AQ145 / B230 upgrade

kiwibob

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Joined
Apr 24, 2019
Messages
8
Cooked the engine in my boat (1985) so after some research found the later model Volvo car engine (1994) to be the same, EXCEPT the later engine is loaded with fuel injection and emission stuff.
Brought an old Volvo and salvaged the engine so;

!/ The later engine has the bolt holes but not the lever hole for the fuel pump. Do i just "break out" the centre?
2/ The later engine has heat riser(?) tubes that fit under the exhaust manifold which need blocking off. Welsh plugs of .8"
may block these off while still looking factory?
3/ The silent shaft needs replacing to the marine type to gain the drive for the raw water pump - can this be done without
removing the sump OR is there a "bolt on" adapter available?

Also can the old engine be removed without pulling the 280 stern drive to bits?

Thank you for any advice and tips in advance,
Oh and thanks for letting me join the forum.

Kiwibob
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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You have to pull the drive first..... Period

Look for 1985 vintage volvo motor and you have less modifications to do
 

kiwibob

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Apr 24, 2019
Messages
8
You have to pull the drive first..... Period

Look for 1985 vintage volvo motor and you have less modifications to do

Not many of them around, as it was the 1995 Volvo was the earliest one for sale here. Don't think its all too bad to swap over. Don't know anything about fuel injection or would have looked at running that on the boat :)
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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You cant use automotive EFI in a boat. Tgat would be a potential bomb
 

Scott Danforth

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yes, however they use GM engines and Volvo Penta designed marine EFI. the EFI must be J1171 compliant, and must be fuel safe. in a car, if it leaks fuel, it drops on the ground, and evaporates. in a boat, if it leaks fuel, it drops into the bilge and explodes.
 

Scott Danforth

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the EFI motor most likely does not have the lobe on the cam to run the mechanical fuel pump, so machining out the block may be useless. you will have to pull the motor apart to look

you will need to strip the engine down to the long-block and build up to a marine motor with all the stuff from your 1985. since you are dealing with a volvo motor that has gone thru a few changes since 1985, you may need to fabricate or modify a bunch of stuff. you cant use any of the automotive stuff on the motor. and you certainly can not use the automotive EFI in a marine environment.

your in territory that most people dont venture into, so snarky comments wont help. by the time you are done, you may have actually been cheaper to rebuild the 1985 block by the time you are done.
 

QBhoy

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Mar 10, 2016
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8,286
Hi.

I would need to look it up, but I think the engines are very different. If it the old 145 I’m thinking of, it’s a pish Rod engine and a reliable old thing. The slightly newer 4 cylinder car derived model was a terrible thing in a boat. Had cam belt etc and known to fail all too often in a marine environment. Didn’t use them for long after the pripbelms. Stay clear of it. Stick a gm 3.0 in if you can’t fix the old 145.
Yes you need to remove the drive.
 

kiwibob

Cadet
Joined
Apr 24, 2019
Messages
8
Hi.

I would need to look it up, but I think the engines are very different. If it the old 145 I’m thinking of, it’s a pish Rod engine and a reliable old thing. The slightly newer 4 cylinder car derived model was a terrible thing in a boat. Had cam belt etc and known to fail all too often in a marine environment. Didn’t use them for long after the pripbelms. Stay clear of it. Stick a gm 3.0 in if you can’t fix the old 145.
Yes you need to remove the drive.

nah they are both SOHC and both Volvo B23 blocks.
 

QBhoy

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Ok. So I looked it up. The AQ145 is not the earlier push rod engine. It’s one of the terrible timing belt and problematic engines. Don’t get another one. You’ll only be adding to its issues with fuel injection too.

Get a used 3.0 engine in there. So much better. More robust, better suited to the environment and a tried and tested motor for decade after decade.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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running the GM 3.0 would require a new PDS housing
 

kiwibob

Cadet
Joined
Apr 24, 2019
Messages
8
Ok. So I looked it up. The AQ145 is not the earlier push rod engine. It’s one of the terrible timing belt and problematic engines. Don’t get another one. You’ll only be adding to its issues with fuel injection too.

Get a used 3.0 engine in there. So much better. More robust, better suited to the environment and a tried and tested motor for decade after decade.

Repowering it with anything other that what is in there would cost more than the boats worth.
I'll stick with this one and see how we get on.
Winter is about on us here so got a bit of time to suss stuff out. :)
 

QBhoy

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Repowering it with anything other that what is in there would cost more than the boats worth.
I'll stick with this one and see how we get on.
Winter is about on us here so got a bit of time to suss stuff out. :)

No worries. Honestly though. Terrible engines for a boat. Just thought I’d mention from experience. Some of the U.K. boat brands went through a stage of fitting these as entry level engines. They soon stopped. Powerful things when they were running. Just that they didn’t agree with the use and conditions a boat sees.
 

kiwibob

Cadet
Joined
Apr 24, 2019
Messages
8
No worries. Honestly though. Terrible engines for a boat. Just thought I’d mention from experience. Some of the U.K. boat brands went through a stage of fitting these as entry level engines. They soon stopped. Powerful things when they were running. Just that they didn’t agree with the use and conditions a boat sees.

I can believe that. It has done a good turn in this one.
The boats like over 30 years old and as far as I can see its never had any major work done on it. All the pistons etc are std size.

I doubt i will buy another.
 

kiwibob

Cadet
Joined
Apr 24, 2019
Messages
8
Cooked the engine in my boat (1985) so after some research found the later model Volvo car engine (1994) to be the same, EXCEPT the later engine is loaded with fuel injection and emission stuff.
Brought an old Volvo and salvaged the engine so;

!/ The later engine has the bolt holes but not the lever hole for the fuel pump. Do i just "break out" the centre?
2/ The later engine has heat riser(?) tubes that fit under the exhaust manifold which need blocking off. Welsh plugs of .8"
may block these off while still looking factory?
3/ The silent shaft needs replacing to the marine type to gain the drive for the raw water pump - can this be done without
removing the sump OR is there a "bolt on" adapter available?

Also can the old engine be removed without pulling the 280 stern drive to bits?

Thank you for any advice and tips in advance,
Oh and thanks for letting me join the forum.

Kiwibob

OK, Plan so far for those interested.

Going to run electric fuel pump.. Saves removing sump to remove oil pump & shaft

13/16" dome frost plugs will be perfect to fill in the heat riser holes under the exhaust manifold.

Going to have an adapter made up for end of silent shaft to run the raw water pump. The later model engine has round toothed cam belt where as the early one is a square toothed.

Thus far i think we are getting sorted tho will need some more dismantling and comparison to make sure we are out of the woods..
Interesting the later model engine has a refined oil - piston squirt system due to some being turbo charged. :)
 

dennis461

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 11, 2011
Messages
516
Good luck.
I've done this with 1989 model year automobile engines. Becoming much harder to find with usable cylinder conditions. You should find the auto front pulley assembly(harmonic balancer) is too large a diameter. Electric fuel pump on your boat could be a dangerous option if not done correctly, make sure you use a low pressure pump 3-5 psi not 40-60.

Also, the tail end of the crankshaft may not have the correct size hole in it to put the bearing inside (to match the outdrive input shaft.

Next, where is the distributor drive? rear end of camshaft or engine block.

Check the letter stamped in the rear end of the camshaft, if your current engine is the marine model, you should swap camshafts
 

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