Hello there- I'm a newcomer to the board but even in the last few weeks that I've been here, I've learned an incredible amount. This is really a great resource. I've just recently started modifying my N/A 91 240, and I was looking for a way to get some extra push out of it without going the forced induction route. I've installed the IPD sport exhuast and love it, but now I'm looking for something else- in short, the stock airbox seems to be extremely constrictive, and I was wondering how feasible it is to remove everything between the airbox and the intake manifold and replace it with a much more free flowing system. Any information you can give me about possible problems, difficulties, et cetera would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

most of the so called mods for 240s will only make u faster because your previously fat wallet is now considerably lighter. lets be honest...even the crappiest of modern cars are faster...yes my neighbor's Aveo is faster to 60 than my brick. If you move up the food chain a bit you will be utterly destroyed the new civic SI is what 180hp? to get that out of a brick u would need to go big on the forced aspiriation or even pop in a V8. I recommend 2 things however. #1 put the money that you were going to use for mods into driver training. never underestimate how much faster one can be simply by being a good driver....don't mean to toot my own horn but last week I did take the old 244 brick out and beat a c4 vette around a 15mph exit ramp...on the outside! Now I am not the next Shumaker or anything, but your some basic technique can really set you apart from the masses as you average American driver is about as hamfooted and shortsighted as they come. the brick v. the vette was yet another prime example of an inferior vehicle beating a faster car based soley on the driver. Suggestion #2 change to ultra long distance endurance racing...you should probably win...ask that jackoff next to you in the new mustang "wanna run to 400,000miles?"

For me, with no interest in "souping up" any of my 240s, I get a little more fun by controlling the shift points (autobox) by watching the tach.

If you do not have a tachometer, make that your next "mod". Get a large tach/small clock from eBay or some such. Be sure to get the harness and bezel and feet, too. The signal wire for the tach is pre-wired. It is an easy install.

The power curve gets strong at 3000 to 5000 rpm. Start in 1, rev to 3500, Doesn't take long in my car with its 3.73:1 rear axle ratio. Stick shift, with a 3.31:1 ratio may take a little longer.

Second gear will carry you up to a speed that is beyond most residential areas speed limits. It feels like fun to me, has surprised a few Mustangs. Run it on up to 5,000 rpm. Move to 3rd and be on the freeway when you do.

Simple fun for me. I am far beyond the drag-racing age.

Then go for the suspension mods. Good bushings all around, turbo or IPD sway bars. Poly bushings on the sways, and maybe elsewhere. Get some reinforcing struts, IPD or elsewhere. Over engine and underneath. Go for better (at least newer) shocks, too.

Good Luck,

Bob

>:)

Ok first of all lets get this out of the way..ITS A BRICK ON WHEELS..It has 114 horse power stock. That is not a whole lot to play with. Most people that really want hp go with a turbo, lots more mods to be had there. Now for the real world, yes you can open up the breather box. Take out the guts, who wants hot air anyway. Now there is a little round opening in the box where the flap is. Take the useless preheat hose off the heat collector on the exhaust manifold and stick it through the round covered hole on the opposite side of the engine compartment from the breather box. Hmmm, ok,,, on the right side of the radiator support there is a round hole cut into the metal support exactly like the one you are using on the left side of the radiator for the original breather box. The original hole is for the snorkle to come through. The one on the opposite side has a plastic cover on it. Remove the cover and the preheat hose will fit right in. Now you have a duel source for air flow into the box. And yea you really need to open up the intake manifold, exhause & intake ports on the head as well as adding a bigger cam. ...Max :>)
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Max..1989 244 DL 5 Spd., V15 Phase II Cam Bilstein HD, Turbo Swaybars, Poly Bushings all round, Turbo Wheels, Black leather interior, Electric mirrors, LED dash and gauge lights and now NEW ECODES with the turn signals, 1992 black 244 next project

Welcome to the brickboard. Bricks are great cars in many ways, but when I hear people talking about getting them to go fast, the terms "silk purse" and "sow's ear" always come to mind. There are much better platforms to start from if your goal is to go fast.

That being said - it is your car. I think that your next big step for cost-effective power would be an IPD cam.

Bricksters have looked at the airbox and intake at length, and determined that there are no gains to be had there.

You might take the head, gasket, and intake to someone to have them polished and custom fitted (flowed), and perhaps shave the head a bit while you are at it, but I have not seen any data that suggest that all that work would be worthwhile. Others may have info on that.

Removing weight will make the car a little faster, but that would quickly cut in to the brick's true benefits.

hot cam and an adjustable gear are a good combo for keeping it NA

also, consider some headwork... valve job, etc.

as far as air induction goes, alotta ppl have come to conclude that cold air intake doesn't do much for these redblocks, its the intake manifold that is restrictive in itself. However some people have a modded "open front" airbox.

I;d say the first thing to do is rip out all your preheat hosing thats attatched to the airbox at the bottom of it. You can either glue shut the warm air flap.. orr i've been thinking of adding some pvc piping from there to make a second intake snorkel coming from the bottom where preheat used to be. Not sure if that would help much tho.

I must recommend IPD sways as well.
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'89 240 All original xcept. exhaust, 25/25 sways, guages, slight airbox mod, fogs, custom sound.

Yep - open front airbox. My car has one.
Here's the link to a post on t'bricks:
http://www.turbobricks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82660&highlight=airbox
I admit the benefit is slight, but there is no cost. It definitely makes the car louder.

I think it would be great with a higher performance cam, but haven't done that myself.

The most often voiced objection is expected damage to the filter - but an inspection one week ago after several months of road-testing through all kinds of rain and whatever showed a perfectly intact filter. My commute is currently about 400 miles weekly so I feel I've actually tested the thing by now.

As the airbox is located directly behind the AC condenser and alongside the radiator, you can cut out the airbox' front and let the onrushing air barge right into the airbox. Condenser provides a bug/crap screen. With this done, there's no need for the airbox' main intake snorkel which I believe actually is restrictive (more on that later).

This works fine if the AC is nonfunctional. If AC is running, the condenser will preheat the air into the airbox, which is not the idea.

The airbox layout is partially hidden. Here's what you'll find if you pull it all apart.

Main forward intake is out the left side of airbox, through the radiator support bracket next to the headlight. From there it snakes across to front of the AC condenser, goes straight up, and ends in front of AC condenser directly in front of where the airbox itself is located. Final diameter of the snorkel is about 1.75 inches which is about half of the diameter of the main intake duct to/from the AMM. That is why I believe it's restrictive; the final cross sectional area of the duct opening must be about 1/3 of the main duct's capacity.

Second OEM airbox intake is out the right side, towards and under the radiator fan shroud. This is the one you have to disable to protect your AMM. Mechanical thermostat inside airbox (removable) fails in the "pull hot air" position. Duct pulls air which has run past the exhaust manifold. The preheated air has been know to kill AMMs. You can cook up schemes to turn that duct into a cold air intake, but there are risks. The usual recipe is to duct downwards through a new hole in the belly pan / splash pan. However if you hit a big puddle one day your rugged 240 will suck up cylinders full of water. Water does not compress, and so bends connecting rods instead. Besides, you can pull in much more air through an open-front airbox.

And yes, improved sway bars are the way to go. Cat's pajamas, hot s**t, whatever you like. With stock sways it rides like a boat, with IPD sways it is very firm and trustworthy. I never drove one with turbo sway bars but I read that it's a definite improvement. The cost can be decent if you can find pair at a self service yard.

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Sven: '89 245 NA, 951 ECU, open-front airbox, E-fan, 205/65-15's, IPD sways, E-Codes, amber front corner reflectors. Wifemobile '89 245 NA stock. 90 244 NA spare, runs.

ALSO! If you wanna have something that looks really cool when you open the hood, you could spring for a nice cone filter. It frees up some space under the hood! But, and most others may say this, it really does not make any difference. I got a lot of backpressure from a really open filter, but upon further inspection of my exhaust I now know why! IT's CRAP! Well, its your car! they really are just tanks! Float like a Cadilac, sting like a Beemer! Drive it right and you can get some interesting looks!
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1987 240DL...new Flame trap, Sport Air Filter( is now dead), soon to be sport exhuast(non turbo)...

Are you saying that with an open airbox, it will suck in enough air that the stock exhaust can't handle the increased volume now passing through it?

I find it hard to believe that this supposedly nearly-inconsequential mod could actually overtax the stock exhaust's capabilities - or is the open airbox really a significant mod that needs support elsewhere in the system?

Or are you saying something else?
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Sven: '89 245 NA, 951 ECU, open-front airbox, E-fan, 205/65-15's, IPD sways, E-Codes, amber front corner reflectors. Wifemobile '89 245 NA stock. 90 244 NA spare, runs.

i dont think it will make more backpressure unless you have a ported intake manifold or something.

if you do get an increase in backpressure = more low end torque

if you want less backpressure - get rid of the first muffler and put a better flowing muff at the end.

less backpressure = loss of low end torque, but an increase in overall power.

also sounds really cool when it sucks air in
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'89 240 All original xcept. exhaust, 25/25 sways, guages, slight airbox mod, fogs, custom sound.

Well my problem that I later found out currently is that the PO cut out the cat and put a "test" pipe in there. It is smaller diameter pipe for abuot a foot then goes back to the normal exhaust pipe. The car just feels really reluctant to go, like its bogging down. It mainly does it when the engine is cold. I can feel it wants to go, but it can't. Has anyone else had this issue?
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1987 240DL...new Flame trap, Sport Air Filter( is now dead), soon to be sport exhuast(non turbo)...

i've got my original cat in there... but i've removed the first "resonator" style muffler and it goes all the way back to a $20 cheap straight through glasspack so it's noisy as hell...

i haven't noticed much of a diff cept for more power while the car is going, etc.

These volvo's warm up really quick, when myne is running cold i get a bit of piston slap which is normal and it dont run exceptionally well until she's at normal op temp/ ... never really bogged out at all.