4T60E Transmission, and introductions...

Todd82TA · Post by **Todd82TA** » 01 Dec 2009, 19:37

Hey guys,

I'm Todd. About a year ago, I was seriously considering an older Volvo S80. My wife was about to give birth, so I didn't want to have car payments. I sold my Solstice, and her VW Beetle Convertible. Bought her a new car, and I had $7,000 to spend on myself. I looked at a number of Volvo S80s from the range of 2000-2002 specifically. In the end, I opted for a low mileage 2002 Ford Explorer with only 32k miles on it.

However, my test drives of the two S80s that I had driven really stuck with me. The car felt incredibly well built and was unbelievably comfortable. It really felt like I could get a 7 series BMW for the price of a low mileage Ford Focus.

I'm considering maybe saving up for another "project". I really like the older Volvo S80s, but was scared away by the reliability. I read somewhere that the 2.9 was often available with a 4-Speed automatic. I also heard that this automatic was in fact the relatively unreliable GM 4T60E automatic transmission.

I know they sell heavy duty rebuild kits for these transmissions and I got to thinking... could I drop a 327 / 5.3 liter LS GM V8 engine in there, and use a normal GM 4T60E transmission from something like a 2006+ front wheel drive Impala SS?

Has anyone tried this? Am I completely off base? I'm wondering if a V8 will fit. I question if there is enough depth in the engine bay. Certainly, I know it has enough length... I figured it might be more reliable than a T5 with the twin turbo 3.2 L6.

Thanks guys!!!

Todd

Post by **vegasjetskier** » 01 Dec 2009, 22:20

Swapping in a V8 would be way more hassle than it would be worth.

Todd82TA · Post by **Todd82TA** » 02 Dec 2009, 06:18

vegasjetskier wrote:Swapping in a V8 would be way more hassle than it would be worth.

Would it really though? 80% of an engine swap is worrying about getting the transmission and drive-axles to mate up to the factory wheels / hubs.

Putting in an LS1 or something like that, even just a 327... would cost probably $1,300 bucks for the parts. All I'd have to do is fabricate a FRONT motor mount (which is extremely easy, I'd probably even just modify a factory Volvo I5 motor mount). I think really, the hardest part of this particular swap would realistically be trying to get the factory gauges to work... which may not be possible. They may be on a completely different system. I realize they're all OBD2, but that wouldn't necessarily mean that the LS1's ecm would communicate with it.

But actually getting the motor in there... I mean, all of the hard fabrication stuff would already be done, and would be factory. I could drop a V8 in, and ALL I'd have to worry about is a single motor mount. All of the transmission, drive-train, shifter, etc.. that would all still be factory stuff and it would all still work!

Post by **vegasjetskier** » 02 Dec 2009, 07:32

The S80 has a transverse engine in it. So you would have to put the V8 in sideways. Then you'd have to get the exhaust from the left (front now) bank of cylinders around to the back (firewall side) of the engine. I think you would also have clearance issues for the right (rear now) bank of cylinders at the firewall. Then you would have to deal with the electronics mismatches as you already described. These cars have plenty of problems with the factory electronics - I think you would be multiplying them by trying to splice in a different manufacturer's components.

If it were me and I were dead set on getting an S80 with a low probability of transmissions problems, I'd have the transmission rebuilt with heavy duty components by a competent shop and stick with the Volvo engine.

Also, the S80 6-cylinder models use the 4T65E transmission.

Post by **jblackburn** » 02 Dec 2009, 07:42

Another thing you'd have to worry about is HEAT with a huge engine like that crammed in there.

A T6 has pretty incredible power by itself anyway if that's what you want - just go for one of the newer ones. 2003's-onward are supposed to be pretty reliable.

Todd82TA · Post by **Todd82TA** » 02 Dec 2009, 12:27

vegasjetskier wrote:The S80 has a transverse engine in it. So you would have to put the V8 in sideways. Then you'd have to get the exhaust from the left (front now) bank of cylinders around to the back (firewall side) of the engine. I think you would also have clearance issues for the right (rear now) bank of cylinders at the firewall. Then you would have to deal with the electronics mismatches as you already described. These cars have plenty of problems with the factory electronics - I think you would be multiplying them by trying to splice in a different manufacturer's components.

If it were me and I were dead set on getting an S80 with a low probability of transmissions problems, I'd have the transmission rebuilt with heavy duty components by a competent shop and stick with the Volvo engine.

Also, the S80 6-cylinder models use the 4T65E transmission.

Actually, this is even better news!!! The ~2006-2009 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP V8, the Bonneville GXP-V8, and the Chevy Impala SS all use a transversally mounted LS V8 engine (5.3 liters) with a 4T65E automatic transmission.

I could basically buy the entire front clip from one of those cars. I twould come with everything, including exhaust. with a cross-over pipe. All I'd need to do is connect the Y-pipe to the factory exhaust of the Volvo S80.

http://www.roadfly.com/new-cars/wp-cont ... engine.jpg

I really like the Volvo S80, a lot... and as much as I hate to say it, my dad had excellent reliability with the I5 in the Volvo 850s in the 90s... but It's just too much to worry about. Any sensor on that engine is ridiculously expensive. When I had to change out a fuel pump on my parent's old Volvo 240 Turbo Wagon, I had to figure out which pump had failed because there were two of them. I realize the S80 is much newer, but there are just a lot of things that would end up being more trouble than their worth.

Certainly, I'm a Ford fan, and I'm not real big on Communist General Motors anymore anyway... but their LS motors run very cool (all aluminum... heads and block), and all the hard work is basically done for me... It seems the hardest thing for me to do is figure out the wiring. Radiator and other stuff shouldn't be a big issue. If I need to do a little cutting behind the dash to the firewall, it shouldn't be bad.

Post by **vegasjetskier** » 02 Dec 2009, 16:03

Well then good luck with your swap. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Todd82TA · Post by **Todd82TA** » 02 Dec 2009, 17:11

vegasjetskier wrote:Well then good luck with your swap. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Hah... yeah. I still have to buy an S80 first. I was hoping maybe someone on here had done something similar.

Although, I'm THRILLED to learn the transmission in there is a 4T65E.

Thanks guys... I've got some time to look, but when I find one, I'll post on here...

Tim73 · Post by **Tim73** » 28 Feb 2010, 23:57

Hi,
Can we swap a 4T65E transmission from Grand Prix into S80 ? Since the S80 come with a 4T65E as well.
Does anyone have done this before ?
Because I look around and hard to find Volvo car at Junk yard but there are a lots of Grand Prix (3800), Buick Century that used 4T65E Trans.

Thanks