2.3L Redblock Miata.....Guess I'm NOT the First

Hot off the press...

DDMWorks 52mm Gauge/Radio Plate.




Loaded it up with some of the 52mm VDO gauges, from various Volvo Cars...

Includes a Volts, Oil Temperature & Turbo Boost Gauge.

Since I'll be going the way of Megasquirt, soon enough, I'm plumbing my vacuum line now, and will just run it to the boost gauge...

Until I add a Wideband AFR gauge and MS1v3

Just some old JVC Tape Deck Radio, from some old Volvo....it'll work just fine, for the little bit of Radio I may ever listen to. A tape deck adapter to my iPod, will work just fine too.

Myles.. nice project!
Don't take this the wrong way, because I'm asking due to honest curiosity. I have a barbie car, with a FM turbo. It's a rocket. The stock engine is strong if not great for actual flow. Is there a reason for the Volvo? My sense would be that that motor would be heavy and with more torque, but no hp advantage. And the torque from a 1.8 running 15 psi is more than enough anyway. Just curious. Ambitious project, and you're moving quickly with it, so great work!

There's a host of reasons, really.

But most prominently, because I want it!

I've adopted a garage of Swedish parts, and I've learned to navigate around Redblocks, quite well.

The weight difference is under 40lbs....i'd wager a guess, all said and done, I'll have a car about as close, in weight & balanced, as before.

BOOST, is uninteresting to me, and my Barbie car...think of it as a more Extreme SPEC Miata...

The torque of the 2.3, from down low, should make for something more interesting...

Throw on a 16v head and some IRTB's, and that'll be a fun 200hp car.

Nice, I didn't realize the weight was so close. And the stock motor has shit for hp and torque, so if youre not a fan of Boost it starts to make more sense. Me, I'm a big fan of boost

I wanted to do a turbo Miata engine in the RX-7 and decided against it because it seemed like when power levels started to get exciting was when Major Limitations started to come up, like crankshaft harmonics causing oil pump failure. Can't get over that hurdle without a huge air-lift of cash. And then the transmission options all suck.

---

Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

I don't think crankshaft harmonics are much of an issue before 300hp or so. I ran my car hard at 12psi for years and. Ever even had the valve cover off! What was the power? No idea, but the car would stomp ALL over my friends S2000.
Part of that is because a street car just doesn't get run hard for more than a few seconds. Guys are putting these Boundary Engineering oil pumps in, and or the ATI damper. True, the combo cost of that is above $600 or so.

Ohhh, I'm a total fan for BOOST..

I've got TWO 240 Turbo Volvo's...one 8v, daily driver, and the other is my 16v project.

I want to go a different route this time, and try to perfect N/A Redblock Power.

Old British Roadsters were usually N/A, so I'm trying to follow suit.

Well, before we get carried away with the go fast...

Or, go, at all...

First take care of head...





Ken & I hacked it in, pretty good, eh?

Maybe, I'll consider a 4.3 Torsen, instead of that 4.10...





Just discovered what I bought!

1352-065 Ford 1984 Mustang/Capri 5.0 V8 2.95 1.94 1.34 1.00 0.63





Might get the shift stick up, a couple inches from stock, which could be cool.





Now, if I can just find a T5 adapter...

Quote
frumby
I don't think crankshaft harmonics are much of an issue before 300hp or so.

That's where power levels start to get exciting.

For the effort (for me), I'm quite pleased with my 13B. It doesn't make pshoo-pop noises like my friend/competiton's turbo Miata, but it makes nice burp brap brap burp noises at idle, and the intake buzz/drone when I whack the four 42mm throttles open at low RPM is worth the price of admission alone.

---

Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

But who can resist the Angry Boat Noise of a lumpy cam in a redblock???

Braaddadump, Braaddadump,Braaddadump

Wow, this is going to be close!

Spoke with the folks at V8Roadsters, again, today. This time, to get some dimensions on their components.

Since the goal is to use their Frame Rail Reinforcements & T5 X-member, I had to see if their configuration, using their own bell housing & LSX motor, would work, or be close enough, for my Volvo Redblock. Worst, case, I can get the pieces in the raw, and weld the tabs for the X-member in the correct location, for my application.


So, V8Roadsters straps 'Stang T5 gearboxes to LSX motors, via their own bell housing...

It's about 6.75", Engine-to-Gearbox. Which is just about the same as my M46+Bell Housing Adapter!




I'm still waiting on the other dimensions, but I don't think I'll be able to position it any further back, in the car. With the LSX, there's about 1/4" clearance, behind the Passenger Cylinder Head-to-Firewall. I think, as is, my Redblock is going to be as far back, in that engine bay, as can be.

Less is more, I guess, so less fab work for me might be a good thing.

There might still be hope for my Engine Mount Adapter Plate Idea.

We shall see.

Still need my bell housing adapter, before I start test fitting.