1994 Volvo 480 Turbo : Restoration & Diary
Discussion
Just caught up with this one: great work, but I'm getting flashbacks from trying to make a friends behave back in the early 90's! Rear lights, screen leaking, headlamp pods seizing, check strap ripping out, the list goes on - & the car was only a few years old! Consequently I loath them, I'm afraid, but fair play for all the effort you're putting in, we can't all like the same things 
RC1807 said:
One popped up on FB marketplace in Lux….mot failure at €2k
I gave my ES away for nothing!
Hey RC. Yes, values in Europe are slightly stronger than the UK. Can't explain that. The Netherlands are quite fond of them, being their "national car" so to speak.I gave my ES away for nothing!
Not unusual to see a Turbo on "mobile.de" for €8k.
We in the UK are miles off this. MoT failures are still barely above scrap money. As for following the values of the P1800ES.... decades off!
Good job its for love not profit !
Missy Charm said:
OP, one thing to check: do the airbag cars have different seatbelts from the non-airbag cars?
An absolutely brilliant point Missy but already considered. My car does have seatbelt pre-tensioners but they are entirely mechanical. In the socket, as part of the seat, they have a great big spring in a state of tension. They are inertia based and self-release when they see a certain G. There is a red safety tab on them to lock them out. This is for seat removal when it has been known for a technician to drop the seat on the floor and the resulting shock sets them off. No pyrotechnics, just a spring - with an on-off switch for serviceability. They have no electronic relationship with the SRS ECU. A great point that owners of newer cars should heed. Thanks CatFood & The DF.
Paul S4 said:
What engine has yours got ( apologies if I missed that bit earlier !)
And would you be tempted to increase the power/torque in any way...I would be after spending all that time and effort on the project !!!
Thanks Paul. It has the Turbo "B18FT" Renault derived unit. And would you be tempted to increase the power/torque in any way...I would be after spending all that time and effort on the project !!!
Back in the day they had a great tuning scene. Thing is, back then, if you blew one up on the Friday, there'd be one in a scrap yard Saturday for an engine swap by Monday. Times are different now. The engine has many NLA turbo specific components. There's only about 25 left (taxed) so parts are thin on the ground - so the sense of preservation is strong. I was peak Max Power generation turn of the century and did all that modifying lark in my 20's. I treasure originality and preservation now. Boring I know
Tuning wise, there's a guy on the 480 forum who has gone the engine swap route; 2.0 Renault 16v with the F4R. That's much much wiser in my mind than tuning an obsolete lump from 30 years ago. F4x parts are plentiful and you can ride the current wave set by the current Clio Sport guys. Plus snorting throttle bodies too.
MarkwG said:
Rear lights, screen leaking, headlamp pods seizing, check strap ripping out, the list goes on - & the car was only a few years old! Consequently I loath them, I'm afraid, but fair play for all the effort you're putting in, we can't all like the same things
Yep, we are working through all those 
Many many similar stories from other owners past & present. Hopefully all to be eliminated. Watch this space to find out!
Fantastic project and a great write up. Looking forward to the next installment.
Many years ago I wad given a 480 Turbo for free, and I planned to nab the wheels off it for my 360 and scrap the rest. After driving it home I couldn't bring myself do it - it was a giggle to drive and such a cool looking car. So I fixed it up, MOTd and sold it on instead. I've always wanted another, but I think I've missed the boat now!
Many years ago I wad given a 480 Turbo for free, and I planned to nab the wheels off it for my 360 and scrap the rest. After driving it home I couldn't bring myself do it - it was a giggle to drive and such a cool looking car. So I fixed it up, MOTd and sold it on instead. I've always wanted another, but I think I've missed the boat now!
The centre caps thing is difficult as the powder coating process seems to make different colour caps compared with wheel body. My way of getting this right is to spray the cap and the wheel with normal 2-pack automotive paint and do the cap and the wheel at the same time with the same mix of paint. Works fine, does not wear badly and the cap and the wheel will match precisely. The logo being on the cap in this case is problematic. I know the feeling well... of requesting services from 'a' trade... this affects all of them, like contractors you get working on your house... where getting something right is too much trouble.
It sounds like you're just up the road!
I remember the terrible leaks in my 480, after a heavy shower there could be a couple of inches of water in the footwells. I never worked out where it came from. It probably contributed to the dodgy electronics on the dashboard.
Great update. Hope to see this in real life one day.
I remember the terrible leaks in my 480, after a heavy shower there could be a couple of inches of water in the footwells. I never worked out where it came from. It probably contributed to the dodgy electronics on the dashboard.
Great update. Hope to see this in real life one day.
Your brake pipes are a work of art!
I feel your pain with getting anyone to repair your PAS pipes; the ones on my ST220 were leaking and no longer available, I don’t possess your fabrication skills so had to make do with the best a local hydraulics company could do which was average at best - the system is far more noisy and the pump sounds more strained than before.
I feel your pain with getting anyone to repair your PAS pipes; the ones on my ST220 were leaking and no longer available, I don’t possess your fabrication skills so had to make do with the best a local hydraulics company could do which was average at best - the system is far more noisy and the pump sounds more strained than before.
jay-kay-em said:
An absolutely brilliant point Missy but already considered. My car does have seatbelt pre-tensioners but they are entirely mechanical. In the socket, as part of the seat, they have a great big spring in a state of tension. They are inertia based and self-release when they see a certain G. There is a red safety tab on them to lock them out. This is for seat removal when it has been known for a technician to drop the seat on the floor and the resulting shock sets them off. No pyrotechnics, just a spring - with an on-off switch for serviceability. They have no electronic relationship with the SRS ECU. A great point that owners of newer cars should heed.
Thanks CatFood & The DF.
I did think you would already have checked, given that your attention to detail would shame a German brain surgeon Thanks CatFood & The DF.
. Super restoration, by the way - really goes to show what results from a refusal to accept anything less than absolutely right. Many thanks for such positive words. It's a real motivation to crack on.
Sorry to hear about your PAS woes STick220. Unrelated i'm sure, but a good friend has a Fiesta ST150 and that's always had a loud PAS pump. I got the luck of the draw at the Pirtek counter for PAS pipes, because I visited again for further pipe needs (Turbo oil feed) and they couldn't of been more helpful.
Considering the MoT, I think anything pre-1992 (basically before the cat test) gets looked on favourably with regards to keeping them going. Anything post 2010 and it gets harder and harder. Does make me wonder how todays cars will be kept going as modern classics up to the point of MoT exemption (40 years). You can't just pick and choose what systems you want to bin as everything needs to be present on the Bus for a start.
Sorry to hear about your PAS woes STick220. Unrelated i'm sure, but a good friend has a Fiesta ST150 and that's always had a loud PAS pump. I got the luck of the draw at the Pirtek counter for PAS pipes, because I visited again for further pipe needs (Turbo oil feed) and they couldn't of been more helpful.
Considering the MoT, I think anything pre-1992 (basically before the cat test) gets looked on favourably with regards to keeping them going. Anything post 2010 and it gets harder and harder. Does make me wonder how todays cars will be kept going as modern classics up to the point of MoT exemption (40 years). You can't just pick and choose what systems you want to bin as everything needs to be present on the Bus for a start.
BricktopST205 said:
You cannot miss that Volvo breaker right on the side of the A1. I thought it was derelict at first!
I'm visiting again this week. It sure looks derelict but is still an active business. Reminds me of visiting breakers yards with my dad for Allegro parts as a very young lad, in true "pick-your-own" style!jay-kay-em said:
Considering the MoT, I think anything pre-1992 (basically before the cat test) gets looked on favourably with regards to keeping them going. Anything post 2010 and it gets harder and harder. Does make me wonder how today's cars will be kept going as modern classics up to the point of MoT exemption (40 years). You can't just pick and choose what systems you want to bin as everything needs to be present on the Bus for a start.
These days there are people who can fiddle with that sort of stuff. Someone I know has just stuck an R36 Passat engine in a MK2 Golf, Kept the DSG, and added the OE MK2 Digifiz digital dashboard, yet no ABS or traction control. The engine ECU has been told what it has and what it doesn't have, and it is happy about that with everything else coded out.Loving this. Fantastic commitment and attention to detail.
I was quite a prolific poster on the 480 forums back in the day. We had 'a few' of these!
My car was the testbed for the 'normal' Richmod (not the one that melted pistons). It started off with two variable resistors hanging out of the centre console!
As soon as I saw those ABS sensors, my first thought was "I'd convert it to non-ABS" and sure enough you did exactly that.
I see you have an adjustable panhard rod, have you got anything to correct the front camber? When mine was lowered, the change in camber coupled with ~170hp meant I went through a set of front tyres every 8k!
I ended up going back to standard ride height in the end.
The parts situation sounds like a nightmare, and has put me off getting another - I seem to remember I had the last genuine Volvo turbo to downpipe gasket in existence, and that was pre-2008!
Its a shame but when we lost the farm and all the storage, we quite literally couldn't give our parts stash away and had to skip a lot of it
I was quite a prolific poster on the 480 forums back in the day. We had 'a few' of these!
My car was the testbed for the 'normal' Richmod (not the one that melted pistons). It started off with two variable resistors hanging out of the centre console!
As soon as I saw those ABS sensors, my first thought was "I'd convert it to non-ABS" and sure enough you did exactly that.
I see you have an adjustable panhard rod, have you got anything to correct the front camber? When mine was lowered, the change in camber coupled with ~170hp meant I went through a set of front tyres every 8k!
I ended up going back to standard ride height in the end.
The parts situation sounds like a nightmare, and has put me off getting another - I seem to remember I had the last genuine Volvo turbo to downpipe gasket in existence, and that was pre-2008!
Its a shame but when we lost the farm and all the storage, we quite literally couldn't give our parts stash away and had to skip a lot of it
chris1roll said:
I see you have an adjustable panhard rod, have you got anything to correct the front camber? When mine was lowered, the change in camber coupled with ~170hp meant I went through a set of front tyres every 8k!
I ended up going back to standard ride height in the end.
Cheers Chris, cheers Benmac,I ended up going back to standard ride height in the end.
Good fun back in the day when they were disposable!
The Lesjöfors kit is only a 30mm drop and the adjustable Panhard is overkill really. It was purchased as I simply needed a new Panhard. Adjustability was a bonus.
For the front I did buy some eccentric strut bolts made by Powerflex. These go between knuckle and strut, but when checking front camber with standard bolts I was in factory spec (just) so didn't bother. I think the "~170bhp" part might be the main aggravating factor in tyre wear
I think the weak point will be my top mounts. They are not branded, but are the only pattern version available, so my hand was forced. They didn't look/feel durable and I suspect they will tear out when this thing finally hits the road. I will then have to find a suitable aftermarket top mount - perhaps even universal - which will come with camber control by default - but i'll cross that bridge later.
chris1roll said:
The parts situation sounds like a nightmare, and has put me off getting another - I seem to remember I had the last genuine Volvo turbo to downpipe gasket in existence, and that was pre-2008!
Its a shame but when we lost the farm and all the storage, we quite literally couldn't give our parts stash away and had to skip a lot of it
Its a shame but when we lost the farm and all the storage, we quite literally couldn't give our parts stash away and had to skip a lot of it
I had a Transit going spare for a weekend many years ago and was the only guy to bid on an eBay "job lot" of 480 parts. Exactly the same situation - a previous enthusiast clearing out a lock-up. This would of been the absolute bottom of the curve. No one was interested.
Felt guilty rocking up and taking this poor mans doors, gearbox, instrument clusters, cylinder head etc... but the hammer fell where it fell.
His problem for space became my problem for space!
Chapter 5 : Engine
Sorry folks, I'm not reinventing the wheel here. No Plastigauge® was harmed in this episode!
July 2020
The engine had sat on a pallet for a year...
For the 300 miles in total ownership that I have driven the car - collection from Wales and juggling storage only - nothing has appeared wrong. No smoke, no coolant consumption, no abnormal noises. The car had driven nicely.
Two objectives really...
i) to make the powertrain assembly 'presentable'
ii) to capitalise on the engine being removed - for the improved access so not to kick myself when engine installed!
For example... inlet/exhaust manifold nuts... struggle in the car some time in future, or address now with all the access in the world...
For the ones that remain anyway...
It was also alarming the amount of missing transmission fixings...
... or loose...
This transmission bolt (above) appears loose, so first job, tighten it. But you can't... there are a collection of bolt lengths around the bell housing, some with only a 5mm difference. Sadly at some point in it's life, these have been mixed up and some bolts have 'bottomed-out'. This has resulted in bolt thread damage...
Bolt threads repaired (tidied with a metric thread file) and/or renewed. Correct locations established.
That's what you get unfortunately for a car 'professionally maintained' for 26 years. My TVR was just the same despite an amazing history folder of "specialists". I shan't name & shame the recent clutch specialist in the 480 history folder.
The only benefit of visiting said centre is a clutch disc with plenty of thickness. Good job, because the 215mm Turbo-specific clutch is NLA, even in aftermarket!
Engine Mount (Rear) Bracket
Firstly, the rear engine mount bracket wasn't too clever...
The section around the hole for the engine mount was cracked/bent. This is a standard power output car, so not sure why its cracked so bad, other than it might be a bit French.
I cut out the fractured part...
New section welded in...
Drilling for the engine mount stud...
All done and ready for powdercoat (yet another trip to Morleys Cambridge!)...
Decals
Strange place to start, but this is the rather tired looking warning sticker on the cambelt cover...
My best Paint Shop Pro efforts ready for printing...
Sent off to the printers in the first instance.
Engine Timing
Trying to find the TDC timing pin bolt under 26 years of grime... of which no-one has ever used i'm sure!
Timing pin installed...
To be fair it's no surprise this hadn't been used. It’s very easy to drop the pin in to other holes - such as crank balance weight holes. It's also rather pointless as the flywheel has its own timing mark at 0 degrees...
What does annoy me is that the camshaft pulley timing mark is only checkable through a hole on the outer cover... which is no good when the job requires outer cover removal! Anyway, checked via the cover and my own timing mark made for future ease...
Timing belt off and removing pulleys & sprockets...
We have an oil leak...
Probably not that big of a deal considering this is 100k miles plus. I think the biggest culprit is open bolt holes that need thread sealant as they are a portal to the crank case / oil galleries.
The crank sprocket was particularly stubborn, had to make a plate - thankfully the sprocket has bolt holes for a puller...
Covers & Seals
All cleaned (timing case & auxiliary case) and old sealant removed.
Overkill I know to use a press, but I prefer it because it starts new seals in a square and in a controlled manner. Sometimes when drifting in with a hammer they start on the squiff...
Oil Cooler
Looking pretty scabby and NLA of course. However, here is a Nissens oil cooler (90697) for the Renault F9 diesel engine (Vauxhall Vivaro & Renault Trafic amongst others). As far as my best attempts to measure go, i'd say identical... even using the same central mounting 'bolt'.
All fitted with a genuine Volvo filter... one of the few 400 parts still available from a dealer!
Manifolds
Turbo/Exhaust/Inlet manifolds removed...
Stud removal via the double-nut method. Thankfully no drama's and all came out...
All needed doing; exhaust leak evidence on old gasket...
Not surprised with the appalling (and short in quantity) selection of manifold fixings...
A lot of research went into my favourite stud choice. My criteria being:
a) they need to be as soft (or softer) than the head. I don't want, say, titanium studs harder than the head.
b) they needed a middle 'blank' section - some of the threaded holes in the head have nothing to bottom out on. Some holes even collide with the head bolts. The blank section allows a torque down.
c) they need an ability to use a torque wrench
Well, after looking at HUNDREDS of studs, i'm not joking, I eventually found Vauxhall/Opel 24578147...
They are perfect...
With a new gasket. The B18FT has a special gasket - even though many parts suppliers say all the B18 engines are the same. B18FT (the Turbo) has a metal reinforced set of linked rings. These gaskets are getting very rare...
Does make me worry about B18FT longevity. This and many other parts...
Turbo Drain Hose
I don’t know if this is the original item or not, but it had gone squidgy, sticky and porous. It was like someone had used a coolant hose which is obviously not oil tolerant. Straight in the bin!
Metal elbow removed and block mating face cleaned. Surrounding area cleaned too (including starter motor remove & reinstall). Metal elbow re-sealed and torqued.
I used a 45 degree universal silicone hose, but with an FVMQ (Fluorosilicone or just 'fluoro') internal liner specifically for oil use. Black, not blue as depicted...
Oil Pan
26 years of grime...
All cleaned and re-fitted...
Aux Shaft Plug
One of the probable oil leak causes. Plug removed...
Oil seal rock hard and no longer 'o' in section...
New o-seal sourced...
Turbo Oil Feed Pipe
Wasn't happy with the amount of corrosion here. A long search on the forums reveal some have pin-holed already. Not good and a fire risk.
The corrosion area was heavily localised at the support bracket that bolts to the exhaust manifold. Obviously the heat at this location is contributory.
Even back in the day, a 2011 thread says Volvo wanted £270 for this pipe! Even if it was still available I wouldn't pay that! Custom reproduction is the only method with matching olives & adaptors.
I wanted an actual pipe and not a universal (and cheaper) braided line. It gets pretty hot around these parts!
I used Pirtek in Peterborough.
All ready for fitment....
Extremely fiddly and time consuming as you have to custom make all the support brackets for the bare pipe...
Oil Prime
The engine has sat oil-less for two months. What follows is purely precautionary based on my experience the hard way - in as much that oil pumps don't self prime. That, and I wanted to see oil from my new turbocharger feed pipe.
Fill up with new oil. Use a drill to the auxiliary pulley via some old hose...
Spin up & wait...
Obviously if this didn't work, you have to back feed from somewhere until it does. Luckily didn't have to. Happy days!
Heat Shields
Not only were the heatshields filthy with grime, but they had lost their heat foil coating. This was rectified with AluTape...
All fitted, together with the new oil return hose...
Coolant Pump
Whilst the pump was dry externally (via the drain hole) and felt really good, it was date stamped 1994. Just makes sense to do it anyway.
I was expecting a brown mess within...
Came off crystal clear.... amazing. Don't laugh, but the car does have a service history file from new. I know I have swept most of the car up into a dustpan, but it must of had a few coolant changes in its 26 years.
A French made Valeo in a nod to originality.
Thermostat
Makes sense to do... jiggle pin at the top and sourced with a new rubber o-ring...
According to my Haynes manual (and VADIS) the B18FT has a lower opening temp. Again, many parts suppliers group all the B18 thermostats together as one. Not so.
89'c verified...
Coolant Hoses
All hose clips junk...
All cleaned and checked for cracks...
Inlet Manifold
The inlet manifold to me is very special. Hear me out on this one!
Re-wind 30 odd years, and that 480 brochure I talked about...
I read that brochure cover to cover as a kid, a hundred times over, and there is one picture that stands out...
As a young lad, any engine with TURBO INTERCOOLER written on it is the coolest engine in the world!
I love the machined text contrast of the early black inlet manifold... but mine isn't an early car to have a black manifold. I have a later unpainted manifold (clearly a Volvo cost cutting measure) and it loses the impact of the text.
What for me is a rare deviation from factory standard, I chose slate grey as an inoffensive half-way-house between standard and modified. I found a VHT textured grey, cleaned the manifold and masked up pipe connections...
It gives a lovely textured finished which reminds me of that seen on red Honda VTEC cam covers....
Does take a few days to dry though and can't be touched beforehand...
Then oven baked @ 100'c as per instructions to cure the VHT process...
Masked up for protection and top layer sanded...
All done...
Absolutely gorgeous!
Valve Clearances
Amazingly, something went well!
All within checking tolerances... no further work required.
These are shimmed buckets and you have to calculate your adjustment pieces. Thankfully, none needed.
Engine Damper 447758
This is a big gas strut and acts as a fourth engine mount for torque reaction.
You could push this damper in & out with ease. It wasn't doing much damping.
Amazingly, a good second-hand part obtained (top). This replacement takes considerable effort to push in and out, together with an audible damping effect like a shock absorber.
Vacuum and Boost Valves
Below are the three vacuum/pressure valves from the B18FT charge/PCV systems...
We have, left to right:
1) Idle Diaphragm Valve
2) PCV Control Valve
3) Turbo Diverter Valve (also called a dump valve or re-circ valve)
All three valves tested - and all three are absolute junk. Probably all original. None of them would hold a vacuum or subsequently operate.
The engine would have been leaking boost for sure, down on power, and unresponsive between gear changes. When looking back on the very little I have driven the car, I have never driven it in anger, that's probably why it was largely unnoticed. I have always driven the car to get it from storage place A to storage place B with as little drama as possible.
The dissection; not pretty. All sludged up and all internal rubber perished...
So, where to start with all three valves which are NLA from Volvo (obviously)?
In reverse order...
'Valve 3' - Turbo Diverter Valve - Volvo 3430436
A solution for Bosch 0280142102 is no problem. You can trace this valve (and Bosch part number) all the way back to the Ferrari F40 (1987), through 1990 Porsche 944 Turbo, evolving into the 2001 Audi BAM 225 engine and beyond; albeit with 15 consecutive Audi part numbers in between. The latest incarnation today is VAG 06A145710P. Easily available from Audi/Skoda/Seat/Volkswagen dealers for a healthy £45. Visually identical...
Amazingly the Audi item, although some twenty years apart, has a location tab identical for the 480 inlet hose...
All fitted with new JCS Hi-Torque clamps...
'Valve 2' - PCV control valve - Volvo 3451221
This PCV valve 3451221 is a problem. Here it is removed and me figuring it all out...
Being no longer available new, this is when the project ground to a halt. Second-hand parts aren't viable; they are prone to failure due to age and their working environment (PCV fumes and sludge).
Many late nights trawling the internet & parts catalogues looking for other valves from other engines. I ordered 4 valves from Euro Car Parts (for a collection of other vehicles) and ran tests, returning what didn't work to ECP.
I lost three weeks here. Not joking.
Eventually, I found THIS excellent write-up by QuattroWorld.com.
It is actually written for the Audi RS2 20V... but sometimes you have to steal things from lesser vehicles
It revealed two valves...
1) a small in-line one-way valve for the inlet manifold, designed for PCV fumes, still available from VAG part number 035103245A. So I bought it...
2) a vacuum regulation valve, VAG part number 034129101A. This is available as a pattern part from Vaico. So I bought it...
If I could include these two valves into my own PCV system, it would achieve all the PCV tasks provided by Volvo 3451221.
So that's what I set to...
It makes it easier if you purchase the T-junction (VAG 06A103247) that the one way valve 035103245A sits in...
Cut the top off the flame-trap insulator...
Then I made this...
It looks complicated, but all you are doing is building this...
I used old PCV hoses from a Ford Focus. The silicone hoses are "fluoro" lined for oil rich environments.
This is why we have done what we have done...
PCV @ Idle / Cruise
Idle (and cruise) is easy because the inlet manifold is high vacuum. The turbo isn't doing anything.
The one way valve is free to open. Crankcase fumes are drawn through...
PCV @ Acceleration
The turbo spools up and instead of the inlet manifold being in a state of vacuum, it's now pressurised.
The one way valve shuts (the 'black cross' valve illustrated).
The PCV system now uses the vacuum just ahead of the turbo inlet impeller.
The vacuum ahead of this impeller is so strong, the "controlled orifice" within the regulator doesn't suck the engine to death.
So now I have a vacuum limited, one-way, boost blocking, multi-path PCV system identical to the factory design, using today's commercially available parts.
'Valve 1' - Idle diaphragm valve - Volvo 3466145
This valve only exists for the B18FT after 1993.
So very long story short, and it took me considerable time to figure it all out, but basically I modified the idle control valve circuit to a pre-1993 setup, thus eliminating the unobtainable diaphragm valve 3466145.
Therefore, I terminated the now redundant pre-turbo take off port for 3466145...
Here endeth my knowledge on B18FT vacuum/boost valves 1, 2 & 3!
Ignition System
New rotor arm, cap and interestingly, backing shield. My backing shield was broken and someone had tried a repair with silicone (?!)...
Not all distributor cap kits come with it. I found this backing shield for the equivalent F engine Renault Laguna made by FACET...
NGK plugs. I have fitted NGK for 25 years now, and that recommendation was passed down to me from my apprentice 'mentor' back in the day.
All gapped to 0.8mm...
I try to read as much as possible from old spark plug condition, like reading someone's palm! Happy with these...
New Bosch HT lead set...
With my zip-tie separators... "a Roadkill Zip-tie moment"
New genuine Bosch knock sensors still available. The same sensor 0261231046 is hugely popular across many cars...
Timing Belts & Pulleys
Powder coated backing cover fitted, pulleys torqued and new belt fitted...
Trust me, it would get the old "quarter turn tension check" if the engine was installed within the engine compartment! But as I have the luxury of space, I used the "official Volvo method"...
30 Newtons should give a 7mm deflection (on a cold engine). Guess what, it feels and looks just the same as a quarter turn!
Outer covers fitted, bottom pulley torqued, placed back on to the trolley...
Hopefully objective met of it being a bit more presentable.
Re-fitting...
Sorted...
Looks smart if nothing else. Who knows how reliable it will be. Essentially it's only been "tarted up" after all.
Engine Compartment Reassembly
Parts back from Morley Bros Cambridge (yet more!). Battery tray, repaired rear engine mount and other fabrications...
Airbox
Rubber mounting pegs sourced from a forum member all cleaned up and fitted to the powder coated brackets...
Airbox (cleaned) reassembled with new MAHLE filter...
Battery & Wiring
The battery; where to start?
Well, Marshalls Volvo Cambridge had a good laugh when I asked about batteries, and if they had Volvo logos on?
I don't know what it is, but I take great pleasure in seeing an OE battery. Naff all difference performance wise, but they just make an engine bay look a little more 'OE'.
I have been previously critical of Marshalls Cambridge - but the young parts lad was ace - despite not knowing what a 480 was! He raised a technical enquiry with Volvo HQ to see if it had Volvo stickers, and if the dimensions and post orientations were all as I needed.
A week later and I paid a tidy sum for this...
It is absolutely gorgeous. The Volvo font is proper old-school and not like the current logo - which is great news.
Fractured earth terminal upon reconnection...
I hunted high and low for the "closest-to-factory" earth strap. It's quite difficult to find a flat strap terminated with a post clamp. Got there in the end...
For the positive side, I present one of my greatest pet hates... these screw type battery terminals...
I hate them. A flat blade screw head has no place on a motor vehicle post-1960.
Regarding the battery terminal, I have used this Renault solution for a variety of cars I have owned - intended for a mk1 Megane...
It means you now have a master fuse, plus accessory take off points which are also fused.
Positive engine bay wiring not the greatest... a downright fire risk to be fair...
All positives from the battery replaced...
Down to the following universal junction box, also by MTA...
Junction box mounted to a spare captive nut on my battery tray. Thank goodness i'm non-AC...
Battery terminal fitted...
Much neater, much safer. Allows additional fused take-offs for my future audio set-up.
Radiator
A part in plentiful aftermarket supply... for once...
This too is by Nissens... same as my new oil cooler. Thank you Nissens.
Also, my fan switch was dated 1994. It's one of those things... refit the 27 year old item only for it to fail next month... or buy new?
Just like the thermostat, the Turbo has a unique dual speed fan switch with a much lower 'stage 1' opening temperature...
All fitted... with new JCS 'Hi-Torque' hose clamps. These are made in my old home town of Sudbury, Suffolk.... NOT China. I swear by them.
Radiator Hoses
On closer inspection, the bottom hose didn't pass a quality check. A chunk worn out due to a fret with a bolt head.
The bottom hose is quite an intricate item as it has an in-built buffer where it passes over the subframe. And, suprise suprise, they are not available - even as a pattern part. I searched high and low with no success.
The crazy thing is, eBay is FLOODED with top hoses for as low as £12 posted. These are by Gates too, not anonymous rubbish.
The good thing about these, other than being dirt cheap, is that they are the perfect diameter to be cannibalised. So I bought one to go under the knife...
Cut and joined with a Samco billet joiner...
All fitted, keeping the original subframe buffer...
Turbocharger Water Pump
No doubt about it, this was seized solid!
NLA of course.
I obtained off eBay a second hand item for a VW Sharan, with bracket. I chopped up the bracket to see what I could do with it...
The pipe diameters are slightly different with the VAG pump, so it does need some plumbing adjustments...
Using the Turbo plumbing map, because I hold my hands up... I had completely forgot where everything goes!
Fly-lead made to convert VW connectors to Volvo connectors...
My last plumbing connection - and experience tells me if there is an opportunity to add another bleed screw then you might as well...
I do like the website / webshop "Car Builder Solutions".... plenty of really handy items that are otherwise difficult to hunt down; just like these inline bleed screws.
Running & Driving!
Ignition on... a new buzz to be heard.... funny to think my electric water pump relay has been correctly switching a dead water pump for probably a decade! My VAG electric water pump burst into life and the cooling system almost became self-bleeding... it's awesome! You can leave the ignition on, top up the coolant, and just hear the pump clear all the air pockets.
Engine started and deliberately stopped a few times to keep an eye on the power steering fluid. All PAS lines and rack are of course a dry-fill. Bled out lock-to-lock just fine.
Kept running, thermostat opens, cooling fans cut in.
Turned off, and the electric water pump did the five minute after-run. So cool.
No fuel / oil leaks. Just one coolant hose clip needed a little nip-up.
Driven backwards and forwards; my de-ABS brakes felt just fine with vacuum servo assistance.
All in all, very happy. Still looks like utter junk though
Lights out, all out, until another update. Fuel & Exhaust next...
Sorry folks, I'm not reinventing the wheel here. No Plastigauge® was harmed in this episode!
July 2020
The engine had sat on a pallet for a year...
For the 300 miles in total ownership that I have driven the car - collection from Wales and juggling storage only - nothing has appeared wrong. No smoke, no coolant consumption, no abnormal noises. The car had driven nicely.
Two objectives really...
i) to make the powertrain assembly 'presentable'
ii) to capitalise on the engine being removed - for the improved access so not to kick myself when engine installed!
For example... inlet/exhaust manifold nuts... struggle in the car some time in future, or address now with all the access in the world...
For the ones that remain anyway...
It was also alarming the amount of missing transmission fixings...
... or loose...
This transmission bolt (above) appears loose, so first job, tighten it. But you can't... there are a collection of bolt lengths around the bell housing, some with only a 5mm difference. Sadly at some point in it's life, these have been mixed up and some bolts have 'bottomed-out'. This has resulted in bolt thread damage...
Bolt threads repaired (tidied with a metric thread file) and/or renewed. Correct locations established.
That's what you get unfortunately for a car 'professionally maintained' for 26 years. My TVR was just the same despite an amazing history folder of "specialists". I shan't name & shame the recent clutch specialist in the 480 history folder.
The only benefit of visiting said centre is a clutch disc with plenty of thickness. Good job, because the 215mm Turbo-specific clutch is NLA, even in aftermarket!
Engine Mount (Rear) Bracket
Firstly, the rear engine mount bracket wasn't too clever...
The section around the hole for the engine mount was cracked/bent. This is a standard power output car, so not sure why its cracked so bad, other than it might be a bit French.
I cut out the fractured part...
New section welded in...
Drilling for the engine mount stud...
All done and ready for powdercoat (yet another trip to Morleys Cambridge!)...
Decals
Strange place to start, but this is the rather tired looking warning sticker on the cambelt cover...
My best Paint Shop Pro efforts ready for printing...
Sent off to the printers in the first instance.
Engine Timing
Trying to find the TDC timing pin bolt under 26 years of grime... of which no-one has ever used i'm sure!
Timing pin installed...
To be fair it's no surprise this hadn't been used. It’s very easy to drop the pin in to other holes - such as crank balance weight holes. It's also rather pointless as the flywheel has its own timing mark at 0 degrees...
What does annoy me is that the camshaft pulley timing mark is only checkable through a hole on the outer cover... which is no good when the job requires outer cover removal! Anyway, checked via the cover and my own timing mark made for future ease...
Timing belt off and removing pulleys & sprockets...
We have an oil leak...
Probably not that big of a deal considering this is 100k miles plus. I think the biggest culprit is open bolt holes that need thread sealant as they are a portal to the crank case / oil galleries.
The crank sprocket was particularly stubborn, had to make a plate - thankfully the sprocket has bolt holes for a puller...
Covers & Seals
All cleaned (timing case & auxiliary case) and old sealant removed.
Overkill I know to use a press, but I prefer it because it starts new seals in a square and in a controlled manner. Sometimes when drifting in with a hammer they start on the squiff...
Oil Cooler
Looking pretty scabby and NLA of course. However, here is a Nissens oil cooler (90697) for the Renault F9 diesel engine (Vauxhall Vivaro & Renault Trafic amongst others). As far as my best attempts to measure go, i'd say identical... even using the same central mounting 'bolt'.
All fitted with a genuine Volvo filter... one of the few 400 parts still available from a dealer!
Manifolds
Turbo/Exhaust/Inlet manifolds removed...
Stud removal via the double-nut method. Thankfully no drama's and all came out...
All needed doing; exhaust leak evidence on old gasket...
Not surprised with the appalling (and short in quantity) selection of manifold fixings...
A lot of research went into my favourite stud choice. My criteria being:
a) they need to be as soft (or softer) than the head. I don't want, say, titanium studs harder than the head.
b) they needed a middle 'blank' section - some of the threaded holes in the head have nothing to bottom out on. Some holes even collide with the head bolts. The blank section allows a torque down.
c) they need an ability to use a torque wrench
Well, after looking at HUNDREDS of studs, i'm not joking, I eventually found Vauxhall/Opel 24578147...
They are perfect...
With a new gasket. The B18FT has a special gasket - even though many parts suppliers say all the B18 engines are the same. B18FT (the Turbo) has a metal reinforced set of linked rings. These gaskets are getting very rare...
Does make me worry about B18FT longevity. This and many other parts...
Turbo Drain Hose
I don’t know if this is the original item or not, but it had gone squidgy, sticky and porous. It was like someone had used a coolant hose which is obviously not oil tolerant. Straight in the bin!
Metal elbow removed and block mating face cleaned. Surrounding area cleaned too (including starter motor remove & reinstall). Metal elbow re-sealed and torqued.
I used a 45 degree universal silicone hose, but with an FVMQ (Fluorosilicone or just 'fluoro') internal liner specifically for oil use. Black, not blue as depicted...
Oil Pan
26 years of grime...
All cleaned and re-fitted...
Aux Shaft Plug
One of the probable oil leak causes. Plug removed...
Oil seal rock hard and no longer 'o' in section...
New o-seal sourced...
Turbo Oil Feed Pipe
Wasn't happy with the amount of corrosion here. A long search on the forums reveal some have pin-holed already. Not good and a fire risk.
The corrosion area was heavily localised at the support bracket that bolts to the exhaust manifold. Obviously the heat at this location is contributory.
Even back in the day, a 2011 thread says Volvo wanted £270 for this pipe! Even if it was still available I wouldn't pay that! Custom reproduction is the only method with matching olives & adaptors.
I wanted an actual pipe and not a universal (and cheaper) braided line. It gets pretty hot around these parts!
I used Pirtek in Peterborough.
All ready for fitment....
Extremely fiddly and time consuming as you have to custom make all the support brackets for the bare pipe...
Oil Prime
The engine has sat oil-less for two months. What follows is purely precautionary based on my experience the hard way - in as much that oil pumps don't self prime. That, and I wanted to see oil from my new turbocharger feed pipe.
Fill up with new oil. Use a drill to the auxiliary pulley via some old hose...
Spin up & wait...
Obviously if this didn't work, you have to back feed from somewhere until it does. Luckily didn't have to. Happy days!
Heat Shields
Not only were the heatshields filthy with grime, but they had lost their heat foil coating. This was rectified with AluTape...
All fitted, together with the new oil return hose...
Coolant Pump
Whilst the pump was dry externally (via the drain hole) and felt really good, it was date stamped 1994. Just makes sense to do it anyway.
I was expecting a brown mess within...
Came off crystal clear.... amazing. Don't laugh, but the car does have a service history file from new. I know I have swept most of the car up into a dustpan, but it must of had a few coolant changes in its 26 years.
A French made Valeo in a nod to originality.
Thermostat
Makes sense to do... jiggle pin at the top and sourced with a new rubber o-ring...
According to my Haynes manual (and VADIS) the B18FT has a lower opening temp. Again, many parts suppliers group all the B18 thermostats together as one. Not so.
89'c verified...
Coolant Hoses
All hose clips junk...
All cleaned and checked for cracks...
Inlet Manifold
The inlet manifold to me is very special. Hear me out on this one!
Re-wind 30 odd years, and that 480 brochure I talked about...
I read that brochure cover to cover as a kid, a hundred times over, and there is one picture that stands out...
As a young lad, any engine with TURBO INTERCOOLER written on it is the coolest engine in the world!
I love the machined text contrast of the early black inlet manifold... but mine isn't an early car to have a black manifold. I have a later unpainted manifold (clearly a Volvo cost cutting measure) and it loses the impact of the text.
What for me is a rare deviation from factory standard, I chose slate grey as an inoffensive half-way-house between standard and modified. I found a VHT textured grey, cleaned the manifold and masked up pipe connections...
It gives a lovely textured finished which reminds me of that seen on red Honda VTEC cam covers....
Does take a few days to dry though and can't be touched beforehand...
Then oven baked @ 100'c as per instructions to cure the VHT process...
Masked up for protection and top layer sanded...
All done...
Absolutely gorgeous!
Valve Clearances
Amazingly, something went well!
All within checking tolerances... no further work required.
These are shimmed buckets and you have to calculate your adjustment pieces. Thankfully, none needed.
Engine Damper 447758
This is a big gas strut and acts as a fourth engine mount for torque reaction.
You could push this damper in & out with ease. It wasn't doing much damping.
Amazingly, a good second-hand part obtained (top). This replacement takes considerable effort to push in and out, together with an audible damping effect like a shock absorber.
Vacuum and Boost Valves
Below are the three vacuum/pressure valves from the B18FT charge/PCV systems...
We have, left to right:
1) Idle Diaphragm Valve
2) PCV Control Valve
3) Turbo Diverter Valve (also called a dump valve or re-circ valve)
All three valves tested - and all three are absolute junk. Probably all original. None of them would hold a vacuum or subsequently operate.
The engine would have been leaking boost for sure, down on power, and unresponsive between gear changes. When looking back on the very little I have driven the car, I have never driven it in anger, that's probably why it was largely unnoticed. I have always driven the car to get it from storage place A to storage place B with as little drama as possible.
The dissection; not pretty. All sludged up and all internal rubber perished...
So, where to start with all three valves which are NLA from Volvo (obviously)?
In reverse order...
'Valve 3' - Turbo Diverter Valve - Volvo 3430436
A solution for Bosch 0280142102 is no problem. You can trace this valve (and Bosch part number) all the way back to the Ferrari F40 (1987), through 1990 Porsche 944 Turbo, evolving into the 2001 Audi BAM 225 engine and beyond; albeit with 15 consecutive Audi part numbers in between. The latest incarnation today is VAG 06A145710P. Easily available from Audi/Skoda/Seat/Volkswagen dealers for a healthy £45. Visually identical...
Amazingly the Audi item, although some twenty years apart, has a location tab identical for the 480 inlet hose...
All fitted with new JCS Hi-Torque clamps...
'Valve 2' - PCV control valve - Volvo 3451221
This PCV valve 3451221 is a problem. Here it is removed and me figuring it all out...
Being no longer available new, this is when the project ground to a halt. Second-hand parts aren't viable; they are prone to failure due to age and their working environment (PCV fumes and sludge).
Many late nights trawling the internet & parts catalogues looking for other valves from other engines. I ordered 4 valves from Euro Car Parts (for a collection of other vehicles) and ran tests, returning what didn't work to ECP.
I lost three weeks here. Not joking.
Eventually, I found THIS excellent write-up by QuattroWorld.com.
It is actually written for the Audi RS2 20V... but sometimes you have to steal things from lesser vehicles
It revealed two valves...
1) a small in-line one-way valve for the inlet manifold, designed for PCV fumes, still available from VAG part number 035103245A. So I bought it...
2) a vacuum regulation valve, VAG part number 034129101A. This is available as a pattern part from Vaico. So I bought it...
If I could include these two valves into my own PCV system, it would achieve all the PCV tasks provided by Volvo 3451221.
So that's what I set to...
It makes it easier if you purchase the T-junction (VAG 06A103247) that the one way valve 035103245A sits in...
Cut the top off the flame-trap insulator...
Then I made this...
It looks complicated, but all you are doing is building this...
I used old PCV hoses from a Ford Focus. The silicone hoses are "fluoro" lined for oil rich environments.
This is why we have done what we have done...
PCV @ Idle / Cruise
Idle (and cruise) is easy because the inlet manifold is high vacuum. The turbo isn't doing anything.
The one way valve is free to open. Crankcase fumes are drawn through...
PCV @ Acceleration
The turbo spools up and instead of the inlet manifold being in a state of vacuum, it's now pressurised.
The one way valve shuts (the 'black cross' valve illustrated).
The PCV system now uses the vacuum just ahead of the turbo inlet impeller.
The vacuum ahead of this impeller is so strong, the "controlled orifice" within the regulator doesn't suck the engine to death.
So now I have a vacuum limited, one-way, boost blocking, multi-path PCV system identical to the factory design, using today's commercially available parts.
'Valve 1' - Idle diaphragm valve - Volvo 3466145
This valve only exists for the B18FT after 1993.
So very long story short, and it took me considerable time to figure it all out, but basically I modified the idle control valve circuit to a pre-1993 setup, thus eliminating the unobtainable diaphragm valve 3466145.
Therefore, I terminated the now redundant pre-turbo take off port for 3466145...
Here endeth my knowledge on B18FT vacuum/boost valves 1, 2 & 3!
Ignition System
New rotor arm, cap and interestingly, backing shield. My backing shield was broken and someone had tried a repair with silicone (?!)...
Not all distributor cap kits come with it. I found this backing shield for the equivalent F engine Renault Laguna made by FACET...
NGK plugs. I have fitted NGK for 25 years now, and that recommendation was passed down to me from my apprentice 'mentor' back in the day.
All gapped to 0.8mm...
I try to read as much as possible from old spark plug condition, like reading someone's palm! Happy with these...
New Bosch HT lead set...
With my zip-tie separators... "a Roadkill Zip-tie moment"
New genuine Bosch knock sensors still available. The same sensor 0261231046 is hugely popular across many cars...
Timing Belts & Pulleys
Powder coated backing cover fitted, pulleys torqued and new belt fitted...
Trust me, it would get the old "quarter turn tension check" if the engine was installed within the engine compartment! But as I have the luxury of space, I used the "official Volvo method"...
30 Newtons should give a 7mm deflection (on a cold engine). Guess what, it feels and looks just the same as a quarter turn!
Outer covers fitted, bottom pulley torqued, placed back on to the trolley...
Hopefully objective met of it being a bit more presentable.
Re-fitting...
Sorted...
Looks smart if nothing else. Who knows how reliable it will be. Essentially it's only been "tarted up" after all.
Engine Compartment Reassembly
Parts back from Morley Bros Cambridge (yet more!). Battery tray, repaired rear engine mount and other fabrications...
Airbox
Rubber mounting pegs sourced from a forum member all cleaned up and fitted to the powder coated brackets...
Airbox (cleaned) reassembled with new MAHLE filter...
Battery & Wiring
The battery; where to start?
Well, Marshalls Volvo Cambridge had a good laugh when I asked about batteries, and if they had Volvo logos on?
I don't know what it is, but I take great pleasure in seeing an OE battery. Naff all difference performance wise, but they just make an engine bay look a little more 'OE'.
I have been previously critical of Marshalls Cambridge - but the young parts lad was ace - despite not knowing what a 480 was! He raised a technical enquiry with Volvo HQ to see if it had Volvo stickers, and if the dimensions and post orientations were all as I needed.
A week later and I paid a tidy sum for this...
It is absolutely gorgeous. The Volvo font is proper old-school and not like the current logo - which is great news.
Fractured earth terminal upon reconnection...
I hunted high and low for the "closest-to-factory" earth strap. It's quite difficult to find a flat strap terminated with a post clamp. Got there in the end...
For the positive side, I present one of my greatest pet hates... these screw type battery terminals...
I hate them. A flat blade screw head has no place on a motor vehicle post-1960.
Regarding the battery terminal, I have used this Renault solution for a variety of cars I have owned - intended for a mk1 Megane...
It means you now have a master fuse, plus accessory take off points which are also fused.
Positive engine bay wiring not the greatest... a downright fire risk to be fair...
All positives from the battery replaced...
Down to the following universal junction box, also by MTA...
Junction box mounted to a spare captive nut on my battery tray. Thank goodness i'm non-AC...
Battery terminal fitted...
Much neater, much safer. Allows additional fused take-offs for my future audio set-up.
Radiator
A part in plentiful aftermarket supply... for once...
This too is by Nissens... same as my new oil cooler. Thank you Nissens.
Also, my fan switch was dated 1994. It's one of those things... refit the 27 year old item only for it to fail next month... or buy new?
Just like the thermostat, the Turbo has a unique dual speed fan switch with a much lower 'stage 1' opening temperature...
All fitted... with new JCS 'Hi-Torque' hose clamps. These are made in my old home town of Sudbury, Suffolk.... NOT China. I swear by them.
Radiator Hoses
On closer inspection, the bottom hose didn't pass a quality check. A chunk worn out due to a fret with a bolt head.
The bottom hose is quite an intricate item as it has an in-built buffer where it passes over the subframe. And, suprise suprise, they are not available - even as a pattern part. I searched high and low with no success.
The crazy thing is, eBay is FLOODED with top hoses for as low as £12 posted. These are by Gates too, not anonymous rubbish.
The good thing about these, other than being dirt cheap, is that they are the perfect diameter to be cannibalised. So I bought one to go under the knife...
Cut and joined with a Samco billet joiner...
All fitted, keeping the original subframe buffer...
Turbocharger Water Pump
No doubt about it, this was seized solid!
NLA of course.
I obtained off eBay a second hand item for a VW Sharan, with bracket. I chopped up the bracket to see what I could do with it...
The pipe diameters are slightly different with the VAG pump, so it does need some plumbing adjustments...
Using the Turbo plumbing map, because I hold my hands up... I had completely forgot where everything goes!
Fly-lead made to convert VW connectors to Volvo connectors...
My last plumbing connection - and experience tells me if there is an opportunity to add another bleed screw then you might as well...
I do like the website / webshop "Car Builder Solutions".... plenty of really handy items that are otherwise difficult to hunt down; just like these inline bleed screws.
Running & Driving!
Ignition on... a new buzz to be heard.... funny to think my electric water pump relay has been correctly switching a dead water pump for probably a decade! My VAG electric water pump burst into life and the cooling system almost became self-bleeding... it's awesome! You can leave the ignition on, top up the coolant, and just hear the pump clear all the air pockets.
Engine started and deliberately stopped a few times to keep an eye on the power steering fluid. All PAS lines and rack are of course a dry-fill. Bled out lock-to-lock just fine.
Kept running, thermostat opens, cooling fans cut in.
Turned off, and the electric water pump did the five minute after-run. So cool.
No fuel / oil leaks. Just one coolant hose clip needed a little nip-up.
Driven backwards and forwards; my de-ABS brakes felt just fine with vacuum servo assistance.
All in all, very happy. Still looks like utter junk though
Lights out, all out, until another update. Fuel & Exhaust next...
Edited by jay-kay-em on Saturday 7th December 16:10
What a fantastic project- clearly you've put so much work and effort into it. Engine looks great!
I have always liked the 480. Back about 30 years now (christ!!), my brother had an E reg 1.7 n/a for a while. It was in red and i remember driving it a couple of times and being impressed with how planted it felt- i had a mk2 XR2 at the time- and of course, the pop-up lights and electronic display, fuel etc!
Great to see this!
I have always liked the 480. Back about 30 years now (christ!!), my brother had an E reg 1.7 n/a for a while. It was in red and i remember driving it a couple of times and being impressed with how planted it felt- i had a mk2 XR2 at the time- and of course, the pop-up lights and electronic display, fuel etc!
Great to see this!
Fantastic attention to detail and a thoroughly enjoyable read. The cam cover looks awesome!
I hit similar NLA issues when I was working on my 205 GTi, the time involved to source alternative bits is not to be underestimated! Keep up the good work, really looking towards to seeing this finished
I hit similar NLA issues when I was working on my 205 GTi, the time involved to source alternative bits is not to be underestimated! Keep up the good work, really looking towards to seeing this finished
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