what to swap?

Looking for motor swap for my wife's volvo 740t wagon,I don't want a v8,what am looking for is gas mileage. Also looking at towing up to 3300 lbs. Have no problems swapping motor and transmission.

Powerstroke?

cummins? d-max? perkins?

I would love to but I dont think its going to fit under the hood.

West Walton Automotive in Loganville Georgia is putting a late model Supra engine in one. It is installed but not yet wired. I'd think a GM LS would be a no brainer though. probably much better in every way including gas mileage. My 745 never ever got better than 20 mpg.

my 745 and 765 both averaged right about 20mpg while delivering pizza... at 12psi... granted it was the same engine (and the same one currently mounted in my s10)... but thats def not great... but not bad for that kind of driving...

are you looking for a more consistent/broader power band or what?... for towing I can understand dumping the turbo lump... pulling an mr2 home on a tow dolly wasn't the most fun thing in the world... but i don't know what you'd put in for a MPG swap and still keep it drivable towing...

4.3/ 700R ?

2jz Supra motor, auto tranny, bolt-ons= 350-400hp

bmw i6+manual trans?

Aluminum LS truck motor, like the L33, and either a T56 or the four speed automatic. Then look into aero mods.

Ford Ecoboost 4 banger?

jokes aside, 2.0 tdi

vortec 4.2 i6, almost 295hp and chevy parts.

Volvo made a 740 diesel in the 80's that used a VW-sourced engine. The TDI swap should, then, be theoretically possible. A rear-drive TDI Volvo wagon could actually be the world's best daily driver.

M030 wrote: Volvo made a 740 diesel in the 80's that used a VW-sourced engine. The TDI swap should, then, be theoretically possible. A rear-drive TDI Volvo wagon could actually be the world's best daily driver.

I test drove one of those. It was used & only a year old. I didn't like it at all & could understand why it was traded in after only a year. TDI engine might make one signifcantly better.

Learn yourself on SAE bellhousings. They pretty much let you mix and match many combos of engine/trannys that you otherwise couldn't dream of.

Early Mercedes I6s diesels are pretty wimpy, but they can be tuned up for nice power. Back it with an adapter and a common OD automatic. The last year of the "good" diesel was the 99 3.0L. Gobs of torque, good power, and super reliable. I might suggest retrofitting the mechanical injection from the earlier diesels to avoid a couple electronic headaches but its not terrible to keep the electronics. My wife's 99 E300 could light up the tires pretty easily with the traction control off. They only real "bad" issue with them was that the glow plugs like to corrode into the head and break off when you try to replace them. If you have the engine out, its a good time to replace them and its easier to repair if one breaks. Parts are relatively cheap compared to what you might expect from MB.

GM's 2.8/3.1/3.4 family has a great following so aftermarket parts are plentiful. You also can have your choice of 700r4, 2004r, T5, adapt a T56, or even a Muncie 4-speed. One of their nicest attributes is their relatively light weight and compact package. A Buick 3.8 has similar plusses. Adapt a late model 3800 supercharger to a 3.8 and it would make a killer little powerplant.

I like the idea of the 2.0L TDI, but do a lot of research into swapping it. OBD2 VW TDIs have something about requiring the factory gauge panel, and anyone who has been a VW tech (like me) knows that their electronics are NOT forgiving. Its not like an LS1 where you drop it in, hook up some wires, and you're done. If you forget the wire to the oil pressure sender, chances are the ABS light will come on. Not kidding.

One of the problem with most of the truck diesels is that they are ridiculously tall. Any of the inline diesels are pretty bulky except those that were originally intended/designed for passenger car hoodlines.

Don't laugh... Olds made a Diesel V6 (based on the dreaded 350 diesel). The engine itself wouldn't win any races, but many of the design flaws that made people hate them are pretty easy to overcome. Head studs and shim head gaskets and it becomes pretty darn reliable. Add a turbo and you're knocking on 250 hp.

Ford's 3.0L gas engine won't win any MPG contests, but its a solid engine. they're a dime a dozen in Rangers. It will take a ton of abuse.

Ford 300 cid inline 6? Or Jeep 4.0 HO. The Jeep will have better after market but: http://www.cliffordperformance.net/

Would love a diesel,but finding that has the capacity to tow 3500 lbs with the car loaded with a family of 5,and still fits under the hood would be hard. V6 ecoboost would be great but still to new to find cheap.

I really would go v8. a ls1 would get better mpg than the current turbo motor almost certainly imo.

I am not sure that swapping an engine for mileage makes financial sense. I would bet that tricks to improve the engine that's there, as well as the aerodynamics, would be a more financially advantageous goal.

But since you asked... I'd probably go with something moderate sized because I don't think stressing out small itty bitty motors is good for fuel economy or longevity. You said you don't want a V8, then something like Ford's new V6 with a stick shift would be a good choice. It gets what 30, i the Mustang? The Brick is lighter and cleaner in the air (probably not in Cd, but probably in Cd*A).

I can get like 24 mpg in my brick, so that's not a giant gain. those 6 mpg equal something like $833 bucks assuming a 20,000 mile year.

I would say 4.0L Jeep I6, they are bulletproof and are plentiful. My 4WD Cherokee gets 20 mpg, so I don't know how much better it would be for a Volvo wagon.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I would say 4.0L Jeep I6, they are bulletproof and are plentiful. My 4WD Cherokee gets 20 mpg, so I don't know how much better it would be for a Volvo wagon.

You are lucky.... my record with my Cherokee is 19.2mpg, with a 100% highway tank.

Normally we're seeing 15mpg through a tank.

I was averaging 18 mpg in my '98 Cherokee. My guess is that losing all the 4wd stuff would help a bit in the mpg catagory but the torque would help 'up' the smiles per gallon even more so.

If you're swapping for mileage and want to keep torque, I would think you would want a substantial gain to make it worth the time, money and effort. I suspect an LS or even SBF could match the mileage and improve towing. A diesel could probably get you the closest. If you go 15,000 miles/year @ 20 mpg = 750 gal. of fuel ($3375 @ 4.50/gal), 15,000/year @ 30 mpg = 500 gal. of fuel ($2250 @ 4.50/gal) or $1125/year. For less than a 50% increase, doing the swap would be more for fun than gain - at least that's my take.

oldtin wrote: If you're swapping for mileage and want to keep torque, I would think you would want a substantial gain to make it worth the time, money and effort. I suspect an LS or even SBF could match the mileage and improve towing. A diesel could probably get you the closest. If you go 15,000 miles/year @ 20 mpg = 750 gal. of fuel ($3375 @ 4.50/gal), 15,000/year @ 30 mpg = 500 gal. of fuel ($2250 @ 4.50/gal) or $1125/year. For less than a 50% increase, doing the swap would be more for fun than gain - at least that's my take.

And that's at 30 mpg - there is no way that thing is getting 30 with a V8 - even the Vette can't quite manage that and it's a hair bit slipperier than the Brick.