bellofello

Hey Everyone.

I'm finally getting around to organizing all my photos and stuff in to a build thread. I still have to take a few and add them in to make it up to date, but yea. This is my also first attempt at a build like this, so take it easy on me if I'm doing something totally back asswards! lol

Engine: L33 5.3L from a 2006 Silverado. Pulled and shipped to my door for $506, sweeeet


Car: a relatively solid $550 1988 Volvo 240 Wagon. I drove it home from 3 highway hours away.. smooth as silk


GOALS:
-450-500 whp on low boost, 700'ish on kill w/meth
-Burnouts, go fast, get ice cream
-Hit the track once or twice with slicks to see how fast she'll go
-Just take it on road trips and have fun trolling vipers and Ferraris

Quick summary of the build sheet:
-Stock internals, just fresh rings, gaskets, bolts and ****
-7875 billet china turbo
-homemade'ish hot side/cold side
-ECU is an MS3 from Efi Source w/harness
-80lb injectors
-Walbro 450 pump
-China rails (just cuz it was pretty and cheap)
-Rebuilt T56 from high gear trans
-Tick performance clutch/flywheel/master kit for f-body (w/monster stg 3 clutch and LW flywheel)
-Custom strange mfg d-shaft
-Narrowed 8.8
-Volvo S60R brembos up front (re-drilled S60R rotors, and factory hubs to 5x4.5" bolt pattern)
-Stock 8.8 stuff out back, w/ ASD handbrake inline
-94 Rustang Slowbrah master cylinder, custom braided lines throughout (I hate making hardlines )
-Sloppy but kinda pretty?

Here we go...


after a quick wash and vacuum

bellofello

Finally have enough parts to get the ball rolling! Time to yank out the old motor/trans

Steve analyzing, not looking impressed


Get the cherry picker all dug out of the corner, hook that bitch up....


And of course it doesn't work, seals must be shot or something, oh well forklift to the rescue..


Aaand out with the old, that easy


Obligatory man power engine bay shot. Excuse the hair cut... I was trimming my beard and hair the day before, messed up, aaaand ended up like Caillou lol


Mmmmm lots of room

bellofello

Quick degrease/power wash


My mounts came in from STS Machining, so I dropped the block in there for initial mockup, lots of room!




So I quickly tossed my heads, intake, headers, and turbo in there to see what it all looks like! pretty as **** is what it looks like by the way.. haha

bellofello

So for motor prep/build... tear down (I took a bunch of photos, but its kinda all boring, relatively standard 150xxx mile truck motor). It's been rebuilt by/for GM at some point (little plate on the block), has one 799 head, instead of two 243 heads, kind of a **** of, but what ever. Oh, also needed slightly oversize piston rings... also a pain in the ***. Since my motor guy didn't measure after he honed the cylinders for me, lol.. anyway.

Cleaned up the heads all shiny and ****, cleaned and lapped the valves


Installed BTR dual platinum springs and tool steel retainers, with new valve seals.


Gapping new 0.20" over piston rings, installing stock gen4 flat tops and stock rods. Re-using bearings and rod bolts, added 10 degrees to the torque spec for the sloppy seconds bolts lol. That summit installer is the ******* **** by the way... just buy one, I had to buy two since I didn't anticipate my **** being slightly oversized..


High tech piston ring gap filer wiz banger


Cam install, checking marks with lots of light to make sure! Cam being used is a Lil Jon Motorsports Stage II turbo cam (226/231 .605"/.598" 113+4)


Cooking with the shop Wok lol, getting the balancer nice and hot, right up to around 180 degrees for 5 minutes or so, so it slides right on


Bling (doorman f-body balancer btw)


Then all the accessories fell on, I used a 103 amp small case alternator from like a 4.8 application, and low mount holley accessory bracket. Holley PS pump, and f-body water pump.
I switched out to an LS style intake manifold, I prefer the low height and look of them. I found a decent deal on an LS6 unit

bellofello

Oh yea, the turbo being used is a VS Racing billet 78/75mm china girl, she so pretty



Wiring harness from Efi Source came through the same spot in the factory firewall that the original harness came through, the grommet even fit perfect... lol


1994 Mustang Cobra master installed


Ready for the struggle... LOL


Reverse lockout solenoid (I think that's what it's called anyway, it's late and I'm tired lol) was where the trans tunnel needed the most molestation..


from the back, sitting sketchily on our ghetto rigged T56 jack adapter... lmao


Where the shifter ended up in the tunnel. I'm going to get an MGW shifter, so I might get it clocked at 12 o'clock, might end up in a better spot.





That's about all we've gotten done so far. I have the ECU mounted, just didn't take a pic of it, same with the clutch master. I'll try to get those tomorrow on lunch at work.

bellofello

Quick question though, spark plug wires... I'm going to remote mount my coils inside the firewall, where the plug wires pass through the wall, do they have to be isolated from each other, or can they touch? A buddy and I were wondering about that today.

Here's a photo of what I'm thinking, plus firewall grommets obviously...

TipsyMcStagger

iTrader: (1)

I love these Volvo swaps. Looking forward to updates.

Tipsy

BudRacing

iTrader: (3)

Very nice project you have there.

I don't think there should be any issue with the plug wires touching. Just think about all the old distributor style setups with the wires grouped together.

bellofello

Thanks Tipsy, my buddy is visiting for a bit from out west, hopefully we'll get some s*** done!

Thanks Bud, I always thought that was the purpose of those little wire separator clips by the valve cover in the photo. Glad to know that I shouldn't have an issue! Running 8 little holes through the firewall for plugs would be silly haha

DrHutch

This looks sick already! Can't wait to see the end product and hopefully steal a couple of ideas haha.

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

Looks like it's coming along nicely. Volvo 240's - they are the box they came in.

Old school dizzy thinking - you never wanted the wires to touch or "cross" - help avoid cross-sparking. Maybe get a short section of heat shrink on them before you make them up and position the shrink so it provides a bit of extra insulation where they come through the firewall. One of the bene's of coils right close to the plugs is that super short lead which minimizes conduction losses. So for me, hiding them wasn't worth losing that benefit -- although I almost secretly still want to find the real estate to mount them UNDER/BEHIND the exhaust manifolds where the short plug wire can come up to the plug from the bottom. I settled for Holley valve covers in crinkle black which are much better aesthetically than the stock GM set up.

bellofello

I think I'll use that heat shrink idea to add some insulation between the wires. Thanks for the idea Michael

Snapped a few photos of our custom ghetto T56 jack adapter





My welds are starting to look half decent even

bellofello

Aaaaanyway, here's a little bit of progress. Got my fuel pump all situated in the tank. I decided to make a separate, easily removable unit so I can take my pump in and out nice and easy.

My custom fuel pump "hat?" started out as something like this, piece of a motorcycle crate


Smacked some holes in it, got -8 and -6 bulkhead fittings, some sealer, and wound up with this.


Traced some scientific scribbles and started cut off wheeling and die grinding the **** out of the tank


Fittings installed, hole cut, nuts marked (using flanged nuts obviously...)


Drilled a few holes near the nut holes, plug welded them up, then ground them smooth.



Hung my Wally 450 and return stuff under there after some measuring (used AN to 3/8th's hose barb adapters on the bottom)


Tested it in the tank


Seal all'd the crap out of the wiring hole and around the fittings again to be safe, anddd voila.

bellofello

I should have some more progress soon. Now that my pump is hung, I can put the tank in and finish off my fuel system. Also a bunch of brake line fittings and stuff just came in, so when the motor comes out again for a few final touches. I can make up all my braided lines and what not.

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

Can you get to those fittings for loosening/tightening through the access port in the trunk floor with the tank in place. I can barely reach mine -- bulkhead fittings drilled/bolted into the STOCK hat. Nice work there!

G Atsma

Man, nice job on your fuel system! That is gonna be one RIPPIN' WAGON!

bellofello

Thanks guys

Michael, I'm making a new larger access panel to the passenger side of the factory one. Nice and big LOL. My original plan was to put the fittings through the stock hat too, but I ended up changing my mind somewhere along the way.

96lt1m6

iTrader: (31)

Some good looking modifacations

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

That spelling (modifacations) is leading me to invent a new word on the spot.....modefecations. Those are modifications that look or work like crap. Thankfully, none in this thread - but they've been known to happen. Hell, let's face it - some folks think we've performed a modefecation when we choose old Volvos to put our V8's in!