Other Cars (British & British-Inspired)

Hello aluminum V8 aficionados.

I will be happy to do an intro as well but I have several questions with pictures so I did not want to waste space in the intro thread.
My name is Rolf and I live on the US west coast.

It is finally time to give my Volvo Amazon wagon some attention. I need more
power (don't we all?) and I have thought of everything from a Nissan SR20DET engine to an LS V8.



Growing up in Sweden there was one car that etched itself in my mind: A Volvo Amazon V8. It was built in 1967 had a warmed up Buick 215 V8.



My Volvo is a wagon but I think that makes it even more interesting.

So…I found this 4.0 out of a 1998 Discovery. The owner was talked in to a diesel conversion by his British friend and Rover mechanic.
The owner claims it was running just fine when pulled about 6 mo ago and the car had 134K miles on it.

I did get the complete harness and computer but some relays are missing and I just don’t think I will go down that route.
I see that some folks have been successful with Megasquirt but it looks like a lot of trial and error.

I will probably just convert to a regular manifold and a carburetor or possibly a FI throttle body system.

So here we go:

Will the 215 aftermarket carb manifolds fit the 4.0 in the first place?



I assume this is some head gasket seeping? Common? Should I resurface the heads when I blow it apart?



I found 3 gaskets on one side and two on the other. Is this normal or is this someone compensating for a warped manifold?



I assume the tube that goes over the right side valve cover is for the heater, but only one is connected to the engine. (in the manifold)
Where does the other one connect to? It just goes straight down.

Also, the two oil hoses that comes off the olf filter housing, where do they go to?

If I wanted to use a regular distributor, would I just punch thru front cover or do I replace the whole front over? …and cam?

I see some folks selling thinner front covers etc and that would be a benefit for the small Volvo. Thoughts?



If I were to go “old school” I would probably want to go to V-belts pulleys.

Any thoughts on suppliers or what can cross from Buick V6 would be great. Also, please note the balancing weight on this pulley.

Do I have to worry about this if I replace this pulley for balance?

Are these engines internally balanced?

What if I add a flywheel? Do I have to worry about balancing?

Any guidance or tips will be much appreciated!

Cheers,

Rolf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2014 02:28PM by Rolf.

Amazons rock! Welcome to BritishV8, Rolf.

I'll take a crack at a few of your questions, though generally I think it's best to spread questions over various more focused threads. Also, engine questions will often get more response in our engine section.

I ran a carburetor for many years, and by the end it was very well tuned. So, when I converted to EFI (MS3) I didn't really get the immediate fuel economy or peak horsepower improvements I hoped for. On the other hand, the improvement in smoothness and refinement was much greater than expected. My engine feels stronger and smoother in all situations. I hope to never own another carburetor, and I'd strongly encourage you to make the EFI hardware you have work. That said... Buick 215 intake manifolds will bolt right to your engine as will various Offenhauser and Edelbrock options.

If you're taking the heads off, it's easy enough to check whether they're flat. I expect they may benefit from skimming, but your oil leak could possibly be coming from elsewhere. (The edge of the valley pan? etc.)

"If I wanted to use a regular distributor..." then you'd most likely buy an earlier front cover, timing set, oil pump, water pump, etc. - and with the work you're contemplating I can't imagine that you wouldn't WANT a new/different camshaft also. Search around on our site (using the Google search box in our page header) because we've discussed the details before. This link may be helpful.. But again, a distributor is definitely a retrograde change. Crank-fired electronic ignition is more precise, potentially much more tunable by an enthusiast, ultimately should be more reliable... and you already own the hardware!

I'll shut up now and hopefully someone else will chime in with different opinions. ;)

Rolf,
Welcome aboard!
I know that you have the rover v8 already but check out the Vox Volvo Amazon.
It's running the Volvo 960 3.0l all aluminum straight six. There's room in there for the twin turbo S80 engine as well.
Goes fast, looks good and it's all Volvo.
S80's are dirt cheap these days. ( they use a GM trans that fails constantly)
Having said that, I'd probably be doing the V8 conversion as well.
The trans tunnel on the 122 is very narrow so you might consider an automatic. Or cut the tunnel out completely and start over.
Just make sure it is strong as it's a structural part of the car.
Under hood is very tall so no problem there, but it gets pretty narrow towards the bottom. Switching to a rack and pinon steering will free up some room.
If you can find one, the 240 diesel rad is a near perfect fit for the engine bay and it will cool a 300 or so HP engine just fine.
The newer diffy's from the 140's are the right width, come with disc brakes and can handle the power.
That's all the old brainbox can handle for now.

Cheers
Fred

Curtis,

Thanks for info and link. I have built several hot rods etc from scratch so I am comfortable with the modification but the fuel injection solutions can be overwhelming for a newbe. I paid $400 for the engine so the thought was to start playing with it and see what comes out of it. Carburation is dated for sure It is fun to learn something new. If I take it one step at a time it may be OK.

I could always go with an aluminum LS and with all the aftermarket support it would be a snap but maybe not as fun.

Fred, thanks for your input.

Yes, the VOX car is great but I am not after to duplicate it. The goal is V8 rumble and it does not have to be the fastest. Too much power could jeopardize the integrity of the car.

Noted on the trans tunnel, they are indeed narrow. Stick shift is a must.An S-10 5 speed is fairly small but I have no problem building a new tunnel if need be. The shifter would have to be relocated anyway. Depending on power, I may need to connect the sub frame assemblies as well.

Rack and Pinion is on the list, the stock steering box set up is rather sloppy even with fresh components.

Good tip on the diesel radiator.

Thats awesome.



I love the 122s. First time I ever worked on one I was impressed lol and being a nissan guy my first though was, this would be fun with a KA24de in it.

Hi Skib,

Yes, the KA engines are great as well. The Rover/Buick aluminum motor is just a childhood dream so I best follow that path.

Questions: I think I will do the carburation route for now. It would fit the old school style with the car.

If so, I would like to replace the front cover with the Buick version making the engine shorter and I can drive the dizzy. Do I have to add other things internally when doing that? Is it driven off the cam?
I would want a different cam anyway but is it different for a dizzy motor?
What about V-belt pulleys? Can I use Buick stuff?

Thanks again guys!

Your answer is... it depends. Honestly it does. The big question is, what oil pump does that engine use? I see an opening for, what, a cam sensor and oil pump drive where the distributor normally goes? If it is you may be in luck. There was a transition year. Others know more about this than me and you'll get engine answers faster by posting them in the engines forum.

Jim

Got it Jim, I will pop over to the engine forum and pester some folks over there.

Hey neighbor! I just picked up an Oldsmobile 215 for my estate. Yet to pull it from the parts car.
Hope your swap goes well, be watching for updates!