I may have a line on a clean 1971 142e with a bad driveline. A friend used a 2.5 Duratec motor for his Locost, and I like it. I was thinking something like that engine with the 5-speed out of a Ranger would make a nice donor for the Volvo. If you agree, what years should I be looking for? If you have a better transplant candidate or want to talk me out of it, why? I'm not looking for big power - 150-200 range, all Aluminum to take some weight off the front end...
I can't help but great score and idea.
2.5 Duratecs are good motors. I've been really happy with the one in our Mazda3, including endurance racing. Ford and Mazda put them in almost everything from 2010 ish up to 2020 or so. The Fusion, Escape, Mariner, Milan, some Focus, etc, all had this, along with the Mazda3 and 5 and 6 and CX7 non turbo. They are 175hp or so stock with easy potential to 200 with cams. The RWD transmission for performance is the NC Miata, but the Ranger also works.
I don't know the specifics of years and such but it sounds like an ideal pairing.
I've been pondering this question, or one like it for a bit. For the low end of your hp range a volvo b20 would work fine and is simple. It's also plenty of fun in a 2500lb car.
But when you say 150-200 I'm betting you mean closer to 200. The 2.5 is probably a nice pair with a 122 or 140.
Over the years I've I also mused about putting a more-modern EFI inline engine in a 140-series. Much easier than trying to stuff a V in that narrow engine bay!
My vision was going to be restomod 145 wagon with a little straight six (Toyota 1G-G/1JZ-GTE, Volvo Whiteblock, or Nissan RB20/RB24/RB25/RB26) but your idea seems more achievable and more balanced, even if the engine note might not be as sweet. 
How about a slightly more modern engine than the original B20 but still a Volvo- a B23ft or B230ft? Turbo, overhead cam, 2.3 but still a relatively simple Volvo redblock. Easy enough to get close to 200 hp. Also, it's been done before, so you're not blazing a new trail...unless that's what you want to do. I have a low mile B23ft looking for a home if you need one.
In reply to nedc :
One of my first cars was a PV544, which I liked quite a bit. The motor (B18) was robust and torquey, but also a bit rough and clattery. The 4-speed wasn't well geared for freeways either.
The B23 is a more advanced motor, but (please correct me if I'm wrong) it's also heavy and doesn't make much more power than the pushrod engines in naturally aspirated form (I'd like to avoid turbos). So I'm not real excited about that one. Did they have a proper 5-speed by that point?
Gonna propose a Honda K series because it is supported to the moon an back insofar as swaps are concerned.
As to power, you just tell it what you want and it should deliver.
In reply to Kreb (Forum Supporter) :
You do know that you can easily get 150-175hp in a streetable B20 right?
I owned a 142e and in stock trim they were 135hp.
I've long wanted a 144 with a B230 16v head and ITBs. No idea if it'll fit, no idea how much power it'll make but oooh boy I want it.
In reply to Kreb (Forum Supporter) :
No, 4 speed w/ pushbutton overdrive is pretty much all you'll find. If you're opposed to a turbo (why would you be? : ) ) then an na B
230 is not much of an improvement over a B20.
I have exactly zero knowledge regarding the feasibility of it, but I think a 5 cylinder whiteblock would be excellent, if only for the noise. I've become mildly addicted to stomping the gas pedal in my V50 just to hear it, and that's muted by the turbo. If you want to hear how good a wild NA version can sound, watch this:
I don't think you could go wrong with most of the choices listed so far.
How much power would a 5-cylinder Whiteblock made with just an exhaust and tune, not going into the motor with cams etc?
Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:
I dunno. My friends car has the 2.5 with cams, header, ITBs and megasquirt and it makes about 205 to the wheels. The 260 cited above would have to be in an engine built to complement those cams, I think.
Similarly, the B230 with Turbo will only make big numbers with tweaking well above stock, and that goes against my basic build idea of a more refined, better-balanced car. The Whiteblock idea is pretty cool, and worth more consideration, but weren't they all FWD? Turning one to the RWD config isn't as much the "easy button" as much as dropping the Ranger mill in would be.
A K24 is a neat option, and making it RWD is a path well traveled. I'd have to make sure that these engines would fit under the Volvos hood, also.
An S80 front subframe makes a whiteblock swap doable in 240s, but the narrower 140 likely means it's not so easy.
The problem with the 142 engine swaps is similar to 1800 swaps as they both have the same front suspension design that makes swaps a royal PITA. It can be done, but it's usually a lot more work than most think it will be.
If you just want to drive the car and have fun, it will be a LOT easier to just get another B20 and warm it up a bit. Those engines aren't hard to find and are usually reasonably priced.
Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:The problem with the 142 engine swaps is similar to 1800 swaps as they both have the same front suspension design that makes swaps a royal PITA. It can be done, but it's usually a lot more work than most think it will be.
If you just want to drive the car and have fun, it will be a LOT easier to just get another B20 and warm it up a bit. Those engines aren't hard to find and are usually reasonably priced.
Well first of all I have to close the deal. He's decided that he doesn't want my money, but he'd take a trade for a motorcycle that I don't own.....
I think that I could live with a breathed on B20. I've never built an engine. Might be fun to try with a simple one like this. But I'm not so keen on the original transmission. A T5 swap would be nice.
The Volvo B20 is a good first engine to build - very straightforward, parts not too expensive, lots of knowledge available.
T5 adaptors are in the market so that part is solved as well.
I suspect you can learn up on building the B20, build the motor and get it running and driving with a T5 in much less time than a full swap.
In reply to Kreb (Forum Supporter) :
The B20 build is a well known one; DCOEs bigger valves, clean up the ports and install a different cam. I seem to recall you can bore the motors out to 2130cc.
I also recall seeing numbers of 130-170 at the wheels on street driven B20s.
If the 142E engine is rebuildable that's a great starting point, even just the head. May already have 44mm intake valves. A little cleanup work on the ports and it's good. My car came with DCOEs but if I had an E intake and head I'd megasquirt that setup.
My machinist talked me out of a 2130 - very feasible but then there's nothing left for another rebuild. Plus $/hp isn't so hot. IMO spend the money on injection and trans.
A 10.5:1 2 liter with a good head, K cam or better and header should get over 150hp and be nice to drive.
Trans makes me wonder about the hump on a 71 - not sure if they had the hump for the rear shifting trans but if not the 240 variant of that sheet metal part is still available new for under $100, easy addition.
B20s are good engines, I have one in our 24 Hours of Lemons Volvo Amazon. D cam, F head shave to get 10:1 compression, nothing too crazy. Dual exhaust with a X pipe and no other mufflers sounds great.
I've toyed with the idea of what you said, a duratec and ranger trans, but it seems like an awful lot of squeeze for the juice. Fitting any OHC engine into these old Volvos presents...challenges.
Also, there's this if anyone is interested:
You need this: A Volvo 142 project ready to be brought back to life
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