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B27 —
the first PRV fitted

Volvo joined Peugeot and Renault in 1971 as an equal partner, and earned the honour of the first engine: the first PRV officially fitted under a bonnet went into a Volvo 264, in October 1974 — the Douvrin lines had been running since January. Where Douvrin strikes Z-codes, Volvo uses its B-codes: B27 for the 2,664 cc, carburetted (B27A, 125 bhp) or with CI K-Jetronic injection (B27E and B27F, 140 bhp).

1974
FIRST PRV FITTED
2 664
CC
125–140
BHP
The Swedish third

First served

The 264, 265 and the 262C coupé receive the B27: A with a carburettor, E with injection for Europe, F with injection for regulated markets — United States, Canada, Japan —, with an air pump and then a Lambda sensor. The manual gives its tables by engine, model year and market: CO from 1.5 to 2.0 % on the E, down to 0.7 % in California on the F, idle at 900 rpm, 1,000 with an automatic.

Three Volvo manuals for the B27 and B28 of the 260 series (1975-1983) are in the Library — repair and maintenance, engine overhaul, CI injection — and they fed several dozen FAQ answers. The 2.8 litre would follow with the B28, then the B280 of the 760 and 780.

B27
VOLVO CODE · 2,664 CC · CARBURETTOR OR CI INJECTION · 12 VALVES
2664
CC
140
BHP · E/F
12
VALVES
Identity

What makes a B27 a B27

Figures read in the constructor's documents held in our Library — repair manuals, Pub et Trade data sheets, period bulletins. Nothing here comes from a web fact sheet.

B27 2,664 cc · 12 valves · first generation · three Volvo manuals Volvo manual →
Octobre 1974
The first PRV V6 fitted to a car: a Volvo 264, in October 1974. The Douvrin lines had been operational since January 1974.
Injection CI
Line pressure 450 to 530 kPa, minimum residual pressure 150 to 240 kPa; control pressure depends on the regulator — eight types by engine, model year and market, the number stamped on top of the regulator.
Compression
0.8 to 1.1 MPa — 8 to 11 bar —, engine warm, throttle wide open, starter at 250-300 rpm, wire of the coil's terminal 15 disconnected. Plugs refitted at 12 ± 2 N·m.
Huile
Pressure measured at the left-hand tapping, ahead of the filter — nowhere else: at least 0.1 MPa at 900 rpm and 0.4 MPa at 3,000 rpm, engine warm and filter new, adapter ref. 464592-5.
Chaînes
The five-minute check: left rocker cover off, if the tensioner finger protrudes by 4 notches or more (8 mm) the chains must be replaced — with the sprockets, the strainers and late-type tensioners.
Known variants

A, E and F

One letter for the fuelling and the market — the full code table is on the Engines page.

B27 125 to 140 bhp Every known code →
B27A125 bhp
Carburettor12-valve
Volvo 264 — 125 bhp, the first PRV car.
B27E140 bhp
CI K-Jetronic injection12-valve
Volvo 264 GLE — 140 bhp, Europe.
B27F140 bhp
CI K-Jetronic injection12-valveRegulated markets
Volvo 262C · 264 (United States) — 140 bhp, air pump then Lambda sensor.
On the road

The cars of the B27

Volvo 264 · 265 · 262C →

The 260 series: 264 saloon, 265 estate and 262C coupé — B27 then B28, from 1974 to 1983; Erich Honecker's 264 TE limousine is one of them.

In the workshop

What the documents say about the B27

Answers taken from our FAQ, each one read in the Library. The full FAQ holds several hundred more, engine code by engine code.

The B27, in the documents The full FAQ →
1974
When was the first PRV V6 fitted in a car?
In October 1974, in a Volvo 264 — the Douvrin lines had been running since January 1974. Volvo file →
Injection CI
What are the CI injection pressures on the Volvo B27 / B28?
Line pressure: 450 to 530 kPa (4.5 to 5.3 bar). Minimum rest pressure: 150 to 240 kPa (1.5 to 2.4 bar). The control pressure, though, depends on the regulator fitted — and there are eight types by engine, model year and market: 005, 018 and 038 on E engines; 004, 018, 021, 029 and 066 on F engines. The identification number is stamped on top of the regulator (the last three digits): that is what you read before opening the table. For the 004, for instance, the warm control pressure is 345 to 375 kPa. Volvo CI fuel system booklet, section 2 (23), pages 6 and 7.
Soupapes
How do you adjust the valves on a B27 / B28, and in what order?
In two crankshaft positions, as on the A310 — but with a mark to know about: the pulley carries TWO marks, “1” = TDC cylinder 1 and “2” = TDC cylinder 6. Position 1: bring mark “1” to the zero of the scale, both rockers on cylinder 1 must have clearance — then adjust intake on cylinders 1, 2 and 4 and exhaust on cylinders 1, 3 and 6. Position 2: one turn of the crankshaft in the normal direction, mark “1” back on zero but cylinder 1's rockers with no clearance (overlap) — adjust the rest. 36 mm socket on the pulley. Volvo service manual, section 2, pages 32 and 51.
Chaînes
How do you tell in five minutes whether a B27 / B28's timing chains are worn?
By removing the left-hand valve cover and looking at the tensioner: “if the tensioner pin protrudes by 4 or more notches (8 mm) the chains should be renewed”. The manual adds the consequence, and it goes beyond timing rattle: “excessively worn chains can cause low oil pressures, and engine damage may result” — because oil leaks past the pistons of tensioners that have reached their end stop. It is in fact the first check the “low oil pressure” chapter sends you to. At the slightest doubt, remove the timing gear case and inspect. Volvo service manual, section 2, pages 57 and 89.

In the Library

The three Volvo 260 manuals, searchable page by page: Volvo B27 / B28 — engine repair and maintenance · Volvo B27 / B28 — engine overhaul · Volvo B27 / B28 — CI injection (K-Jetronic)

The rest of the family

Architecture, generations and every known engine code of the PRV V6 — on the main Engines page.

B28 — the 2.8 litre →Z6V — the 2.7 at Renault → All PRV engines →