M46 is DONE! Already!!!

[Jason]

Hey Everyone,
I finnaly got the M46 swap done, and what a different car it is! I'm running the clutchnet 6 puck sprung center disc. No slippage running 20+ lbs boost. I'm using the stock TD pressure plate, (German Sachs). I can easily burn the tires off in 1st, spin them through 2nd gear, and it chirps them into 3rd! The performance increase is HUGE. I should be going to the track in the next week or two. I'll get some new video and some better times!

Just thought I would give everyone an update. I may do a quick video later today.

Jason

[Slobodan]

OH damn hell fuck yeah, I bet you'll notice your torque actually GETS used in the LOW end.

Are you going to swap in the N/A cam shaft, Supposedly It holds the intake valve open longer.

I am going to try this and see what happens in my own motor. I need to install new cam seals anyway.

I've recently aquired an M47 real 5 speed. Then I can move forwards to install the O.D unit to the rear axl for a Sixth gear!

congrats on removing the slopbox.

[Jason]

I may consider doing the NA cam if I can come across a good one. I'm thinking this summer will be it for the engine. It has a decent amount of blow by and the way I run it I think its going to be time for a rebuild by fall. It appears to have been decently taken care of, but there obviously is some piston ring wear. Yes putting the power to the ground makes quite a difference! I can't wait to take it to the track. I have to actually turn down the boost controller as I can now make 25lbs of boost in 2nd gear where before the best I could do was right at 20! I wish I could have had this done last summer!

Jason

[EvoStevo]

Awesome! Can't wait to see videos!

[jbg]

I've recently aquired an M47 real 5 speed. Then I can move forwards to install the O.D unit to the rear axl for a Sixth gear!

What an awesome idea! A 5-speed with a OD unit for a sixth gear. Slobodon, when you do this modification, please post up the details and impressions when in use!

Also, Jason, nice work! Keep pushing the performance envelope of the D24T in North America!

[BUSAS]

Hi Jason,


Congratulations...You are Always improving...tell me! now crusing at 100mph wich RPM are on the clocks ?


Best Regards,

Pedro

[Jason]

With my car still having the auto rear end gearing (shorter than the the gearing that comes in a m46 car) I'm running about 3100 rpm at 70 mph. I havn't payed attention to see what kind of rpms I'm running at 100.... I don't normally cruise along that fast! I'm thinking of getting some taller tires for the rear to help gear it up a little. Nothing over the top, but it has the power i think to take advantage of a slightly taller rear end ratio. I would just go faster in each gear... Between the short rear end, and the early steel case m46 the gearing is pretty short and close together, but man does it haul ass! My RPM drop between gear is 1-2 1300, 2-3 1100, 3-4 800. Pretty close ratio!

Jason

[v8volvo]

Yeah, the M46 has a very short first gear, even with a fairly tall rearend (I think my car has a 3.54) mine rips through first pretty fast -- too fast to really be useful I think, I doubt it even builds full boost and you run out of revs almost immediately. Yours must be even more extreme, with more power and a shorter rear. I think these cars would benefit from having the tallest rearend possible installed. There is certainly enough torque to make use of taller gearing.

We might need another video now that you have the stick in. :D

[Jason]

Well, it didn't even last a week. I took it for its first drive friday night, but it was raining so I couldn't even get on it. I blew up the trans tonight. Third gear is blown out. I don't have 1st 2nd or 3rd, or reverse. I limped to a friends house in 4th gear. I'll go get it with the truck and trailer tomorrow... I knew it was going to blow up but geeze! I figured I would at least get a summer worth of abuse out of it! I'm not THAT hard on it..lol At least my buddy I was taking for a ride was impressed. He thought it felt like a 14 sec car or so... Thats good to hear at least.

I don't know whats next for it, this is just supposed to be a fun project/daily driver thing. I don't want to spend lots on it, I have a race car that is actually fast that I would rather buy stuff for when things get expensive. Just the same, I gotta get something in there that will at least hold the current level of power, it was just starting to get really fun to drive! I hear of guys over on Tbricks making 200hp and the M46s hold up fine to that. I guess the diesel torque killed it. That 6 puck clutch wasn't screwing around either, talk about grab! It must be making some decent power anyway. I'm going to do some research, but from what I had come across, the T-5 is the popular swap to do. I don't see a m46 or 47 holding up, and doubt I would be able to get ahold of a M90 since they are Europe only in the later cars. A T56 sure would be nice.... 6 gears to bang through man that would be cool, I don't think I have ever heard of anyone swaping one in place of a M46/47 though.

Jason

[verdigo]

Sorry to hear about the tranny. My M46 is pretty noisy but is hanging on with the NA motor. Keep us posted on your ideas or solutions. Im still agonizing over piston prices on my D24T engine but will probably bite the bullit soon to get it going. Im not looking for a hot rod though. I just want to go up hills on the highway and not have to down shift

[v8volvo]

Jason, that's too bad to hear. M46s are cheap though and you're already all set up for it. Sounds like it was the combination of diesel torque and an aggressive clutch that knocked it out so fast. Why not just pick up another M46 for a hundred bucks and drop it in until you have the time/$$$ to get something more beefy in there? That will get the car back on the road at least and it should still be a blast to drive. People use these behind redblocks with quite a bit of power and torque so as long as you don't hammer it too hard on shifts I would think it would do OK for at least a while. You probably have enough turbo lag to protect it even with all the power and torque you have, as long as you go easy with launches and shifting.

Or -- I know you don't want to hear this but you could also rebuild the slushbox, get a nice converter for it, and put it back in. I like my ZF more every time I drive it...

[Jason]

Ya there seems to be a lack of aftermarket stuff for the zf though. It would need a shift kit of some kind, and even if I could get the converter restalled up a little higher, I still cant controll the lock up, and it just wastes too much power when its slipping. M46s may be plentiful up where you are, but I had to get mine from PA! It was one that was advertised on here for sale. There aren't many volvos around here and no manuals. I have never seen one for sale on craigslist, or seen a manual volvo the local yards. I'm not going to waste the time putting the same thing back in, it didn't even last a week! I wasn't even at the track, I was just taking a friend for a ride and giving a "performance demonstration"... I really thought it would last the summer at least before shitting out. I don't have a lift here at the house and swapping the trans is a pain in my ass. If I take this one out I will for sure be stuffing something better in there. I've got some emails out on transmissions for sale locally on craigslist. I'm trying to scoop up a world class T-5. I'l just buy the adapter plate, and send my disc back to clutch net and have them rebuild it with the mustang center. The rest of the disc is brand new, hell it doesn't have 150 miles on it!

Jason

[Slobodan]

God man... I think it was the clutch that did it in. M46's M47;s and the like, I feel can handle 300hp Its how you manage the power. I killed an M46 on a stock 740 turbo.. Stock boost stock stock stock everything. blew the hell out of second gear. Ofcourse it was the aluminum cased m46. I am producing 270 crank hp from my 242 GT Turbo. and my M47 again aluminum cased is hold up fine with stock turbo clutch disc and PP. I just put the IPD Turbo cam in it and a .60/.63 Garrett T3 turbo on it... I do have a decent lag before power and still bang gears from time to time.. no probs.

Must be the diesel torque and the clutch.

Getrag BMW transmission I feel would be far easier to manage. I've helped a couple friends do the swap. My bro is doing it on his 244 16v Turbo... Turbo is a VGT from a Cummins hah. Its gonna be sick.

Anyways the Getrag shifter bracket and link rod is so simple to modify for the 7 series body.

Good job on killing the M46... :)

[Jason]

T-5s are very common around here (probably everywhere). Volvo and getrag transmissions aren't. I want to stick with something that has easy parts access and it also has loads of upgrade parts available too. I'm sure the clutch didn't help things, but what is the use of a clutch that slips? I don't know what power its making, but I was putting it to the ground thats for sure! I wasn't power shifting it or anything crazy.... Obviously I'm not very good at "managing" the power my car is making. I am however very good at dishing it out and running the shit outa it!!! I think the T-5 is really going to open up some real potential. No trans or overdrive to worry about breaking anymore. I can throw in the studs and max it out. I think 13s are going to be possible. Its 14 sec material as is at 20lbs of boost!

Jason

[Jason]

Mine was the steel case M46... Kinda funny I posted over on T-bricks with some t5 swap questions. As you guys know most everyone over there are diesel haters. They were impressed/suprised that i managed to blow up 3rd gear with a diesel.

lol they just don't get it

Green block power!


Jason

[Slobodan]

nope they don't get it. I used to be on the other side of the fence. I didn't straight up hate them. But I've always kind of was enticed by the D24. back in '03 till '06 I've been very intimate with them, I worked for a guy who had his own volvo shop in a small town. There was a very high percentage of Diesels there. And I was the one who tore down the blown up/dead ones for rebuild. I did learn a bit from that. I realized how fun and easy they really are to work on. So much different than the Redblocks I learned to wrench on. Anyways, yeah Torque.

[Sweedspeed18]

As you guys know most everyone over there are diesel haters.


I think it is more jealousy than anything.
Its kind of annoying.
The majority of the cars on there really suck haha.

[EvoStevo]

nope they don't get it. I used to be on the other side of the fence. I didn't straight up hate them. But I've always kind of was enticed by the D24. back in '03 till '06 I've been very intimate with them, I worked for a guy who had his own volvo shop in a small town. There was a very high percentage of Diesels there. And I was the one who tore down the blown up/dead ones for rebuild. I did learn a bit from that. I realized how fun and easy they really are to work on. So much different than the Redblocks I learned to wrench on. Anyways, yeah Torque.

I wish I had a similar background to yours. Sounds like you learned a lot and acquired skills that will serve you for a lifetime.