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Engine Swap in a 69 142 - What engine

Joelkennethsmith

New member
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Hello All, searched all over sweedspeed, but not too much for info there.

I have a 06 S40 T5 AWD as my daily, but also starting the build on my 69 142, initial progress here :http://thesmith142.com/.

Anyways, it came without an engine, but I have sourced the original trans (m40).

Pricing a B20 build seems like I could do more with the same $$$.

Since we're down to chassis, now (or never) is the time for custom engine mounts and so on.

Question is, what engine that is RWD, can I source from a local junkyard, that would be worth the build. Not looking from crazy numbers, just a clean reliable Volvo powerplant, that I can rebuild easily. It will also have to be mounted with the factory manual tranny.

I don't think I need more than 180hp, but for sure more than the B20's 101. The Nissan SR20DET is way too much money for more power and trouble I think.

Any thoughts to point me in a direction would help.
 
B230 with a turbo. Several guys on here have done it. There are aftermarket mounts available (Yoshifab?) but you will probably need to upgrade the gearbox. A lot of guys go with a T-5. You can Megasquirt it. I think some guys have used LH 2.4 maybe?
Search the Performance forum as well as the Projects fourms. Tfrasca comes to mind as someone that has done this, but there are more.
 
Hello All, searched all over sweedspeed, but not too much for info there.

I have a 06 S40 T5 AWD as my daily, but also starting the build on my 69 142, initial progress here :http://thesmith142.com/.

Anyways, it came without an engine, but I have sourced the original trans (m40).

Pricing a B20 build seems like I could do more with the same $$$.

Since we're down to chassis, now (or never) is the time for custom engine mounts and so on.

Question is, what engine that is RWD, can I source from a local junkyard, that would be worth the build. Not looking from crazy numbers, just a clean reliable Volvo powerplant, that I can rebuild easily. It will also have to be mounted with the factory manual tranny.

I don't think I need more than 180hp, but for sure more than the B20's 101. The Nissan SR20DET is way too much money for more power and trouble I think.

Any thoughts to point me in a direction would help.

A B230F with a decked head and a fun cam would probably work well. You could get away with a Volvo transmission if you are so inclined.

I recall that Pat is setting up a P1800 with a B23E and an M47. Should be a fun car when it is done.
 
A T4 with a 5 speed M90 would be a nice conversion and would meet your goals.

Easier to build a B20 with the extra HP but you are 100% right it isn't a cheap build. 130 to 150Hp is pretty easy to achieve and get's more complicated and expensive from there. Tinus tuning in the Netherlands can build you a stroked 200hp engine but not cheap. Before you pull the plug I'd have a think about a nicely built B20 with a E or worked head with a KG 10 or 17 cam (or a Tinus tuning cam) and dual SUs or webers. It might not get you the 180Hp but will be a nice B20 that will last you for a long long time, will go well, original engine, less work and a lot less hassle.

https://www.kgtrimning.org/trimning-special/b18b20b30/kamaxlar/
https://www.tinustuning.nl/1-onderdelen-nokkenassen.html

If you go the B230 16v/turbo route etc then you get into building a engine as well as the conversion.

I have a 71 142, getting the suspension and steering set up really well is important for how the car drives. At the moment it just has a B20A with a 2" simmons exhaust. I've got a Tinus TT3 cam and lightened flywheel to go in over winter. My goal is to just improve the acceleration a bit more and keep originality. It does over 90mph but where can I drive it really at that speed, how it performs and drives from 0 to 60mph I think is what makes a car nice to drive. Mine is never going to be a performance car, I'm after a nice old lady that can do the occasional sprint. :-) So rather than aim for a certain HP, look for a engine and gearbox that will perform how you want. Do you want top end speed with a engine that revs to 7000rpm or a engine that pulls more from low down and only revs to 5500rpm for example. Max HP is only a number, how it gets to that number is more important.
 
Doing a performance build on a B20 is the easy way to go. 142's are light cars and do not need massive power to be quick

Could always do forced induction
 
B230 16V +T. Good solid base, the 16V head performs way better than an 8V across the rpm range. Don't have to get crazy building the bottom end, good rods and stock n/a pistons will get you pretty far. T-5 swap as it's not the weak stick even the toughest volvo manual is. Definitely Microsquirt, MS3 pro something along those lines. I have to say best references for an engine build are the ones who've done it, broken it, rebuilt it, made it better, and make more power. If you really want input on something that'll make power and last, ask Linuxman51 or Roadracer4life. In the last 20 years I haven't seen anyone else on the board build, break, rebuild, and make more power and it last. Just take a look at some of what they've done
 
Really depends how much work you intend to do.

You can get 140 hp marine B20s sometimes, and that's a direct swap, same mounts, will bolt to your transmission and won't blow it up.

A B30 straight six might be cool, but you stand to add at least 100 lbs to the nose of your vehicle, and you'll have to move the radiator.

People make swap components for redblocks into 140s, but you'll have to get a different transmission and mounts anyway. Same deal for the whiteblock engines.
 
I had a turbo 8v B23 in mine for a couple years, and it was fun. Now I'm spending way too much time putting a turbo 16v in it. I'd do an NA 16v with some nice cams. Then you can mount it slanted and won't have to get too creative with the intake manifold.
 
Hi
i have a 16 valve penta on su carbs bolts right up to a 240 or 940 gear box
its more than quick enough and will pull from 1500
its in a amazon
 
Know I’ll be screamed at for this, but the Ford 302/EFI 5.0 fits about as easily/better than the SOHC & DOHC Volvo redblock?

It’s a somewhat dated engine to swap in there/ has its limitations too, probably requires a hydraulic or moved brake booster basically same as most OHC redblocks.

T5 trans everyone here loves so much bolts right up at least? :lol:

But most powerful of them are ~250hp stock, powerful enough to twist up the driveline/suspension fairly grotesquely on a 140?

240 is the more V8/Turbo/6-cylinder whiteblock swap friendly chsssis and basically the same car?

If you insist on snub-nose 240 with double a-arms & vent windows with more leg room/prettier /simpler dashboard largely built for LHD/no a/c -72, understandable, but engine bay space is limited and strength of the rest of the drivetrain isn’t really setup with a much more powerful engine in mind/they did come with 165 tires when new after all?

Buick 215/rover POS & SBF come to mind as the mass-produced lots of years engines that fit in that bay no cutting if “swap” is what you want. Having seen both OHC redblock and SBF done fairly cleanly, SBF looked right at home/narrow at the bottom engine bay, wide at the top, hood closes/EFI 302 intake clears.

Or...as mikep sez, budget turbo B20? They came up to 1984 in boats supposedly (seen a couple sailboats with an early 80s B20 in them), but really old cores by now to sift thru for one worth either freshening or building by now, let alone for more power, but not *that* expensive and motors don’t get much simpler either and had lots of years parts interchange back to 1960ish B18, on the bright side?
Just find the M400/M410 6-cyl trans with 4-cyl bellhousing/input shaft?
Good luck?
 
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In the US Dai? Would the 6cyl white block fit in a 142?

For some reason it looks like Volvo thought they would not know how to use a gear lever :lol:

The 6 cyl swap has been done into 140's. The sump does need some hacking to clear the wishbones. The B6304 is a better swap for a 164 tbh
 
https://dailyturismo.com/3k-suicide-seats-1969-volvo-142-ford-v8/
1a.jpg
 
No photos, sorry, all heresay/saw it roll thru the shop 15+ years ago?

Rover/Buick 215 if you're into esoteric/british/alloy pushrod compact V8?

Probably dirt cheapest, most recent, lightest weight most compact mass produced V8 for a personal automobile? TBers do like 'cheap' purchase price?

Volvo B36 if you can find one (LOL).

Narrow at the bottom/intake in the middle SBF or Buick 215 is honestly more 140-friendly than the SOHC & its accessories for the era.
Buick 215/Rover Copy was OE in small british sports cars w/a-arms of the era from the 'factory', & shoe horned the SBF into the exploder with a-arms/mini-truck engine bay/body on frame in the way.

Both are dated tech/have their shortcomings, but so's a 140.
Exploder -'01 and land-rovers -'04 in the states, so technically...longer than the redblock SOHC (tho fewer in the junkyards maybe?)...sold tons of exploders/mountaineers though.
Land rover discos too?
Most have expired by now, but so have most redblock SOHC cars (not necessarily the engine though).

OP sez he wants a 'cheap' junkyard motor that 'fits' to dink around with to install for .17?/hr?
Those ~20-year-old at the newest cars are still cycling thru/dirt cheap, but getting long in the tooth for sure.
Aren't that many dirt cheap high volume mass production RWD-application lightweight pushrod V8s compatible with small-body double A-arm engine bays of the 140 era anymore?
Everything else is a lot bigger/more complicated/looks like its on life support to pass emissions etc?

Or LPT boost the B20 if you want your outdated old/obscure 140 bucket to go faster for some reason?
But those are all ancient & takes patience & persistence to find a good core?
 
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