garaithon
garaithon GRM+ Memberand Reader
2/6/25 9:23 p.m.

This is a thread dedicated to all my Volvo wagons. I have been meaning to start a page on them for awhile. These are the current crop as purchased:

I will fill in details on each and get them all up to there current condition! Thanks!

J.A. Ackley
J.A. Ackley Senior Editor
2/7/25 8:45 a.m.

Nice! Looking forward to hearing more about what you're doing with all these Volvos.

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
2/7/25 9:17 a.m.

I'm listening. smiley

Indy - Guy
Indy - Guy UltimaDork
2/7/25 11:22 a.m.

In reply to garaithon :

yes     yes     yes

914Driver
914Driver MegaDork
2/7/25 12:09 p.m.

5.0   5-speed sleeper?   I'm in! 

John's cars used to sell a kit, but I heard he folded the tent.

garaithon
garaithon GRM+ Memberand Reader
2/7/25 8:07 p.m.

In reply to 914Driver :

No 5.0 but they are all 5speeds! LS maybe someday... Turbo for sure!

garaithon
garaithon GRM+ Memberand Reader
2/11/25 9:34 p.m.

I'll start with the 960. I traded my LS swapped Roadmaster for it. It wouldn't start for somebeach (prior owner on here.) Here was the beginning of the diag.

Mmm straight 6!

garaithon
garaithon GRM+ Memberand Reader
2/19/25 9:12 p.m.

Plugs looked suspicious... 4 middle plugs looked clean the end plugs looked rough. Ran a compression test:

In order

Not good...

garaithon
garaithon GRM+ Memberand Reader
2/19/25 9:19 p.m.

Volvo white blocks are an open deck design, and the cylinders tend to shift and oval after a few hundred thousand miles. Overheating isn't much appreciated either. With 280k miles I figured this engine was probably just used up... So I bought this:

garaithon
garaithon GRM+ Memberand Reader
2/21/25 9:28 p.m.

I needed an engine and I had read about swapping in the later FWD engines into the older RWD chassis. I figured might as well swap a T6 Turbo powertrain in. I got the above 1999 S80 from a buddy that ran and drove but had plenty of issues as a drivetrain donor. It had about 140k on it and the compression checked out 180 to 190 across the board. 

Pulled the donor apart, pretty easy just drop the whole subframe out onto a furniture dolly and roll it out.

dculberson
dculberson MegaDork
2/22/25 7:23 a.m.

Heck yes I've been interested in the T6 swap into RWD, following!

Somebeach (Forum Supporter)
Somebeach (Forum Supporter) Dork
2/22/25 9:08 a.m.

I am excited to see what you've done with the 960. Part of me wishes I kept it, it was just so rust free. 
 

But if I had kept it it would still be sitting here not running, not getting worked on. So it is better off in your hands. 

garaithon
garaithon GRM+ Memberand Reader
2/22/25 9:51 a.m.

In reply to dculberson :

Yea there are several paths you can take. I'll show what I did which is probably the easiest to make it work in the 960 keeping everything as close as stock as possible. I started all this about a year and a half ago so still a lot to get up to current status!

garaithon
garaithon GRM+ Memberand Reader
2/22/25 9:54 a.m.

In reply to Somebeach (Forum Supporter) :

Yes it's very clean! It's been a lot of work and still have plenty to do to get it where I want it. As I have gotten older I try to keep it to one major non-running project at a time. Definitely has helped me stay focused!
 

I know you moved on from the Roadmaster, but I miss that thing too!

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