Heres the story, I noticed a 1993 Volvo 960 wagon sitting in a driveway, and went to talk to the owner, needs an engine it was blowing black smoke, it has a weird burnt smell inside, it was knocking when he parked it, it has the v6, I am going to look at it again tomarrow, I currently have a 1994 Volvo 940 wagon that has the B230 engine (no turbo) and I was thinking of swapping engines, is this possible? does the trans have to be swapped too? The only other option I have is a 199x Volvo 960 Wagon in the local Pick n' Pull (scrapyard) and I could pull that engine, and swap, but I know no history of it, and it wasn't wrecked, so that might be why its in there??? Any ideas would help. (also, it is worth adding that the owner said that the dealerships that he visited said that they would not fix the engine, but would only put a new one in...)


Thanks,
Tim

1994 Volvo 940 Wagon 173,200

This is one swap you don't want to do. The twin cam straight six is no where near as reliable as the 940 IMHO and I own both. The wiring on the 940 is totally different than the 960. The fuse locations for a 960 are on the drivers side of the dash and the relays are located on the passenger side of the console. Even if you had the wiring harness , I don't believe the dashes are the same. The transmission is completely different between the 960 and the 940. The 960 has a computer for the transmission that is connected to the computer for the engine. The air mass meters are different as well.

Hi
Swap sounds far too easy for the operation.
You need an engine wiring harness from a 960 with the B230 FT engine and a motronic module from the same car.
Then the bellhousing is diferent, the whole colling system, the exhaust etc.
And the 960 4 cylinder exhausts are not the same like in the 940'.
Really-- its easier to find a new engine 6 inline, or call it a day--.

Wow, I really do feel like an idiot, I figured that it was a straight 6, but I thought I heard V6 somewhere!?!?

Also, another note, 940 had a similar problem, black smoke, rough running, no power etc... Caused by ancient NGK Spark plugs, and 172,000 mile volvo factory wires. 4 new bosch platinum plugs, and a new(er) set of wires later 100% improvement... is there a Connection?????

-Tim

Dear Tim,

Good p.m. There is a connection: between the plugs and the distributor. That's why changing the wires was so helpful.

Sorry: I couldn't resist...

Yours faithfully,

spook

owning a 960 or 2 myself,i would not attempt this unless you are very good electrically and electronic knowledgable as well.it would be huge job to undertake,however,as stated a V-8 swap sounds easier and just think of the sound of dual exhaust rumbling out back.even the 960 does have a slight exhaust rumble of its own.
i'm not against what you want to do and it can be done.
--
83 242 DL -129k, 92-965-195k, 94-965-203k, 84-242 GLT-Gone, but not forgotten,83-245GLT-1'st brick (the 1'st 3 currently on the road)

A 960 with a V-6? It must be a 760 with the B280F engine.
--
Warren Bain - '99 V70GLT G-Valve > 80K mi, 89 300SE, '96 965 >120Kmi, near Manassas Va.. Check the 700/900 FAQ via the 'features' pull down menu. This post written with 100% recycled electrons.

960 1991 were sold with the v6 on some market. But from 1992 I think the
B6304 was the only alternative.

_______

Patrik, Sweden

I disagree wish what some here on this board might say. I believe the 960 can be just as economical if not more economical to operate than a 940. Its just not as tolerant to abuse. Oil and timing belts must be changed religiously. You are better off finding a nice 960 in good condition. You will probably spend as much money replacing the engine as you would on descent car. Both a 940 and 960 would be good choices. The 960 is smoother and faster with a nicer dash. 940 NA gets better mileage
If you are going to go through the effort of swaping motors, you can do a V8. But there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to swap a 940 motor into 960 if you wish. You will need the trasmission along with the engine. 940 and 960 have different transmission. You do not need to swap rear end gears. The 960 has 3.31 gears which is taller than most 940s. But its nothing impossble. You'll just get better mileage. Good luck.

I don't see how a 960 could ever be more economical than a 940. More pleasureable, absolutely.

At the very least the engine has more spark plugs and wires to deal with. The wear items on the electronic transmission (lockup solenoid) sure seem more expensive than the wear items on the AW70 (OD relay and solenoid, check ball).

The early ones need timing belts more often, and the cost of parts is quite a bit more expensive than what's needed for an 8V red block.

If one wanted a four cylinder in a 960 body, get an 88-91 760 Turbo or 940SE/960 Turbo. Same dash, same suspension, four cylinder simplicity. If the 960 really did have a 3.31:1 rear end, I'd worry about how well a non-turbo four banger would be able to accelerate.

--
alex

'89 765T, 173,9xx mi

"The 960 has 3.31 gears which is taller than most 940s."

Our 95 and 98 both have 3.73 gears in the banjo.

DEWFPO
--
1998 S90 068,300 and 1995 964 152,300

Hi Tim,

I say stick with the 940. IMO, it's one of the best Volvos ever made. 960/S/V90s are very nice, but can be much more problematic and costly then 940s. Enjoy your 945 and if you want a nicer Volvo, look for a '93-'95 945 turbo.
--
Chris. Halifax N.S. '91 745Ti, 287K km and '91 745 NA, 370K km.

you're in over your head. 1-the 960 is not a v6, it's a straight 6. 2-much more than the trans and electronics have to be changed. the rear end ratio is different, also.

you're better off with a 940 car than try to dump a b230 into the 960. you're right about the used 960 motor, you need the history before buying it for a swap. they're tougher to deal with if they need work. good luck, chuck.