PAGE ONE

A while back, I heard about a strangely shaped front pipe that looked very similar to a stock Volvo front pipe...except that this pipe routed the exhaust up near #1 cylinder.

The owner of this strange pipe had acquired it in a lot of surplus materials consisting mostly of fuel injection parts and components for Volvo four cylinder engines. Part number searches identified most of the various Kjet components to be circa 1978-1980. Along with the fuel injection parts and components were some turbine housings and other turbocharger pieces/parts.

After hearing about this pipe, and about its shape, I contacted the owner and asked for some pictures. From his descriptions, I'd already begun to suspect that it was something unique...something totally unexpected...

After some discussion, the owner agreed to send it to me...so that I could take pictures of it, evaluate it, perhaps determine why it was made...and to see if it was what I thought it might be...

As soon as I took the pipe out of the box, I "knew" EXACTLY what it was; and what it was for.

My suspicions were confirmed. This pipe was made to mount a turbocharger on a Volvo four cylinder redblock...a SOHC redblock with a stock, cast iron, NA [normally aspirated] exhaust manifold.

Because the first thing I wanted to find out was more of the story behind this pipe, I decided to arrange this gallery into multiple pages, with the first one...PAGE ONE...to show the pipe and solicit more information.

The whys and wherefores of the pipe will be discussed and illustrated in a PAGE TWO gallery. If needed, more PAGE galleries will be developed.

What we know about this pipe is dwarfed by what we do not know about it. Some of what we know is secondhand information; some of it thirdhand information.

Some of what we know...or more precisely, what we THINK we know:
...the pipe was acquired as surplus from a company called DM Engineering in Brookfield, Connecticut, in the early 1990's.
...DME did things for VCNA...Volvo Cars of North America. Whether or not it was a regular program or contracted project(s), is not known. In other words, we do not know just how formal the arrangements were; or who was involved in any projects...on either side.
...from the items in the surplus lot, DME was doing some work on turbochargers and Volvos....BEFORE Volvo started selling turbocharged cars.
...this front pipe was made to fit onto a SOHC redblock, mating up to the NA exhaust manifold, for the purpose of mounting a turbocharger onto the engine.

What we do not know:
...WHO made the pipe
...When the pipe was fabricated
...If the pipe was actually installed on a motor
...what the nature of the work was that was performed by DME for VCNA
...how involved DME was in the Volvo turbocharged engine development program/project
...how long DME was involved in the project
...what the goals and objectives of the program/project were
...what the program/project results were
...who was involved in any VCNA/DME program/projects

From my examination of the pipe, and based on my experience in analysis, diagnostics, and problem solving, I can draw a conclusion or two, IF I make a few ASSumptions:

...IF DME was involved in Volvo's turbo development project pre-production program,
...IF part of that program was to do some of the evaluation work on engine and fuel system components for turbocharged engines,
...IF being able to mount a turbocharger onto the engine via a method that was less expensive than developing a special cast iron manifold; and do so in such a manner as to not be an impediment to the evaluation and development work,

THEN:
...fabricating a front pipe that would mate up to the existing cast iron exhaust manifold,
...provide the mounting point for a turbocharger onto that engine,
...and do so with minimal displacement of existing accessories...
...such a pipe would be a very intelligent, cost effective, and quick solution.

...THAT is what I think, so far.

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What we would like to find out and learn more about:

...more about the DM Engineering connection with VCNA; and what projects were done for VCNA. The purpose is not to pry or expose confidential information. Rather it is for background information about what led up to this pipe.

...about the pipe itself:

as in:
--who made it? and when?
--was it a one-off? or were there others made as well?
--was it actually installed on a motor and used? what were the results?
--what turbo was installed?
--was it made for the reasons I speculated above: as an inexpensive means to turbo a NA motor for pre-production research?
--what WAS the project all about? And how successful was the project? In other words: did this pipe help the project proceed forward to completion?

I could go on and on; but you get the drift: We would like to know more about this pipe's history, and the story behind the history.

SO.........If you have information about this; or know of the origins of this pipe, and would care to help solve the mystery, then I would ask that you sign into my guestbook, mark it 'private', and I will read your comment and contact you.

I will not make the information public without your consent.