The message to which you are about to reply is shown first. GO TO REPLY FORM



 VIEW    REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

Why are vintage Volvos geared so low?

posted by  someone claiming to be Jim on  Wed Jan 15 20:26 CST 2003 [RELATED]

In looking at the gear ratios for, e.g., the 1800E (source: C&D 5/70), it would appear that "vintage" Volvos are geared quite a bit lower than their OHC counterparts. Our '86 240 w/M46, for example, can cruise comfortably on the highway at 75mph, the tach registering a leisurely 2800rpm. Using C&D's figures, a '70 1800E would turn over 3500rpm at the same road speed in its top gear. I am aware that the 1800E has a smaller engine, but the B230F has only a mere 0.3L advantage over the B20.

C&D's specifications page for the '70 1800E cites 130 lb-ft @ 3500rpm; my owner's manual for the '86 has 136 lb-ft @ 2750rpm. I guess the OHV engines have to rev a little higher before the power comes on and so they are geared accordingly. So what are they like to drive? Is 3K rev's at 65mph, in overdrive, really as annoying as I can imagine it might be?

Just curious. :-)






USERNAME
Use "claim to be" below if you don't want to log in.
PASSWORD
I don't have an account. Sign me up.
CLAIM TO BE
Use only if you don't want to login (post anonymously).
ENTER CAPTCHA CODE
This is required for posting anonymously.
OPTIONS notify by email
Available only to user accounts.
SUBJECT
MODEL/YEAR
MESSAGE

DICTIONARY
LABEL(S) +
IMAGE URL *
[IMAGE LIBRARY (UPLOAD/SELECT)]

* = Field is optional.

+ = Enter space delimited labels for this post. An example entry: 240 muffler


©Jarrod Stenberg 1997-2022. All material except where indicated.


All participants agree to these terms.

Brickboard.com is not affiliated with nor sponsored by AB Volvo, Volvo Car Corporation, Volvo Cars of North America, Inc. or Ford Motor Company. Brickboard.com is a Volvo owner/enthusiast site, similar to a club, and does not intend to pose as an official Volvo site. The official Volvo site can be found here.