Karl Buchka
Active member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2007
- Location
- Los Angeles
Whiteblock in a 240 ver. 2 Probably very little of what you'd like to know
This is a continuation/rewrite/update of Alex's venerable old "Whiteblock in a 240" thread. Some sections are copy/pasted, but most is completely re-written and updated.
03/03/09 NOTE: Just posted, still need do some proper proof reading and add the 6 and 4 cyl. section.
Intro
So, you finally decided to save your beloved 240 from that cast iron lump of crap and replace it with a proper all aluminum, DOHC, turbo chick magnet? Well you've come to the right place. But first, a speedy run down on what exactly a whiteblock is:
The main focus of this guide will be the 5 cylinder, as it is the most common. Five cylinder whiteblocks come in all sorts of configurations, anywhere from 2.0l to 2.5l in displacement with power output anywhere from 126hp to 300hp. The most common high performance whiteblock we are interested in is either the 225hp 850 Turbo engine (B5234T) or the 240hp S70 T5 powerplant (B5234T5). They are quite common, provide a healthy power increase over even a modified turbo redblock, and respond very well to modifications.
Disclaimer: Even though I try to be as comprehensive as possible, there's no way to cover all the bases of this swap in a single article. Running a whiteblock in a 240 is far from straighforward and frankly pretty weird, but I will try my hardest to answer the most obvious questions and cover the basics. Another critical factor here is that you cannot, repeat cannot, get through this swap without doing some welding and metal fabrication. If you're not equipped for this then I recommend you either keep it redblock or find yourself some welding and metalworking equipment.
Topics
Engine
You're obviously going to want to start by finding an engine, preferably as complete as possible. That is to say, with accessories, manifolds, turbo, and maybe even ECU and harness. I recommend you find something from a 94-97 850 Turbo/T5. Basically, anything older than '99 will be your best bet when keeping it simple, since they don't come with VVT or e-throttles. The 97-98 S70 T5 is also a possible choice, but going with this motor may cause some issues with engine mounts (see the motor mount section).
Transmission
This is where most of your high-dollar decisions are going to get made. The first choice to make is if you want an automatic or manual transmission.
-Automatic
This is the cheapest and easiest choice, especially for someone doing this swap in the US or Canada. Nine times out of ten, the motor you just bought will have come stock with an automatic, so you're already setup in terms of torque converter and flex plate. Just pull a transmission out of any non-turbo 960 and bolt it up. The electronics are trickier, but theoretically, all the 850 hardware should plug right in and work plug and play. This is uncomfirmed though. If you want to be crazy insane do what Chris Wiita did on his turbo 960 and ditch the TCU for paddle shifters.
-Manual
The easiest manual alternative is the M90 since it bolts up. It's a 5-speed transmission that came in non-turbo 960s. The issue here is that no 960s in the US or Canada ever came with a 5 speed, so you'll have to source one in Europe. If you can find someone willing to crate one for you, expect to pay $1000 or more to have one on your doorstep. If the idea of a factory bolt-on solution tickles your fancy, Fred has a sweet article on the M90 here.
The next best thing (in my opinion) is a Tremec/Borg-Warner T5. They're extremely easy to find and rebuild, and adapting one to a whiteblock is a fairly painless affair. The Ford T5-World Class is the ideal choice here, with a 330ft-lb torque rating, and a favorable input shaft length. The adapter plate is really pretty simple, but it does require lathe work as well as drilling and tapping. I had a machine shop do the turning, but my brother and I managed the drilling and tapping ourselves. The finished plate looks like this:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MnVdbAPeuPu8n7aM-MjSnQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
PA&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_7EUAij74Ycw/Sa3s8GFtD0I/AAAAAAAATNE/QdE-AZxoGdg/s400/1.JPG" /></a>
You'll want to start with a 12"x12"x1" piece of aluminum plate and a bellhousing from an automatic transmission 960. The hole in the middle of the plate is turned to fit snugly around the input shaft bearing retainer of the transmission. The lip you see is an 1/8" deep, is concentric to that first hole, and made to fit inside the transmission side of the bellhousing. Now that the transmission and bellhousing are centered to each other, we just need to mark and drill the bolt patterns. We did this with a transfer punch, a hand drill, and a tap set. It sucked, but it worked. A drillpress is definitely recommended here. If you don't feel comfortable drilling and tapping the plate yourself, I'm sure the machine shop would be happy to help you out. The final product should look something like this:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TUJF8iYBO684q8tukWr6gA?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
PA&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_7EUAij74Ycw/Sa3s8jhjsVI/AAAAAAAATNQ/Xj7FjSw4Yyw/s400/2.JPG" /></a>
Clutch/flywheel
I recommend going with a single-mass flywheel from a manually shifted whiteblock car. I don't know for sure which cars got which flywheels, but I've heard 94-96 mentioned. In any case, it looks like this (the undesirable dual-mass unit is pictured in Fred's M90 thread):
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rrrOg4MwO3Wa8xk4_4QBIQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
PA&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_7EUAij74Ycw/Sa3s9F1NP6I/AAAAAAAATNc/Ghug2l_KmXU/s400/3.JPG" /></a>
If you went with the M90, then finding a pressure plate and clutch disk is as simple as buying an 850R clutch kit. If you didn't, then it gets a little trickier. Try posting a wanted thread on here or on Volvospeed to see if someone has a pressure plate for a single mass flywheel kicking around. I got mine by cheaping out and calling about a dozen wrecking yards until I found one that was willing to sell me a used pressure plate (don't do this). My clutch disc was a sprung hub 6 puck from Clutchnet with a spline count to match the transmission, and a diameter to match the pressure plate.
The 960 bellhousing does not have a pivot point for a clutch fork, but there is a hole on the side that can be clearanced and made to fit a redblock clutch fork. A window will have to be added to the opposite side to allow the fork to come out of the bellhousing. After some more grinding, the clutch fork will easily take a Mustang throwout bearing.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tK_9A69SNsDihARzQzyFbA?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
PA&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_7EUAij74Ycw/Sa3s9cljMfI/AAAAAAAATNo/U44aNOMQEzg/s400/4.JPG" /></a>
Another alternative would be to run a hydraulic clutch. That would negate the need for any drastic bellhousing mods, but would add to the cost and complexity.
Drive shaft
No matter what transmission you choose, a custom drive shaft will be required. Most drive shaft shops can make one to any specification for $300 or less.
Engine mounts
If you're using any flavor of 850 motor, 960 upper mounts will bolt on. These will greatly simplify hanging the engine. The mounting bosses are already present on the block and three out of the four holes on each side are threaded. If you are not comfortable drilling into your engine block, it is not absolutely necessary to tap those two holes - the mounts will hold fine with just three proper bolts. If you choose to tap the holes, they already have pilot holes drilled and need to be tapped to M8x1.25 thread. If you instead opted for an S70 motor, you may have issues with the passenger side mount. I can't speak for MY97 motors, but the 98 S70 engine Alex has sitting around does not share a single passenger side mounting boss with either of the 850 engines we have. If you are building custom upper mounts then this is a moot point, but it's critically important if you're looking to cut down on fabrication work.
Lower mounts need to be fabricated. No bolt-on solution exists. Captain Bondo here on the board made some very simple and functional lower mounts that my brother and I shamelessly ripped off when we did the swap in my car. They are just two pieces of box section. One side is pictured here. Note the use of 240 rubber isolators between the upper and lower mounts.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZtteV5Pebs4q2q8aeZXCmQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
PA&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_7EUAij74Ycw/Sa3s9_9E8VI/AAAAAAAATN0/OsBS7ghkmIo/s400/5.JPG" /></a>
Hanging the engine in this fashion will provide a very stable mount. You can easily get away with using the cheapest 240 rubber mounts. Polyurethane versions are completely unnecessary.
It's important to note that since a whiteblock is normally mounted to tilt 11 degrees toward the passenger side, 960 mounts will offset that and provide perfectly horizontal mounting surfaces.
The positioning of the engine in the bay is largely contingent on the presence of absence of power steering. A manual steering rack is significantly thinner than a power rack, and will allow a nice, deep mounting position. A power rack necessitates the removal of some oil pan webbing as well as a less ideal overall placement.
As an aside, if you choose to mount the engine straight up and down, you will need both custom upper and lower mounts. Here's a picture of one solution using half of an old 240 torque rod:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dWKk0oGQHzWl7j7ORI7xhQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
PA&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_7EUAij74Ycw/Sa3s-QW11fI/AAAAAAAATOA/gAn-vPhzCM8/s400/6.jpg" /></a>
Oiling system
This is one of the trickiest parts of the entire swap. The stock oil pan from a five cylinder mounted in a FWD configuration will absolutely not clear the crossmember in a 240. It is simply too thick - the sump stretches the entire length of the pan. The 960 however, does have a perfect oil pan with a generous relief for the crossmember and a nice and large rear sump. The 960 is equipped with a six cylinder whiteblock, so the cast aluminum pan needs to be cut, shortened and welded back together in order to fit the shorter five cylinder. The best pan to find is from a 95-96 or newer 960. These pans have the oil filter bung pressed in to the pan, just like 850s. If you get an older pan, you will either need to find some way to add a bung to the pan, or tap the block so you can thread the 960 bung in. Here's a photo of a shortened 960 pan next to an untouched one. Note the oil filter bungs on the bottom left:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FC8h9BRzbTk957cI2WnnTg?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
PA&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_7EUAij74Ycw/Sa3s_HVqHNI/AAAAAAAATOM/FADtTbRR2qg/s400/7.JPG" /></a>
The pan halves should ideally be jigged to a 5 cylinder block girdle and 960 bellhousing before welding, but securely clamping it to a flat surface like a chassis table is also acceptable. In any case, the mounting surface should be machined flat before installation. My pan was improperly clamped during welding and was not machined, and as a result I was plagued by constant oil leaks. The added expense of doing it right the first time is absolutely critical if you want to avoid headaches in the future.
The 960 pickup tube will also need to be shortened to fit the shortened pan.
A 960 dip stick and dip stick tube are required to properly read the oil level.
Cooling system
This is the steel tube that connects to the input of the water pump and provides several barbed connections to the radiator, heater core, turbo, and overflow tank. The 850 transfer tube has the radiator return passing under the exhaust manifold and exiting by the firewall, which makes it completely unsuitable. The 960 version can be used, but still requires modification to fit, as it hits the upper engine mount. Cutting off the cylinder head return pipe and substituting it for the 850 version solves the problem. A new hole needs to be cut in the 960 tube for this, as well as plugging the old one.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mPVF8yP0AKDqeP_jdLKKIA?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
PA&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_7EUAij74Ycw/Sa3s_WNImpI/AAAAAAAATOY/YRtKGCMMvwE/s400/8.JPG" /></a>
After some slight trimming, an 850 upper radiator hose fits perfectly to connect the thermostat housing to the radiator. This assumes you're using intercooled turbo radiator brackets. A 240 lower radiator hose is also a great fit for the return connection.
A few 90 degree brass elbows and some heater hose allow for a tight but problem free heater core hook up. The end of the water transfer tube may need to be shorted a few inches to properly fit the barb.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/97a7oMQr4apwqqIJS32TZQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
PA&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_7EUAij74Ycw/Sa3tAAUQEaI/AAAAAAAATOk/AehkEm36Iok/s400/9.JPG" /></a>
Manifolds
If you buy a five cylinder built after '99 you already have this intake manifold, so you're mostly in the clear. For everyone else, the early five cylinders had a dual runner length intake which 1) is absolutely massive and adds some uneeded weight, 2) doesn't really work that well, and 3) effectively places the throttle body inside the firewall. With the throttle body removed, the throttle body flange on the intake manifold lands about 1" from the firewall. Some people have fixed this by welding the hole shut and making a new one on the opposite side. Most of us don't have the resources to do this, so it is easier to get the newer intake manifold which places the throttle body underneath the runners. The issue (because there's always an issue) with the newer manifold is that it comes on cars with electronic throttles, so no bolt-on hook up for a cable spool exists. We solved this by hacking up and adapting an 850 throttle body and cable spool. Be careful when mounting the spool. If you do it wrong the throttle will so touchy as to make the car near undriveable (ask me how I know). The new manifold looks like this:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XH7KIKoIrZUVwSfcc-jyOg?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
PA&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_7EUAij74Ycw/Sa3tAiaN7MI/AAAAAAAATOw/zvpPH1_SOTY/s400/10.JPG" /></a>
If you're just going with the stock turbo, then the stock exhaust manifold will work fine. It's not the greatest performer and the firewall clearance is tight, but it works. Since the turbo is effectively pointing 'backwards' from the factory, some minor drilling is required to allow the turbo to be flipped around. Unthread the two studs from the turbine housing's flange and drill out the threads so a bolt can pass through. That should allow you to re-orient the turbo on the manifold.
PCV
The intake side 960 motor mount interferes with the 850 crankcase breather box. The top side of the mount has to be notched a little bit. 5 minutes with a cut off wheel solves this.
Power steering
I have no personal experience with anything in this section, so take it with a grain of salt. Running a 240 power rack with an unmodified whiteblock pump apparently works without issue. I have spoken with a Swede who has done this successfully. You will need to have a custom high pressure line made up by a hydraulic shop, and the intake manifold may need to have a small, unused mounting boss ground off to fit the pump. A new upper radiator hose might also be needed.
EMS
If the high-dollar decision was in the transmission section, then this is the high-braincell decision. Or something. You have many different options for actually getting the engine running. I only have experience on these motors with Megasquirt and VEMS, so those sections will have the most complete and reliable information.
-Stock Management
This is definitely a good choice if you feel unsure about tuning an aftermarket system. The issues are getting the wiring right and solving the distributor problem. Wiring is pretty straight forward, but requires a lot of work. Find yourself some 850 wiring diagrams (here), some 240 wiring diagrams (here), and get ready for fun times.
The distributor on an 850 is mounted on the back of the head and is driven by the intake cam. As you may have guessed, this creates some serious clearance problems with the 240's firewall. Your options are to either make a big-ass notch in the firewall, move the distributor to the front of the engine, (maybe) convert the ECU to coil on plug (I've heard you can do this, but I know nothing about it), or ditch the stock management. Moving it to the front of the engine requires you make some sort of mounting bracket that will allow the distributor to float in front of the intake cam gear. This has the added effect of making the rotor move backwards through it's rotation, so the plug wires will need to be installed in reverse order.
If you're using an ECU originally from an automatic transmission equipped 850/S70, then ditching the transmission computer entirely will not cause any major problems. The older Motronic versions (pre-99) will simply throw a code/CEL and deactivate the boost control solenoid. Adding a manual boost controller will get you back up to speed. Companies who offer chip tuning services can also 'convert' the ECU to a manual transmission version when they add their performance maps.
-Megasquirt
In terms of aftermarket systems, this is about as cost effective as it gets. Running a 5 cylinder with coil on plug is about as complicated as you're likely to get with Megasquirt. It requires a modified cam trigger and some fancy pants trigger settings. Most of what you need to know is outlined in this thread. A very important fact that has yet to be added to the thread is you can't use the 4-pin ignition coils with Megasquirt. They cause constant resets and general mayhem. Switching over to two-pin 960 coils with external ignitors is your best bet.
-VEMS
This is the system I currently run on my car. Hardware wise it is extremely capable, but the software is confusing and the documentation is even worse. I really can't stress how ****ty the documentation is. It's certainly getting better, but even with prior experience assembling and installing Megasquirt, it was a very steep learning curve. I detailed the assembly, installation, and set up on the VEMS wiki here.
-Other
There are lots and lots of other aftermarket systems that will drive a 5 cylinder. Nira makes a plug-and-play programmable EMS for 5 cylinders. This is a great option if you're looking to upgrade from a stock unit. Chesh has chosen Haltech for his 5 cylinder 740 project.
This is a continuation/rewrite/update of Alex's venerable old "Whiteblock in a 240" thread. Some sections are copy/pasted, but most is completely re-written and updated.
03/03/09 NOTE: Just posted, still need do some proper proof reading and add the 6 and 4 cyl. section.
Intro
So, you finally decided to save your beloved 240 from that cast iron lump of crap and replace it with a proper all aluminum, DOHC, turbo chick magnet? Well you've come to the right place. But first, a speedy run down on what exactly a whiteblock is:
The whiteblock series of engines is the next generation volvo powerplant after the tried and true SOHC redblock. The engines aren't really white, more like cast aluminum silver. I'm not sure why they are called whiteblocks, maybe the name just sounded cool.
The whiteblock was designed as a modular inline engine in four, five, and six cylinder versions which could all be machined on a common production line to save time and money. Things like waterpumps, oil pumps, valvetrain components, ancillaries, pistons and rods are all common to many different types of whiteblocks. Volvos typical engine codename procedure carries over to the new whiteblocks with one twist. The first digit of the engine code designates the number of cylinders of the engine. For example, the B5254T (found in the S60R/V70R) is a gasoline powered five cylinder with 2.5l of displacement and 4 valves per cylinder.
-- Mark Twain
The main focus of this guide will be the 5 cylinder, as it is the most common. Five cylinder whiteblocks come in all sorts of configurations, anywhere from 2.0l to 2.5l in displacement with power output anywhere from 126hp to 300hp. The most common high performance whiteblock we are interested in is either the 225hp 850 Turbo engine (B5234T) or the 240hp S70 T5 powerplant (B5234T5). They are quite common, provide a healthy power increase over even a modified turbo redblock, and respond very well to modifications.
Disclaimer: Even though I try to be as comprehensive as possible, there's no way to cover all the bases of this swap in a single article. Running a whiteblock in a 240 is far from straighforward and frankly pretty weird, but I will try my hardest to answer the most obvious questions and cover the basics. Another critical factor here is that you cannot, repeat cannot, get through this swap without doing some welding and metal fabrication. If you're not equipped for this then I recommend you either keep it redblock or find yourself some welding and metalworking equipment.
Topics
Engine
You're obviously going to want to start by finding an engine, preferably as complete as possible. That is to say, with accessories, manifolds, turbo, and maybe even ECU and harness. I recommend you find something from a 94-97 850 Turbo/T5. Basically, anything older than '99 will be your best bet when keeping it simple, since they don't come with VVT or e-throttles. The 97-98 S70 T5 is also a possible choice, but going with this motor may cause some issues with engine mounts (see the motor mount section).
Transmission
This is where most of your high-dollar decisions are going to get made. The first choice to make is if you want an automatic or manual transmission.
-Automatic
This is the cheapest and easiest choice, especially for someone doing this swap in the US or Canada. Nine times out of ten, the motor you just bought will have come stock with an automatic, so you're already setup in terms of torque converter and flex plate. Just pull a transmission out of any non-turbo 960 and bolt it up. The electronics are trickier, but theoretically, all the 850 hardware should plug right in and work plug and play. This is uncomfirmed though. If you want to be crazy insane do what Chris Wiita did on his turbo 960 and ditch the TCU for paddle shifters.
-Manual
The easiest manual alternative is the M90 since it bolts up. It's a 5-speed transmission that came in non-turbo 960s. The issue here is that no 960s in the US or Canada ever came with a 5 speed, so you'll have to source one in Europe. If you can find someone willing to crate one for you, expect to pay $1000 or more to have one on your doorstep. If the idea of a factory bolt-on solution tickles your fancy, Fred has a sweet article on the M90 here.
The next best thing (in my opinion) is a Tremec/Borg-Warner T5. They're extremely easy to find and rebuild, and adapting one to a whiteblock is a fairly painless affair. The Ford T5-World Class is the ideal choice here, with a 330ft-lb torque rating, and a favorable input shaft length. The adapter plate is really pretty simple, but it does require lathe work as well as drilling and tapping. I had a machine shop do the turning, but my brother and I managed the drilling and tapping ourselves. The finished plate looks like this:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MnVdbAPeuPu8n7aM-MjSnQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
You'll want to start with a 12"x12"x1" piece of aluminum plate and a bellhousing from an automatic transmission 960. The hole in the middle of the plate is turned to fit snugly around the input shaft bearing retainer of the transmission. The lip you see is an 1/8" deep, is concentric to that first hole, and made to fit inside the transmission side of the bellhousing. Now that the transmission and bellhousing are centered to each other, we just need to mark and drill the bolt patterns. We did this with a transfer punch, a hand drill, and a tap set. It sucked, but it worked. A drillpress is definitely recommended here. If you don't feel comfortable drilling and tapping the plate yourself, I'm sure the machine shop would be happy to help you out. The final product should look something like this:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TUJF8iYBO684q8tukWr6gA?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
Clutch/flywheel
I recommend going with a single-mass flywheel from a manually shifted whiteblock car. I don't know for sure which cars got which flywheels, but I've heard 94-96 mentioned. In any case, it looks like this (the undesirable dual-mass unit is pictured in Fred's M90 thread):
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rrrOg4MwO3Wa8xk4_4QBIQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
If you went with the M90, then finding a pressure plate and clutch disk is as simple as buying an 850R clutch kit. If you didn't, then it gets a little trickier. Try posting a wanted thread on here or on Volvospeed to see if someone has a pressure plate for a single mass flywheel kicking around. I got mine by cheaping out and calling about a dozen wrecking yards until I found one that was willing to sell me a used pressure plate (don't do this). My clutch disc was a sprung hub 6 puck from Clutchnet with a spline count to match the transmission, and a diameter to match the pressure plate.
The 960 bellhousing does not have a pivot point for a clutch fork, but there is a hole on the side that can be clearanced and made to fit a redblock clutch fork. A window will have to be added to the opposite side to allow the fork to come out of the bellhousing. After some more grinding, the clutch fork will easily take a Mustang throwout bearing.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tK_9A69SNsDihARzQzyFbA?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
Another alternative would be to run a hydraulic clutch. That would negate the need for any drastic bellhousing mods, but would add to the cost and complexity.
Drive shaft
No matter what transmission you choose, a custom drive shaft will be required. Most drive shaft shops can make one to any specification for $300 or less.
Engine mounts
If you're using any flavor of 850 motor, 960 upper mounts will bolt on. These will greatly simplify hanging the engine. The mounting bosses are already present on the block and three out of the four holes on each side are threaded. If you are not comfortable drilling into your engine block, it is not absolutely necessary to tap those two holes - the mounts will hold fine with just three proper bolts. If you choose to tap the holes, they already have pilot holes drilled and need to be tapped to M8x1.25 thread. If you instead opted for an S70 motor, you may have issues with the passenger side mount. I can't speak for MY97 motors, but the 98 S70 engine Alex has sitting around does not share a single passenger side mounting boss with either of the 850 engines we have. If you are building custom upper mounts then this is a moot point, but it's critically important if you're looking to cut down on fabrication work.
Lower mounts need to be fabricated. No bolt-on solution exists. Captain Bondo here on the board made some very simple and functional lower mounts that my brother and I shamelessly ripped off when we did the swap in my car. They are just two pieces of box section. One side is pictured here. Note the use of 240 rubber isolators between the upper and lower mounts.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZtteV5Pebs4q2q8aeZXCmQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
Hanging the engine in this fashion will provide a very stable mount. You can easily get away with using the cheapest 240 rubber mounts. Polyurethane versions are completely unnecessary.
It's important to note that since a whiteblock is normally mounted to tilt 11 degrees toward the passenger side, 960 mounts will offset that and provide perfectly horizontal mounting surfaces.
The positioning of the engine in the bay is largely contingent on the presence of absence of power steering. A manual steering rack is significantly thinner than a power rack, and will allow a nice, deep mounting position. A power rack necessitates the removal of some oil pan webbing as well as a less ideal overall placement.
As an aside, if you choose to mount the engine straight up and down, you will need both custom upper and lower mounts. Here's a picture of one solution using half of an old 240 torque rod:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dWKk0oGQHzWl7j7ORI7xhQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
Oiling system
This is one of the trickiest parts of the entire swap. The stock oil pan from a five cylinder mounted in a FWD configuration will absolutely not clear the crossmember in a 240. It is simply too thick - the sump stretches the entire length of the pan. The 960 however, does have a perfect oil pan with a generous relief for the crossmember and a nice and large rear sump. The 960 is equipped with a six cylinder whiteblock, so the cast aluminum pan needs to be cut, shortened and welded back together in order to fit the shorter five cylinder. The best pan to find is from a 95-96 or newer 960. These pans have the oil filter bung pressed in to the pan, just like 850s. If you get an older pan, you will either need to find some way to add a bung to the pan, or tap the block so you can thread the 960 bung in. Here's a photo of a shortened 960 pan next to an untouched one. Note the oil filter bungs on the bottom left:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FC8h9BRzbTk957cI2WnnTg?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
The pan halves should ideally be jigged to a 5 cylinder block girdle and 960 bellhousing before welding, but securely clamping it to a flat surface like a chassis table is also acceptable. In any case, the mounting surface should be machined flat before installation. My pan was improperly clamped during welding and was not machined, and as a result I was plagued by constant oil leaks. The added expense of doing it right the first time is absolutely critical if you want to avoid headaches in the future.
The 960 pickup tube will also need to be shortened to fit the shortened pan.
A 960 dip stick and dip stick tube are required to properly read the oil level.
Cooling system
This is the steel tube that connects to the input of the water pump and provides several barbed connections to the radiator, heater core, turbo, and overflow tank. The 850 transfer tube has the radiator return passing under the exhaust manifold and exiting by the firewall, which makes it completely unsuitable. The 960 version can be used, but still requires modification to fit, as it hits the upper engine mount. Cutting off the cylinder head return pipe and substituting it for the 850 version solves the problem. A new hole needs to be cut in the 960 tube for this, as well as plugging the old one.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mPVF8yP0AKDqeP_jdLKKIA?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfM1rf2r
After some slight trimming, an 850 upper radiator hose fits perfectly to connect the thermostat housing to the radiator. This assumes you're using intercooled turbo radiator brackets. A 240 lower radiator hose is also a great fit for the return connection.
A few 90 degree brass elbows and some heater hose allow for a tight but problem free heater core hook up. The end of the water transfer tube may need to be shorted a few inches to properly fit the barb.
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Manifolds
If you buy a five cylinder built after '99 you already have this intake manifold, so you're mostly in the clear. For everyone else, the early five cylinders had a dual runner length intake which 1) is absolutely massive and adds some uneeded weight, 2) doesn't really work that well, and 3) effectively places the throttle body inside the firewall. With the throttle body removed, the throttle body flange on the intake manifold lands about 1" from the firewall. Some people have fixed this by welding the hole shut and making a new one on the opposite side. Most of us don't have the resources to do this, so it is easier to get the newer intake manifold which places the throttle body underneath the runners. The issue (because there's always an issue) with the newer manifold is that it comes on cars with electronic throttles, so no bolt-on hook up for a cable spool exists. We solved this by hacking up and adapting an 850 throttle body and cable spool. Be careful when mounting the spool. If you do it wrong the throttle will so touchy as to make the car near undriveable (ask me how I know). The new manifold looks like this:
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If you're just going with the stock turbo, then the stock exhaust manifold will work fine. It's not the greatest performer and the firewall clearance is tight, but it works. Since the turbo is effectively pointing 'backwards' from the factory, some minor drilling is required to allow the turbo to be flipped around. Unthread the two studs from the turbine housing's flange and drill out the threads so a bolt can pass through. That should allow you to re-orient the turbo on the manifold.
PCV
The intake side 960 motor mount interferes with the 850 crankcase breather box. The top side of the mount has to be notched a little bit. 5 minutes with a cut off wheel solves this.
Power steering
I have no personal experience with anything in this section, so take it with a grain of salt. Running a 240 power rack with an unmodified whiteblock pump apparently works without issue. I have spoken with a Swede who has done this successfully. You will need to have a custom high pressure line made up by a hydraulic shop, and the intake manifold may need to have a small, unused mounting boss ground off to fit the pump. A new upper radiator hose might also be needed.
EMS
If the high-dollar decision was in the transmission section, then this is the high-braincell decision. Or something. You have many different options for actually getting the engine running. I only have experience on these motors with Megasquirt and VEMS, so those sections will have the most complete and reliable information.
-Stock Management
This is definitely a good choice if you feel unsure about tuning an aftermarket system. The issues are getting the wiring right and solving the distributor problem. Wiring is pretty straight forward, but requires a lot of work. Find yourself some 850 wiring diagrams (here), some 240 wiring diagrams (here), and get ready for fun times.
The distributor on an 850 is mounted on the back of the head and is driven by the intake cam. As you may have guessed, this creates some serious clearance problems with the 240's firewall. Your options are to either make a big-ass notch in the firewall, move the distributor to the front of the engine, (maybe) convert the ECU to coil on plug (I've heard you can do this, but I know nothing about it), or ditch the stock management. Moving it to the front of the engine requires you make some sort of mounting bracket that will allow the distributor to float in front of the intake cam gear. This has the added effect of making the rotor move backwards through it's rotation, so the plug wires will need to be installed in reverse order.
If you're using an ECU originally from an automatic transmission equipped 850/S70, then ditching the transmission computer entirely will not cause any major problems. The older Motronic versions (pre-99) will simply throw a code/CEL and deactivate the boost control solenoid. Adding a manual boost controller will get you back up to speed. Companies who offer chip tuning services can also 'convert' the ECU to a manual transmission version when they add their performance maps.
-Megasquirt
In terms of aftermarket systems, this is about as cost effective as it gets. Running a 5 cylinder with coil on plug is about as complicated as you're likely to get with Megasquirt. It requires a modified cam trigger and some fancy pants trigger settings. Most of what you need to know is outlined in this thread. A very important fact that has yet to be added to the thread is you can't use the 4-pin ignition coils with Megasquirt. They cause constant resets and general mayhem. Switching over to two-pin 960 coils with external ignitors is your best bet.
-VEMS
This is the system I currently run on my car. Hardware wise it is extremely capable, but the software is confusing and the documentation is even worse. I really can't stress how ****ty the documentation is. It's certainly getting better, but even with prior experience assembling and installing Megasquirt, it was a very steep learning curve. I detailed the assembly, installation, and set up on the VEMS wiki here.
-Other
There are lots and lots of other aftermarket systems that will drive a 5 cylinder. Nira makes a plug-and-play programmable EMS for 5 cylinders. This is a great option if you're looking to upgrade from a stock unit. Chesh has chosen Haltech for his 5 cylinder 740 project.
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