I just got a hand me down 1990 Volvo 240 DL from a cousin for the best price ever(FREE). The car is in good shape, but I want to kno if there is any way to make my little car RUN. Is there any way to make it run faster, or make it more powerful; perhaps even turbo-ing it or doing something else to the engine?

i need this help bad, im a fast and powerful car lover and i want my little silver brick to run like the wind and leave other cars in the dust.


A. Ortiz

Your 240 is truly great at what it is - solid, safe, reliable, predictable, crashworthy. A wonderful car for those who like them, but a tank for people who want a Mustang.
The 240 is a wonderful car for first-time (teen!) drivers - seriously good for teens, or conscientious college students. But fast it is not. If you want a faster 240, get one that came as a turbo from the factory - don't try to convert it now or it will become a "parts car". Your cousin will never forgive you. Besides, you will spend double the bluebook value of the car!
I just got a hand me down 1990 Volvo 240 DL from a cousin for the best price ever(FREE). The car is in good shape, but I want to kno if there is any way to make my little car RUN. Is there any way to make it run faster, or make it more powerful; perhaps even turbo-ing it or doing something else to the engine?

i need this help bad, im a fast and powerful car lover and i want my little silver brick to run like the wind and leave other cars in the dust.


A. Ortiz

Do a port and polish, my brother did that to my '89 240 DL. It now runs about 140 to 150 hp which is a heck of a lot better that the stock 114 hp.

swap in a small block, check out www.jagsthatrun.com... or if you want to go turbo check out www.turbobricks.org

Ask around the forum if you can put a Nox system on the little 4 banger....if one is avaliable, you only have to use it if you want to scoot! (I think the botton end would stand up to it, but a good speed shop would have a better idea of the pros&cons.)

hmm... for the euro-volvofans these advices are a bit... well... bad... sorry... :(

what you should do is to contact some scrapyards and choppers to find a 4-cyl volvo-engine... It could be the ones that came in the 240, the B21AT, B21ET, B23ET and so on, to keep it 240... But i would recommend you to change the engine to a 940 engine. The 940 is an upgraded and updated version of the 740 which is a 240 with modded bodywork you might say...

Get a B230FK or B230FT... the fk is a low-pressure turbo (0.3bar stock boost) and the ft is a high-pressure turbo (0.5 bar stock boost). these engines are lovely and fits directly into a 240 enginebay with no mods what-so-ever.

- B230FT/FK
- Intercooler
- 3" exhaust all the way
- sport-airfilter

That's what you need to make the 240 go fast. That'll give you aprox 200hp at 1bar...

If you want to port and hone and polish the engine and all that, you can. But this is normally very expencive...

If you plan to tune the car more than 200hp, i would recommend changing the gearbox too. I assume you have a 5-speed manual (M47), which is ok for up to 200hp. Over that you might want to change to a M46 (4speed with Overdrive), but for 230hp+ i would go for the M90 (5-speed manual). This gearbox can handle the power. If you're going for a psycho 240 with 350hp+, get a BMW Getrag gearbox and a BMW rear axle too, but i doubt that you're gonna do that... hehe :D

if you need further advice, pm me and i'll give you some.. i just finished a project with my friend. a 744 with a B21ET block and B21AT top... 250rwhp ;) next project might be a 1986-1991 240 with a Nissan Skyline GT-R engine... lovely... ;)

if i go to a junkyard will the engine codes be stamped on the block or chassis? this sounds interesting to get a B230FK/FT and put it in my 240 DL .. do you know which models and years specifically to look for? thanks.

if i go to a junkyard will the engine codes be stamped on the block or chassis? this sounds interesting to get a B230FK/FT and put it in my 240 DL .. do you know which models and years specifically to look for? thanks.

Well, there arent any models of the engines exactly... They're all the same pretty much. Of course, the newer - the better. But a 1995 model engine would be a safe bet.

The engine code will be written on the sticker on the belt-cover along with a barcode of some sort. That's the only code i know of. But, if you get a turbo-engine from a 940, its going to be a B230FT or B230FK. And by god, remember there's a difference between a 960 and a 940... :D

you can probably find some parts on www.truckperformance.com and www.nopi.com

http://www.converseengineering.com/

Ford 5.0's are an easy conversion and only adds 100lbs over the 4cyl and auto.

still... i would go real volvo... not GMolvo og Fordvo or whatever ;)

Ford owns Volvo now so it is in the family...

Ford owns Volvo now so it is in the family...
yeah... they own them now... but still... fiat owns ferrari. you dont go around putting a Multipla engine in your Testarossa... :D

But I would put a Dino engine in my X 1/9

But I would put a Dino engine in my X 1/9

what are you going on about? :)

drill return line for turbo at bottom of block, take oil feed from oil pre light port, junk yard 740 turbo set up (less than 200 total from pull a part),use megasquirt or a 740 turbo computers and wire harness..pick a good turbo and intercooler, some cfi injectors and 300hp is no prob...

The turbo conversion is the best route for bolt in swap. Remember to get the ecu as well though.

Mike