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1990 940 GLE daily?

rokaskey

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2017
Location
Lithuania
1990 940 gle 1uz

Hi there,

I want to share with you my "project"/daily/daily nuisance
A short sum up of the car when i started: 1990 end 940 GLE, with a B234F, G80 locker, M46 and a mechanical metal sunroof.

I have the car since spring of 2017 When i bought it, it didn't start, had a taxi registration and an archaic faulty LPG system. Sounds like a horrible start for a project, but I when I first saw I fell in love with the color and the rarer motor option interested me. No start causes were fixed easily: dead fuel pump, bad injector ground (I found out this a year later) and a skipped cam gear tooth on the timing belt. The misaligned timing has me a bit nervous, but before purchasing i had a chance to check compression, so there was assurance that the valves were unharmed. After starting up i went for a spin a was overjoyed with the success.Later after calming down i drove again to asses how the car actually drove.

And it was real bad. Usual consequences of prior neglect and lack of maintenance. A list was made of needed repairs, and I went to work. Without going too in depth below a list of work that has been done of the car in the last 3 years(Updated 2021-10-13):

Suspension:
  • Fully rebuilt and repainted original brakes, new master brake cylinder
  • Fully rebuilt suspension (Full rear Poly bushings),
  • All arms, cross members, axles cleaned up and repainted
  • Big brakes up front MB S600 calipers and Volvo S60R rotors
  • Cut springs (an attempt to quickly add some stiffness to suspension, rather than more lows. Need proper coil-overs)
  • BMW wheels mounted with the help of some adapters (style 32 for the summer and style 5 for the winter)
  • GAZ rear coilovers with 8kg springs
  • Adjustable Panhard

Engine:
  • Ecumaster EMU Classic engine management
  • All gaskets replaced (head gasket not included)
  • Rebuilt engine belt drive, upgraded oil pump bolt
  • Replaced all engine and gearbox mounts
  • Half-assed re-welding of exhaust (need to redo it normally)
  • Installed rear muffler with a double exit (found it when moving to a new garage, my guess it was for/from an S13 Nissan)
  • 1UZ VVTI swap
  • Installed sequential LPG system
  • Full custom stainless 2.5 exhaust system
  • Radiator and fan swap from an AC equipped car

Drive line:
  • Replaced the gearbox after it refused to go reversed and spilled out its insides (still M46)
  • New clutch and re-machined dog-dish flywheel
  • A650 auto (swapped with new engine)

Body:
  • Cut out the "bump in the trunk" (do not know the more technical name) for the rear wheel, in order to fit a larger LPG tank
  • Rear arch insides trimmed and re-welded to better fit lower offset wheels
  • Repainted half of the body
  • Grille changed to an egg-crate
  • Installed add-on front lip
  • Sunroof swap to a glass electric powered one from a 960
  • Clear side markers front and back

Interior:
  • Restored roof lining with new fabric
  • Pillar pods
  • Headliner swapped from 960 (dark gray)
  • Replaced front seats with half leather ones
  • ECC Swap
  • Lexus shifter


Alright, time for mods, or more accurately a mod.
I consider only one thing to be a mod in this car, but it covers several smaller modifications trying to make it work. I'm talking about the standalone ECU
Why? Well, I was struggling to make the stock injection work, almost all engine sensors were changed, and after many hours of troubleshooting the car still felt sluggish and hesitant on throttle. Also I have a degree in electronic engineering, so the original archaic system was just unacceptable :D
The goal was to make a full sequential injection and ignition systems, with duel fuel operation (petrol + LPG).
At first i started with petrol only, and after dialing it to a level that satisfied me, i started with LPG tuning.

Here is a small list of nuances about creating your harness for a redblock that I encountered and had trouble finding proper amounts of info. I will not mention general things, like making a harness, wide-band sensors, etc
  • Camshaft position sensor. For full sequential systems this is mandatory. If you had a head mounted distributor, a cam sensor from a MX-5/Miata (sensors from other models could work). The fins are pretty similar that it fits in in place of the stock distributor. An adapter plate is needed to offset it properly. For some aftermarket ECUs the stock MX5 sensor signal may be hard to understand and the internal disc can be changed to fix that. For this upgrade an optical version of the sensor is needed (depending on production year they can be either optical or hall effect. Difference can be seen in casing)
  • Linear TPS. Stock LH2.4 TPS has only a couple of positions instead of a potentiometer that can show the full range. 850 TPS works easily, with an adapter plate
  • In my case i had to also change the crank position sensor, because even though i had recently changed it for a new unit, there was too much noise in the signal, and the ECU couldn't properly see the crank position. So i swapped the sensor to a hall-effect type. In order to properly position it, the mount had to be redone (my guess there could be a sensor more similar in size, but some digging around catalogs will be needed)
  • I recommend to change temperature sensors to ones that are defined in your ECU software, or has a detailed and retrievable temperature characteristics.
  • Ignition coils. I can't comment on 8v options, but for 16v VAG coil on plugs work well. The original cover for the spark plugs also can be reused to hold the coils in place
  • Injectors. Most redblocks have low impedance injectors, so a resistor pack is required. Possibly the original one could work (B234F has high impedance injectors, so I didn't have a chance to test it out)

Currently the engine is NA. Dyno results had me pleased: 110kW and 205Nm (can't find the graph). The engine seems to still be in good shape. Possibly in time, some kind of turbo could be slapped on for more power. Later on on the street, the map was fine tuned for everyday use, and the results satisfy me.

Unfortunately some unplanned repairs came up. The bolt for the oil pump pulley snapped. Luckily the belt didn't fall of and destroy the valve. After rebuilding the belt drive, i started up the car again. Unfortunately not without any casualties. Currently when completely cold the engine takes a long time to build oil pressure on first start (6-8s on average). Maybe I'm just paranoid, but it doesn't create confidence in the engine (Maybe someone with more experience on engines could tell me more how bad this is, or am I just being paranoid)

So this was a short rundown of my car at its current state. Upcoming plans are to Swap ECC into it (currently it has only a heater), and sound deaden the firewall while I'm taking apart everything in the front. Also getting ready to mount proper coil-overs.

Photos:
Photo archiving was never a goal so photo content is a little scarce, but enjoy anyway!

How it looked just purchased
<a href="https://ibb.co/VTtRv2x"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/Wf6Zcg0/received-120332000262997232.jpg" alt="received-120332000262997232" border="0"></a>


When the box chose to split in half
<a href="https://ibb.co/p1JDh3L"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/VL2ywvq/received-10209359925976394.jpg" alt="received-10209359925976394" border="0"></a>

Restoration of the suspension
<a href="https://ibb.co/QmK5bTf"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/cTrmgZ1/received-10209890155471800.jpg" alt="received-10209890155471800" border="0" width="600"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/HPSnPtz"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/PWLwWch/received-10209917420753415.jpg" alt="received-10209917420753415" border="0" width="600"></a>

Wiring shenanigans
1. removal of OEM harness
2. interior wiring
3. Testing MX5 sensor adapter
4. engine bay organization
5. initial harness preparation for needed signals
<a href="https://ibb.co/5xSJY2L"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/WpMRDsf/received-10211821317989656.jpg" alt="received-10211821317989656" border="0" width="400"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/jgX71pZ"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/m6WQMxF/DSC-0107.jpg" alt="DSC-0107" border="0" width="400"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/m8s5yL3"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/BND26X9/received-10212349269308109.jpg" alt="received-10212349269308109" border="0" width="400"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/yRDjDb2"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/g7GKGBY/DSC-0115.jpg" alt="DSC-0115" border="0" width="600"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/9402Z4k"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/myKtNyV/DSC-0086.jpg" alt="DSC-0086" border="0" width="600"></a>

<a href="https://ibb.co/1m74vk8"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/mcbPD36/received-1603165379774712.jpg" alt="received-1603165379774712" border="0" width="500"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/zmT4d75"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/hgJm0ZM/20190608-192321-HDR.jpg" alt="20190608-192321-HDR" border="0" width="500"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/JcHM3Xn"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/dfDzmnB/20190620-201305.jpg" alt="20190620-201305" border="0" width="500"></a>



Wheel adapters
25mm aluminum and hubcentric on both sides
<a href="https://ibb.co/gPT9k0m"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/pRzwYHb/20190612-190547.jpg" alt="20190612-190547" border="0" width="500"></a>


2019 summer setup (finally legal)
<a href="https://ibb.co/YbmRkmD"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/V3RjSRH/20190915-101844.jpg" alt="20190915-101844" border="0" width"700"></a>

2019-2020 winter (how it currently sits, mouldings included :D)
<a href="https://ibb.co/1Q1bccf"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/C8gWLL5/20191223-100811.jpg" alt="20191223-100811" border="0" width="600"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/5222WyD"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/6NNNRxh/20200118-175152-HDR.jpg" alt="20200118-175152-HDR" border="0" width="600"></a>
 
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While waiting for parts for AC swap I needed to get my hands dirty, so i chose to swap the radiator and fan. The old radiator was tiny, and although the mechanical fan was enough for cooling the sound from the engine resembled a truck more than a car to me.

Engine bay before swapping
<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/CsNDZW1/20200221-181139-HDR.jpg" alt="20200221-181139-HDR" border="0">

Since I didn't have the stock fan relay, and finding one would have been too much of a hassle for the end result, I made and equivalent circuit from 2 standard relays. high speed is activated by the ECU and low speed is reserved for ECC when it will be installed

Size comparison of radiators:
<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/4WP2Qmw/20200228-174347-HDR-1.jpg" alt="20200228-174347-HDR-1" border="0">

And the new engine bay look. Difference is small, but I like the new space between engine and radiator.
<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/ch0x5Kp/20200301-114826-HDR.jpg" alt="20200301-114826-HDR" border="0"><img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/Hd2mKsQ/20200301-114832.jpg" alt="20200301-114832" border="0">


Another thing I have been working on for the last 6 months is a custom dashboard showing engine data. Since I have aftermarket engine management, retrieving this data is rather simple.
The plan is to install it in place of the cluster clock.
Currently I have the communication from ecu done, the data is displayed on the tft screen. layouts and visuals are a work in progress but a base is done. Also the stock clock adjustment buttons will be used to switch between layouts. This function has been implemented, but I'm still having noise issues with the buttons. Also Screen brightness will need to be adjustable in order to not blind myself at night :D

Im using and STM32F407 controller and 3.97in TFT screen using OTM8009A driver

Here is the current view of the system. There are several layouts that can be switched with buttons:

<img width=350 src="https://i.ibb.co/JB0w7nx/20200301-115230.jpg" alt="20200301-115230" border="0"><img width=350 src="https://i.ibb.co/MBZPtfV/20200301-121024.jpg" alt="20200301-121024" border="0"><img width=350 src="https://i.ibb.co/R6r2wG9/20200301-121007.jpg" alt="20200301-121007" border="0">
 
Very cool. I am sure someone in here can tell you if your being paranoid about the engine oil pressure on start up. I love the replacement of the clock for the engine data from your aftermarket engine management, I want to see that once it’s installed.
 
Very cool. I am sure someone in here can tell you if your being paranoid about the engine oil pressure on start up. I love the replacement of the clock for the engine data from your aftermarket engine management, I want to see that once it?s installed.

Thanks!
IMO the clock is way too big for how much useful info it displays, so something has to go in its place :D
 
Volvo 940 resto-daily

Well quarantine came in my country, and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to do all the various jobs i tried constantly to postpone. And when I started tinkering, I got so into it the quarantine almost ended when i left the garage :D
The work done is not in chronological order so some parts will overlap but this seemed like a more organised way to write about all the jobs.

One of the main changes I wanted to make to this car was a full ECC swap. The original heater was just a heater which was a pain in the summer, and even then it didn't always want to do its job. So came time to get rid of it and install something better.

Ripping the interior apart wasn't something new, but I had never removed the front dash before. I expected it to be a bit of a hassle, but it took me a couple hours working alone to get it out of the car. After it out came the stock heater as well.

A little size comparison of the old heater vs ECC. That thing looks so slim next to the huge ac unit. Also a big difference in wiring and vacuum lines.
<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/ccB2Wdm/20200320-183714.jpg" alt="20200320-183714" border="0">

While the firewall was easily reachable I chose to upgrade the sound insulation on the floor and the firewall. Out came the original sound deadening and i went to town with covering up the bare metal :D I used 3 different materials for the insulation. First a CLD butyl layer for vibration covering about 40-50% of the metal, and most of it in the flattest areas. Volvo originally had covered the most vibration sensitive areas with something equivalent, so I did not feel like I need to go overboard with this layer. Second came the CCF layer that works as sound and thermal insulation. This was laid out trying to cover as much of the area as possible, greatly focusing on the firewall. The floor was a little less tedious. Last layer was MLV type of layer. Due to the manufacturers specification I could only lay it on horizontal surfaces, so the firewall was left alone on this layer. The floor on the other hand was covered as thoroughly as I had the patience for it :D. After all this, the original sound insulation was put back in place.

<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/C1p9LfT/20200320-194949.jpg" alt="20200320-194949" border="0"> <img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/cTRh9fX/20200321-151354-HDR.jpg" alt="20200321-151354-HDR" border="0"> <img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/PtJ8XPK/20200328-125412-HDR.jpg" alt="20200328-125412-HDR" border="0">

When covering the floor, I noticed a lot of water had built up in the drivers foot well. Not good. Further back the floor also greeted me with some nice rust. A couple pokes with a screwdriver and I could seed the ground through the metal. It was time for some amateur metalwork. I can't brag about any pretty welds, but I am confident they will hold.

<img width=200 src="https://i.ibb.co/D8Y8swN/20200321-192319.jpg" alt="20200321-192319" border="0"> <img width=200 src="https://i.ibb.co/02gxvyn/20200322-152109-HDR.jpg" alt="20200322-152109-HDR" border="0"><img width=200 src="https://i.ibb.co/27hTPFw/20200324-212234.jpg" alt="20200324-212234" border="0">


Before installing everything back, I installed a new heater core into the ECC, just to make sure I wouldn't need to tear apart the interior again. Also rented a carpet cleaner and went to town renewing the old carpet. Before cleaning I thought I would, need new carpets, since the original ones seemed way too worn to have a chance of renewing them, but after a couple of hours and countless gallons of water and cleaning agents they sprung back to life!

<img width=200 src="https://i.ibb.co/cYgGKBz/20200321-154935-HDR.jpg" alt="20200321-154935-HDR" border="0"> <img width=200 src="https://i.ibb.co/kqwbpQT/20200331-164558.jpg" alt="20200331-164558" border="0">

Time came for ECC to be installed into the car. The fitment was pretty tight and required some physical persuasion to fit it in place. I started thinking if the sound insulation was a bit overkill :D. But despite the decreased space the ECC was mounted in its place.

<img width=500 src="https://i.ibb.co/tDrd2jr/20200401-182303-HDR.jpg" alt="20200401-182303-HDR" border="0">

Next came the joys of wiring. When taking ECC from the original car I tried to remove as much of the wiring that was required for the unit to work. And it paid off. To make the unit operate i only need to connect it to a couple of terminals in the fuse box and rewire only 5 wires, due to a different connector used in the donor car.

the only 5 wires that needed modification:
<img width=300 src="https://i.ibb.co/X3WRdQc/20200324-212921.jpg" alt="20200324-212921" border="0">

After wiring up and seeing life in the unit, I connected up the vacuum line to my friends engine, since mine was out of the car (more on this later) to check whether the vents are working. And boy did it look cool! :D I geeked out on the working vacuum system for a couple minutes and concluded that everything worked as it should.

In came the dash ant the rest of the interior. Since I want a double DIN in the car and the 760/780 dash parts to properly mount one are a unicorn that I have too little of a chance of finding for not an absurd amount of money, I chose to print one myself :D Luckily I found a 3D model online that saved me a lot of time trying to mock it up myself. It needs some slight modification but still a lot of time and plastic will be saved when there is a decent starting point

<img width=300 src="https://i.ibb.co/dmXYn05/20200419-144451.jpg" alt="20200419-144451" border="0">

While I was waiting for the interior I tinkered a bit in the engine bay. While rerouting the engine harness to fit the new AC piping, a pin had snapped on my crank sensor connector. So while waiting for it I started tinkering there more, and fully broke my PCV box. It was on its last leg but a bit movement destroyed it completely and half of it ended up in the oil pan. So I came to the only logical conclusion, that I need to take the motor out to give it a proper refresh as one does when a basic part breaks. So out came the oil leak that some would call an engine.

<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/xST0tc5/20200410-213031.jpg" alt="20200410-213031" border="0">

First of all the accessories were stripped and the engine received proper cleaning and repaint of the block. The old balance shafts were leaking oil, were of questionable condition, and I could never properly position them and tension their belt. So out they went. The feed holes were tapped and bolts plugged them up while the drains were covered with freeze plugs. The PCV drain was also plugged up while the top vent got a plate mocked up with a hose adapter for a catch can.

<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/c19c9qs/20200412-213220.jpg" alt="20200412-213220" border="0"> <img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/F3FTM1y/20200412-211220.jpg" alt="20200412-211220" border="0"> <img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/1QbnqYQ/20200416-181742.jpg" alt="20200416-181742" border="0">

Next all gaskets that were leaky or old were renewed. Then I chose to tackle a minor issue/inconvenience that had been causing me to slowly lose my sanity for the last 2 years - lifter tick. The B234F has hydraulic lifters, that over time can clog up or collapse. So off went the valve cover and camshafts and I got into cleaning them. After using up roughly 2 liters of thinner the valve-train was back in its place. Of the 16 lifters 1 was possibly clean, 13 were clogged up and 2 were completely collapsed and required replacing. Considering one lifter costs 9 Eur locally, I was hoping it would be enough to change those 2. And luckily it was enough. After the first start, it took them until the engine warmed up to fill up, but when the ticking noise went away it felt almost euphoric. Finally an engine that sounds like a gasoline engine and not a tractor :D.

<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/r44wRBs/20200414-183042.jpg" alt="20200414-183042" border="0"> <img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/QmgmgPy/20200414-181820.jpg" alt="20200414-181820" border="0">

Continuing engine refresh, all accessories and mounts were cleaned up and got painted to keep them looking cleaner The alternator and starter motor were sent of for a rebuild to get them back in to proper operation.
I had sent off my valve cover and intake manifold for sandblasting and paint, but that was taking a rather long time and in the end it was never done, because the guy broke his compressor, so I got fed up and cleaned them up myself. I tried matching the valve cover to the body, and although it really doesn't match in color, the engine bay still livened up when it came back together

<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/XSSp900/20200510-185921-HDR.jpg" alt="20200510-185921-HDR" border="0">

Also while waiting for sandblasting, I chose to refresh the wheel wells with a proper clean and a fresh layer of corrosion protection.
The front got an extra amount of love by getting the full inner panel behind the fenders coated

<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/82S5bNw/20200502-151959-HDR.jpg" alt="20200502-151959-HDR" border="0"> <img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/h7rzKhF/20200502-151951-HDR.jpg" alt="20200502-151951-HDR" border="0">


After all this work I got the car back together and went to get a wash after a month and a half of getting dusty and dirty and to check over the car. First of all, the engine seemed so much more enthusiastic! Before i was hesitant to give it high revs, because it seemed like it was in pain :D Now it feels like it just want to hit limiter :D Also a lot less vibration (probbably due to removed misaligned balance shafts). First issues noticed: idle is very high, LPG doesn't switch properly, no OD. Idle and OD turn out to be not connected sensors - easy fix. LPG looks like some miss connected wire when I tried cleaning up the interior wiring. No biggie, can be easily fixed after some wire hunting.

How it looks now, with summer wheels:
<img width=600 src="https://i.ibb.co/KWSG23v/20200510-211121.jpg" alt="20200510-211121" border="0">

I get the car cleaned up and try to cruise a bit to check the map. Then I hear a strange buzz. I shut off everything and the buzz is still there. Checking around the engine bay, I see that it's the starter motor spinning without solenoid engagement, and it's starting to smoke. ****. I run quickly to disconnect the battery to stop it from spinning. After calming down I try to reconnect the battery, the solenoid jerks back and forth and it seems the starter pushed back into its place. For now alright.
But the next morning the issue repeated itself, but this time the starter needed some hammer persuasion to stop spinning. So after work it came out of the car and back to the guys who rebuilt it to check over.

Another issue that arose is the ridiculous amount of oil the catch can collected. In about 50km (30mi) it accumulated about 200ml of fluid (0.2 quart roughly). I have not figured out why, hoping it is just venting all the old crap that would have been recirculating with the OEM breather, and after some time it will calm down the amount of vented oil.
 
Last edited:
Some time has passed and some progress/regress and changes have occurred :D
After the last oil adventure I tried several different solutions. Tried making a mini filter for the PCV drain, but in the end nothing helped, and I just bought another OEM breather and the problem was more or less fixed.

attempted ideas and actual solution
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/m8g6G7N/20200515-205109-HDR.jpg" border="0"> <img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/hWYFWpr/20200525-175553-HDR.jpg" border="0">


Further issues/ jobs:
Massive leaks from the rear of engine and under the intake. New gaskets and silicone helped with this, although I couldn't catch all the leaks.
While sitting in traffic the intake temps would increase excessively and when moving they would fall to slowly. Turns out, the stock air box was not made to work with the larger radiator, and it has no place to pick up cold air. Although I tried avoiding this solution, it worked for now. Removed the stock air box and fitted on a generic cone filter to test for changes. Also fabbed up a partition for the filter to block at least some of the engine heat. This helped to lower intake temps by about 10 degrees C when in traffic and when moving the temperatures drop very quick. The partition still needs modification, but for a first iteration it will do.
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/f8rQZYY/20200523-172522-HDR.jpg" border="0">

Unstable TPS ranges. My old PLA TPS adapter had served it's purpose and an upgrade was needed. I tried using other plastics (ABS, PETG), but they could properly hold the sensor in place without deformation. So I cut up a bracket from a piece of aluminium that was lying in the garage. Does not look great but finally does the job.

Found all the missing AC lines and brackets. Luckily I managed to get one pipe welded locally and didn't need to search for replacements. Replaced the o rings where they were full worn and attempted to charge the system. When testing for leaks, the system passed the vacuum test, but when beginning to fill up the system with refrigerant, on pipe cracked a little and the whole system started leaking. Oh Well. Let’s weld it up and try again

A mate bought some generic polishing compound and decided to try it out. My rear quarters and one front door had horrible matte spots lefts from sanding clear coats drip (that‘s what you get when trying to diy a paint job). I tried to buff them out, and was expect minimal changes, ending up with more satin than matte spots, but to my surprise they completely cleaned up. Also the paint color is extremely forgiving, and any possible mess ups from no experience in polishing are invisible.

Before and after
<img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/4TGN98L/20200528-224607.jpg" border="0"> <img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/5jVsQsw/20200616-184716-HDR.jpg" border="0">

Time had come for some better rear suspension, and Dai from Classic Swede helped me out. I bought a pair of GAZ true coilovers for the rear. Dai had an option to upgrade the spring rates and I chose to go with 450lbs (8kg). I also chose the 40mm shorted version. When they arrived, the custom springs were too short, and dangled freely when they rear was lifted up even when adjusted to highest setting. I found a pair of matching GAZ helper springs that sorted the issue. Installed and went for a spin. The shock stiffness adjustment is comically wide ranging from a complete boat with shot shocks to a go kart (think no suspension besides frame flex). I left in the sweet middle, which seemed best for daily driving and my preferences. After driving a bit more, I was mad at myself for not ordering them earlier, because this was a complete game changer in how the car rode. Highly recommend them to anyone thinking of upgrading your suspension


<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/yRnSkPL/20200620-232944.jpg" border="0"> <img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/SPV71hQ/20200710-192311-HDR.jpg" border="0">


Another upgrade was the addition of cup holders. Found locally an armrest from an 850 Volvo and just drilled a couple holes for the hinges.
<img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/tQ0yxwM/20200603-200947-HDR.jpg" border="0">


I had an itch to check the base timing of my ECU, because since the beginning of aftermarket management it was approximated by cylinder 1 TDC and not belt cover marks, which were broken off. Since I had changed all belt covers to new parts I thought to test it using a strobe light. Some marks was highlighted with a marker on the pulley I didn't think to check how accurate it was (stupid mistake). According to the mark, the timing was way off. I tried advancing little by little and watched the differences. After advancing the base way too much, something happened and it seemed the engine lost one cylinder. ****...
Removed the spark plugs to check over and look for any damage. A couple plugs were a bit wet but no greater damage was noticeable. Then I tried checking for compression. First cylinder was good, the second one burst my compression meter, and the last remained unknown. Great... Now I might need not only a new motor, but also new tools. Tried screwing back the spark plugs to turn over the engine a couple more times, but then one spark plug chose to break internally and the tread to stay in the head. I guess that explains the dead cylinder.
Tore off the head to check for any other damage. Everything is in place.
<img width="350" src="https://i.ibb.co/k3G1CqS/received-306915064006922.jpg" border="0"> <img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/XyTBmBw/20200722-191345.jpg" border="0">


So I got fed up with old 4 bangers with no power and chose to part out the engine and swap something better for a daily. New plan is 1UZ-FE with the Lexus auto box. 4.0L N/A v8 with 300 horses. Considering properly making similar power on the red block attempting max reliability would cost similarly as the swap this seemed like a more sensible (as if anything about this is sensible) choice for a proper daily car.

So this is where I’m currently at. If anybody needs B234F parts in or near Eastern Europe shoot me a message and help out to fund this mistake :D

Also looking for MK1 IRS/Multilink swap in the same area, so hit me up for that as well if you know someone.
 
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You could just get some cams and manifolds, and that 16v could give a 1uz a run for its money.
 
You could just get some cams and manifolds, and that 16v could give a 1uz a run for its money.

Turbo for sure, but N/A I'm doubting it. Also the powerbands would be very different, and the low RPM torque from a V8 is more desirable for a daily
 
940 gle 1uz

Some time has passed and the car sat partially disassembled. I took apart all the bits worth something and sold them. The 16v head went to a fellow TB member from Greece.

<img width=500 src="https://i.ibb.co/wwvSCYK/20200906-153612-HDR.jpg" alt="20200906-153612-HDR" border="0">

I sat researching my desired swap and collecting all the info I could get. Apparently in Russia UZ swap are super popular, and they fit them into pretty much anything (vans, to classic Ladas and whatever you could think of)

While looking for a new engine, o donor for multilink appeared! Found this 960 saloon locally!
The previous owner wanted to restore it, but gave up. The car has a B6304 with lpg and dying 4 speed auto. With minor maintenance it became good enough to daily through the winter. Also apparently it has a G80, so yay skids! So far I have taken the headliner from the 960 and swapped into the 940 but more parts are sure to be used.

<img width=600 src="https://i.ibb.co/ZhK6LWH/20200914-203318.jpg" alt="20200914-203318" border="0"> <img width=600 src="https://i.ibb.co/x7mMWmy/20200908-001910.jpg" alt="20200908-001910" border="0">

Later I sold more stuff and found this gem of a swap: 1UZ VVT-I with the a650 5 speed auto.
came back with the swap and lots of Lexus parts, to make the swapping as straightforward as possible.

<img width=500 src="https://i.ibb.co/b35Cjg5/20201120-172908-1.jpg" alt="20201120-172908-1" border="0">

Test fitted the engine and went to cutting.
The exhaust manifold flanges were hitting the frame rails, so they got cut off.
The 1UZ came as front or mid sump so some modifications are needed to push the engine farther back into the engine bay. Mine was front sump, so the oil pan got trimmed off. Otherwise the engine fits great.

<img height=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/DwHwcvB/20201121-145517-1.jpg" alt="20201121-145517-1" border="0"><img height=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/4gMY6Qy/20201121-164007.jpg" alt="20201121-164007" border="0">

This was enough to push the engine back to clear radiator and fan.

I started mocking up the engine mounts. One thing I missed when getting the swap were oem engine mount rubbers, and because new ones are very expensive, I adapted BMW E39 540 hydraulic mounts in place.
Metal fabrication is not my strong point, so a friend helped with in the beginning. After getting a few pointer and some tests I ended up fishing the welding myself. I used 5mm steel plates for building mounts. Was it overkill? Maybe, but extra strength here couldn't hurt
To make my life a bit easier I mocked up the mounts outside the car, by positioning the engine and front subframe on a bench at desired heights.

<img height=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/5MRzttB/20201124-210133-HDR-1.jpg" alt="20201124-210133-HDR-1" border="0"><img height=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/3r9gnZg/20201128-145546-1.jpg" alt="20201128-145546-1" border="0">

After the engine came trans mounts. Here I chose to use original rubber mounts. I used my old manual box bridge and adapted to work the auto trans.
Thank you Volvo for making 2 sets of mounting locations for transmission bridges. The further auto mounting holes lined up perfectly with the toyota auto (probably because volvos used to have toyota boxes lol).

<img height=300 src="https://i.ibb.co/qFLFfP8/20201127-162250-HDR.jpg" alt="20201127-162250-HDR" border="0"><img height=300 src="https://i.ibb.co/Pj3SJmK/20201127-181144.jpg" alt="20201127-181144" border="0"> <img height=300 src="https://i.ibb.co/VSYmNGQ/20201127-182256-HDR.jpg" alt="20201127-182256-HDR" border="0">

Put everything in and admired the view for a bit. Additional bonus is that the engine is easily reachable from all sides.

<img width=500 src="https://i.ibb.co/HNj2kmJ/20201125-195221-HDR.jpg" alt="20201125-195221-HDR" border="0">

Then took out everything, and sent all mounts to powdercoating.
So much room for activities!

<img width=500 src="https://i.ibb.co/c8wdfPP/20201202-194320.jpg" alt="20201202-194320" border="0">

Started to prepare the bay for respray. While sanding everything down found some rust spots. Nothing an angle grinder and a welder cant fix.

<img height=300 src="https://i.ibb.co/pfcXqty/20201202-171232.jpg" alt="20201202-171232" border="0"><img height=300 src="https://i.ibb.co/pL3q03W/20201202-182122.jpg" alt="20201202-182122" border="0">

Also I have a question. Where can i find a replica sticker for this? Dave barton or any other sources?
<img width=400 src="https://i.ibb.co/Qjwpwnw/20201129-162608.jpg" alt="20201129-162608" border="0">
 
940 gle 1uz

So during the holidays, I continued with the engine bay paint.
primered and painted:

<img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/HxRkwQs/20201212-222802.jpg" > <img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/vv5Jrfs/20201214-205035.jpg">

Started assembling the engine bay back together. I found one issue with a freshly repainted bay - everything else twice as old :D
Was tough fighting urges to repaint everything

Got my mounts back from powder coating. So much satistfaction receiving pretty parts!
<img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/vJHQDWR/20201218-162458.jpg" alt="20201218-162458" border="0">

Engine bay slowly coming together:
<img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/xYN1kQS/20201226-161906.jpg" alt="20201226-161906" border="0">

When parts arrived it was time to refurbish the engine a bit. While it was still on the engine stand, I replaced all belts and pulleys, and the usual gaskets. Some of the rubber was badly hardened and really needed changing.
Although redblocks ar easy to work on, 1UZ beats it by a landslide. Most of the engine can be taken apart just using 10, 12, 14 and 17mm ratchets or wrenches. God I missed working on japanese vehicles.

Belts on and off. A little dirty behind all those covers.
<img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/5GG2S76/20201205-155714-HDR.jpg" alt="20201205-155714-HDR" border="0"> <img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/TB70bFF/20201224-134701-HDR.jpg" alt="20201224-134701-HDR" border="0">

Put the engine back in, started playing with plumbing and electronics. A lot of the remaing stock wiring needed some refurbishing, so it got some TLC as well.
The stock big radiator with fan fit the engine wonderfully!
The original clutch cylinder hole was widened a bit and used for the 1UZ electronics grommet. I swapped the brake pedal from 960 and put it in the 940. turns out they are not fully bolt-on, upper mounting holes are higher on the 940. Nothing longer bolts and a couple washers can't fix!

<img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/V36X4bv/20201229-162934-HDR.jpg" alt="20201229-162934-HDR" border="0"> <img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/0KhPN9F/20210118-203653-HDR.jpg" alt="20210118-203653-HDR" border="0"><img width="400" src="https://i.ibb.co/XX7MqKC/20210118-203700.jpg" alt="20210118-203700" border="0">


Further jobs are being slowed down by the current weather. We finally got snow, so time to enjoy it while it lasts :D
The 960 is taking abuse like a champ! Moded the auto box electronics to have a manual mode, and it is probbably the best winter beater I have had to date
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/L6vQGNS/IMG-20210110-162315-780.jpg" alt="IMG-20210110-162315-780" border="0">
 
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940 gle 1uz

Work continues.

Had too much fun with the donor beater, the resulted in some damage and time to finally disassemble it. A friend hit my front corner and bent the shock. It improved drifting so well I thought about bending the other side on purpose :D
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/MnXymRB/20210202-204039-HDR.jpg" alt="20210202-204039-HDR" border="0">

Later after more fun I managed to break the diff. Sheared of the splines. Also later when disassembling everything I found out that the diff core also sustained some damage
<img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/nLXcWS3/20210208-192156-HDR.jpg" alt="20210208-192156-HDR" border="0"> <img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/7g4VmmG/20210209-182916-HDR.jpg" alt="20210209-182916-HDR" border="0">

Started disassembling the the donor ant took all the good parts.
- First thing of course was the Multilink, but also got a lot minor stuff.
- Took the E-Fan with relay and wiring. Will redo my existing fan setup with OEM parts for a cleaner look.
- Swapped the rear electric windows into my car. Since my car already had the fronts powered, this was a plug-n-play job. Just need new door cards to get ride of the winder holes
- The front ARB was a lot thicker so it will go into my car
- power steering rack and cooler circuit
- headlight wipers (for that maximum brickness)
- fuel lines and gas tank (ML1 specific stuff)
- AT cooler lines (were more for mockup, but in the end had more use than expected)
- various other bits and spares


since the diff was broken now I had to think of an alternative. Bmw was the easy choice (Thank You Sander for the inspiration and information). I found a medium case(188mm) diff from an e34. The width differs only by a couple mm compared to the volvo diff and driveshaft flanges have the identical bolt pattern, so this was a no brainer.

First I took apart everything. The condition of the suspension was not the best, there were copious amounts of rust, but thankfully all of it was only surface rust. I took apart everything and took to a local guy to measure and manufacture poly mounts. After he returned everything I started mocking up the diff in place. Quite a lot of original metal was needed to cut mainly in front. Rear needed less persuasion



(1. Full multilink; 2. Dissambled; 3. Measuring BMW diff location; 4. BMW diff fit from rear)
<img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/cwbgM5X/20210206-191115-HDR.jpg"> <img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/517Vdnj/20210211-174848-HDR.jpg"> <img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/nn3xrvY/received-907841866423177.jpg"> <img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/GRpf7RQ/received-710819382931672-2.jpg">

Another area that needed some changes were the brakes. Original front brakes were always a disapointment to me and considering the increase in power I had very little faith they would be up to the job. So I found some upgrades. Soruced locally a pair of Mercedes-Benz S600 W220 front calipers. Found info that they are almost bolt on to volvo hubs. a bit of massaging is required to to mount holes and otherwise they bolt up fine. Besides having 4 pistons, they let me mount a 330mm disc from S60R so I believe braking power should not be an issue with such a setup. I measured them up and dissambled to send out for powdercoating. Still not sure on what color though. Thinking either gold to match the body or something that would be visible through the rim but still subtle. Anybody got suggestions?

a little size comparison with stock calipers

<img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/C0cVDt8/20210222-151536.jpg" alt="20210222-151536" border="0"> <img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/w67TGCx/20210222-163054.jpg" alt="20210222-151536" border="0">

Continued with engine and trans plumbing. Got an external cooler for the auto box and some adapters to the stock lines.

<img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/bWw1RPx/20210222-085130.jpg" alt="20210222-085130" border="0"> <img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/RpFmzTc/20210222-180650-HDR.jpg" alt="20210222-180650-HDR" border="0"> <img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/X5TYjZ9/20210225-174432-HDR.jpg" alt="20210225-174432-HDR" border="0">

Started playing with the electronics. Tried cleaning up the engine bay wiring as well as making some upgrades. The indicator and park light connectors were trashed and just snapped off the wires. I tried looking for alternavie bulb holders, since the original ones are a horrible design. Aparently MK1 S80 bulb holder are similar enoguh to fit with minimal triming. The also use a 3 pin Bosch connectors that are easy to source. So this was a no brainer to upgrade.
<img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/QvvjQBz/20210120-174852.jpg" alt="20210120-174852" border="0"> <img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/26BTnn1/20210125-182555-HDR.jpg" alt="20210125-182555-HDR" border="0">

Found a place to mount the ecu by the pedals, now that the clutch pedals are missing. Also copied the Lexus Relay circuit with Universal relays and mounted them by the ECU. Kind of a mess right now, but will get cleaned up when all connections are wired.
<img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/jVtH79y/20210128-185318-HDR.jpg" alt="20210128-185318-HDR" border="0">


Also mocked up the lexus shifter in place. I wish to retain as many functions of the lexus auto as possible, so this shifter is a must. In the end should sit a little lower, and a cover piece will be designed around it (3D printers FTW)
<img height="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/HrwZF4g/20210226-181704-HDR.jpg" alt="20210226-181704-HDR" border="0">
 
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New updates:

Started fitting the BMW diff into the multilink. Went to see how it fits up the body and noticed one fun detail, that I failed to check earlier. My body does not have any of the mounting holes required for IRS. Oh hooray for me. Rookie mistake by me, I had read plenty of posts saying that all sedans post 1989 or something had the mounting holes, but turns out the internet is not always right (What a surprise). I was a little bummed by this realization and had to change plans.
I do not feel confident cutting up frame rails to make new mounts, and scrapped the IRS idea for this time. Maybe in the future with better fab skills, or enough money to hire someone else to take up this job, I will have a multilink in my car, but not now.

So I put together a new solid axle set from various local wreckers and put the rear back together. To get it a little fresher, I repainted the whole thing, installed poly bushings and fully rebuild the handbrake assembly. The red poly looks out of place IMO. I don't get why black or dark color poly is so rare.
Don't mind the productive mess :D

20210415-205027.jpg
20210418-143354.jpg
20210424-115534-HDR.jpg
20210424-121816-HDR.jpg



After stepping away from the rear suspension, I managed to get the wiring functional. After minor bug fixing the engine fired right up. Boy this V8 sounds mean with open headers!

Wired up the Lexus shifter and checked out the operation. Toyota diagnostics show full operation along with extra gears and PWR/Snow modes. Continuing to button up various minor details with the wiring
The selector arm had to be slightly modified to no hit the Lexus driveshaft rubber. Normally it is fully straight, but volvo shifter position turns out to be closer to the engine bay compared to an LS400.

20210420-180619-HDR.jpg
received-1156423031465796.jpg


the vvti 1uz ecu has built in immobilizer. The transponder ring that goes around the ignition switch seemed at first glance to possibly fit over my Volvo ignition switch. I cut off the original mount and mocked it up. It sat great around the volvo switch. The original plastic trim still fits over it without any cutting and holds it in place. For now I zip tied lexus key with immo chip together with the volvo one and it works well. I need to bastardize those two keys into one and it will be a Volvo with more sophisticated security measures than it ever came from factory :D

20210502-164323.jpg
20210502-164349-HDR.jpg
received-464397264668357.jpg


Got the front brakes on and boy they are beefy. No adapters needed, the calipers bolt on to the original bolt holes after you slightly slot them outward
Needed an extra 5mm spacer for the front, since the caliper hit my bmw wheel spokes :D Seems like it will an oportunity to upgrade.
Calipers are 4pot MB W200 S600 (for 345mm brakes)
Discs are 330mm S60R/V70R
A couple washers were used to space the calipers for the disc better and that's it.
Can't have smaller wheels than 17's anymore

20210413-181359.jpg
20210426-183238.jpg
20210413-181125-HDR.jpg
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Time passed, stuff got done

Measured up and sent off couple driveshafts to make a custom one. Gave the place a new center bearing to change as well while making the driveshaft. One day later came back to pick it up. Some people get vanity plates with their names, I can brag now that I have a vanity driveshaft :D
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/74YqWRb/20210525-124248.jpg"><img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/9bB2zDT/20210605-004435.jpg" alt="20210605-004435" border="0">

Got the needed flanges and had an intake pipe made with a place for vacuums and MAF. Later on will need to make cold air routing and a partition for the filter.
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/0DQMhYp/20210526-200935.jpg" alt="20210526-200935" border="0">

I was very eager and went for a first drive with no exhaust. Got to a nearby gas station and noticed some minor issues. Coolant was leaking from a loose hose and the throttle cable loosened up. Went back to the garage and got everything fixed in a couple minutes
After that much sitting first trip was of course to a car wash.
First impressions: Engine is very smooth, you can feel that there a lot more torque than with the old tractor engine :D
The engine did feel a little lazy in lower rpms, but later on I found that is a dead solenoid for the variable intake manifold, and there is missing power in the low range.
Auto also felt great. Even though it's nowhere close to modern units I think it fits the engine and car.

Seen below one happy idiot with a working project car
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/JHkPKb6/IMG-20210528-104319-187.jpg" alt="IMG-20210528-104319-187" border="0">


Got the car clean and went for some pulls. Runing open headers is brutal but fun.

Sent the car to get an exhaust done. Local guy made a beautiful stainless system. at first I was very happy with it being so quiet, especially after open headers, but after some time I wish for more V8 rumble.
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/y5My1Pg/received-970527783764389.jpg" alt="received-970527783764389" border="0"> <img width="300" src="https://i.ibb.co/MCMxwmP/IMG-20210630-WA0000-1.jpg" alt="IMG-20210630-WA0000-1" border="0">

Finished up some minor bits, put on a different set of BMW wheels with less poke and got the car through tech inpection.
The same day as I passed tech, went on a little cross country trip to the sea (300km only, I live in a small country). Summer made it a little painfull to drive longer distances on the highway without AC, but otherwise the car went great! Cruise control on longer trips is a divine invention. Overall a first serious shakedown was succesfull. Found some minor issues and a couple leaks. Also the car was a bit thirsty compared to possible emissions.

<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/N7vSw7B/20210730-212053-HDR.jpg" alt="20210730-212053-HDR" border="0">

After the trip came time to fix new issues. I had a limited time window to get as many issues dealt with until another much longer trip to south of Poland, so stuff neded to be done as fast as possible without cutting corners.
Common toyota issue is a leaky power steerring pump, that when goes, slowly takes out the alternator with it, due to all the fluid leaking straight on it. Got a rebuild for the pump and refreshed it. Also sent the alternator to get checked over and rebuilt if needed (it was needed).
Got the ac system finished. A local shop connected the volvo lines to 1uz compressor. Filled up the system and finally had ice cold AC! toyota pump seems to have no issues working with the older volvo ac system, and so far no leaks have appeared.

Next, changed a dead O2 sensor to a new OEM one. Pricey bastards, but they pay for themselves in a way. Fuel consumption marginally improved, but was still way higher than I would like it to be.
While driving home one day after camping in the woods I nearly lost a wheel. 4 out of 5 lugs broke off from the adapter. Luckily a fellow local bricker was passing me by, and lent a wheel. Turned out the cutouts in the back face of the wheel were not deep enough by a couple mm for the stock lugs sticking out of the adapter and the wheel could not seat fully on the adapter. I most likely overtorqued the adapter lugs and streched them out. Got all new lugs for the back and cut down the original volvo lugs to make sure this doesn't repeat.
<img width="200" src="https://i.ibb.co/9qHq3fF/received-1026471894770391.jpg" alt="received-1026471894770391" border="0">
Put some semi slicks in the back and was ready for another trip.

This time the trip was quite a bit longer. The first day we drove nearly 1000km across all of Poland to Zakopane. With working AC, cruise control and plush volvo seats, the trip was a breeze, very little fatigue was felt from 14h on the road.
In one week I managed to drive a little over 3000km and only 2 minor issues appeared, neither of them were swap related.
First was Rain was getting to the front passenger footwell through the rubber around the port for ac lines to exit the interior. Second was a couple bolts loosened up in the rear. I expected worse, so had a full set of tools with me.
I could say it was a great success! We went tripping with 2 cars, and my friend had the worst issue when one air line popped on his bagged suspension and the car dropped to the ground going around 70kmh.
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/Qm02sDr/20210824-172019-HDR.jpg" alt="20210824-172019-HDR" border="0"> <img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/dMQqR4F/20210823-133257-HDR.jpg" alt="20210823-133257-HDR" border="0">


After the trips, Went on to try fixing minor issues and enjoying the car.
Visited fellow rwd volvoholics and a local meet
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/3TTnvkP/20210831-125358.jpg" alt="20210831-125358" border="0"> <img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/Hr9C6qL/20210925-194234.jpg" alt="20210925-194234" border="0">

A local car page also made a mini feature about my volvo, was fun to see my car through somebody elses eyes
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/3TkFpfr/IMG-1322.png" alt="IMG-1322" border="0"> <img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/Fs5sjhp/IMG-1309.png" alt="IMG-1309" border="0">

Tried playing with intake diameter to see what difference in fuel trims can be seen. So far it is only worse :D
There was some driveshaft resonance when accelerating, One issue was the diff input shaft angle, so I bought an adjustable arm and tried correcting it. Wasn't sure if this would work, so the adjustable arm is from a tractor :D Adjusted the angles and it helped a little bit, but some vibrations are still present at resonance speeds.
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/Jpy3qh7/20211011-175542-HDR.jpg" alt="20211011-175542-HDR" border="0">

Also managed to hit the bottom pretty bad, luckily I only bent the exhaust, and not the gearbox oil pan right after it.
<img width="500" src="https://i.ibb.co/f8B6tRN/20211010-203845.jpg" alt="20211010-203845" border="0">
 
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Sweet build! The axle adjustment will only work with 2 adjusters however, otherwise you'll just be tensioning your rear suspension upwards into the bushings as the upper arm still restricts the rotation. Also give shimming up the center bearing a shot, that often creates issues when the car is dropped, 8mm worked for me.
 
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