Volvo 4V Head on 2.3?

[saleenx029]

This sounds impossible to me but my friend insists that there is a Volvo 4 valve cylinder head that will bolt up easily to a ford 2.3 turbo motor and adds like 30 horse, has anyone heard of this? It doesn't seem possible to me. How would the bolt pattern be the same? Just wondering.

 

[notched86]

This sounds impossible to me but my friend insists that there is a Volvo 4 valve cylinder head that will bolt up easily to a ford 2.3 turbo motor and adds like 30 horse, has anyone heard of this? It doesn't seem possible to me. How would the bolt pattern be the same? Just wondering.

Mike SVOR is finishing a Volvo head swap on his car. http://www.msvorinich.itgo.com/
There's also a handfull of people on turboford who have done it.

It's a very hard swap that requires a lot of fabrication. If your looking for a real challenge, then go for it...but I don't think the amount of work involved justifies the power gains.

 

[Pro-Hawk]

The 87 SVO was going to have this done and was canceled before they went into prodction. There was how ever 3 heads made before but I promise you unless you know people Like Jack Roush you're noting getting one

Now like stated before you can bolt a Volve 16v head on but needs a ton of work for it to work right. First you have to plug all the existing water/oil holes in the head and re dill some new ones. This part along would drive me nuts. Then you have to hand build a header/exhaust mainifol and intake mainifold for it. Every once in a blue moon someone will have these pices on Ebay for sell. Now I've only heard one dyno testing and it was on a Merkur ( same 2.3T motor) and it did 289 hp on 10psi of boost. I never did see any Torque numbers on it though. Now to me if I could make 289 hp with just 10psi I would be very happy But its a lot of trouble to go through. I figure you could make the same amount of power with more boost and a nicely ported 2.3T motor.

EDITED:

p.s just think if my stock SVO made 175 hp with 15 psi. The Volve head/2.3T did 114hp more than my car stock running 5lb of boost less also

 

[351wcoupe]

The cylinder spacing and head bolt spacing are the same so bolting it up is easy. Its generally the same as the head swap I'm doing now. I'm putting cleveland heads on a 351 windsor, head bolts and cylinder spacing is the same but the water passages are different and you have to notch the crap out of a stock piston or get an aftermarket one already notched. Not sure how that applies to the Volvo head but after more people have done it I'll be there.

but I promise you unless you know people Like Jack Roush you're noting getting one

Now I've only heard one dyno testing and it was on a Merkur ( same 2.3T motor) and it did 289 hp on 10psi of boost.

In that situation "being" jack roush might not have been enough.

Think about the reliability/longevity of 10 psi. Vs the reliability of 20psi. If the volvo head is of decent quality it "should" be a good swap. Thats an impressive hp number. Was that on a Bone stock head? I remember a thread on TF but I can't remember.

 

[Pro-Hawk]

In that situation "being" jack roush might not have been enough.

Well since it was Jack Roush that built the 16v head for the 87' SVO I'm sure it would be enough The reason I also mention if you knew him is that he has one of the 3 made in his collection

 

[kiddiccarus]

Well when the tech is done and all of the bugs worked out of it I would like to do it myself but until then I will port the heck out of my head and have fun anyways.

 

[fess40]

I've been following this for a while now in a yahoo group at http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/2300-16V/ Tons of great info!

Checkout this thread inparticular!
--- phils88gt <punk5672@c...> wrote:
> there are a few running engines, but no one really has
> specified if they are stable enough to be a daily driver.

Yes, both of the two that I know of are running as daily
drivers and are running just fine. The only issue that was
brought up is the head needs to be heat or/and/both cryo
treated. Without heat or/and/both cryo treating it will cause
the head gasket to leak. Just what we were told. Always good
cheap insurance anyway.

> necesitates blocking the center oil return, has anyone had a
> problem with this?

No. There's too much oil up there anyway. The flow needs to be
restricted to the head. It's in the summary in the files. You
can drill another oil drinback if you want to but there is no
need to, once the oil is restricted and sent to the Volvo
head.

OK, here's some hp and ft/tq numbers: If the owners want to
accept or deny them they are more than welcome too. I've heard
these numbers from Florida all the way to New York and out as
far as Ohio. I'm not giving the names... but if the two
individuals want to give them I would most appreciate it...
I know who you are and I've tried to contact you both by
phone... Can't take it any longer, got to at least post the
numbers. Just too many people wanting to see some numbers.

360 hp/340 ft.tq. @ 12 psi at 5500 rpm.
409 hp/320 ft.tq. @ 20 psi

Both conversion were done by two different shops. Both are
running SDS. Both are using stock valves. The difference in
the numbers spread could be just about anything from cam
timing, turbo size or placement. Intake or exhaust manifold
design. SDS set-up. Who knows, but these are the numbers as I
have now received them from four separate and reputable
sources.

According to Rick Byrnes; who I spoke with about two weeks
ago:
He's "not surprised by those numbers" and he wants to
"congratulate those two individuals for sticking with it and
following through on a well thought out idea." Also according
to Rick, back when Jack Roush did the 16 valve head for his
cars. When Jack replaced the fully tweaked out Esslinger race
head with the new 16 valve head, "Jack gained 100 hp right off
the bat." I told Rick I was amazed at these two guys getting a
100+ percent gain in power over the stock head with very
little extra modification other than just swapping out the
head and Rick said, it's pretty much what he expected us to
get and "those numbers were in no way out of the question."
Even without the larger valve replacement, better fuel
management, top of the line custom intake and exhaust
manifold.

BTW, I'm now back reconsidering/replanning the bottom end of
my block for durability. Going to have to do some more
strengthening. Without it the block will most likely be coming
apart around 600-650 hp. At least that's what I keep hearing.

Gotta go,

=====
David L. Brumbeloe, Jr.
"dbrumbeloejr@t..."
"merk_23@y..."
"merk_23@h..."


Interesting to say the least!
fess40

 

[Pro-Hawk]

I use to follow the Yahoo groups on that stuff but got hooked on TF and SN Those guys really know there cars for sure I figure I would use a Esslinger head if I wanted to get a little crazy since I don't have the machining capabilities to make a Volvo head work

 

[mr_woodster]

someone needs to finish this pain staking modification proccess so i can freely benifit from there time spent. I mean, Good job guys keep up the work!

 

[kiddiccarus]

I know it is taking way too long for you guys to perfect this and dumb it down enough for me to get it done, step up the proccess and get me some results guys, and a good write up on it also.

 

[stang2.3t]

Two of the guys running Merkurs that I run with have started the process for doing the volvo head swap. The machineing part is pretty much the most time consuming. As we come farther in the process I will se about posting some a FAQ page with some pics and the steps we took to make this work.

 

[fess40]

Here's a couple of pic's of what is supposedly the prototype for what would have been an '87 SVO.

Oh but what could have been!

 

[Pro-Hawk]

Damn V8 guys If they hadn't have been so jealous we probly would have a ton of 16V 2.3Ts on the street to day They was just afraid of being by a 4 cl

 

[1fastfox]

dude that prototype svo is the coolest thing i have ever seen. if and when they get a site devoted to the swap of a volvo head swap and if the numbers are correct i think that will be next of course ill have to get the freakin engine in first.

woodster, you got ur engine in right. how long did it take u to get everything running right. im curious.

pat

 

[Corrutpforlife]

Hey I was jus wondering what vovlo this head was off? I kinda want to try this.

 

[kiddiccarus]

Holy Resurection Batman!!!!!!!!

 

[StangerJon]

like an 89 or 90, 740 GLE

 

[16vstang]

its in volvos b234 engine 89-90 740s did have it, and some 940s 89-91-92 had it also.

 

[Pro-Hawk]

I would keep an eye on Ebay from time to time if you do deside to do this swap. I once saw a guy selling a intake mainifold and exhaust mainifold for a Volvo head that was on a 2.3T. This would help cut down on your fabercation time by a few years

 

[Corrutpforlife]

I have a 1979 2.3 turbocharged mustang will that head fit on that year also? I've only heard of it on merurks? I was thinking of fabracating an intake for a 4 barrell also but I'm not sure if it had enough CFM for that?