1994 HDJ80 + C303 portal axles, 42", 6LP-DTE (marine engine) (1 Viewer)

[Beka]

Hi! My name is Beka. I live in St. Petersburg, Russia. English is my third language, so be ready for what the heck I'm writing about.

Mine is on top, not below

I'm perusing two goals by creating this thread:

1. Sharing information.
As my setup is not widespread one, you might be interested in how to solve same problems, which you will face while doing same thing.

2. Expand my English speaking auditory (I run channel on youtube).

Story is long, so it will be updated piece by piece.

Stage 1
First I will post how car was converted to Volvo C303 axles

Stage 2
Second how we adapted Yanmar 6LP-DTE engine (boosted 1HD-T) for car application.

If you can't wait, there is info on web (mostly text) about first stage, but in Russian, so google translate could help you. Second stage is mostly in video and some text. If am allowed to give links I will update post later.

How this madness has started? Well in 2015, I bought this car on stock axles and 36" inch tiers. This how it was looking.

I was pretty happy with this setup.

Made 5000km trip two times from St. P to Tbilisi, Georgia (this is where I was born).

 

[Vitek]

Is this car with the video where you sunk both the BTR and the car on top of it in a lake? Please tell us the story of that!

 

[Jorgito]

Welcome to the ih8mud, I follow your amazing channel on Youtube and spent quite a time watching your videos. I wish I could go to those places one time again.

 

[Beka]

Is this car with the video where you sunk both the BTR and the car on top of it in a lake? Please tell us the story of that!

Yes. All story is on youtube, nothing to add.

Some people consider it was planed to drown them both, but it not, it just happened so. As you can read from further story about this car here, too much love, effort and money is burred in to it for drowning it for fun.

Despite two weeks of recovery we had to do, this will be one of the best memories. When you are thrown back to childhood, you have a mission and you have to be a hero of your own, rescue something precious from the bottom, just like stones from the river when you are kid.

Welcome to the ih8mud, I follow your amazing channel on Youtube and spent quite a time watching your videos. I wish I could go to those places one time again.

You are talking about travel videos or offroad part?

 

[Vitek]

Could you please link your youtbe channel? I am really curious to watch your videos!

 

[Beka]

Than I have started to mess with portal guys...

After 3 day of wild offroad trip with them, I realized, that to keep up in deep rut, my 28 cm ground clearance is not enough. Volvo C303 and C306 which they where driving has 38cm on stock 34" tires due to portal axles.

Options I was thinking about:

1. Suzuki samurai, it's actually not a car But you can run small tires and ride like ATV
Small wheelbase, no room for stuff and sleeping accommodation in car.

2. Buy or build custom axle which could handle 43" (to get same ground clearance)
Did not liked this idea much.

3. Buy Volvo C303
No power steering, no AT, weak engine, leaf spring suspension, ergonomics of military truck, you are no enjoying offroad ride at all.

4. Get from C303 it's best, portal axles and cross them with TLC 80.
Bingo!

As I love to dig deep in subject, my interest was not just pay to someone to build, but study my own, how axles swap should be done correctly. Of course there where enough cases in 2016, when I started thinking about this conversions, but none of them was enough detailed for me. It took me 2 years to study, think, collect all parts to run conversion in spring 2018.

 

[Beka]

Could you please link your youtbe channel? I am really curious to watch your videos!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYjeCOqSKT3C-0dYCQNkxdg

 

[Lumpskie]

Is the 6LP-DTE already installed and running. I have always wanted to see such a swap! Portal axles plus a Yanmar engine... I'm already on the edge of my seat.

EDIT: Just saw the videos on your channel... the 6LP seems like everything I wished it could be. What a strong setup... spins those 42s without any struggle.

 

[Beka]

Is the 6LP-DTE already installed and running. I have always wanted to see such a swap! Portal axles plus a Yanmar engine... I'm already on the edge of my seat.

Yes, all is working. It operates at 1,8 bar, but we need 2,1 bar to run it's full potential. Issue with correct turbine will be fixed soon.

 

[Lumpskie]

Yes, all is working. It operates at 1,8 bar, but we need 2,1 bar to run it's full potential. Issue with correct turbine will be fixed soon.

Awesome. 2.1 is about stock for the 6LP, right? I can't wait to see more.

 

[Beka]

Awesome. 2.1 is about stock for the 6LP, right? I can't wait to see more.

Yes.

 

[Blasst]

Unbelievable Beka, I am planning a trip with a friend from St Petersburg in a couple of months. Great to see you here. This build with portal axles, 6LP-DTE Yanmar engine is blowing my mind. Keep up the amazing work .....love it.

 

[Beka]

I will refer to pic below for right naming.

Overall width

With 36"x12,5" Simex on 8" ET -10 (minus) rims stock axles overall width was 192cm and my goal was to keep same if it's possible. If you remove brake drums from Volvo (disk brake conversion should be done), you'll get Hub Face width - 175cm vs 163cm (toyota). Currently I run 42"x13,6" on 10" +53 rims and overall width is 200cm. As my dual beadlock rims are custom made, I was able to order parameters I need, but there is no space in rear axle (78mm is space you have with 36"x12,5" Simex on 8" ET -10).

Mounts

You can buy ready mounts.

Most valuable is that they come with schema where it should be welded on Volvo axles.

Rear

Front

 

[Beka]

There is tricky moment with spring mount. See second pic for understanding.

If you weld spring cup to its place, you don't have access to wheel gear nuts.
So solution number 1 you can see on pics below. Removable cup.

Or make spring bracket high enough to be able push the ratchet.

 

[Beka]

Also during modeling we saw that diff lock pneumatic actuators (yes I have changed vacuum actuators) comes in conflict with arm assy upper bracket.

We moved 5cm brackets, problem solved but arm assy upper should be lengthend

 

[Beka]

To match diff flange with Toyota propeller shaft, you have two options:

Adapter

New flange (my choice)

As Volvo portal axles, tie rod assy is located in front, there is pan-hard mount bracket issue.
On pic you see that you have only two finger space left, which is not enough for suspension articulation.

There is two sollution.

First, modify bracket, by relocating mount.

Second, suspension lift. As I was planing to run on 42" tires, 4" lift is fine to fit them an not make any mod to pan-hard mount bracket.

 

[Beka]

Front mounted tie rod assy has another issue. It is too close to Arm assy leading.

Solution - bend End Sub-Assy, Steering Relay Rod.

There are 3 types of Volvo portal axles.

1. C303 - 4x4 pinion and gear 32/11

2. Long 4x4 but with extra axle.
C304 - 6x6 pinion and gear 31/9

3. Truck
C306 - 6x6 pinion and gear 33/9

If you got from C303, rear axle differential is shifted to right side. And it's perfectly match Toyota transmission alignment.

If you got 2 or 3, rear axles differential is right in the middle, and propeller shaft will meet fuel tank (hammer is you friend). Check pic below.

 

[Blasst]

Beka, where are you buying the Volvo portal axles. Is it difficult to find them in Russia? Or do you get them in Sweden?

 

[SNLC]

Yes. All story is on youtube, nothing to add.

Some people consider it was planed to drown them both, but it not, it just happened so. As you can read from further story about this car here, too much love, effort and money is burred in to it for drowning it for fun.

Despite two weeks of recovery we had to do, this will be one of the best memories. When you are thrown back to childhood, you have a mission and you have to be a hero of your own, rescue something precious from the bottom, just like stones from the river when you are kid.



You are talking about travel videos or offroad part?

I like rocks, driving over them that is.


The Volvo portals were coming into the USA a fair amount 10-15yrs ago. There is an 80 on here somewhere with them, it was for sale for a long time.


I used to have a Nissan Patrol on Portal-tec axles.

I used to have a Pinzgauer too.

I just found your YT channel today.

Cheers

 

[Beka]

Beka, where are you buying the Volvo portal axles. Is it difficult to find them in Russia? Or do you get them in Sweden?

Mine was bought directly in Sweden. In Russia also could be found.

Tatanka Parts - https://www.tatanka.nu/ -they're major spare parts sellers on Volvo.
My sellers e-mail: captainduva@hotmail.com