Volvo head...on the car!

merkurmaniac · Post by **merkurmaniac** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:16 am

Hey John, on that Manual that you were consulting. It had a name on the front, right ? Ford or something ? I think that they are the same ones that got stuck 10 years later with a whole pile of bad TFI's in their recall, no ??

<The following is made up BS>

From my Ford Explorer service manual " For optimal overturning resistance, ensure that the tire pressure in the Firestone tires does not exceed 6 psi."

Post by **John Brennan** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 5:27 pm

No, this is the official, hard-plastic-bound, loose-leaf, 4.75"-thick Merkur XR4Ti Shop Manual.

Post by **Ed Lijewski** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:01 pm

DPDISXR4Ti wrote:Who are you going to believe, me, or your own two eyes!?

Seriously, I believe the manual is mis-guided in this suggestion. My understanding of (all?) dielectric grease is that it is an insulator, which is 100% at odds with the purpose of a heat sink.

My own eyes (and mind; hee hee):

http://www.maplin.co.uk/searchpages/SIL ... MPOUND.htm

SILICONE DIELECTRIC COMPOUND Products

Heat Transfer Compound Â£2.49
Â·Excellent non-creep characteristics Â·Wide operating temperature (-50C to +130C) Â·High thermal conductivity (0.9 W/mK)-This silicone free heat transfer compound is for use on electrical and electronic components that require improved thermal conductivity or the efficient dissipation of heat. It ...... More Info"

That's OK, Bwana:

It sounded good, but just a bit of research pricked that balloon.

YMMV

Turbopit · Post by **Turbopit** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 2:17 am

A dielectric material is a substance that is a poor conductor of electricity, but an efficient supporter of electrostatic fields. If the flow of current between opposite electric charge poles is kept to a minimum while the electrostatic lines of flux are not impeded or interrupted, an electrostatic field can store energy. This property is useful in capacitors, especially at radio frequencies. Dielectric materials are also used in the construction of radio-frequency transmission lines.

In practice, most dielectric materials are solid. Examples include porcelain (ceramic), mica, glass, plastics, and the oxides of various metals. Some liquids and gases can serve as good dielectric materials. Dry air is an excellent dielectric, and is used in variable capacitors and some types of transmission lines. Distilled water is a fair dielectric. A vacuum is an exceptionally efficient dielectric.

An important property of a dielectric is its ability to support an electrostatic field while dissipating minimal energy in the form of heat. The lower the dielectric loss (the proportion of energy lost as heat), the more effective is a dielectric material. Another consideration is the dielectric constant, the extent to which a substance concentrates the electrostatic lines of flux. Substances with a low dielectric constant include a perfect vacuum, dry air, and most pure, dry gases such as helium and nitrogen. Materials with moderate dielectric constants include ceramics, distilled water, paper, mica, polyethylene, and glass. Metal oxides, in general, have high dielectric constants.

The prime asset of high-dielectric-constant substances, such as aluminum oxide, is the fact that they make possible the manufacture of high-value capacitors with small physical volume. But these materials are generally not able to withstand electrostatic fields as intense as low-dielectric-constant substances such as air. If the voltage across a dielectric material becomes too great -- that is, if the electrostatic field becomes too intense -- the material will suddenly begin to conduct current. This phenomenon is called dielectric breakdown. In components that use gases or liquids as the dielectric medium, this condition reverses itself if the voltage decreases below the critical point. But in components containing solid dielectrics, dielectric breakdown usually results in permanent damage.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 8:26 pm

Here's some more miscellaneous crap... been trying to keep busy while the head is at the machine shop (getting surfaced/valve jobbed.)

Push-on hoses are awesome. I don't know how they work, but I suspect magic.

I seem to have lost my head.

The Saab radiator nestled into the NPR intercooler.

Can't wait to get my head back so I can start to lay out this harness...

Volvo flange tacked onto the cossie manifold... excuse the disgusting spool gun welds - it's going to get TIG'd soon.

Here's that area on the runners I had notched out previously - plenty of room for the bolts now.

Colin

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 1:13 am

Holy crap, long time no update!

First off, I finally got the head surfaced and had a valve grind performed. Put a set of ARP head studs in the block and secured the whole mess earlier tonight:

Notice the spacers under the center three nuts on the intake side - the spacers are 1/2" ID x 1" OD x 1.5" height. The idea behind them is to help equalize the torque applied to the head by using the same length stud in every position. We'll see whether it helps or hinders - either way, thanks to Hal Lovato (FknBdFkr at turboford.org) for the inspiration.

Next up, I got my fuel lines put together and installed, along with the el cheapo OBX-R fuel pressure regulator:

Anyone know if this thing is hooked up right? It didn't come with any instructions and the other regulators of this type (AEM, for example) use both side ports as inlets, the bottom for the return line, and a nipple on top for the boost reference. This doesn't have any nipple on top, but instead has one on the bottom port. I'm thinking they just kinda intend it to be used on inline-configuration engines with only one fuel rail, as opposed to other brands, which can accomodate dual rails. At least I hope that's what the deal is...

On the intake side of things, I finally got the cossie manifold welded to the Volvo flange by a local welding outfit. Yes, I farm out the aluminum TIG'ing...

Got some T-bolt clamps from Napa, rather than ordering them online... now to roll a bead or two into those charge pipes...

And I nabbed a sweet emblem off a B234F Volvo in the junkyard - should be quite a conversation piece at Carlisle...

My goal is to have the car running sometime in May, if not before.

Colin

Post by **DPDISXR4Ti** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:07 am

Excellent progress! Home stretch now - don't lift!

One thing... In that one close-up picture of the intake, it looks like the weld bead is preventing the washer from seating flat, no?

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:33 am

Good eye - I'm planning to trim down the welds in a few areas using a die grinder. The intake manifold has to come off again, anyway, since I haven't had it resurfaced since welding.

Now I'm searching for a cossie throttle body and throttle cable - I figure that'll be the easiest/cleanest way to go.

Colin

Post by **DPDISXR4Ti** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:45 am

Colin wrote:Now I'm searching for a cossie throttle body and throttle cable - I figure that'll be the easiest/cleanest way to go.

I suppose. Me, I'd search for a common junkyard car as a donor, just so I wouldn't be tied to a "unavailable locally". What's the bolt spacing and inlet I.D. on that intake? I may have a solution.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:35 pm

Does your solution include a Ranger/BroncoII V6 throttle body?

Colin

Post by **anglin** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 5:52 pm

So glad to see that you are making good progress. I was hoping you had just been too busy with the project to post pictures. Looks like it! Keep it up. Can't wait to see the car in person!

Post by **DPDISXR4Ti** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:49 pm

Colin wrote:Does your solution include a Ranger/BroncoII V6 throttle body?

Dude, are you some kind of psychic?!

You realize there's one (circa 1987

) that had a 58mm I.D., right? (most are smaller)

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:40 am

Yeah, I'm clairvoyant.

turbofan · Post by **turbofan** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 2:02 pm

true story.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:28 pm

Moral: If you're clairvoyant, you can utilize a Swedish head, too.