Good Morning Folks;
With regards to my recent posting we have started to look for a replacement for my son's departed '88 240 5 speed wagon. we have found an '83 coupe and I wonder what the major chassis differences are between the '83's and the '88's. Barrie's car was well sorted out with a strong engine and 5 speed transmission. Would the 5 speed from the '88 swap into the '83? Engine parts? Both cars are non turbo. We just put new brakes, discs and calipers on his car and 4 new tires this past Wednesday, they had less than 200 miles on them.

Regards and thanks;
Mike Coleman
North Lancaster, Ontario, Canada
1988 Volvo 240 Stationwagon, 310,000 miles (adios),
1992 Volvo 740 Stationwagon, 198,000 miles,
1984 Mercedes 300D, 310,000 miles,
1986 Mercedes 190E 104,000 miles
1986 Mercedes 300SDL, 221,000 miles,
1998 GMC Safari, 421,000 kms
1996 Fleetwood Tioga

I think its all pretty straightforward, with one exception, maybe two. The first, and the one that's less of a difficulty, is that the 88 may have vented rotors, whereas those on the 83 are solid. Not really a problem, as long as you swap over the complete strut/spindle/hub/rotor/caliper assemblies, which results in a nice upgrade to vented discs. Automatic-to-stick is not that bad, (I've done a couple of them) if you have ALL the parts from the 88 available. You will need everything from the flywheel to the complete rear end, plus the clutch pedal assembly, cable and shift boot, but here's where the problem comes in: The 88 has an electronic speedometer, driven by a sensor on the rear axle. The 83's is mechanical. There is no fitting for the speedometer cable on the M47 5 speed transmission, so unless you can figure out how to wire up the 88 speedometer, you won't have one, or an odometer.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think it is possible to install the 88 B230F in place of the B23, and the simplest way to do it is to keep the complete 83 fuel injection/ignition/intake manifold setup. However, many seem to think the B23 is a better engine, so I would keep it if there is nothing wrong with it. Converting to the later type fuel injection would be a major hassle, but might be worth doing (since you already have all the parts) if the 83 has the crumbling, deteriorated wiring commonly found on 80-87 Volvos.

Be aware that NONE of the body parts or lights will interchange between the two cars.

Good Evening Folks;
Since the fellow who is selling the '83 2 door in Atlanta has not returned any of my 3 phone calls I guess this plan is finished. Thanks to evryone who offered advice. We will concentrate on finding a later model 240 Wagon.
Regards;
Mike Coleman
North Lancaster, Ontario, Canada
1988 Volvo 240 Stationwagon, 310,000 miles (RIP)
1992 Volvo 740 Stationwagon, 198,000 miles,
1984 Mercedes 300D, 310,000 miles,
1986 Mercedes 190E 104,000 miles
1986 Mercedes 300SDL, 222,000 miles,
1998 GMC Safari, 421,000 kms
1996 Fleetwood Tioga

Sorry about the loss of the 1988. That B230F is a good model, and the last with the LH2.2 engine management system.

I assume that you have the 1988 still, right?

The challenge in putting a B230F engine into a B23 vehicle is the engine front, and the control system.

The B230F has a different drive belt layout, A/C compressor and P/S pump and reservoir location. The crank pulley is very different, too.

I have a friend who attempted this swap and gave up, not that is not possible, just a challenge.

The LH2.2 system might need it's own main wiring harness, too. Naturally the ECU and ICM computers will need to move, too.

The PCV system is different, with the 1988 B230F being vastly easier to service than earlier cars.

Putting a stick shift into a car built for autobox is a bit of work. The clutch work, for one thing. Then the way the tranny mount fits and the length of the drive shaft must be handled.

Diffential ratios aren't the same, either, just as Flab FC says. The stick version has a 3.31:1 ratio, the auto ratio is 3.71:1. Swapping the pumpkin, or even the entire rear axle unit, can be done. I believe the suspension parts are the same. If you elect to make the change, take the opportunity to renew all the rear bushing and the shocks.

Lastly - the 242 (2-door) model has some body parts that might be impossible to get. That long front door means long scraper moldings. The folding front seats are hard to find, too.

THe 1988 models also have better rust protection, too. Check that 1983 thoroughly, pulling up the door sills and checking for problems under the carpet mats. Under the trunk carpet padding, too. And below the tail lights.

Look for leak evidence inside the cabin up at the lower corners of the windshield.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

At the risk of repeating others, your exchange should pretty much be flawless except for a few things.

it sounds like a change between an auto and a manual. The mounts are going to be different, and you want to take special note of how the drive shaft hooks up. I have never phsycially made the swap or needed to do much work down there other than to replace the tranny seals on an auto, so I can't tell you exactly, I just recall being made aware that there were some subtle differences at the time. The 82 as also designed to carry the 4spd with the overdrive-which I always preferred to the 5 speed box- so take a good look at the diagramm in a manual, and double check for any subtle differences, such as in the shift mechanism.

The differencial between the auto and the manual are different, so you might want to change the pumpkin.

The AC will be different in the 88, so you need to be aware of the new locations you will be hooking up things like the receiver dryer. You have a different power steering pump.

I am not sure whether this particualr 83 has the LH2.0 or not, but you want to be sure the mounting points are there for you for the slight changes.

While it is true that these cars remained very consistent throughout their lives, and even inherited some thigns from previous generations, they do have differences you want to keep your eyes open for as you move along.

sort of an aside, I did have a friend who hooked up an older b23 to the 2.2 LH, and apparently it blew the doors off. Something about that combination was very powerful.

Good luck.

Everything mechanical is basically a bolt-in between the '88 and '83. If you like the 2 door style and the body is good there's no reason not to.

The brake parts should work, as should some of the other parts. The engines and associated parts will be different, since the 240 gained the B230 engine in 1985. I suppose that you could swap the engines complete with the associated harnesses and controls. There are tons of later versions available out there, that would accept all your salvagable parts, so why not one of these?

Bill