Volvo 240 Tuning

"A naughty 240"

Handling modifications are usually your first port of call for the 240. We suggest that you fit uprated suspension and lower the car by 30-35mm. Larger drops require arch work - especially on models already equipped with sports suspension.

The 240 is rear wheel drive which makes for some interesting track day fun.

Top end power should be your overall aim on the 240 with a nice fat peak torque band.

The best power gains come from larger engine sizes. The more you start with the bigger the return on investment so engine swaps are good value mods for small engined cars.

We have heard of T5 conversions in the 240 but an easier route is to get a 2.2 Turbo engine and mate this to the rear axle of a larger volvo. The turbo engines are pretty easy to mod and give fairly substantial power gains. 

Volvo 240 Tuning modifications.

This will help to ensure you retain some economy low down. Fast road cams offer one of the biggest performance gains as far as a bolt on part goes. Don't forget to uprate the fuelling when you are increasing the power - it makes the car more thirsty. The 240 engines are carb fed so fitting a larger carb will increase fuelling and help with the air intake.

Volvo 240 Intake and Exhaust.

Breathing mods are usually next up. Often people fit induction kits to their 240 but we suggest sticking with a panel air filter as this gives a decent amount of mid to high range flexibility. On small engines you will actually lose low down power with an induction kit which adds to the argument of using a panel air filter instead. A good sports exhaust is essential to balance your freer flowing air intake, just adding a sports air filter on it's own will do little to increase your power.

Airflow through the head can be dramatically increased with some porting and polishing. Your clutch can seriously let you down if it starts to slip and the standard clutches are only ever good for power gains of upto 50%. Fit an uprated clutch to avoid power losses through the transmission. Remaps offer significant power gains on all turbo charged cars. On NASP engines the benefits are doubtful, but will help unleash the potential if you have done a lot of mods.

Adding forced induction will see big power gains but this is usually too expensive to be cost effective. Turbos are harder to add than supercharger. It is harder to map a turbo as the boost comes on exponentially with engine speed. The nice steady boost to rpm characteristics of the supercharger make them easier to map. Adding forced induction will usually require a lower compression ratio or water injection.

Volvo 240 Wheel modifications.

Alloy wheels will help the brakes cool down and are usually lighter than the steel ones. Large 240 alloy wheels can decrease performance. If you get big alloy wheels you will be changing your final drive ratio. Aim to keep the overall rolling diameter of the wheel the same as supplied from the factory. In all cases we do not recommend going above 16 inches unless you are prepared to do some serious suspension setting alterations.

Please join us in our forum to discuss the 240 options in more detail with our 240 owners. It would also be worth reading our Volvo tuning articles to get a full grasp of the pros and cons of each type of modification.

This article was written by Waynne Smith on TorqueCars, and I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. This entry was filed under Volvo. You can leave a response below or join TorqueCars forum to discuss this article and car modification in detail with our members.

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