Volvo 945 Rat 3.5 RV8 Conversion

[Crazy]

I am currently working on doing a RV8 conversion into my ratted out Volvo 945 (that's the 940 station wagon for those who don't know)

I have the car and I have the engine, which is always a good start I have just bought a starter motor and an alternator, and I am bidding on a set of headers on eBay at the moment too. I will also hopefully will be getting a Holley 4 barrel carb for it too from a mate of the guy who I bought the engine from.


I have done a fair bit of research and I am going to buy an older 940 autobox, the ZF4HP22 one, and bolt on a Rover 4HP22 bellhousing so that way I can keep the propshaft and the gearbox will mount up nicely with everything.




Main thing I was wondering, with all this, will I need the torque converter off the Rover 4HP22 gearbox, or will the Volvo one suffice?


Cheers

[JSF55]

Sounds interesting, any pics ? i think you'll find the box is quite canted over in position so might need a bit of hammer work to get it fitted, as far as i knowonly the rover torque convertors bolt on to the flex plate bits, but you could always redrill it

[katanaman]

I dont think the rover box splits from the bellhousing, no idea about the volvo version but either way it will make getting a rover bellhousing difficult to get. Probably better to get the rover 2wd box from a sherpa, probably an ambulance. If you do sort a housing out then you will either have to convert the Rover flex plate or use the rover converter instead assuming that fits the auto box.

[Crazy]

Cheers, well I've got the flex plate already, so just the TC then. I'll talk to the Rover 4x4 place tomorrow and see what they've got, fingers crossed on that one.

Yea, the Rover bellhousings do separate, I've had to separate a few before in the past, and cos Rover do a 4HP22 gearbox, and Volvo did the ZF version of the same gearbox, the bellhousing will just bolt the V8 to the Volvo tranny

Just wasn't sure on the TC side of things, that was all, cos of the fact that Rover and Volvo essentially ran the same gearbox, just some slight differences other than the bellhousing.




Oh, and pics of the car






And a pic of the V8 as she sits at the moment

[ChrisJC]

I would get the Range Rover bellhousing, torque converter, flex plate, and all the other bits. Then it will just all bolt up.

Note that the shift pattern in the volvo box won't be quite right for the Rover V8, but it will probably do!

Chris.

[stevieturbo]

lol, thats the same as my volvo, wheels n all.

Well...mine is still original colour etc, auto and turbodiesel...sounds great

[DaveEFI]

I am currently working on doing a RV8 conversion into my ratted out Volvo 945 (that's the 940 station wagon for those who don't know)

I have the car and I have the engine, which is always a good start I have just bought a starter motor and an alternator, and I am bidding on a set of headers on eBay at the moment too. I will also hopefully will be getting a Holley 4 barrel carb for it too from a mate of the guy who I bought the engine from.


I have done a fair bit of research and I am going to buy an older 940 autobox, the ZF4HP22 one, and bolt on a Rover 4HP22 bellhousing so that way I can keep the propshaft and the gearbox will mount up nicely with everything.




Main thing I was wondering, with all this, will I need the torque converter off the Rover 4HP22 gearbox, or will the Volvo one suffice?


Cheers

The RV8 4HP22 installation is a bit strange to allow it to fit between the same centres as the manual on the RR. So the TC is spaced off the driveplate, and the bellhousing quite deep. I'd imagine you'd need the correct input shaft too. All this applies to the RWD Sherpas with autos as well.
So although some parts are shared with other 4HP22s, you might end up having to buy a complete RR one to get all the bits you need.

[JSF55]

All of these

[ChrisJC]

According to my parts diagram for the 4HP22, the input shaft is common between Volvo & Range Rover (& BMW & Jaguar & Peugeot too).

So I would just pick up the complete front end parts from a Range Rover and swap it, as per the picture above.

The bellhousing is long though, as has been stated, but trying to use a shorter one would entail no end of extra work.

Chris.

[Crazy]

Cheers guys.

I already have the flex plate on the engine, should be getting a gearbox next week, and will see about getting a bellhousing and TC then too.


Big question, are the stock headers good enough to go for, or should I run tubular headers?


It'll be running a 4 barrel Holley carb on it, so wasn't sure if the stock headers would be good enough for it.



As for the shift pattern, the Volvo 940 doesn't rev past 6k anyways so it's not like it'll be over revved at all cos I know the V8s run at lower revs than most cars, but the Volvo automatics always run at lower revs anyways.