T4 Marks Volvo S40 T4 build
Discussion
I am posting the start of this project for T4 Mark as I owned the car for 18 months and did the first set of mods, but nothing like the mods Mark did after he bought it from me..
OCTOBER 2006
Hi everyone, Ive been a Volvo owner for the last year now so I thought I would post a project in this section for my 1999 S40 T4.
My Dad has had several Volvo’s in the past :
A grey 144, a red 245 and a black 855 T-5.
He currently owns a Yellow limited edition 855 T-5R which he has had since 2003 (after looking for one for 3 years, he waited for a perfect one) a Silver S60 D5, his Dad has had two 340’s and my Mum has a light blue 480 1.7 turbo – has been a project so far itself!
This is my Dads actual T-5R on the Spring VOC magazine this year!
I have had Volvo’s around me for a long time!
My first car was a Citroen Saxo VTS 16 valve. 0-60 7.2 seconds, 130 mph flat out (where permitted) = a dangerous toy really (which my younger brother now owns). I had just turned 21 in October 2006 and fancied something safer, more spacious, refined and quicker.
After looking for T4’s for a few months I eventually found an excellent one in Stockport – Cheshire. It is metallic black, 2 owners FSH (mostly Volvo) all MOT’s and receipts / invoices included but had done 104,450 miles. It also has a full leather interior, premium sound system, climate control, cruise control, on board computer and was so nice to drive! I haven’t driven anything with a gear change as smooth as the M56 ( I was pleased to hear that T4’s have those as they are super strong and come on the manual 850 T-5’s).
It was an incredibly comfortable 420 mile round trip (having travelled up in my Dad’s S60, and after a day of polishing it looked like this:
[/
OCTOBER 2006
Hi everyone, Ive been a Volvo owner for the last year now so I thought I would post a project in this section for my 1999 S40 T4.
My Dad has had several Volvo’s in the past :
A grey 144, a red 245 and a black 855 T-5.
He currently owns a Yellow limited edition 855 T-5R which he has had since 2003 (after looking for one for 3 years, he waited for a perfect one) a Silver S60 D5, his Dad has had two 340’s and my Mum has a light blue 480 1.7 turbo – has been a project so far itself!
This is my Dads actual T-5R on the Spring VOC magazine this year!
I have had Volvo’s around me for a long time!
My first car was a Citroen Saxo VTS 16 valve. 0-60 7.2 seconds, 130 mph flat out (where permitted) = a dangerous toy really (which my younger brother now owns). I had just turned 21 in October 2006 and fancied something safer, more spacious, refined and quicker.
After looking for T4’s for a few months I eventually found an excellent one in Stockport – Cheshire. It is metallic black, 2 owners FSH (mostly Volvo) all MOT’s and receipts / invoices included but had done 104,450 miles. It also has a full leather interior, premium sound system, climate control, cruise control, on board computer and was so nice to drive! I haven’t driven anything with a gear change as smooth as the M56 ( I was pleased to hear that T4’s have those as they are super strong and come on the manual 850 T-5’s).
It was an incredibly comfortable 420 mile round trip (having travelled up in my Dad’s S60, and after a day of polishing it looked like this:
[/JANUARY 2007
January was time to do something about the handling:
I went to my local Volvo dealership and ordered a front alloy strut brace. The quality of the Volvo alloy brace is outstanding – it can’t weigh more than a few hundred grams. The strut brace is very easy to fit and I did it myself.
The part number if anyone is interested is 9481207
The handling was improved dramatically. Body roll is heavily reduced and the car feels much more stable through long or sweeping bends.
photo taken after i spent the day cleaning the engine bay.
Also shown in the bottom right of the photo is a forge dump valve which I bought from Kalmar-Union - I only put it on there for the noise! **EDIT : Waiting for Chav comments
**
January was time to do something about the handling:
I went to my local Volvo dealership and ordered a front alloy strut brace. The quality of the Volvo alloy brace is outstanding – it can’t weigh more than a few hundred grams. The strut brace is very easy to fit and I did it myself.
The part number if anyone is interested is 9481207
The handling was improved dramatically. Body roll is heavily reduced and the car feels much more stable through long or sweeping bends.
photo taken after i spent the day cleaning the engine bay.
Also shown in the bottom right of the photo is a forge dump valve which I bought from Kalmar-Union - I only put it on there for the noise! **EDIT : Waiting for Chav comments
**MARCH 2007
My front discs were nearly fully worn down by March with a huge lip! So I purchased new front 280 mm discs (part no: 30818027), front pads (part no: 30769199) and rear pads (part no: 30769186). I didn’t bother with rear discs, as these were fairly recently replaced and had no lip on them!
As the car was going in for some work anyway………………..I also bought some SPAX 40 mm lowering springs after some useful advice on the forum.
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=317...
The main reason to lower the car was to remove the huge gap in the wheel arches between the body of the car and the wheels! An added bonus was improved handling - the car now feels much less twitchy when changing direction quickly.
[/
My front discs were nearly fully worn down by March with a huge lip! So I purchased new front 280 mm discs (part no: 30818027), front pads (part no: 30769199) and rear pads (part no: 30769186). I didn’t bother with rear discs, as these were fairly recently replaced and had no lip on them!
As the car was going in for some work anyway………………..I also bought some SPAX 40 mm lowering springs after some useful advice on the forum.
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=317...
The main reason to lower the car was to remove the huge gap in the wheel arches between the body of the car and the wheels! An added bonus was improved handling - the car now feels much less twitchy when changing direction quickly.
[/APRIL 2007
Time for another service! The previous owner before me had the car serviced every 6k, I may as well keep this up so I dropped my car in to have an oil and oil filter change - went for Mobil 1 0w 40 again.
MAY 2007
Two of my P-Zero's were getting worn by May, so I bought two new tyres (same again) and sent two of my standard BBS (Crater) wheels off to be re-furbished.
I got the wheels re-furbished as the paint had started to bubble in places and looked nasty up close. I am quite a perfectionist, especially with wheels!
I was really pleased with the finish when they came back:
Time for another service! The previous owner before me had the car serviced every 6k, I may as well keep this up so I dropped my car in to have an oil and oil filter change - went for Mobil 1 0w 40 again.
MAY 2007
Two of my P-Zero's were getting worn by May, so I bought two new tyres (same again) and sent two of my standard BBS (Crater) wheels off to be re-furbished.
I got the wheels re-furbished as the paint had started to bubble in places and looked nasty up close. I am quite a perfectionist, especially with wheels!
I was really pleased with the finish when they came back:
JUNE - AUGUST 2007
June and July mainly involved saving for the work that was going to be carried out in August!
After going up to Headcorn in June with my Dad to get his T-5R re-mapped, I talked to Stuart of SW Autos and he ran through some options to think about for my T4.
I phoned him a couple of weeks later and booked my car in with him.
The work consisted of:
A BSR PPC (including SW's custom map).
An adapted T-5 manifold.
An adapted T-5 downpipe.
A 16T T-5 turbo.
A BSR optiflow filter.
The bhp is now 272 (271.7) with 302.5 ft lbs of torque (411 NM).
The car is now transformed! It pulls hard in every gear and has masses of torque!
Very pleased with the work carried out! **EDIT** I should clarify that I WAS pleased with the work done at the time, but it turned out that the map wasn't custom and made the car run lean, more to follow on that..
June and July mainly involved saving for the work that was going to be carried out in August!
After going up to Headcorn in June with my Dad to get his T-5R re-mapped, I talked to Stuart of SW Autos and he ran through some options to think about for my T4.
I phoned him a couple of weeks later and booked my car in with him.
The work consisted of:
A BSR PPC (including SW's custom map).
An adapted T-5 manifold.
An adapted T-5 downpipe.
A 16T T-5 turbo.
A BSR optiflow filter.
The bhp is now 272 (271.7) with 302.5 ft lbs of torque (411 NM).
The car is now transformed! It pulls hard in every gear and has masses of torque!
Very pleased with the work carried out! **EDIT** I should clarify that I WAS pleased with the work done at the time, but it turned out that the map wasn't custom and made the car run lean, more to follow on that..
SEPTEMBER
By chance I found a rear strut bar for a Mitsubishi Evo 3 on ebay USA. The Mitsubishi Evo's / carisma's and Volvo S40's share the same platform because the S40 chassis was a joint venture between Mitsubishi and Volvo.
I ordered an Evo 3 rear Strut bar from ebay USA as the company shipped to the UK.
To fit, you simply remove the boot lining by removing several grey clips and then un doing the nuts on top of the suspension strut and re-bolting the bots on top of the strut bar mounts. I used a stanley knife to neatly cut a hole for the bar.
The handling of the car seems to be more precise in sharp bends and exceptionally stable.
Here's some pics :
[/
By chance I found a rear strut bar for a Mitsubishi Evo 3 on ebay USA. The Mitsubishi Evo's / carisma's and Volvo S40's share the same platform because the S40 chassis was a joint venture between Mitsubishi and Volvo.
I ordered an Evo 3 rear Strut bar from ebay USA as the company shipped to the UK.
To fit, you simply remove the boot lining by removing several grey clips and then un doing the nuts on top of the suspension strut and re-bolting the bots on top of the strut bar mounts. I used a stanley knife to neatly cut a hole for the bar.
The handling of the car seems to be more precise in sharp bends and exceptionally stable.
Here's some pics :
[/OCTOBER
My car went in for some spray work in OCT 07. I had the bonnet re-painted due to stone chips on the front (extremely flat front around the grille which catches stones). I used a touch up brush on them but I knew they were there! So I saved up to have the bonnet re-painted.
I also got a new lower section on my front valance (made by heico Germany), its very subtle which is excellent as I don't want to move the car away from standard too much, I really like Volvo's styling as it is!
pics:
My car went in for some spray work in OCT 07. I had the bonnet re-painted due to stone chips on the front (extremely flat front around the grille which catches stones). I used a touch up brush on them but I knew they were there! So I saved up to have the bonnet re-painted.
I also got a new lower section on my front valance (made by heico Germany), its very subtle which is excellent as I don't want to move the car away from standard too much, I really like Volvo's styling as it is!
pics:
OCTOBER 2007
Just got my car back from its service today, changed the oil again to Mobil 1 0W 40 and a genuine Volvo filter and gasget.
I also purchased some goodridge braided brake hoses as my 8 year old ones on there had a slight spongy feel through the pedal. The difference was noticeable the first time I pressed the pedal - no spongeyness at all.
I also had the system bled and replaced the dot 4 fluid with high temperature dot 5 fluid.
Here's some pictures taken through the spokes of my wheels:
Rear hose:
Front hose:
[/
Just got my car back from its service today, changed the oil again to Mobil 1 0W 40 and a genuine Volvo filter and gasget.
I also purchased some goodridge braided brake hoses as my 8 year old ones on there had a slight spongy feel through the pedal. The difference was noticeable the first time I pressed the pedal - no spongeyness at all.
I also had the system bled and replaced the dot 4 fluid with high temperature dot 5 fluid.
Here's some pictures taken through the spokes of my wheels:
Rear hose:
Front hose:
[/kieranjholland said:
I used to have one of these, loved it - sadly my commute grew to a 100 mile a day trip so I moved over to oil burners... got an S0 D5
Did you post this up on VPC or T5D5, recognise it but looking forward to seeing more
They are great cars - I miss this one! It is much better now since Mark bought it from me..Did you post this up on VPC or T5D5, recognise it but looking forward to seeing more
boredofmyoldname said:
Very nice, makes me want to start playing with mine though.
Thanks for the compliments, its even better now - more updates to follow.October 2007 (2)
Just finished a couple of changes to my T4.
The first is some pressed aluminium Swedish Euro number plates with the Sweedish S in the corner.
Second is some reflective black headlight inserts to replace my original chrome ones. I noticed them on Pyaap's T4 up at the Crooked Billet meeting at the weekend and then ordered them from my local Volvo dealership. They took 2 days to arrive from Sweden - bit tricky to fit but worth it in the end!
Here's a picture:
November 2007 (2)
I have just fitted my new indicators, I ordered some of the black bezel ones to match my black inserts.
Included with the indicators is the bulb holders and new bulbs!
Here's a picture:
[/
Just finished a couple of changes to my T4.
The first is some pressed aluminium Swedish Euro number plates with the Sweedish S in the corner.
Second is some reflective black headlight inserts to replace my original chrome ones. I noticed them on Pyaap's T4 up at the Crooked Billet meeting at the weekend and then ordered them from my local Volvo dealership. They took 2 days to arrive from Sweden - bit tricky to fit but worth it in the end!
Here's a picture:
November 2007 (2)
I have just fitted my new indicators, I ordered some of the black bezel ones to match my black inserts.
Included with the indicators is the bulb holders and new bulbs!
Here's a picture:
[/November 2007 Project update
I haven't posted on my project for a while, but I have still been spending!
As I mentioned earlier in the project, the Volvo S40 chassis is the same as an Evolution 3 Lancer so many of the parts are compatible - I already have the rear strut brace from an evo 3!
With this in mind I ordered a set of twin piston Evolution 3 calipers complete with second hand discs and pads - no guarantee that the discs or pads would be ok, but I only really wanted them to check if they fitted!
The brakes arrived on Friday and one of my friends who is a mechanic checked the seals and fitted them on Sunday. The calipers, Mitsubishi 276 mm discs and the Mitsubishi pads all fitted perfectly with no rubbing. My braided hoses were also a perfect fit.
Brakes before:
New brakes:
Unfortunately my 281 mm Volvo discs did not fit, they were just too big to clear the carriers without scraping, and they have only done 800 miles! (If anyone on the forum fancies them, I will be selling the discs and pads which have only covered approximately 800 miles on here.
The improvement in brake performance was immediately noticeable after fitment. Stopping distance is dramatically reduced without compromising brake pedal "feel". Also the ABS still operates perfectly (im not sure where the sensor readers are though!).
Now that I know the brakes are ok, I am waiting for calliper paint, Ferodo premier pads, and Blueprint ADL discs to arrive. Also a big thanks to Firebolt for all the advice!
Kerry
Quick update - NOV 2007 part 2
My discs and pads arrived today to my mechanic, and were also fitted! The discs are ADL (made by Blueprint, for Japanese cars only) and the pads are Ferodo Premier as I mentioned earlier in one of my previous posts.
The discs are fantastic quality and come with a 2 year warranty - they look as good as OEM Volvo, I will post my progress with these. My Dad has used the Ferodo Premier pads for years and they always work excellently without fading, I will also post my progress with these when I have tested them to high temperatures etc.
The brakes now work perfectly, although I wont be braking hard for the next couple of hundred miles if I can help it, as im going to give the discs a fair amount of time to cure - to avoid warping!
My left front wheel has also been refurbished! I use spit & polish as they are fairly local to me, they have made an excellent job as they did with the previous two - you can also see my new shiny discs through the wheel! Only one wheel left to re-furbish!
I haven't posted on my project for a while, but I have still been spending!
As I mentioned earlier in the project, the Volvo S40 chassis is the same as an Evolution 3 Lancer so many of the parts are compatible - I already have the rear strut brace from an evo 3!
With this in mind I ordered a set of twin piston Evolution 3 calipers complete with second hand discs and pads - no guarantee that the discs or pads would be ok, but I only really wanted them to check if they fitted!
The brakes arrived on Friday and one of my friends who is a mechanic checked the seals and fitted them on Sunday. The calipers, Mitsubishi 276 mm discs and the Mitsubishi pads all fitted perfectly with no rubbing. My braided hoses were also a perfect fit.
Brakes before:
New brakes:
Unfortunately my 281 mm Volvo discs did not fit, they were just too big to clear the carriers without scraping, and they have only done 800 miles! (If anyone on the forum fancies them, I will be selling the discs and pads which have only covered approximately 800 miles on here.
The improvement in brake performance was immediately noticeable after fitment. Stopping distance is dramatically reduced without compromising brake pedal "feel". Also the ABS still operates perfectly (im not sure where the sensor readers are though!).
Now that I know the brakes are ok, I am waiting for calliper paint, Ferodo premier pads, and Blueprint ADL discs to arrive. Also a big thanks to Firebolt for all the advice!
Kerry
Quick update - NOV 2007 part 2
My discs and pads arrived today to my mechanic, and were also fitted! The discs are ADL (made by Blueprint, for Japanese cars only) and the pads are Ferodo Premier as I mentioned earlier in one of my previous posts.
The discs are fantastic quality and come with a 2 year warranty - they look as good as OEM Volvo, I will post my progress with these. My Dad has used the Ferodo Premier pads for years and they always work excellently without fading, I will also post my progress with these when I have tested them to high temperatures etc.
The brakes now work perfectly, although I wont be braking hard for the next couple of hundred miles if I can help it, as im going to give the discs a fair amount of time to cure - to avoid warping!
My left front wheel has also been refurbished! I use spit & polish as they are fairly local to me, they have made an excellent job as they did with the previous two - you can also see my new shiny discs through the wheel! Only one wheel left to re-furbish!
November 2007 Project update
I haven't posted on my project for a while, but I have still been spending!
As I mentioned earlier in the project, the Volvo S40 chassis is the same as an Evolution 3 Lancer so many of the parts are compatible - I already have the rear strut brace from an evo 3!
With this in mind I ordered a set of twin piston Evolution 3 calipers complete with second hand discs and pads - no guarantee that the discs or pads would be ok, but I only really wanted them to check if they fitted!
The brakes arrived on Friday and one of my friends who is a mechanic checked the seals and fitted them on Sunday. The calipers, Mitsubishi 276 mm discs and the Mitsubishi pads all fitted perfectly with no rubbing. My braided hoses were also a perfect fit.
Brakes before:
New brakes:
Unfortunately my 281 mm Volvo discs did not fit, they were just too big to clear the carriers without scraping, and they have only done 800 miles! (If anyone on the forum fancies them, I will be selling the discs and pads which have only covered approximately 800 miles on here.
The improvement in brake performance was immediately noticeable after fitment. Stopping distance is dramatically reduced without compromising brake pedal "feel". Also the ABS still operates perfectly (im not sure where the sensor readers are though!).
Now that I know the brakes are ok, I am waiting for calliper paint, Ferodo premier pads, and Blueprint ADL discs to arrive. Also a big thanks to Firebolt for all the advice!
Kerry
Quick update - NOV 2007 part 2
My discs and pads arrived today to my mechanic, and were also fitted! The discs are ADL (made by Blueprint, for Japanese cars only) and the pads are Ferodo Premier as I mentioned earlier in one of my previous posts.
The discs are fantastic quality and come with a 2 year warranty - they look as good as OEM Volvo, I will post my progress with these. My Dad has used the Ferodo Premier pads for years and they always work excellently without fading, I will also post my progress with these when I have tested them to high temperatures etc.
The brakes now work perfectly, although I wont be braking hard for the next couple of hundred miles if I can help it, as im going to give the discs a fair amount of time to cure - to avoid warping!
My left front wheel has also been refurbished! I use spit & polish as they are fairly local to me, they have made an excellent job as they did with the previous two - you can also see my new shiny discs through the wheel! Only one wheel left to re-furbish!
I haven't posted on my project for a while, but I have still been spending!
As I mentioned earlier in the project, the Volvo S40 chassis is the same as an Evolution 3 Lancer so many of the parts are compatible - I already have the rear strut brace from an evo 3!
With this in mind I ordered a set of twin piston Evolution 3 calipers complete with second hand discs and pads - no guarantee that the discs or pads would be ok, but I only really wanted them to check if they fitted!
The brakes arrived on Friday and one of my friends who is a mechanic checked the seals and fitted them on Sunday. The calipers, Mitsubishi 276 mm discs and the Mitsubishi pads all fitted perfectly with no rubbing. My braided hoses were also a perfect fit.
Brakes before:
New brakes:
Unfortunately my 281 mm Volvo discs did not fit, they were just too big to clear the carriers without scraping, and they have only done 800 miles! (If anyone on the forum fancies them, I will be selling the discs and pads which have only covered approximately 800 miles on here.
The improvement in brake performance was immediately noticeable after fitment. Stopping distance is dramatically reduced without compromising brake pedal "feel". Also the ABS still operates perfectly (im not sure where the sensor readers are though!).
Now that I know the brakes are ok, I am waiting for calliper paint, Ferodo premier pads, and Blueprint ADL discs to arrive. Also a big thanks to Firebolt for all the advice!
Kerry
Quick update - NOV 2007 part 2
My discs and pads arrived today to my mechanic, and were also fitted! The discs are ADL (made by Blueprint, for Japanese cars only) and the pads are Ferodo Premier as I mentioned earlier in one of my previous posts.
The discs are fantastic quality and come with a 2 year warranty - they look as good as OEM Volvo, I will post my progress with these. My Dad has used the Ferodo Premier pads for years and they always work excellently without fading, I will also post my progress with these when I have tested them to high temperatures etc.
The brakes now work perfectly, although I wont be braking hard for the next couple of hundred miles if I can help it, as im going to give the discs a fair amount of time to cure - to avoid warping!
My left front wheel has also been refurbished! I use spit & polish as they are fairly local to me, they have made an excellent job as they did with the previous two - you can also see my new shiny discs through the wheel! Only one wheel left to re-furbish!
Edited by kerryt5r on Tuesday 1st February 17:15
Dec 2007 - Jan 2008
Received my M56 Quaife Limited Slip Differential which I ordered direct from Quaife on Monday.
Speedy delivery, but prices quoted on the internet don't quote VAT so it was even more expensive than I thought it would be!
I will post an update when it is fitted!
Project update
I picked my car up yesterday - and the diff was noticeable from the first bend I took.
The roads were greasey from all the salt on the road, and the grip now is incredible - it is difficult to make the wheels spin at all even on the winter roads!
The gearbox was taken apart and bearings replaced, diff changed for the quaife one and then replaced the gear box oil and gear changing couldn't be smoother!
Here are a couple of photos taken of the two diffs - the quaife is on the right.
Here is a picture of the internals of my M56 gear box.
The diff is one of the best things I have purchased so far for the car - I didn't think the diff would make such a difference as it has done!
Received my M56 Quaife Limited Slip Differential which I ordered direct from Quaife on Monday.
Speedy delivery, but prices quoted on the internet don't quote VAT so it was even more expensive than I thought it would be!
I will post an update when it is fitted!
Project update
I picked my car up yesterday - and the diff was noticeable from the first bend I took.
The roads were greasey from all the salt on the road, and the grip now is incredible - it is difficult to make the wheels spin at all even on the winter roads!
The gearbox was taken apart and bearings replaced, diff changed for the quaife one and then replaced the gear box oil and gear changing couldn't be smoother!
Here are a couple of photos taken of the two diffs - the quaife is on the right.
Here is a picture of the internals of my M56 gear box.
The diff is one of the best things I have purchased so far for the car - I didn't think the diff would make such a difference as it has done!
kieranjholland said:
Awesome
Thanks, its much better now - I will get my friend Mark to post his half of the project up to date..Jeffmaniac said:
Very nice.
Used to have a V40 T4 and that was no slouch.
Dare I ask how the fuel economy is as that was the main reason I sold mine in the end.
Cheers Jeff, fuel economy wasnt too bad when I owned it (but it was running lean....) It now does mid to high teens I think but a lot has changed on the car..Used to have a V40 T4 and that was no slouch.
Dare I ask how the fuel economy is as that was the main reason I sold mine in the end.
bmthnick1981 said:
Interesting build and good write up. Nice understated car.
Cheers, many more updates to come from Mark.Hi all,
I bought this T4 from Kerry and sold my previous two T4's to buy it. I will continue to update this project with my further maintenance / modifications.
MARCH 2008
The first modification I carried out was a whiteline anti roll bar with poly bushes. As the anti roll bar was removed I replaced the rear drop links and drop link bushes (genuine Volvo).
The whiteline has made a noticeable improvement, especially in faster corners as the back of the car is much more stable than before. Highly recommended.
I also had to have two engine mounts replaced as the torque had ripped the old ones to pieces!
Cheers,
Mark
I bought this T4 from Kerry and sold my previous two T4's to buy it. I will continue to update this project with my further maintenance / modifications.
MARCH 2008
The first modification I carried out was a whiteline anti roll bar with poly bushes. As the anti roll bar was removed I replaced the rear drop links and drop link bushes (genuine Volvo).
The whiteline has made a noticeable improvement, especially in faster corners as the back of the car is much more stable than before. Highly recommended.
I also had to have two engine mounts replaced as the torque had ripped the old ones to pieces!
Cheers,
Mark
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