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B230F Engine Rebuild and Swap 900 1994

posted by jd620 on Fri Mar 18 16:00 CST 2016
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last visit: Fri Oct 17 07:42 CST 2014

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I will probably be rebuilding a B230F NA engine with cam driven distributor and swapping it with a B230F NA with the distributor driven by the idler (terminology?). Is this a problem with the computer or anything else?

The engine I am going to rebuild was from a 1993 940 (has oil squirters) and I put it in a 740 back in 2005 when it had 88K miles on it. The engine now has about 218K miles on it and has had Mobil 1 in it changed every 10K miles and filter every 5K miles since we have had it. I had the head off before I put it in the 740 back in 2005 and checked the cylinders for wear. They were very nice and I just had the head milled to get rid of any warpage, put in a new head gasket and seals, and it has been a great engine. My question is, should I put new rings, main and rod bearings, new oil pump, and have the valves ground before putting it in my daughters 940? Can anyone thing of other things that should be done?

Thanks.
--
Mine: 4-940s running, 2-740 and 1-940 parts cars, dtr1:3-940s, dtr2

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one very important possibly a problem for any rebuild effort 900 1994

posted by 1pocket on Sun Mar 20 05:35 CST 2016
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the cam driven diz on b230 engines do NOT have any cut gearing in the intermediate shaft to drive the block mounted diz.

if you in the future make this change in diz locations you WILL need to swap the intermediate shaft from a car so equipped (native block diz) with the cam driven one.

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one very important possibly a problem for any rebuild effort 900 1994

posted by jd620 on Sun Mar 20 09:09 CST 2016
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last visit: Fri Oct 17 07:42 CST 2014

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Thanks Trichard, good points about the distributor. I'll swap the total engine so there shouldn't be a problem.
--
Mine:4-940s running, 2-740, 1-940 parts, dtr1:3-940s, dtr2=1-940

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B230F Engine Rebuild and Swap 900 1994

posted by 1pocket on Fri Mar 18 16:19 CST 2016
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the ecu could care less where the distributor is located.

place a mechanical gauge and measure you oil pressure at hot idle and at hot 2000-2500 rpms using nothing heavier than 10-30 oil.

if the pressure is with spec forget about changing the bearings.

does it use any more oil within 3000 miles of driving than a quart?

no forget about rings if the compression is uniform and within specs.

imo you're utterly wasting your money on synthetic oil. its an old engine designed well before synthetic oils came into widespread use. dinosaur oil is just fine for a b230f.

not long ago i tore down a b230f na engine with just under .5 million miles.

the main bearings showed no visible wear and neither did the rod bearings.
the cylinder walls still had crosshatching visible. the oil pressure was 46 psi at hot running speed and just a tad lower at hot idle. i wasted my time ripping it down thinking i ought to replace this and that. and it was from a 1990 240, 3 years before oil squirters were introduced

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B230F Engine Rebuild and Swap 900 1994

posted by jd620 on Fri Mar 18 16:40 CST 2016
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last visit: Fri Oct 17 07:42 CST 2014

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Trichard, thanks, sounds like a good plan. I'll have to figure out how I can get the old car running again. The banjo fuel return fitting on the fuel tank (only one I've seen with a banjo fitting) rusted off. Maybe I can just stuff the loose hose in the filler pipe for a run up to temp.

I use Mobil 1 here in MN because it is thinner and should give better cold weather starts, longer change intervals, and I don't like crawling under the cars in MN Winter and changing oil. Costco sells Mobil 1 for $26.95/6 quarts on sale often which is little more than dino oil.
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Mine: 4-940s running, 2-740 and 1-940 parts cars, dtr1:3-940s, dtr2

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go here for banjo fittings 900 1994

posted by 1pocket on Sat Mar 19 06:01 CST 2016
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/130211483659

keep in mind one thing as you change diz location.

a factory built 230 na with cam driven diz will have a slot and hole in the cam shaft end to affix the diz. a block located diz will have a cam that does NOT have the slot and hole in the back end.

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go here for banjo fittings 900 1994

posted by jd620 on Sat Mar 19 08:59 CST 2016
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last visit: Fri Oct 17 07:42 CST 2014

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I didn't know about the slot in the cam, good to know with the 11 B230s we have (8 running, all oil squirter NA engines now).

I did buy a couple of the banjo fittings for the fuel filters to have in case I have a leaky one like on one of my daughter's car.

The 740 that I will be cannibalizing, including the oil squirter engine, had the pipe going into the fuel tank sender/pump assembly rust out and to get the hose for the return converted to the newer type, I would have had to drop the tank to get room. The heads of the bolts holding the tank straps were so rusted, I could not get a socket or wrench to fit. The car is getting pretty rusty with 306K miles in the salt country (MN) so it is time to part it out.

If the oil pressure is within specs. put out by Trichard, I think I will just pull the engine and trans. out of the 740 (oil squirter engine I put in in 2005) and put it in my daughter's 940. The engine burns hardly any oil between 5K mile Mobil 1 oil changes. The engine to be replaced burns maybe a quart/thousand miles and my daughter has let the oil go low below the crosshatch marks on the dipstick several times. It burned oil when we got it 2 1/2 years ago (COPART car, history unknown).

--
Mine: 4-940s running, 2-740 and 1-940 parts cars, dtr1:3-940s, dtr2

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go here for banjo fittings 900 1994

posted by 1pocket on Sat Mar 19 09:37 CST 2016
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bottom line.........unless you have an oil light flicker once in a while i would not bother rebuilding the engine. they are incredibly well designed and built.

5 beefy main bearings for a measly 4 banger that puts out 117 hp. no stress ever going to be on those bearing if they have gotten oil. the rod bearings are the only ones that really are susceptible to wear and they CAN be changed, awkwardly, but still, changed with the engine IN the car.

one this you might do BEFORE installing the engine in a new car is take off the oil pan and inspect the oil pipe return line o rings that connect the pipe to the pump and then into the block. they are under a dollar and can cause very low oil pressure if they dislodge a bit. it takes a10 minutes to check to be sure.

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go here for banjo fittings 900 1994

posted by jd620 on Sat Mar 19 10:31 CST 2016
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last visit: Fri Oct 17 07:42 CST 2014

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I have to get an oil pressure gauge and fitting to screw it into the existing oil sender.

I think I'll check out my daughter's oil burner (1 qt./1K miles) oil pressure also. This is the first B230 I have had that burns oil and it only has about 140K miles on it. I have replaced the plastic breather unit and checked all the hoses.

I also have a 1994 940 I bought for $200 Nov. 30th and have replaced the oil pan (very rusty) and rear main seal and front transmission seal but haven't driven it this Winter more than a few miles. I am a little concerned about a ticking sound I can hear under the engine when idling, any ideas? It does run well.

Yes, the B230s are a great engine. We have had about 15 of them and a couple B23s and a couple B20s. The thing that kills the bodies here in MN is the corrosion. We have 4 still running from FL, AZ, and SC that are a pleasure to work on underneath.
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Mine: 4-940s running, 2-740 and 1-940 parts cars, dtr1:3-940s, dtr2

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go here for banjo fittings 900 1994

posted by Volvo From Heck on Sat Mar 19 13:00 CST 2016
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last visit: Mon Oct 13 20:56 CST 2014

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A slight exhaust leak at the manifold flanges to cylinder head can often be heard as a "ticking" sound. Use a length of fuel hose as a stethoscope and poke around a bit to confirm. -- Dave

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