Volvo 240 TDI swap

[culberro]

Yes, I have a TDI(alh) swapped ‘91 240 wagon and I’m needing to find a new home for it. Sorry I didn’t see this post earlier, but I quit frequenting TB quite a while ago.

I’m glad you got it you going! You were pretty active and then dropped off, sorry to hear you left due to negativity :/

 

[v8volvo]

I love my TDI swapped 940 in almost every aspect, but lately I've been thinking of selling it and getting a T4 transporter with ACV. Way more space for camping, little bit more fuel consumption, and hopefully no driveline vibration

I think for a 240, even a stock 1z 90hp TDI would be practical. Weighs way less than a D24, has way more torque. Driveability wise it would be somewhere between a B230F and a B200FT, with a good rear diff gearing. But would consume around 6-7l/100km max while beating the hell out of it. And it is easy to tune and make it way more fun. Sad part is the bellhousing incompatibility.


Be careful with using an indirect gearbox in place of a direct gearbox. One could end up with 5 or more reverse gears!

Good point, sometimes I forget those Audi boxes spin backwards. Easy enough to flip a diff though or use an Audi one! Well maybe not so much in a RWD Volvo, but an excuse for an IRS swap anyway....

Agree the 4-banger TDI can be a great choice for a RWD Volvo in terms of overall outcome if you get the gearing right. Plenty of power and drivability, and even some weight reduction. Great torque curve. It's also amusing to see how tiny the 028 and 038 type VW 4cyl engines are externally when set into the Volvo bay, vs a Volvo red 4cyl that is huge by comparison. And heavy of course. Seems like most folks solve the bellhousing problem for the 4cyl motors by running a Toyota or Ford/GM/Mopar/etc type gearbox since there are so many adapter options out there behind the TDI. @PDXBryan is that what you did?

The thing I don't like about the concept of running an early type (rotary pump) TDI with a bellhousing adapter plate is that they require a flywheel timing reference for timing system service, and none of the adapter kits provide that for whatever reason, so all of those motors either have to come out of the vehicle and get bolted to a VW trans and flywheel for proper timing belt service, or you have to come up with some kind of workaround or tolerate the idea that your cam timing could be off by a bit (pump timing easy enough to get right anyway via software unless using an m-pump...). Running a PD TDI solves that issue since those are timed off the front of the engine rather than the rear. On the AHU I swapped into a Toyota pickup years ago, I timed it with the VW 02A trans still attached, dropped it into the truck, ran it for a couple years, then sold it before the timing belt was due..... Next owner's problem

@petiww the T4 transporters are appealing vehicles. I have a buddy a couple towns over who has a US spec T4 that has had an imported ACV TDI swapped in, along with an 02G gearbox, that I have done some engine work on from time to time. Nice driving van. He had one previously that was set up for a syncro AWD powertrain too, in a LWB Winnie camper body, had the syncro trans but he never got around to putting in the driven rear axle or prop shaft, just ran it as a FWD.

I had a couple of T4's several years ago myself, one with the boat anchor gasser 2.5L 5cyl, and another with a 1.9 AHU TDI swap and EWB 02B trans. That one was nice too. Even the 1.9 with a mild tune was more than enough to make a pretty snappy driving van. More aggressive tuning and a VNT would have made it even better. All things considered I think that might be a better option in the T4 than the 5cyl TDI -- quite a bit lighter and I really liked the very spacious service access for the 4cyl engine under the T4 hood, vs the 5cyl gassers and diesels which are pretty tight. The vans drive well and the 1.9 TDI one was able to get almost mid 30s MPG. Not sure why VAG only offered the 5cyl TDI or 4-banger IDI engines in the T4 and never the 4cyl TDI, which seems like the most ideal balance of the two.

Where you are of course you can buy all of those versions as factory equipped setups.... I also like the look of the early T5 vans which was an entire platform we never got here. Heard the aluminum 5cyl PD that those also got as an option was a terrible engine though so I guess you would be stuck with the 4cyl iron block PDs which are solid enough. And of course you can get the 2nd gen LT as well with the 2.5 TDI 5cyl. Too many good choices in your part of the world.

I'd probably rather spend time behind the wheel of the 945 you built in terms of comfort and road manners vs any of those but envy your options anyway.

 

[PDXBryan]

Great post, v8volvo! Sorry I didn’t get back sooner.

Yes, my 240 has an ALH TDI in front of an Aisin AR5 transmission out of a Chevy Colorado. You said earlier that a stock 90hp TDI should move a 240 quite well and I agree. I was originally very impressed with the performance of the TDI engine in a ‘97 Passat wagon and that car weighed 4400lbs - what a porker. But a warmed-up TDI (160hp/300ft lbs - ish) like mine in a 3100lb Volvo moves out like a monster - and it’s RWD!!

My inspiration was Yoshifab’s he built years ago and getting a chance to drive his car cemented my resolve. The one thing about his I wasn’t crazy about was the OD in his Toyota (Aisin) W59 tranny - it had the diesel spinning a bit faster than I (& he) liked at cruising speed. He’d originally built the car with a W58 (Supra), but that tranny’s tall 1st gear had driven him crazy in Southern California’s stop ‘n go traffic so he made the sacrifice.

At some point my build was on hold for a while which gave me time to reconsider the “sacrifice” and do some research. That’s when I discovered the AR5 version of the Aisin box that had the best of both worlds - a traffic friendly 1st and a tall overdrive. Hooray! All that goes into the 3.31:1 rear end that now sports a TruTrac limited slip.

 

[PDXBryan]

I’m glad you got it you going! You were pretty active and then dropped off, sorry to hear you left due to negativity :/

Thanks Robert!
Yeah, after I tapered off frequenting this site I really missed commenters like you and I still remember your hospitality when I visited your shop. I see that you’re still rallying like mad and I wonder if I missed a chance to say hello at the 2024 & ‘25 Oregon Trail PIR stage/event? Once I do find a happy home for my 240TDI my wife and I will be moving to a new home far away. Our new home is, however, a prime spot for vintage rallying so let me know if you ever feel like heading over the pond!

And please let me know if you know anyone interested in being the next caretaker of my 240TDI.

 

[v8volvo]

Just in case anyone who was watching this thread is curious to see how a well-executed 4-cylinder TDI swap into a 240 can look, see the photos in the auction listing for the 245 TDI @PDXBryan just sold on Ba5: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-volvo-240-52/

I like the AR5 gearbox choice! Nicely thought-out install here. Softer motor mount isolators and some gussets on the mount brackets probably would help keep the 4-banger buzz down.