Mornin Peeps. Got a spare 1.4 turbo engine and box from a Renault 5 kicking about me garage. anyone know if any RWD boxes would fit, or if a rear
engined Locost is feesable (never seen one myself). Otherwise, does anyone need one? that way i could just go buy Sierra running gear...
well if you want mid engined, look at the mid engine section of the forum. alan b, john and the others will help you.
on the r5 rwd box.... well i dont believe there is one but you can machine a flange to fit a type 9 box and bellhousing.
only ideas i can come up wit
fin
closest I can think of is volvo 340 uses Renault 5 engine with bell houseing where clutch is but gear box is at the back end?
Looked into the volvo thing. Couldnt believe i forgot about those slabs! That is, till i looked at one again. Drrrab. It seems impossible to find
visual specs in the internet (belive me, i can clock a R5 Block anywhere, so i would know for sure if i could only see one.) Think i'll just have to
root around scrapyards to see. The rear box thing is true though, and if the linkage isnt too complex, i would probably prefer that (better weight
distribution etc, plus those tanks use leaf springs i think, so it couldnt be simpler) only problem i can think of is the fuel tank...
Yep, same basic block in the Volvo (1.4) so in theory should fit. BUT.... Volvo is fitted with an aluminium propshaft, which IIRC are prone to
buggering up even with their measely output. I know you will be fitting it in a car with half the weight, but you will have twice, maybe three times
the power (in between blown head gaskets, knackered turbos, melted pistons etc
) The other problem is shortening it....
Trailing arms & coil-over shocks as per book(ish)
Well, Probshaft comes after clutch, so all im keeping is the turboblock, everything else should be volvo. Shouldnt matter what the rear susp. is
either, as i'm sure the traditional locost setup would work, unless (and im sure 340s arent this advanced) they use IRS...
I wouldn't think that they would be live axle with the rear transaxle.
I have a sneeky suspision that they are a dedion rear setup - couldn't be better.
Only problem then would be the amount of space taken up by the transaxle.
Phil
dont plan on having much in the back anyway. Bar the fuel tank. Or maybe some Subs (the boy racers coming out in me again...)
quote:
Originally posted by thetankwad
Well, Probshaft comes after clutch, so all im keeping is the turboblock, everything else should be volvo. Shouldnt matter what the rear susp. is either, as i'm sure the traditional locost setup would work, unless (and im sure 340s arent this advanced) they use IRS...
) surely the Volvo prop is going to be too long? As it's made of ali it will be a b***ard to
shorten and making a replacement steel one could be a bit of an arse (but not impossible). Also bear in mind that the prop basically becomes part of
the engine rotational inertia when the clutch is disengaged, as opposed to gearbox behind clutch setup, when this usually only occurs when the car is
in 4th gear. Not a big problem in itself, but you will need to ensure any mods are going to be reliable, even more so than a conventional setup.
If my memory is correct on these volvo's it went - engine, clutch, bellhousing (with bearing support outlet for propshaft), propshaft ( ali, sliding sleeve tube, which is how you got them of, with a clamp at each end), gearbox/trans axle, & I cannot remember what the rear suspension was, live or irs.
The Volvo 340's used a De-Dion rear end on leaf springs.
I'd looked into them for a different project but was put off by the lack of LSD options (at least that I could find)
LSD? christ, id love to have seen what that was for... i did a naughty thing and tore a 340 haynes manual open; only the 2 litre ones use de dion, the
rest are leaf spring. so if anyone knows where to find a cheap tank, let me know...
Every 3 series Volvo I have ever looked under have Dedion axles (but located WITH leaf springs....) 
Hmmm, seems like it could be quite an awkward system to install. Any thoughts on the possibility of stripping the rear assembly to the drive shafts
and adapting them to run an irs setup, or am i dreaming again. PS, the propshaft isnt a problem, i can blag a re-machined and hardened one to fit.,
plus i think i may be able to modify the chassis to fit the rear transaxle, providing it isnt tooo wide...
Shold be no problem to build a IRS out of it.
use front hubs from fwd car in the rear. dual A-arms and a 'toe arm'. and you have fully adjusteble susp, and often better breaks then the
drums of a Volvo340.
One problem can be to fit the gearbox, it is on its side, so it is quite wide, wider then between my seats anyway.
the front hubs are McPherson but funny with spedometerwire to the left frontwhel.