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best 240 engine/year

The '92-'93 B230 is my favorite overall, relatively common, good parts availability, low friction engine that runs smooth.

The B23E in some early 80s Euro/Canadian cars is a lot of fun though, that develops some serious power for what it is.
 
John V said:
You young 'uns need to come back to earth..
The later B230 rods are not and in no possible way be called "big".

They are less ridiculously wimpy, than the earlier insanely noodly little things.

But no sane or serious person can rightfully call them "big".
Click to expand...

So, there are three levels of redblock rods

1. Insane, noodly, flacid rods
2. Not as wimpy, but still...quite noodly-like rods
3. "Big" rods - whatever those are (tbd)


I apologize for the thread derailment, OP.
 
I always assumed that the oil squirters where primarily to cool the pistons, to reduce detonation tendencies, to allow more boost. Not out need for additional wrist pin lubrication. No?
 
classicswede said:
I prefer the B23. Th eonly engine I would stay away from or just replace the rods in is the B230's with 9mm rods
Click to expand...

FWIW I ran an 86 b230 with the skinny rods as a +T for almost 100K with upwards of 18PSI boost with out issue. Granted I had all the supporting hardware and didnt cheap out on the parts I bought.

I destroyed numerous transmissions but the engine was trouble free.
 
LC4CARL said:
I always assumed that the oil squirters where primarily to cool the pistons, to reduce detonation tendencies, to allow more boost. Not out need for additional wrist pin lubrication. No?
Click to expand...

Yeah..the strength of aluminum falls drastically above like 450-475*.
Look at side view of piston and zero in on that top ring groove..
On the crown it can get HOT and the pressure is in the 1100-1200psi+ range..

Ever before the piston melts it goes plastic-y, If it gooes plasticky from heat there there first thing that might happen is the crown bends and you pinch the top ring--sitting in the ring groove with 2-4-5mm of aluminum above. That's a lot of pressure.

That is a dead hole now..
So squirting relatively cool oil, maybe 180-200F , under the crown cools things so plastic deformation isn't so close by..

As for reducing detonation...I gues syou mean det from glow ignition, meh, i dunno..I think if you get the glow ignition you have serious mix/ignition problems...
 
classicswede said:
The 9mm rods are no use even in a NA block, I have had 5 NA B230 chuck a rod through the block in NA form were the 9mm rods have let go. 88/89 seems to be the worst years for letting go.
Click to expand...

Great, now I'm worried that mine is forever on the verge of blowing up :oops:

My '92 has the drivetrain from an '89, except for the auto 3.73 rear end.
 
Streetliight said:
Great, now I'm worried that mine is forever on the verge of blowing up :oops:

My '92 has the drivetrain from an '89, except for the auto 3.73 rear end.
Click to expand...

No need to worry..They work fine as long as you have a good tune..450 hp just need a good tune.

Here's one now;
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uJefPK_UkdM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
John V said:
No need to worry..They work fine as long as you have a good tune..450 hp just need a good tune.

Here's one now;
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uJefPK_UkdM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Click to expand...

Yeah I'd be shocked if my hooptee was making more than 100 :lol:
 
Last edited:
Streetliight said:
Great, now I'm worried that mine is forever on the verge of blowing up :oops:

My '92 has the drivetrain from an '89, except for the auto 3.73 rear end.
Click to expand...

I have some of those engines with big miles on them and have been fine yet some other in stock form and not revved high have let go. If it happens it happens
 
Thought it might be helpful to correct some of the wrong info in the link VB posted.

Dick (@GpAvolvo)
April 2014 1 / joined Apr 2014
Really important thing to know is that B21/B23 rods have about 6 thou lateral clearance in the pistons at the gudgeon pins,:wtf: whereas B230 rods have about 4mm :wtf:- yes 160 thou! - the B230 rods float on the wrist pins! As do the B21/B23 M rods

The B230 piston are rod steered..the gap between the posses is 25mm..the small end width is 24.75mm...the float is 0,25mm or about 0.010"
This is fine when you have standard Volvo pistons which stay upright in the bore with very tight piston-bore clearance. When I first built a B230 race motor with forged pistons and 8 thou piston-bore clearance I wondered why the bores kept splitting, and rods poking out of the block!
Lesson - if you want to run 6-8 thou piston-bore clearance pistons, get custom rods with 6 thou side clearance at the gudgeon pins in the piston.

Wrong.


GT_PaulGGT_Paul (@GT_Paul) Devonport Tasmania
April 2014 edited April 2014 282 / 7joined Jul 2013
The M rod looks a lot more substantial..interestingly enough i thought the M rod was the so called 13mm rod

Angus242164Angus (@Angus242164) Western Victoria
April 2014 1429 / 49joined Jul 2013
The 13mm B230 rods are on the right in all pics.

Yep the B230's use floating pins, B23 uses pins that are a press fit in the rods.:wtf: I'm no expert you can say that again but I think this is the difference between "crank steered" and "piston steered" rods, terms that the yanks use a lot.
No...floating is when there is a bush in the small end and the pin can be pushed in assuming this bush ID is correct..not always the case in the aftermarket..Pin to bus ID clearence should be .0006-.0008 six to eight ten thousandths Volvo B20/B21/B23/B230/B234 are all floating..

Crank steered is when the rod, like an M rod is 29,75mm and the gap between the cheeks or whatever at the end of the rod journal is 30mm..so again 0,25mm play or 010"..Piston steered is at the pin end and is the 010 between the pin bosses and the rod
Both work.
Pin steered is easy for OEM, hard in the aftermarket..
All the leading rod makers make their B230 rods 29,75 wide and make 'em crank steered.

I'm actually not sure on the "M rod" name now, I saw "M" forged into the B23 rods and assumed they were the ones people call M rods, but maybe not? The B23 rods are certainly a lot more substantial around the entire big end area, and slightly bigger on the shaft area.

Unfortunately I don't have any early B230 (9mm) rods lying around, it'd be interesting to compare them to the others.

Vee_QueVee_Que (@Vee_Que) South Eastern suburbs Melbourne.
April 2014 6205 / 26joined Jul 2013
Dick is on here! Amazing! Would be more amazing to get the info right
GT_PaulGGT_Paul (@GT_Paul) Devonport Tasmania
April 2014 282 / 7joined Jul 2013
Hmm i have never had to press fit the pins on any of the b21 /23's, They just push in and Right
 
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