65 Volvo 122 v3.0L

bentwrench wrote: Got the Stage 2 clutch disc (92 4 runner 5 spring hub). Mocked up assembly to check clearances and release fork and slave positioning. Good to go. Anyone have a line on a waterjet in the portland area to cut my header flanges?

I see that you have a line on a supplier, but as an FYI for the future, look for Laser contractors for this type of work. The rule of thumb is that thick stuff is waterjet and thin stuff is laser efficient.

Because laser uses fewer consumables, it should be less expensive.

The trick in either case is to find a shop that will do one-off work; they all want production runs to keep their stuff working. Set up cost will exceed the cost of cutting.

In reply to NOHOME:

Well I can supply art work. CMM or MasterCam files so all they have to do is convert to machine code.

I wanted waterjet because thick header flanges will potato chip if heat is used. Worse comes to worse I'll hack them out on a mill by hand. (Or run them on a CNC mill)

Do not confuse laser cuts with plasma cuts. The laser will not have any effect on the metalurgy nor will it significanlty heat up the part.

Making chips

Finishing touches

De-burred and bolt holes tapped ready to check fit

Fits the trans, check

Fits the bellhousing, check

Next steps are to clearance and trim the bell housing, make release fork pivot mount, then mount slave cylinder.

Kenny_McCormic wrote:

I second this...

I am a little late to the party but have you seen this??

http://quad4rods.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=2&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=100041

Awesome project.

In reply to singleslammer:

$813.45 for a bellhousing?!?!??

This is awesome. Engine to trans couplings are something I never mess with, but much respect to those who pull it off successfully. I can't believe I just stumbled onto this thread now (I have 8 or 9 122's myself, many parts cars) but I'll be following with great interest. I have a 302/T5 sitting in my shop right now that I'm just aching to drop into an Amazon estate I also happen to have handy.

RossD wrote: In reply to singleslammer: $813.45 for a bellhousing?!?!??

If you don't have a lot of time you can make up for it in money, and vice versa.

<img src="#//s1063.photobucket.com/user/NOHOME1/media/Random Car E36 M3/V8122011_zps09da145b.jpg.html][/URL]" />

volvoclearinghouse wrote: This is awesome. Engine to trans couplings are something I never mess with, but much respect to those who pull it off successfully. I can't believe I just stumbled onto this thread now (I have 8 or 9 122's myself, many parts cars) but I'll be following with great interest. I have a 302/T5 sitting in my shop right now that I'm just aching to drop into an Amazon estate I also happen to have handy.

At the risk of derailing another person's thread, if you really want to drop a 302 into a 122, then here is a solution to the pesky a-arm intrusion into your front cylinders. Basically a shorter a-arm with the geometry corrected by moving the pivot point. Not my project,just a friend of mine who is trying to convince me that my approach is too much work.

Sorry...photobucket does not seem to be working anymore!

In reply to NOHOME:

Actually, not a derailment, you bring up pretty valid issues for any V-type engine swap. The 122 has a pretty narrow distance between the A-arms, and I wager the V6 the OP is looking at will have the same issues. One of the reasons I looked at a 302 for the Amazon is that its one of the narrower V-8's. The sump is also in the right place. I might have to do creative things with headers, and the steering, but I think it'll work.

That said, to get decent camber on the 122's front suspension requires adding about 3/8" of camber plate on the upper A-arm, which could be a problem with a wide V-engine. This might necessitate widening the track a bit- which actually might not be all that hard to do with the neat sorta-modular front suspension the 122 uses. And who doesn't appreciate a wider track?

Awesome project! Your detail and skills far surpass mine. Can't wait til it's done. One question though, why didn't you look at the Jaguar manual transmissions for the Duratec? Cost? Performance? Availability?

Getrag 221 not known for being robust.

I initially was going to use an automatic but the electronics (in my price range) to control it have not evolved sufficiently.

A arms will not be a problem if the motor is south of them

NMNA but lots of Volvo wagon goodness here:

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/4309456644.html

bentwrench wrote: Getrag 221 not known for being robust. I initially was going to use an automatic but the electronics (in my price range) to control it have not evolved sufficiently.

Interesting. At what point does the Getrag start to run into problems and how much more power/torque can the auto handle?

The Auto goes behind a V8 in an Expedition

Dont know anything about the Getrag except rare

HOw have I missed this, I love Swedish metal and Duratch V6's. Amazing rate of progress really for a totally custom set up. It's threads like this make me want to give up calling myself a car guy. No way will I have the time, ability or access to tools to ever even think of something like this.

Well done, very well done sir.

I made an informational discovery, some of the Contour's have a standard (non-dual mass) flywheel. So if the Aluminum flywheel I bought is too light I have a choice.

Todays progress:

Reversing the intake top caused some fit issues with the cam chain bump on the valve cover.

Removed the offending part.

Ah, that's better.

I'm still pondering the finer points of the induction system. The OEM secondary butterfly actuator I have not been able to reverse engineer so I am thinking vacuum control. Now that I have put the saw to the plenum I see some other possibilities and more/new questions. At the south end of the plenum is a place for an actuator to divide the plenum (deleted on my donor). Also looking at the plenum (now that I have it cut open) I see that there is a volume difference between the two halves. Now that it's cut I have the opportunity to change the throttle body. I can use a dual throat TB and further extend the split plenum. I can also increase the area of the TB currently a 60mm. I'm also looking at possible hood clearance issues so I may have to droop the throttle body to miss the hood.

After removing the AC pump the serpentine belt barely hits the water pump I am looking at offsetting the power steering pump to increase contact area for the water pump that runs on the back side of the belt. I am wondering how much contact is needed, it does not seem that the pump would present much load.

Today's progress:

Wrecking yard trip gotta, driveshaft, cruise servo (Vacuum operated) (for the secondary butterflies), two throat x 2" throttle body (with the linkage that slows the first half of travel and snaps open the last half), hoses and a filter housing that fits same, throttle cable, remote radiator cap housing, and ran out of time. Didn't even make it to the Volvo section. The social director drug me indoors to shower and take her to a Superbowl party. Got better after the girls made a couple of bottles of wine disappear. No car people there, but I did discover that I like Pendleton Whisky better than Makers Mark. The game was a bust... But the girls were busty so no loss, left with a smile.

Next lesson, intake manifold plenum volume and separation.

I cut this interfering part off my intake.

Being the more is better kind of guy I have this to install.

On the last crap box I hot rodded (a first gen Neon) increasing the plenum volume produced a significant performance increase. The volume of the stock Neon manifold was easily twice what I have here on the Duratech. The Neon also responded to a larger throttle body well. Since in rotating the top half I was forced to remove the snout for valve cover clearance I have the opportunity to rework the volume and the configuration.

For clearance I need to move the TB forward past the bumpy parts of the valve cover, I am also concerned about hood clearance. I have lots of room in front of the motor to do most anything I want.

How can I determine how much to increase the plenum volume?

Should I keep the tracts from the two plenums separate full length?

I did not shorten the plenum divider and it appears there is a provision at the south end for an actuated divider door. I have a newer oval port motor in the wife's daily driver and it has a smaller plenum and a vacuum operated divider at the south end of the plenums. I don't think this was done for tuning reasons, I believe it was done to silence the droning from plenum resonance. (the Neon howled like a banshe at 5-6k rpm)(the wife's daily is very quiet). Which leads me back to my original inquiry, how much is too much and should I maintain division between the plenums?

I also question the 2 different sizes of plenums seen here, the volume of the right side plenum is obviously significantly different to the volume of the left side! I always try to pray to the gods of symmetry, or is that just my OCD?

Perhaps someone with a higher dork rating than I can make some sense of my psychotic rambling?

Are the "secondary butterflies" for a variable length intake runner, and would the two different volumes of the plenum possibly related to the intake runner lengths?

I may be guessing, but I have some hands on experience getting a variable length intake manifold working stand-alone, in a Volvo even. That's about where the similarities end though.

• Lee

Secondary butterflies are not part of the upper intake, their function (I believe) is for high swirl part throttle operation. It shuts down 1 intake valve during part throttle operation.

There is no valve in the 98 plenum (upper intake), there appears to be provisions for one but none installed. The 04 oval port Taurus/Sable leather_wrapped_sled version has the plenum valve, again I think that it is for noise control not preformenace (i could be wrong). I mention it hoping for input and understanding.

After a consult with a tuner it looks like yes runner length may be the plenum volume difference, it appears the runners on the larger plenum are about an inch shorter than the runners on the small side.

This is what the later oval port motor looks like.

Are the intake runners one big oval that covers a pair of intake ports, or are the intake runners divided to match those ports? I'm not familiar with the Duratec, and Google images isn't answering my question.

• Lee