[V50_M66]

Got the time to do a little more digging. Turns out Ashcroft sells rebuilt R380s (for an expensive but not horrendous price given used R380 prices here in the US), and I can pay a little bit extra for upgraded bearings and different 5th gear ratios, so I'm happy about that. Will need to find pedal assembly, shifter assembly, and source clutch cylinders, lines, and other odds and ends as well, which might prove to be more of a challenge. Then there's the challenge of getting a bellhousing and making an adapter plate/getting a clutch that will work, but that's pretty far down the road.

As for transfer case, I've decided to get a diff lock unit from a junkyard or eBay wrecker at some point. I will also need a shifter for that at the same time. I will decide whether or not to make it selectable 2WD when I get this transfer case. The old non-locker box is fine, so it will be sold to help fund the project.

Also, my timeframe has been knocked back. The engine machining class I plan on building my Volvo 5 cylinder in is only available to take next fall. This is fine with me, as it gives me time to pull the Volvo engine, research/buy a transmission and related parts, and part out the Volvo donor car over the coming summer. Then I'll figure out getting everything in the car the following summer and getting wiring and stuff figured out.

Not a whole lot to report, but figured I'd update. Will probably be a while until the next update.

 

[discovering]

Then there's the challenge of getting a bellhousing and making an adapter plate/getting a clutch that will work, but that's pretty far down the road.

You might want to at least get some rough measurements to confirm that it's possible. If you can't get something that will fit in the allotted space, you either have a lot more fab work to plan or you have enough notice to bail on the project before you're in way too deep.

Thanks for the consistent updates. I really look forward to watching the progress of this as you get your hands dirty. Get a pre and post dyno pulls to see how much power you pick up. It'd also be interesting to see highway cruise RPMs and MPGs since you're changing gears and all that.

 

[V50_M66]

You might want to at least get some rough measurements to confirm that it's possible. If you can't get something that will fit in the allotted space, you either have a lot more fab work to plan or you have enough notice to bail on the project before you're in way too deep.

Thanks for the consistent updates. I really look forward to watching the progress of this as you get your hands dirty. Get a pre and post dyno pulls to see how much power you pick up. It'd also be interesting to see highway cruise RPMs and MPGs since you're changing gears and all that.

Good call on the measurements. I need a new transmission anyway (driveshaft let go on the previous owner and put a crack in the case - I have to fill it every once in a while due to leaks), so I'll get an R380 anyway since I hate autos. I'll figure out how to make it work - my auto is on its way out from being run low all the time by the PO and even with the cost and time of extra fab work of brackets and adaptors, it's still cheaper than adapting a different trans to the LT230.
Probably not going to be able to get wheel horsepower numbers (at least stock) as dyno time on an AWD dyno is expensive and hard to coordinate and I'd rather put that money towards the build. Tuning will probably be done on the street post-swap, as I'm not hunting for every last horsepower - I just want a safe and reliable street tune.
I will certainly be getting MPG numbers, acceleration times (likely 0-30, 0-60, and 20-60 - numbers that matter in daily traffic), and record revs on the highway - I'm hoping to get better MPG and have it be noticeably quicker while being more fun to drive and more reliable than stock.
I'm also super excited to get into the actual work of the build. The next 6 months or so is going to be kinda slow as I figure out roughly what I need and source parts (mostly an R380 and associated swap parts, as well as a CDL transfer box and some other various stuff). Once the summer rolls around, I'll start the process of parting out the V70 donor car and the fun will begin. I want to have the engine out, all related wiring out and labeled, and all related items (ECU, etc) out of the car by the end of the summer. Once that happens, I can begin taking precise measurements of the engine. Come fall, I'll be starting the build on the engine in my school's engine machining class, which will likely continue throughout the rest of the school year. Next summer will be swap time - the truly exciting part. It's going to be a process (and a pretty long one at that), but I'm super excited to get my hands dirty with this build.

 

[V50_M66]

Ok, small update here to organize my research, specifically concerning adapter plates.
Apparently, at least according to the listing for this adapter plate, the Volvo Whiteblock engine and the Toyota 2JZ share the same bellhousing bolt pattern. Awesome!
Unfortunately, even though the 2J is a very common swap generally, as far as I can tell, it's never been mated to an R380, so it doesn't help me find an adapter plate.
What I have found is that I can get an adapter plate to mate the ZF 8HP (8 speed auto out of modern BMWs) to my Volvo engine, as well as an adapter to mate the ZF 8HP with the LT230. So that's a possibility. It's not a manual like I wanted, and they are quite expensive and require more tuning, but it will stay at the back of my mind as a possibility. I do personally know a guy that specializes in ZF 8HP swaps into older BMWs though, so it doesn't scare me as much as it probably should. I'd like to stick to an R380 or other manual trans for row-your-own fun, tuning, and cost reasons, but that's an option, albeit an expensive one.

I've also found transfer case adapters for Jeep 23-spline, GM 4L60, 6L80, NV4500, AX15, and TH400.

However, I have stumbled upon a solid option - an LT230 to GS6-53 (BMW 530d 6 speed manual) adapter.
I also found an adapter for the GS6-53 to the Volvo Whiteblock. Hmmm. That's a very tempting option, since I wouldn't have to make any adaptor plates myself. I would also get another gear over the R380 and have headroom for far more power.

Thought I would update to give you guys an idea of my thought process and use this thread as a reference for myself when I need to find a link in the future or reference my prior thought process.

 

[V50_M66]

Due to lack of funds and lack of time, the timeline for this build isn't going to be what I'd hoped for. I still have and plan on building my Volvo 5 cylinder, but I will be manual swapping the truck first with an R380 from Ashcroft first and evaluating from there, since while the 4.6 is crap, it's still running and has been somewhat reliable lately (knock on wood), the same can't be said for the leaky transmission, which has been slowly hemorrhaging fluid through a crack in the case (thanks to the front driveshaft ejecting itself under previous ownership) for the duration of my ownership. I'm sick of filling it just for it to leak out, and it's started shifting weird, so it has to go.
Will this thing still get the Volvo motor? Hopefully. But it will for sure be getting a manual swap, and I'll be sure to document that process

 

[CapAir]

Due to lack of funds and lack of time, the timeline for this build isn't going to be what I'd hoped for. I still have and plan on building my Volvo 5 cylinder, but I will be manual swapping the truck first with an R380 from Ashcroft first and evaluating from there, since while the 4.6 is crap, it's still running and has been somewhat reliable lately (knock on wood), the same can't be said for the leaky transmission, which has been slowly hemorrhaging fluid through a crack in the case (thanks to the front driveshaft ejecting itself under previous ownership) for the duration of my ownership. I'm sick of filling it just for it to leak out, and it's started shifting weird, so it has to go.
Will this thing still get the Volvo motor? Hopefully. But it will for sure be getting a manual swap, and I'll be sure to document that process

This thread should help you out a bit: Discovery 2 auto to R380 manual Swap - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum

Also:

 

[V50_M66]

This thread should help you out a bit: Discovery 2 auto to R380 manual Swap - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum

Also:

Awesome, thanks!