from RSI in the US. I am waiting for a rotating assembly from RSI for a 16 valve N/A build with a stroker crank that I am going to build. I have built several mild turbo engines and it is very easy to reach 500hp. My work is mostly doing cylinder heads and manifolds and the 16V head is easy to upgrade. Very little needs to be done on the exhaust side and even for a 1300 hp turbo build the stock exhaust valve size is sufficient.
This car uses 39mm intake and 32mm exhaust valves with very mild porting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTFJxAcwhEM&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhW7ozV7Alo&feature=player_embedded

Pictures of one of his heads are here: http://www.topplocksverkstan.se/volvo16v Turbotopp.html

When porting a 234 for up to 300 N/A hp 36mm intake and stock size exhaust valves are enough. The 36mm intake valves fit in the stock valve seats inserts but for bigger valves the inserts have to be replaced with bigger ones. With stainless valves I always put in bronze valve guides. I have used manifolds from the Swedish company Unik Racing:
http://www.unikracing.com/valj-kategori/volvo
Headers are available from several sources or we build our own.

One thing of interest for you that we have going on the S?varturbo forum is a competition for who can build the highest hp 230 engine with a modified 531 head and stock block:
http://forum.savarturbo.se/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=62868

If you have any questions I will do my best to answer them or direct you to someone who can.

Erland
 
Last edited:
Erland thanks again for your time and help :nod: I may have sourced some AQ171 camshafts (cheap) so that is a start. I would love to get it up to 300 hp but that is gonna take time and money. Them links are :cool: you have pm.
 
Remove the balance shafts, you don't need them really and it makes the engine a lot more responsive, those things are heavy! There is really no difference in vibrations with or without the balance shafts. I did the same on my B234F + Turbo project. I used part of the casings they are in to make a plug for the oil feed and return to those shafts (pics in my project thread, here: http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=165886&page=3).

As for the internals, I use forged pistons (Wiseco) and H beam connection rods from R-sport international (http://r-sportinternational.com/).
 
Getting rid of the balance shafts is a good tip, I forgot them as I usually use 230 bottoms instead. A friend of mine cut the balancer shaft belts on a rolling road and if I remember right he gained 7hp. You can just leave them there or remove them to save weight but then the oil holes must be plugged.

Erland
 
Thanks for the info,The first thing I will do will be to just just cut the belt and remove it until I get the chance to remove the engine then I will remove the balance shafts. ;-) Erland I have tried to pm you but havent been able to do so. Thanks again for the replys.
 
Last edited:
How much for one of those heads? Just out of curiousity.

I really like that some folks are running 6's on an old brick.
 
Last edited:
Erland Cox said:
I have actually never built a mild N/A B234 engine but I know of people that use them in endurance racing. There are lots of good camshafts available from different companies here in Sweden and I guess also from RSI in the US. I am waiting for a rotating assembly from RSI for a 16 valve N/A build with a stroker crank that I am going to build. I have built several mild turbo engines and it is very easy to reach 500hp. My work is mostly doing cylinder heads and manifolds and the 16V head is easy to upgrade. Very little needs to be done on the exhaust side and even for a 1300 hp turbo build the stock exhaust valve size is sufficient.
This car uses 39mm intake and 32mm exhaust valves with very mild porting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTFJxAcwhEM&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhW7ozV7Alo&feature=player_embedded

Pictures of one of his heads are here: http://www.topplocksverkstan.se/volvo16v Turbotopp.html

When porting a 234 for up to 300 N/A hp 36mm intake and stock size exhaust valves are enough. The 36mm intake valves fit in the stock valve seats inserts but for bigger valves the inserts have to be replaced with bigger ones. With stainless valves I always put in bronze valve guides. I have used manifolds from the Swedish company Unik Racing:
http://www.unikracing.com/valj-kategori/volvo
Headers are available from several sources or we build our own.

One thing of interest for you that we have going on the S?varturbo forum is a competition for who can build the highest hp 230 engine with a modified 531 head and stock block:
http://forum.savarturbo.se/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=62868

If you have any questions I will do my best to answer them or direct you to someone who can.

Erland
Click to expand...

I am always thankful for getting advice from knowledgeable Swedes!

I am really impressed with Krister Adeen's 16v head you posted pictures of. It seems that such a mild porting and bigger valves gave respectable gains, and didn't have to weld the roof of the port. Especially in a 6 second car!!! I would have expected severe porting for such performance. It is quite encouraging!

What type of porting gains would be achievable with a 16v head to the home mechanic who lacks a flow bench? Or is a flowbench really necessary to obtain any repeatability?

best regards,

Mike
 
Erland Cox said:
I have actually never built a mild N/A B234 engine but I know of people that use them in endurance racing. There are lots of good camshafts available from different companies here in Sweden and I guess also from RSI in the US. I am waiting for a rotating assembly from RSI for a 16 valve N/A build with a stroker crank that I am going to build. I have built several mild turbo engines and it is very easy to reach 500hp. My work is mostly doing cylinder heads and manifolds and the 16V head is easy to upgrade. Very little needs to be done on the exhaust side and even for a 1300 hp turbo build the stock exhaust valve size is sufficient.
This car uses 39mm intake and 32mm exhaust valves with very mild porting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTFJxAcwhEM&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhW7ozV7Alo&feature=player_embedded

Pictures of one of his heads are here: http://www.topplocksverkstan.se/volvo16v Turbotopp.html

When porting a 234 for up to 300 N/A hp 36mm intake and stock size exhaust valves are enough. The 36mm intake valves fit in the stock valve seats inserts but for bigger valves the inserts have to be replaced with bigger ones. With stainless valves I always put in bronze valve guides. I have used manifolds from the Swedish company Unik Racing:
http://www.unikracing.com/valj-kategori/volvo
Headers are available from several sources or we build our own.

One thing of interest for you that we have going on the S?varturbo forum is a competition for who can build the highest hp 230 engine with a modified 531 head and stock block:
http://forum.savarturbo.se/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=62868

If you have any questions I will do my best to answer them or direct you to someone who can.

Erland
Click to expand...

Hey Erland, What kind of cooling system does that head employ? I see the water passages to the block have been welded up.
 
740atl said:
I am always thankful for getting advice from knowledgeable Swedes!

I am really impressed with Krister Adeen's 16v head you posted pictures of. It seems that such a mild porting and bigger valves gave respectable gains, and didn't have to weld the roof of the port. Especially in a 6 second car!!! I would have expected severe porting for such performance. It is quite encouraging!

What type of porting gains would be achievable with a 16v head to the home mechanic who lacks a flow bench? Or is a flowbench really necessary to obtain any repeatability?

best regards,

Mike
Click to expand...

With some guide lines you could do the same porting I did on that head but use 36mm inlet and stock exhaust valves. I have made heads with 36mm valves that flow more than Krister's head but he wanted to keep the intake manifold he already had.
For this year he is going to a billet head instead.
A flow bench is not necessary if you copy the porting I did.
I will make molds of the port and add pictures of them to my page.

Erland
 
The block of Kristers engine is filled with concrete and the latest block is a special Motordesign, Kent Karlsson block.
It still cracked the number 2 bearing saddle so the saddles are now in steel and there
is a 3mm chromemoly strengthening plate in the bottom of the block.
Some guys use thicker plates but this one seems to work.
The head is dry decked and has 4 inlet and 5 outlet cooling passages from side to side
in the head. It does not work perfect because some seats on the exhaust side worked
lose. The head probably gets too hot and probably special copper beryllium seats that
expand as much as aluminum would work better.


Erland
 
Erland Cox said:
With some guide lines you could do the same porting I did on that head but use 36mm inlet and stock exhaust valves. I have made heads with 36mm valves that flow more than Krister's head but he wanted to keep the intake manifold he already had.
For this year he is going to a billet head instead.
A flow bench is not necessary if you copy the porting I did.
I will make molds of the port and add pictures of them to my page.

Erland
Click to expand...

Get them 3D digitized and sell the files :)

Great info here...thanks
 
I am not that secretive. Not everyone wants to port their own heads anyway
and lots of tools are needed for seats etc.
Every head I do is calculated in Pipemax after the intake valve lift and diameter.
That determines most of what is needed in areas, one size intake dictates the exhaust size.
Porting heads is not well paid by the hour. For just the porting, seat job and truing of the
head face I charge around 1000 USD + tax if it is inside the European Union for a 16V head.
Guides and other special work plus parts is extra.

Erland
 
Some mods that come to mind are:
Remove the balance shafts or just the belt (like Sander mentioned)
Remove other engine auxillarys that create drag, like the A/C
Airbox modifications (like Erland suggested, see also T-bricks modifications section)
Volvo 960 3" throttle body, airduct, 012/025 AMM and airbox (works with 440-470 cc injectors and stock ECU)
AQ171 (which you allready have) or catcams.be, folkraceshop.se camshafts
Adjustable timing gear (Nuke performance sells nice ones)
Solid lifters (from volvo 340 1.4, 1.7 (1.8?) or renault 5, 19, ... engines)
Ford 4.6 (beehive?) valve springs (yoshifab)
Porting the intake ports and intake manifold (diy)
Install a M90 gearbox and diesel clutch, for improved shifting and durability.
Megasquirt with 1.8T Volkswagen/Audi-coils (coil-on-plug)
VAG-coils harness (shop.vems.hu)
(Modified) cosworth YB intake manifold (ebay.co.uk)
Supertech valves, double valve springs, retainers etc (BMW S14/S36 engine).
 
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