mattsk8 Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 My Volvo blew a head gasket last weekend. I have 200k on the original engine, and it was going through about a quart of oil to 750 miles. I'm going to pull the motor, take the head off and pull the oil pan and check the crank. If everything looks good, I'll put rod/main bearings, piston rings, oil pump, timing kit, obviously all the gaskets and seals, etc, I'd also have the turbo rebuilt.I'm curious if you guys could help me get a parts list going. If all looks rebuildable and I go that route, I also plan on putting forged rods in it. I've also read about sleeving the cylinders, but is that necessary on a 2.3L? I've read those are pretty durable blocks. I'm not going to go crazy with HP, right now I have a ARD Blue tune, a RIP kit, Snabb FA intake, 3" mandrel bent DP, and a 2.5" custom cat back with Borla mufflers. I think it's about 300hp right now (at the crank), if I could get another 50 ish I'd be happy. I was actually pretty happy with what I had, but who doesn't want a few more hp?Piecing things together, here's what I have so far...Oil Pan Gasket KitHead Gasket SetOil PumpRod Bearings (x5)Main Bearing SetPiston Rings (x5)Timing KitForged RodsIf anyone knows of ways to save on those^^ parts, I'm all about saving money as long as the parts are good. If anyone can think of anything I should do while this apart, please let me know!! My PCV system is only about a year old, so I'll probably just clean that and reuse it when I do this. I'll also put a new thermostat, and replace all my rubber coolant lines. I was going to have my turbo rebuilt by Michigan Turbo, which is actually a very reputable shop for that; they'll rebuild it for $500.As far as the head goes, I'm not sure what I'll do there. Then engine got hot, but not "drive it till it quits" hot. I'll check the head with a straight edge, and if all is well I might just do valve and cam seals myself. If the head is warped, I'll get a rebuilt head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tightmopedman9 Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Get together an individual parts list with PNs and purchase through Tasca. You will save a lot of money vs going through bundled kits through FCP.99% chance you do not need a new oil pump; it might be a good idea to pull your current pump to check its' condition, but you probably don't even need to do that. I'm assuming you don't have a machinists straight edge; you cannot check the head with a household straight edge. Maximum warpage in length is .02" and width is .008". No way your ruler is going to be flat enough to determine that. I got my rods and bolts (ARP) for less than $430, not from ARD. Make sure you get the rods checked for size and out of round. I can almost guarantee they will be out of spec. You can get high quality Hastings rings for much less than OEM Volvo. Are you ready for the work involved in an engine rebuild? You'll need to hone the cylinders and then make sure you clean out the bores until they are entirely clean, which can take quite a while. You'll need to measure all your bearing tolerances as well. There are a lot of other considerations, those are just the first two that come to mind.You're still missing a few parts from that list. Don't forget the RMS, girdle bolts, head bolts and anaerobic sealant. You do not need to sleeve the block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Riker Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Not to hijack... but if he was going to rebuild an engine... would there be any recommendations for a newer engine?Does the 99RN motor have the lighter crank of the later motors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsk8 Posted August 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Not to hijack... but if he was going to rebuild an engine... would there be any recommendations for a newer engine?Does the 99RN motor have the lighter crank of the later motors?Hijack away :). I was curious if I should just get a used engine from a later model too, that would be the cheaper route. What I don't want is another science project that I won't be sure of the outcome on. I realize rebuilding engines isn't exactly easy, but I'll know what I'll have when I'm done if I go that route.TMM, thanks for the thorough response!! As far as building engines goes, I've done 3; a Pontiac 350 when I was 17 (kind of a fail), a Ford 351 Windsor in my 20s, and a 4 cylinder from a boat (IO engine). The 351 and the boat engine were both home runs. I do have a few machine shops here in Grand Rapids, but the one I used to use is no longer in business so I'll need to find the most reputable one. I planned on taking the block in and having it dipped and honed, rather than doing that myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin. Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 using a later model B5244T5 T5 motor (S60 T5 05-09) may be to your benefit, you should be able to find one for under $1000 that has lower mileage (<80k). Without accessories (if you are planning on swapping everything) you should easily pay less than $800 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyb5 Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Not to hijack... but if he was going to rebuild an engine... would there be any recommendations for a newer engine?Does the 99RN motor have the lighter crank of the later motors?99 RN is hydro lifter, 139.5mm rod, early crank. It is still 90% the same as an N motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsk8 Posted August 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 My engine is a B543T8 (2.3L, 99 V70R). I've read the B543T3 engines are almost identical except the plastic covers and the turbos... is this true? I can find those engines everywhere for cheap ($700 or less) with decent miles (around 100k). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyb5 Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 The only differences are the injector/turbo setup and the color of the plastic engine covers. The T8 got an 18T and green (468cc) injectors as an upgrade over the 16T and blue (395cc) injectors. If you just need a head for your existing motor, I have a B5234T8 head from my R that I recently replaced. It is good (never overheated) but does need new valve stem seals. PM me if you're interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsk8 Posted August 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 The only differences are the injector/turbo setup and the color of the plastic engine covers. The T8 got an 18T and green (468cc) injectors as an upgrade over the 16T and blue (395cc) injectors. If you just need a head for your existing motor, I have a B5234T8 head from my R that I recently replaced. It is good (never overheated) but does need new valve stem seals. PM me if you're interested.Will do, thanks Andy. I'm going to have my head checked out, if it's warped I'll definitely PM you. I don't know if I need an engine. My car was using a quart to about 700 miles, but it still had great compression. It didn't have the common signs that I know of for bad piston rings. It did smoke when I floored it, but didn't have the common puff when you downrev then step on the gas that's associated with bad rings. Plus the plugs always looked good. What it did have was oil in the intake side of the turbo lines. I'm curious if my turbo seals were bad, and maybe I should just do the head gasket, then rebuild the turbo.200k miles... what would you guys do if you were me? Engine? Or head gasket and turbo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyb5 Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 If this happened to me I'd replace the head/turbo and see where I'm at. Replacing the head took me about 1 weekend of work and cost ~$400. Turbo rebuild is pretty cheap as well, if you DIY it's around ~$100.If after that, the rings are toast, you'd be out some labor but for the cost of a HG and head bolts ($100) you could then put your refreshed head/turbo on the new bottom end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsk8 Posted August 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Dig... that's what I'll do then. I didn't know you could DIY a turbo rebuild, but never really thought about it either. I guess it's just seals and bearings... I'll do some searching on that too. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsk8 Posted August 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 Did some searching on rebuilding my 18t and I found this thread... Rebuilding A 16t. There's a guy that posted about what a waist of time and money rebuilding turbos is because after they're rebuilt, you have to have them balanced and they'll fail soon anyhow. Is any of this true? Have any of you guys rebuilt your turbos with success?If I go the rebuild route, here are some options I've found...18T Turbo Cartridge... Is this basically everything I'd need, except already assembled? I'd just put this in my housing?Mitsubishi Turbo Rebuild Kit... This is everything I'd need to rebuild my existing turbo; right?And then there's this option, but I'd need to research what I'd gain by stepping up to a 19T from my 18T. I don't even know if this will fit or not, but it says it would...Turbo 19T Upgrade KitThat 19T upgrade is the same price I was going to pay to have my turbo rebuilt anyhow. Would I need my tune modified if I went that route? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Riker Posted August 20, 2015 Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 Any real changes in the turbo, and you should retune, IMO. Just to keep AFRs in a happy place. A built motor can still get all melty inside from being too lean.I have heard that if you mark the turbo prior to taking it apart... and line it back up upon reassembly, it's considered to have retained it's balancing. I bought a K24... and before it was all said and done... I had to rebuild it immediately... went with a bigger hybrid wheel... and had about 1500 in it, I believe. Alot for a K24... but I really like how it turned out. Very streetable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsk8 Posted August 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 Would getting the cartridge get me away from all that? Just pull my old one out and put that new one in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Riker Posted August 20, 2015 Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 Depends on if you trust it was balanced. I believe both are sold... balanced and unbalanced. Personally, I like taking a turbo to a shop and having it rebuilt and balanced. That way I know it was done by someone who can do it better than I. May cost more... but I suspect it will increase the longevity of the unit.Also.. check around for places like G pop shop and http://www.majesticturbo.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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