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Block work questions....

780Racer

780Racer

New member
Joined
Jan 29, 2008
Location
Cumming, GA
Ok, a local performance shop is going to help me rebuild a new B230. I need to know the BEST specs. on Head work, like the best Valve size, where to groove the head, and anything else that would help my Block.......I need to also know the best specifications on what i all should do to my head as well........ THanks!!!
 
Sorry to be annoying but someone will say it, so it may as well be me.

The best for what? economy, power, low torque, growing tomatoes in, there are so many different ways to go with these things that a little more info is probably needed :)
 
I dont need a T, ill pick one off of a Dodge ram pickup truck at my work.....I need some numbers for my machine shop guy to use to work on the head.... Also exactly how much power can i sqeez out of my 8v head?
 
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grooving? well, from what I can tell there is no set spec, it is purely a guessing game since I have not seen any data comparing different patterns....I'd opt not to do this

for general rebuilding, use the specs in the greenbooks

JohnV recommends 38mm exhaust valves with stock sized intake....forget if you need larger seats or not...

there are no "numbers" or a simple drawing that someone can give you for porting the exhaust ports, it's an experiance or trial and error thing, see the the threads below, some show cross-sectional pictures of the port and explain where cleaning up will gain the most.

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=86516

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=2145

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=2268
 
i am really looking at like the MAXIMUM performance, Porting everything to the MAX, i have this guy wanting to semi-sponser my volvo he owns this custom performance shop and never sends anything out becuase he does it all himself with his machines. So i really want to get like.....500 out of a redblock, stroked, bored so it is perfectly strait, forged everything on the bottum end......yeah, Help Please....is 500 even possible???!
 
Anything is possible and there is no 'BEST' spec for the work. Real performance engines are machined individually for the specific parts for that engine.
 
780Racer said:
With the 530 head? I dont want to 16V it, unless i HAVE no other choice
Click to expand...

I think if you want absolute max power then 16V is the way forwards.
I am limiting my budget to around 220hp.
The power / cost curve is fairly flat where I want to be but it is an exponential curve from there up.
See http://www.aerltd.com/index.html
I have designed the parts of the car around thier engines. The 2000cc 4 cylinder turbo produces somewhere around 500+hp and that is with an A.C.O. restrictor in the turbo intake.
It is also designed to run flat out for a 24 hour race and has to be economical on fuel too.

You could possibly use a Volvo block as a start point and build yourself a bespoke engine inside it.

You could do it..but where does your budget stop?

I thought quite hard about my choice and decided that beyond standard Volvo parts and parts I can obtain from other vehicles that is my limit.......but I am always looking for a penta bottom end to make it 2500cc.

Rob
 
what you really need to do to show you are serious (and have the money) is contact someone like Peter (Yea, Right is in screen name) or JohnV and talk to them....once they get that $1500 check (wild guess) from you for the custom pistons and rods, then planning and advice will be much easier to come by.

I'm not saying you have to "buy" or pay for the info, but showing a serious commitment usually lets some information flow.....

I know JohnV will talk to you for hours for free, and I'd imagine Peter would entertain your call as well for no charge, but to get the ball rolling and knowing you can lean on them for that little extra tip or advice you are not going to get here, it would be well worth it.
 
Well a Shop the guy always uses is going to make my pistons, i am more looking for some help as to what kind of stuff i might need to get a 500 HP volvo motor. My budget is almost bottumless, The shop is going to help me all the way there, so money isnta hugh factor, looking to spend 7K or so for the block.......So please let me know what i need to do!
 
Dude! Try to calm down and relax a little.

500hp is definitely possible from an 8v. First thing to keep in mind is it's the HEAD where you are going to make power. Stop going on and on about the block and start thinking about everything as a system.

The easy way is most likely to check in with RSI (rsportinternational.com). They have custom ported heads that you can just buy and bolt. Go to the site and develop a rapport them.

For that power level, you are also going to need a dead serious ex manifold. RSI can help you again. You may as well ask them about the intake side as well. You can do it with the stocker, but with more effort (more boost).

Where the block is concerned, it's obviously going to have be strong. Check with John V or RSI. They both sell killer shizzle for the bottom end and can do custom stuff as well.

As for grooving the heads, check the groove thread. It's long and has been around a long time. The thing about grooving is that it makes the engine very detonation resistant. People are now running lean mixtures with some rather advanced timing. If you can get a stand alone EMS to take advantage of that, there is some serious potential for power and economy. My head is grooved, ported and polished, and has larger ex valves. I'm going to MegaSquirt to take advantage of the grooving.

Now you'd better be prepared! This is going to cost money. I personally like going around corners and going on road trips so there is a big reason my target is only 350hp. Where you are going, you have to keep going through your driveline and rear subframe to make sure you can live at those power numbers. If you don't, it's just going to spend more time on a tow truck.

Cheers
 
That is what i needed, what about RSI's chips, are they very good? I would do MSs, but i dont have a laptop and dont see me buying/getting one anytime soon....
 
780Racer said:
That is what i needed, what about RSI's chips, are they very good? I would do MSs, but i dont have a laptop and dont see me buying/getting one anytime soon....
Click to expand...

i dont see you getting 500 hp any time soon either
 
780Racer said:
With the 530 head? I dont want to 16V it, unless i HAVE no other choice
Click to expand...

Why not? It's fersure the easiest way to make sure you get or exceed 500 bhp.

Do some simple math. Do the area for the 1 intake valve and 1 exhaust valve choosing say 46mm intake and maybe 40 exhaust.
Then do the areas for 2 intakes at 34mm and 2 exhausts at say 32mm.

Compare the areas, and do the per cent differences.
REMEMBER THAT THE AREA IS ONE THING, THE PORT LEADING UP TO IT IS EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT.

And then think if its worthwhile spending huge amounts for a 2 valve head when you DO have the option of the 4 valve.
The only problem of the 16v is cost, and you say that's not a factor.
So.......................

For truly silly numbers, get a B23 and start from there. It has a forged steel crank and is plain LARGER everywhere.
Run a 16v head, 30 psi boost, a correctly sized turbo, mod the plenum of the OEM 16v manifold, buy my 6.3 c-c rods and the nice designed CP Pistons, and then spend some money pn the flywheel clutch, trannie and REAR AXEL

It is all unfortunately all a package, and you may as well plan for the whole thing.

There are sub 8 second Volvos at 2.5 liter.
 
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780Racer said:
That is what i needed, what about RSI's chips, are they very good? I would do MSs, but i dont have a laptop and dont see me buying/getting one anytime soon....
Click to expand...

if you plan on making real power, a chip won't get you there.

RSI doesnt make chips. Fred sells some and are supposedly good for a mild stockish setup.

the 3 cars on here running 11's are all MS'd cars, take that for what its worth.

if you plan on spending 7k, you could build an entire engine with that(nasty 8v or 16v).
a bulletproof block alone should be no more than 3k i would think.
 
John V said:
Why not? It's fersure the easiest way to make sure you get or exceed 500 bhp.

For truly silly numbers, get a B23 and start from there. It has a forged steel crank and is plain LARGER everywhere.
Run a 16v head, 30 psi boost, a correctly sized turbo, mod the plenum of the OEM 16v manifold, buy my 6.3 c-c rods and the nice designed CP Pistons, and then spend some money pn the flywheel clutch, trannie and REAR AXEL

It is all unfortunately all a package, and you may as well plan for the whole thing.

There are sub 8 second Volvos at 2.5 liter.
Click to expand...


my future plan!:-D
 
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