S80 Upgrade F.A.Q.

**weezer51402** · 05-14-2006, 09:44 PM

Hello everyone this is my first post and thanks to skywriter for directing my attention to this message board. If I may I would like to begin my first post with a suggestion rather than a question. Since I have been doing research on performance upgrades for my S80 I have noticed its has been somewhat difficult to find resources that have been particularly relevant. What I would like to propose is a categorical FAQ in this message board outlining the different types of upgrades that are available and the advantages and disadvantages associated with a particular upgrade. For example the differences of a PPC upgrade VS the ME7 ecu. This FAQ should include links to the particular product mentioned as well as a description. I make this suggestion in the hope of compiling a resource to make it easier to find the best part for a particular application. I am very willing to help put together this FAQ along with the help of members on this board and the approval of the moderators. -Mike Admin Edit - Great idea. We'll set this thread up as a sticky in here so folks can post what they've done.

**SkyWriter** · 05-16-2006, 11:29 AM

if you are considering a purchase of an S80, please do your home work concerning which model years and more or less reliable and problem prone than others. Like every complicated high end car, expect some problems, and expense in repairs. first run years for any new model, like 1999 S80, have a probability of having more problems that may be addressed in later models. consider your choice carefully, it's your car, and your money; we'll help you if we can. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'll add to this part of the post any new info that i either find, or someone suggests to me. i might add something i see in this or other forums. if you think i'm particularly blind (not a bad assumption) then post it in this thread, and I'll add it to this part of the thread, so we don't have to go through pages of material. our hosts have kindly pinned the thread so it's always where we need it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------there's a good idea. i'll start by taking apart my sig with some commentsR Brake upgrade Vivaperformance sourced the parts for the R series brakes from the S60/V70R. These will fit the stock S80. front and rear four piston R calipers, wpro cross drilled and slotted front rotors, rear R rotors (must replace the dust covers behind the rotors to fit).Heico Front Spoiler spoiler lips to cover the fog light area. nice!H&R and Vivaperformance wheels spacers 5mm in front 10mm in rear.dual 2.5" Down pipes catback full 3"exhaust - Ferrita brand imported from sweden, bought through ViVaPerformance ([email protected]) George is a great source of knowledge about these cars.Volvo OEM AT Oil cooler George also sources an oil cooler kit from the uero market. this AT cooler is a drop in addition to the domestic S80. cool!port and polished exhaust manifolds from volvomotorsports.com they can do a lot of basic work, but you may have to send 'em your parts since they don't carry everything on the shelves.IPD ECU (See RICA Follow up post below) - best bang for your buck to start with. definitely three thumbs up here.K&N filter - these are oil-based air filters so know what you're buying. they have better air flow, and if nothing else makes your intake *turbosnorzzle* louder <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/smile.gif" BORDER="0">H&R springs - i got these through George, they are a great upgrade, but you will have a b1tch of a time with the rear springs. they were not meant to be replaced but it is possible. the springs drop the frame about 1.2 inches. by spec. after struts, springs, wheels, end-links and anti-sway bars, IMHO the spring had the most influence in ride quality. so if someone tells you one of these suspension vendor component sucks, you nend to consider the entire suspension setup. if you must take advice from someone; you'll be best off from some which the exact setup.Bilstein HD's - I bought mine through IPD. one of the first and best suspension upgrades along withe the antisway bar. be sure to replace all the strut mounts and nushings along the way if you have any significant milage on the car (i would do it anyway, i blew a mount 1 month after the upgrade) here's a good example of the aggragation of components effects. epoepl intatisted the Bilstein was a stiff schock, i felt otherwise. only after the H&R springs (lowering springs) did the suspension feel stiffer (still not as bad as detrarators would have you believe). given this senario the springs had the greatest effect, and the effect could easily be blamed on the struts. for my model and mod, the components all work great. if you want something else go for it, but not because some P1 chassis Eibach-er says so. get advice from similar cars.IPD anti-sways - IPD makes a great set that adds a couple of mm's to the thinkness of the bars; since stiffness varies as D^4 a little bit goes a long way.EVOLVE end-links - on my second round of suspension upgrades i bought endlinks that connect the antisways to the struts or control arms. the EVOLVE rears don't fit so don't even bother although they were the only option at the time, and the front fit fine; both front and back demonstrated the power of quality end-links can bring to your driving experience.. instead goto QBM quickbrickmotorsports.com and get Greg's front and rear set. i have a set getting ready to replace the EVOLVE's soon.<A HREF="http://www.quickbrickmotorsports.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.quickbrickmotorsports.com</A> - Greg at QBM has produced some great suspension parts. he's expanded his line to include P2 chassis like our S80. I have ordered, and installed a set of rear antiswaybar end-links because the EVOLVE ones mechanically rubbed against one of the control arms and were constructed from materials that had intermetallic issues. i am very happy to report that the QBM end-links are an excellent fit, and also have various other material and maintenance characteristics you can read about if you visit his website. Greg does a marvelous job of product description; you're not reading a marketing quip, but getting a lesson about the part your buying. even if you don't need to buy, i would encourage anyone to read Gregs QBM website, there is a lot of factual information there anyone could educate themselves with. afterward seriously consider the end-links they bring the power of anti-sway bars to their fullest and if your goesing to go through the trouble of the sway bars add the end-links to make it perfect. the different in diameter speaks for itself. wowzerz! <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/smile.gif" BORDER="0">update: i have received the QBM front endlinks to replace the remaining EVOLVE endlinks next weekend. update: New product announced in another thread. the 'strut bar conversion' kit <A HREF="http://www.quickbrickmotorsports.com/prod_p2strut.html" TARGET="_blank">http://www.quickbrickmotorspor....html</A> i was able to try these out a month before they were released. they're a great idea; replace the torque bar mounts with bushings with solid mount without bushings. this turns your torque bar into a strut tower brace! read on! reference links: <A HREF="http://www.quickbrickmotorsports.com/prod_endlink.html" TARGET="_blank">http://www.quickbrickmotorspor....html</A> IPD Skid Plate - these are special made for IPD by a local shop. if you drill a couple of holes you can dispense with a bag of parts that come with it.Pegasus "R" 17x8 - i found mine on ebay from boston volvo. i went and picked 'em up. they are a nice to clean alternative to akkris wheels <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/smile.gif" BORDER="0">Spoiler - Spoiler depot makes a version that fits pretty well if you like that look.3DS monitor - George again <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/smile.gif" BORDER="0"> these monitor temp, and pressure for 5 wheels, plus you can pick up a winter set.valentine 1 - Radar detector google it up!new style center caps - fun to have item - ebayHI/LO/Fog 4000K Xexon - nice and bright, ebay again. H7 for HI and LO beams, and the fogs take an H1.Tried an 55W 8K HID retrofit to reflectors from SharpHID.com. although i've had the kit for nearly 8 months i only got around to installing it lately. they flood very close to the car, and the contrast makes it hard to see at night. i put the halogens back in, and will try a projector retrofit sometime this summer. additional must have item is a VADIS disc - you can pick one up on ebay. lots of info on these discs. also get subscription to alldatadiy.com for your model.IPD Heavy Duty spring seats (upper strut mounts) i popped my first pair a month after i installed the Bilsteins and lowering springs. now about 2 years later the second pair of OEM mounts busted. I've opted to try out the improved IPD HD mounts. let's see how long these last <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/smile.gif" BORDER="0">IPD Heavy Duty TCV (Turbo Control Valve) have one on order. we'll see how it goes <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/smile.gif" BORDER="0"> Modified by SkyWriter at 12:55 PM 8-29-2008 Modified by SkyWriter at 12:56 PM 8-29-2008 Modified by SkyWriter at 12:56 PM 8-29-2008 
Modified by SkyWriter at 12:57 PM 8-29-2008

**dwright208** · 01-21-2008, 02:37 PM

i noticed that you mentioned valentine one...that is possibly the best detector I have ever owned. did you hardwire yours?

**SkyWriter** · 02-11-2008, 03:27 PM

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dwright208 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i noticed that you mentioned valentine one...that is possibly the best detector I have ever owned. did you hardwire yours?</TD></TR></TABLE>i can. i pulled the a-pillar off to wire the tire pressure monitor and the V1 down to the fuse panel. but.... i never got around to it. the springy wire reaches the dash lighter for now.

**Redsox122988** · 02-26-2010, 01:54 AM

Hey I was wondering where you found the Heico spoilers? Did you just modify the available ones for the stage 2 s80 (2006-) or do they actually sell one made for the early years model? I love your mods and I was wondering if you have done anything to ensure your transmission wont fry soon? I just picked up my T6 and I have been hearing horror stories about the failure rate in them. Also do you have any pictures of your car? it sounds absolutely amazing basically what I hope to get my s80 to on my weekends.

**SkyWriter** · 02-26-2010, 11:37 AM

i got my spoilers from a guy that didn't get around to putting them on himself. not sure if or where you can get them anymore. last time i looked they were only pushing the gen2 spoiler which, naturally are different.i've been researching the tranny thing for years. the best thing i could come up with was what osenio did. the vendor he used has a good reputation and is knowledgeable on this tranny. i have a good tranny in my parts car. just haven't found the time to yank it. i went through one tranny already. i haven't kept up pictures. so nothing on the web to look at. maybe this spring i'll get to it.

**imhereftw** · 04-20-2010, 09:00 AM

Wowee, we should update this list! Keep in mind I'm running a 2.5t motor in my s80 so not all of what I've done may work in the t6's or 2.9'sIpd's Tune: my first major performance mod to this car was to get a ecu retune. I found that ipd's tune, which seemed slightly more expensive then many other options out there, had the best reviews. I placed some calls to Ken at ipd and I was convinced this was the tune I wanted. I'd suggest this tune for two reasons, best bang for the buck performance gain wise and the customer support. The people at ipd are very helpful and are always willing to help.<A HREF="http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S80-1999-2006/Performance/Softloader-Hardware-&-Software/p-76-634-1741" TARGET="_blank">http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S8...-1741</A>/ Ipd's TCV: I put in the ipd TCV not too long ago after upgrading to the ipd's ECU. I noticed that my car wasn't developing boost as well as it should and after doing some research and asking around I figured one possible problem could be the TCV. I instantly noticed a difference, boost developed better and was released quicker after you let off the gas.<A HREF="http://www.ipdusa.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=4235&strPage History=search&numSearchStartRecord=1" TARGET="_blank">http://www.ipdusa.com/product....ord=1</A>Exhaust: As far as exhaust work: I cut out the resonator, replaced it with a 3" straight pipe and put in a down pipe from TME. The down pipe needed some work to fit it in there but afterwards boost developed much quicker and even with a tiny LPT the whistle from it was pretty loud. Intake Intake I wanted something besides the stock box with a k&N filter so I looked around and found that EST made a intake for the s60 2.5t's It fit perfectly into my car and though there was little performance gains the sound from the intake was very loud even with all of the windows up. Keep in mind this may not fit all s80 motors but it DOES FIT 2.5T's<A HREF="http://www.eurosporttuning.ca/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=EST02&Product_ Code=VLE-160-201&Category_Code=VL-S60-en" TARGET="_blank">http://www.eurosporttuning.ca/...60-en</A>Here is a list of links to other things I've thrown into my car:Bushings: <A HREF="http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S80-1999-2006/Performance/Upper-Engine-Stabilizer-Poly-BushingKit/p-76-634-867" TARGET="_blank">http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S8...4-867</A>/ <A HREF="http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S80-1999-2006/Performance/Upper-Engine-Stabilizer-Mount/p-76-634-234" TARGET="_blank">http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S8...4-234</A>/Transmission mount: <A HREF="http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S80-1999-2006/Performance/Heavy-Duty-Polyurethane-Transmission-Mount/p-76-634-3335" TARGET="_blank">http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S8...-3335</A>/Silicone boost tubing couplers: <A HREF="http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S80-1999-2006/Performance/Silicone-Boost-tubing-Couplers/p-76-634-5221" TARGET="_blank">http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S8...-5221</A>/Probably some other things, but this is what I got. I figured I'd put this up since I'm going to be selling my s80 soon <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/frown.gif" BORDER="0"> Modified by imhereftw at 7:12 AM 4-20-2010 Modified by imhereftw at 7:13 AM 4-20-2010 
Modified by imhereftw at 7:36 AM 4-20-2010

**SkyWriter** · 08-13-2011, 01:27 PM

** RICA ECU Tune Follow up -
I posted a quick note about the lead up to my acquisition of an RICA ECU Tune replacement for the IPD (https://forums.swedespeed.com/showthr...CA-ECU-upgrade. Long story short, the maximum Stage 1 IPD crank HP was 302 HP and RICA is 320 HP. Additionally, if you upgrade your exhaust appropriately (I have a Ferrita setup), RICA offers a Stage 2 tune that IPD doesn't offer. These are standard tunes, so you don't need a Tuning Genius behind the company to custom tune each one; both stages are available within 24 hours. Sweet!

I drove the IPD tune for many years, so I'm intimately familiar with the way it performs on my car. When I took the freshly Stage 2 RICA tuned T6 out for a highway spin I felt the way i felt the very first time I ever had a custom tune loaded! That same back of my neck tingling with excitement!

My traditional 40MPH -> 100MPH launch onto freeway pulled much more than the IPD tune ever did. I heard Turbo's spooling like I've never heard! truly a delight, and performance thrill. I hit 100 MPH far earlier that I had in the past, and it was still pulling nicely.

If I were a T6 owner looking for fresh thrills, I would get a decent custom exhaust upgrade; larger down pipes, exhaust, and racing cat's, and run, don't walk to VivaPerformance.com and order the Rica ECU tune with a Stage 2 upgrade. Not only do you get a better Stage 1, you'll get a Stage 2 tune you can't get elsewhere at competitive prices!

Next Step(s) for me will be a FMIC, Water Injection, a couple of pulls on the Dyno and then back to RICA for a some yummy tunes! Man, I'm in Love all over again :-)

**RKH404** · 02-06-2012, 06:45 AM

https://forums.swedespeed.com/showthr...-and-my-S80-T6

My writeup on OETuning's ECU Tune for my 2002 S80 T6! Video link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwDnBETxq2o

OETuning blog.

http://oetuning.com/blog/?p=633

Dyno sheet. Before & After. Dyno Dynamics (aka heartbraker Dyno since is shows usually lower numbers, upside is more detailed curve and better for tuning. 350z's are.around 210whp on these and Evo's show around 230whp.)

Costs $495 for this tune. More info in my write up.

**matt5112** · 03-06-2014, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by SkyWriter

H&R springs - i got these through George, they are a great upgrade, but you will have a b1tch of a time with the rear springs. they were not meant to be replaced but it is possible. the springs drop the frame about 1.2 inches. by spec. after struts, springs, wheels, end-links and anti-sway bars, IMHO the spring had the most influence in ride quality. so if someone tells you one of these suspension vendor component sucks, you nend to consider the entire suspension setup. if you must take advice from someone; you'll be best off from some which the exact setup.

Rear springs aren't that bad, unbolt the rear lower control arm and the factory springs drop right out. Use a floor jack to hold the arm in place and slowly let it down if you're afraid of it. The rear isn't under nearly the tension you would think it would be.

Shock valving can make any spring rate unbearable, and tame down the higher rates making them more comfortable than you would think.

I had a bunch more suggestions based on my experience with products for these cars, but all in all, they're very negative. In short, don't get caught up in the little things. Look at the big picture.

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Thread: S80 Upgrade F.A.Q.

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S80 Upgrade F.A.Q.?

Re: S80 Upgrade F.A.Q.? (weezer51402)

Re: S80 Upgrade F.A.Q.? (SkyWriter)

Re: S80 Upgrade F.A.Q.? (dwright208)

Re: S80 Upgrade F.A.Q.? (SkyWriter)