245 GL -90 "B6284T" and other 6-cyl builds

[Lankku]

Thanks

Nice update. Do you have options for larger turbine housings on that turbo? Looks like a pretty peaky torque curve at high boost.

It has 67mm turbine wheel and a #22 housing. Can't say if bigger is available

 

[Lankku]

Small updates on the -92. Haven't driven much but at least in the end of April got it inspected. Before that needed small adjustments, such as cleaning the headlight relay mounting points because it didn't switch properly, loosening a stuck handbrake lever, tightening a front strut lock nut, etc.

Temporarily installed Thors.

And then it sat again

Last week it was finally time to change a new radiator and drive some. I've already once repaired the old one and now it would need removal of 5-6 top rows and weld.

Now that I have some inspiration, I did a small refresh in the engine bay. Just removing some birch seed and adding parts I've taken out at some point Rad support is turned just for the rad change.

 

[okoye]

do you have pictures of your exhaust manifold? and where your oil feed runs to?

can you show some of your 9 series builds?

 

[doucheNozzle]

Love this thread

 

[Lankku]

do you have pictures of your exhaust manifold? and where your oil feed runs to?

can you show some of your 9 series builds?

The exhaust manifold currently in the -92 has been in use 11 years without repairs, so I could say it has served well. And continues to do so. I made it so that tube lenght is pretty close to each other. Shorter and smaller diameter tubes could be better for spooling, maybe I'll try some time.

All the original engine build pics are here with more pics of the manifold.

This one I made quickly, and it looks like it, for one of my builds. Didn't even take more pics. I used the same manifold in my -93 965. -95 965 had a different one but apparently didn't bother taking pics.

With T6 blocks I've used stock oil feed, with RWD blocks I've split from the oil pressure sensor.

 

[poulrais]

How is your single wastegate behaving with this twin scroll setup. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to go for a double wastegate or single. Is your wastegate flange divided?

 

[Lankku]

How is your single wastegate behaving with this twin scroll setup. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to go for a double wastegate or single. Is your wastegate flange divided?

Just like it should. There might be a mild boost creep, lets say 1->1.2bar. But it's so rare to use under 1.7bar With the first manifold flange is divided, though the pipes are so long that it might not really matter.

 

[ra5putin]

Hey, I've read the thread and seen you were kinda on and off with power steering Can you do a little write-up on how to fit a B6284 block with B6304 head AND a power steering pump? (a standard one, not electric). It seems kinda difficult for me to figure out how these parts may or may not all fit together and what may be needed to make it all work. Gotta tell you, all that info gathering BEFORE buying parts for a swap sure is a headache. But better to do my research now, instead of spending money on parts that don't fit. Thanks in advance! This thread has been a huge inspiration for me and my plans

 

[244tiCanuck]

Hey, I've read the thread and seen you were kinda on and off with power steering Can you do a little write-up on how to fit a B6284 block with B6304 head AND a power steering pump? (a standard one, not electric).

On mine I used all the T6 accessories, had to trim the accessory bracket to clear the 960 thermostat housing and then build an extra brace to support the steering pump. May be easier to use a later 5cyl P2 thermostat housing.

 

[garaithon]

Do you run the earlier style timing belt and pulleys, or the later wider one with the B6304 head and B6284 block?

 

[Lankku]

Hey, I've read the thread and seen you were kinda on and off with power steering Can you do a little write-up on how to fit a B6284 block with B6304 head AND a power steering pump? (a standard one, not electric). It seems kinda difficult for me to figure out how these parts may or may not all fit together and what may be needed to make it all work. Gotta tell you, all that info gathering BEFORE buying parts for a swap sure is a headache. But better to do my research now, instead of spending money on parts that don't fit. Thanks in advance! This thread has been a huge inspiration for me and my plans

This is what I've done:

On mine I used all the T6 accessories, had to trim the accessory bracket to clear the 960 thermostat housing and then build an extra brace to support the steering pump. May be easier to use a later 5cyl P2 thermostat housing.

Do you run the earlier style timing belt and pulleys, or the later wider one with the B6304 head and B6284 block?

Always the wider 95->.

 

[DET17]

Herr Lankku,

Clearly you have many of us folks Stateside interested in the WB transplants to replace the iron tractor engines.

What is your experience with these used 6 cylinders as far as wear? In your typical build are you machining blocks/heads/cranks & rods, new bearings all around? Or are these WB engines robust and actually demonstrate very little wear in the short block rotating assembly?

Many of the used engines in this country will be found with nearly 250K miles, and most of those are junked due to valve collisions with pistons.

Please detail your experience with the condition of these used WB engines.... for TB posterity. What would you recommend for NA builds, as well as boosted builds for rotating assembly "due diligence".

Thank you sir.

 

[poulrais]

Herr Lankku,

Clearly you have many of us folks Stateside interested in the WB transplants to replace the iron tractor engines.

What is your experience with these used 6 cylinders as far as wear? In your typical build are you machining blocks/heads/cranks & rods, new bearings all around? Or are these WB engines robust and actually demonstrate very little wear in the short block rotating assembly?

Many of the used engines in this country will be found with nearly 250K miles, and most of those are junked due to valve collisions with pistons.

Please detail your experience with the condition of these used WB engines.... for TB posterity. What would you recommend for NA builds, as well as boosted builds for rotating assembly "due diligence".

Thank you sir.

Lankku surely has more experience with the WB engines than I do but from the 9 or 10 engines (5 and 6 pots) I have taken apart to this day I can tell you that pretty much all suffered from crank and rod bearings wear. Nothing catastrophic but I wouldn't have pushed these engines much without slapping in a new set of both rods and crank bearings just as an insurance. I also noticed that the piston's oil rings are often clogged. Both of these problem aren't due to the engine design imo but because of poor maintenance meaning oil changes not performed frequently enough and unmaintained PCV system. And I would always try to use the WB variants with the 81mm bores for anything that is going to see some boost.

 

[Lankku]

It's a wide topic to go really in depth so here is a surface scratch. As with everything else, service history and use means a lot. A lot can be said about maintenance if many of the higher mileage engines in the States have broken timing belts or water pumps, which is really rare here.

What I've seen is that early blocks have varying amount of wear in the cylinders. 6-cyl not so much, 5-cyl is more likely to have wear. -99 and up have always been good to go. Piston oil rings especially in turbo engines are often really clogged. If the engine has history of excessive oil consumption, then it's most likely oil rings(some times turbo).

Many RWD 6-cyl have had really good bearings with 250-310k miles. I've reinstalled used factory bearings in many cases. If the rod bearings look good, most likely crank bearings are good. Cranks have always been good if there is no issues with the bearings. Rod bearing is the first one to show signs of problems in the oil or oil pressure. I've seen and heard <-98 turbo engines have more rod bearing problems than others. It can partly be due to maintenance and partly how they have been treated.

My typical build depends on the budget and if I need it done yesterday There is so much variation with what you can make a good engine with the parts you have at hand. Make a quick check, swap new rings and rod bearings if neccessary and be prepared for new crank bearings. On a "better" build all bearings and rings will be new. With good looking cylinders I won't even hone them, it'll work and seal well without it too. So far zero issues with not honing the cylinders even with ~700hp builds. Refacing the head is almost always a must but not neccessary every time.

For a 6-cyl NA build I'd go for -99 and up 204hp 2.9 engine. It has the longest 147mm rods and the same crank as T6. FWD crank is lighter than RWD. You can benefit slightly from the intake VVT even though it is most beneficial in a turbo engine. So a 2.8 T6 with H-beams and a newer NA head would be the ideal deal for a turbo. NA cams have more lift(same lift as RWD 204hp) than T6. A later dual VVT 2.9 T6 should have a better block and longer rods so it should be able to handle more power than older ones.

 

[DET17]

OK, lots of good info there. The rotating assembly bearing checks are good indicators of the health of the crank. Remember, it gets a LOT hotter over here so the US climate probably stresses these engines are bit more than what you see..... and many are likely more abused as well due to ignorant US owners!

As you are recommending for an NA build the 99 and up 2.9L.... and the last RWD to my understanding is the S90 in 98, that means piecing together FWD and RWD bits and pieces for the optimum WB build. Were there not improvements in the RWD engines from 96-98 that makes them advantageous over the earlier versions? I'm aware of the desire for the 81mm bore for boosted engines, but the larger bore should be fine for NA, right?

 

[poulrais]

OK, lots of good info there. The rotating assembly bearing checks are good indicators of the health of the crank. Remember, it gets a LOT hotter over here so the US climate probably stresses these engines are bit more than what you see..... and many are likely more abused as well due to ignorant US owners!

As you are recommending for an NA build the 99 and up 2.9L.... and the last RWD to my understanding is the S90 in 98, that means piecing together FWD and RWD bits and pieces for the optimum WB build. Were there not improvements in the RWD engines from 96-98 that makes them advantageous over the earlier versions? I'm aware of the desire for the 81mm bore for boosted engines, but the larger bore should be fine for NA, right?

Pretty much all the Whiteblock engines variants on this page:

Volvo Modular engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I'm not sure but I don't think that we got the 204 hp NA 2.9 engine over here? It looks like it's rated at 197 hp - 210 lb/ft.

 

[Lankku]

As you are recommending for an NA build the 99 and up 2.9L.... and the last RWD to my understanding is the S90 in 98, that means piecing together FWD and RWD bits and pieces for the optimum WB build. Were there not improvements in the RWD engines from 96-98 that makes them advantageous over the earlier versions?

RWD oil pan and engine mounts is what a FWD engine needs to fit in to a 700/900 chassis. For me using RWD head and intake has been mostly because at the time it has been the most cost effective (and looks more "correct").
For -95 the oil pan changed to the newer version with heat exchanger and widest timing belt. Earlier engines used external oil cooler. The base engine is the same.

I'm not sure but I don't think that we got the 204 hp NA 2.9 engine over here? It looks like it's rated at 197 hp - 210 lb/ft.

Might the same engine with different power rating?

 

[DET17]

Even more detail, thank you. So the FWD heads are also different? I'd easily understand an intake being different (and throttle body, for non drive-by-wire). If you could share the details on WHY the intake "looks correct", that would be useful information. I've got a lead on a 75K mile 96 engine..... and it appears to have been serviced properly. However if the path to WB righteousness leads to a FWD engine with a RWD oil pan & mounts, that also works for me. In the states, as near as I can tell NO ONE pays any attention to these engines and they are languishing in parts yards all around us.

 

[Lankku]

RWD and FWD heads have slightly different design. Biggest is the VVT. Intake flange has different bolt pattern, 1 or 2 bolts match. Intake port shape is different and 00-> have 6mm valve stem and solid lifters. Earlier heads use the same valves and lifters(later ones have a lighter design) as RWD. There are heads that mix the valve stem size and lifter type but those are a minority. Also some FWD NA heads have bigger intake valves.

Looks correct, because it should look like a RWD engine despite having a FWD bottom end

 

[244tiCanuck]

In the states, as near as I can tell NO ONE pays any attention to these engines and they are languishing in parts yards all around us.

Canada too. I got my B6284T at a wrecking yard for $250 canadian bucks. I had briefly considered an LS based truck engine swap, but to get a good one (5.3 aluminum block) would cost a lot, and they're not without their problems. Plus having a turbo inline is as God intended.