360GLT Transaxle

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fredeuce
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360GLT Transaxle

Post by fredeuce » 23 Sep 2007 12:39 pm

Hi all, I'm a newbie to this site.

I am using a 360 GLT transaxle in an off road vehicle I am presently constructing.

I aim to put a 2.5 litre engine in front of it with about 200bhp perhaps a little more when sorted. All up weight should be around 500kg.

Volvo engineering is renowned as very good . I am curious to know how strong these boxes are? Anyone ever blown one up? :?:
fredeuce

classicswede
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Post by classicswede » 23 Sep 2007 12:54 pm

Fuse is probably the best person to answer your qustion.

These are not the strongest set but would handle the power levels you are talking about.
There can be problems when running the 360 with highish power turbo conversions
Dai

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foggyjames
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Post by foggyjames » 24 Sep 2007 09:12 pm

How 'grippy' is the setup likely to be? 500kg is good...but the shock loads placed on the box by the degree of traction available will be an important factor to consider. Drag cars are very transmission intensive, whereas I imagine a mud plugger would be fairly kind to the box itself...although the diff might complain if you get up to too much wheelspinning action.

How much torque does this engine make? 200bhp and 350lbft is very different in terms of drivetrain requirements to a Civic Type R with 200bhp and 145lbft!

cheers

James
VOC 300-series Register Keeper
'89 740 Turbo Intercooler
'88 360 Turbo Intercooler
'85 360 GLT
'81 343 GLS R-Sport
'79 343 DL
'70 164
...and some modern FWD nonsense to get me to work...

fredeuce
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360GLT Transaxle

Post by fredeuce » 25 Sep 2007 12:05 am

Foggy,
Thanks for the advice. I guess the simplest way is to let you have a look at what Iam building. The engine is a 2.5 Litre Daimler V8. The rear wheel size is 13x7 . Will likely run a 205 / 60 series tyre. Not huge tyres by any stretch and the car is intened to have multiple uses; hillclimbing, Dry lake racing and vintage speedway however the latter use will require use of a quickchange speedway type axle and in/out box.
Unfortunately the pics don't show the transaxle but Iam sure you get the idea.

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foggyjames
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Post by foggyjames » 25 Sep 2007 01:04 am

Ah.....500kg and "off road vehicle" now makes sense...I was picturing some sort of jeep!

The fact that it's low displacement for a V8 is good. Assuming you don't drive like an ape (or more to the point, an American), I'm sure you'll be just fine ;)

cheers

James
VOC 300-series Register Keeper
'89 740 Turbo Intercooler
'88 360 Turbo Intercooler
'85 360 GLT
'81 343 GLS R-Sport
'79 343 DL
'70 164
...and some modern FWD nonsense to get me to work...

fredeuce
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Joined: 23 Sep 2007 12:15 pm
Location: Australia

Post by fredeuce » 25 Sep 2007 01:23 am

James,
Thanks for the further advice . I was going to add that these engines put out 155ft/lbs. of torque @ 3000 RPM in standard configuration. That is likely to be higher with the mods to the engine but I doubt it would be any higher than 200ft/lbs. These are a relatively short stroke engine. I would also expect the torque to be a bit higher in the rev range.


As for the "apes" , definitely a chimp free zone in my neck of the woods.
However with the growth in numbers in the "burnout brigade" I fear the apes are alive and well. :(
fredeuce

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foggyjames
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Post by foggyjames » 25 Sep 2007 01:34 am

My car made 145lbft, and I drove it like I stole it, so I think you'll be fine. There have been a number of people with turbocharged Volvo engines in these cars which must have been making 200-300lbft of torque.

cheers

James
VOC 300-series Register Keeper
'89 740 Turbo Intercooler
'88 360 Turbo Intercooler
'85 360 GLT
'81 343 GLS R-Sport
'79 343 DL
'70 164
...and some modern FWD nonsense to get me to work...

Bilbo
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Post by Bilbo » 25 Sep 2007 06:18 pm

looks like an old SWB F1 car 8) ,what front suspension/steering arrangement will you be using?
Y + A plate both 1983 & D plate 1987 3door 360 Glt's

fredeuce
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360GLT Transaxle

Post by fredeuce » 26 Sep 2007 12:14 am

The car is actually a replica of a Kurtis Kraft midget that was built in large numbers just after WWII by Frank Kurtis in the USA.
Usually fitted with a 4cyl. Offenhauser of about 100 c.i. or a sidevalve Ford V8-60 of about 138 c.i. Other engines have been used over the years including the little 2.5 Daimler.

The front suspension on these cars typically were a solid tube axle fabricated to suit together with cross spring. Very much like an English Ford 10 or early Prefect or Anglia/Popular.
cross springs also appeared on the early Kurtis midgets but later changed to longitudinal torsion bars. Later again the front ends were also changed to longitudinal torsion bars in conjunction with the solid front axle.

Steering is by a conventional type worm and gear steering box with centre steer . Has a pitman arm and drag link to the steering arm on the left stub axle. This basic setup is still used in new midgets today.
fredeuce

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Fuse
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Post by Fuse » 26 Sep 2007 11:36 am

Nice project! That's good if the torque comes at higher revs, because it's the low end torque which kills these boxes/diffs. :P And wrong kind of use, there have been blown diffs with stock engines when people try to do burnouts with underpowered engines and open diffs.. and in most cases parts have been very worn and with low oil levels. Like Foggy said, if you don't drive like an ape you should be fine. :lol:

Weakest link is the diff, small gears are prone to break in open diff with turboed 360s, but if there's not huge amounts of torque at low revs you should be fine. Also the joint between the torque tube and gearbox has been an issue sometimes with higher power setups, but apparently it can be reinforced too. But it's the open diff (small gears especially) which goes first if something breaks.

Box will handle the power, 300-series M45R/M47R box will handle the same as M46 box used in bigger turbo Volvos, only fifth gear is a bit weaker in M47 than the electric overdrive gear in M46.

In bigger turbo Volvos, torque numbers between 420 and 450 Nm have been considered to be the numbers when lifespan of the box is something between one acceleration and few weeks. So below +400Nm levels you are fine with the box. :) And in lighter setup it's more easier for the box than it is in 240 or 740 Volvo.

Though Makkiver ran +400Nm +300hp from the crank in 360 for sometime before he upgraded to Getrag and BMW diff, and he didn't break anything. He had turboed 2.3l Volvo engine and power came at very high revs so that's one reason why he didn't break anything. :P

But 200lbs/ft (~278Nm) shouldn't be a problem if parts are in good condition. :)
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fredeuce
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Joined: 23 Sep 2007 12:15 pm
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360GLT Transaxle

Post by fredeuce » 27 Sep 2007 03:33 am

Fuse,
Thanks for the advice. It seems to me a simple case of pressing on and exercising due respect for the diff and the combination should work reasonably well.
Cheers.
fredeuce

dalahare
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Post by dalahare » 27 Sep 2007 05:49 am

I blew my diff, the pinion gears wore out on their shaft so they had about 5mm of play each, for a while it was great as they mashed together and acted like a lsd, then they started shearing teeth, which got jammed between the crown wheel and the diff housing and punched its way out the bottom of the diff. :?

fredeuce
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Re: 360GLT Transaxle

Post by fredeuce » 18 Jul 2014 02:39 am

Hi folks . Its been a few years since I originally posted here. I can say that the car is now done and I have been running in the local hillclimb over the last year . The transmission has been fine however the ratios are a bit wide. I think I will go to a 14" rim with a 60 series tyre to compensate. Tyres are a 205/60/13 . They stand about 552mm tall. I find that I can start in second gear and achieve fastest first sector times on the hill . A taller first and second would be ideal and the bigger wheels should fix that. BTW what is the standard tyre diameter on a 360GLT?

Here are some links to some youtube clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnuT2_18_XY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaQeuMQfBuI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pX_k3_GICg
Last edited by fredeuce on 06 Aug 2023 11:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
fredeuce

360beast
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Re: 360GLT Transaxle

Post by 360beast » 18 Jul 2014 09:00 am

That sounds great, gotta love a dirty V8 burble :lol:

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