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

It's a line for the pump which pumps air near exhaust valves after a cold start. You can plug the line and remove the pump if your regulations don't require it. Looks like someone already has removed the pump or changed an engine from a car which has originally had it.
 
Painted the cage and rust repairs with black epoxy. Hood got two cans of old semi-gloss white rubber comp. At least it's not anymore peeling yellow.

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Recently bought poly bushings for -92 rear upper control arms and installed them to the axle side. The small flex they have reduces noise a lot. Got the car inspected and now all mods worth approving have been officially approved for road use.

Part of the inspection is a formal measuring of exhaust noise. From idle smoothly revving up to a certain rpm and then releasing gas pedal at once. Limit is 95dB(A) and result was whopping 84 average of three tries :lol:

Then the most interesting part for me was weighing the car again with better scales this time. Result 1231kg/2714lbs without the driver. FL 330kg, FR 315kg, RL 293kg, RR 293kg. That makes 645kg/1422lbs front and 586kg/1292lbs rear. Tank full, no spare wheel, tools, jack, etc. Unsurprisingly most of the weight has been removed from the back. Just the car is balanced pretty well left/right. Driver throws that off but there seems often to be someone willing to shotgun on track. I have to weigh the summer and winter tires because I think that the winter tires are lighter than semi-slicks. Both are on Hydras.
 
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Still drooling all over your projects and fab quality...

I want to ask you about the hollow section you welded in to the sill bottom, back in 2016. What size did you go with and how did you manage to fit the stock seatbelt back in? From the pictures it looks like a 3x30x50 one.
Also do you think it made any difference in rigidity?
I'm deciding now on my beater 244, should i go with the stock sheetmetal setup or go mad and install a hollow section.
 
Spot on with the size :nod: There was an improvement, but can't say it was significant with otherwise stock body(no extra welds on the seams). I'd say that stock form is stiff enough if there are no other mods on the body.

Stock seatbelt fits just like from the factory. Can't remember if I ground the weld just a bit, but nothing else.
 
Any updates?
Might have been some during the last two weeks for the "B6284T".

Ordered BC-Racing front struts with same springs as I have now(600lbs). Current shocks are worn and would need a service or a replacement. Coils and threads are starting to rust and with helper springs they squeak occasionally. BC has worked much better than a coil kit and Gaz shocks. Might leave the old parts, including Kaplhenke adjustable strut mounts, on the shelf just in case.

Removed the base under the drivers seat and made new supports according national competition rules. Still not a racecar but this way I got the seat positioned better and removed stock rails to reduce movement of the seat while driving. Of course dropped the stock base back too. This was also a good time to clean the carpets.

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Drivers door above the lock mechanism had been showing signs of rust since the repaint and it was crispy. Cleaned the rust from window frame support, painted with weld primer and welded a new piece in.

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This is how the front of the interior looks now:
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Sanded the roof and specially the seam between old and new parts. Might be visible again after first track day but at least I've tried :-P I did weld supports between sides of the roof and roll cage to try and reduce the effects of body movement. Removed tailgate because I had not done it last time and now there would've been even more paint on the edges of hinge seals. There were small rust spots under the hinges on the roof. This was also a good time to paint the hinges black.

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All pics here.

After some detailing I took a couple of pics even though it was cloudy. Now it's waiting for better weather.

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I've done a couple of repairs to the -92 too. Had some rust sand blasted and replaced rust spots with new sheet metal. For example both ends of rocker panels(and a few other spots).

I had painted the previous rocker panel repairs with only anti-corrosion primer and it shows.

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Rest of the pics here.
 
"B6284T" is on the road again and with new front struts. Made the swap and painted them black. Old ones didn't work this good even when new, it's so much better to drive and front end feels much lighter. First set the shocks to 11 clicks and it was already good. Now it's 12 and going to better direction. On the negative side droop is very short compared to old ones because there are no helper springs and shocks are shorter.

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Going to visit local track with both cars next Friday if the weather is ok and make more adjustments.

Power steering had a leak between the pressure line and pump. Felt tight but leak stopped with a bit more force.
 
Last weekend noticed that the other fuel pump feed to the fuse was warm on the "B6284T". It has a bigger wire from the relay to the other fuse and this one is a short split from there. Didn't ever check where I connected the AEM pump and seems like it was behind the smaller wire. That pump just uses so much more current than a K-jet copy. Swapped the wires and that got fixed. Because of this I had to redo the whole fuel map, there is so much more fuel now that AEM has good power.

Had an alignment done the first time just to see the numbers. Up to this point I've done it myself. We set 1? of negative camber, now the adjustment on the strut is maxed out and there is only little left on the body side. More(1.5?) camber might mean grinding control arm bolt holes or such.

Installed a 13-row oil cooler for the power steering. Only suitable place(and fast to install to) was laying longitudally left side of the transmission. For now it has only two corners supports. I'll take some pics after I've done at least one support more. It could use a stainless net for protection too. Gave a quick wash on Friday evening before going to the track.

-92 camber has been in the factory spec after alignment and adjusted some more on the body side for the track. Might adjust the strut side too but feels ok to drive.


Both survived track day on Saturday and also got a list of things to improve(besides the driver).

Positives first.
I'm happy with the suspension on both, didn't even do any adjusments. It was a lot to take in driving both being so different, getting the hang of things and the track after ~1.5 years. Have to take these to the track again to get better laps and a better feel.

"B6284T" feels so much better and responsive in the corners than before. Lower seating position and new better supporting seat feel more natural than before. Low boost(1.7bar) was enough for this time and pulled nicely. No breathing or losing coolant.

-92 mainly needs only more power and I wasn't yet able to take it to the limit in the corners. Brakes felt really good all the time and could have braked way later. 205/50/16 semis are good for this power to weight ratio and "Sunday driving", no limit reached yet.

Negatives and needed improvements.
I cracked the power steering reservoir return on the "B6284T" while installing the oil cooler and it leaked. Put a rag over it with a cable tie and as the level had gotten lower there were no more disturbing leaks. Needs new brake discs before next track day, they start shaking bad when warm. Though I knew this already, now it's really bad. And the grip of the brakes does not give a good impression. -92 has much more better feel on the shifter and this needs revising. Driving both after one another caused a couple of misses just because of the difference.

There were times when on left turns AFR stayed lean when giving gas and the car felt like it was sucking air from the tank even with a full tank. And with less fuel in the tank some times in it didn't. I'm thinking of a wiring gremlin. First time this has occurred above half tank and with a feed pump and surge tank. Logged the last stint but there were no issues :roll:

-92 has a pretty short list. On the first drive I had engine oil topped off and it puked out of the breather. With lower oil level there was nothing in the catch can. Something funky is going on with the ECU, Map or such. After three laps of WOT the engine goes really rich and stays there. After sitting a while it's good to go again. Naturally didn't come to mind to check with the laptop when it's on. It doesn't happen on the street even on long drives.

Incars of both: https://youtu.be/zuAGKaCB-IE

Some outside shots taken by a friend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KsD5e94Xwk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yWeb-jDDs0

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Today was a cleaning day. Both cars and four sets of wheels, including a Galaxy set which has sat dirty on the storage for too long. What a scrub :-P Though having used Q2M Wetcoat before made it easier to clean.

With wheels off I noticed that the front struts are too close to the wheel in the "B6284T". The strut has a protective cloth and wheel has rubbed through on both sides, almost touching the spring. On the street there is no problem but on track the bearing yields more. When welding the struts I took out the small play out by pushing the strut out for more camber. Had I pushed it in there might not have been an issue, it so close. Also with a shorter(or softer) spring the perch would be higher and I could just use a cable tie to squeeze the cloth. 2-3mm (~0.1")spacer could be enough but I was thinking of 225 front tires. With those it might need 5mm(0.2") or more.
 
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Lankku, are your grounds solid on your engines (and the 5v sensors)? I know you do quality work, and it is always worthwhile to check grounds..... I'm thinking of thermal expansion and things becoming loose causing your sensor "inputs" to move for the ECU.

Love the smoothtop 245 wagons..... hate that I gave my 89 to my kids! It won't come back to old Dad.
 
-92 has been on standby(time and other cars) and haven't made any checks but will do eventually. Mediocre quality is quality too :-D

Last Friday "B6284T" got a post track check and a wash. There was oil on the left back corner of the pan and cleaned it. Also installed the third support for power steering cooler. Now it's adequately firmly in place. Wouldn't hurt to make a fourth support too.

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On the Weekend drove ~850km/530miles and this week it has served a daily. On Tuesday it got a wash again to remove all the grime. Oil had made a reappearance on the back corner of the sump and with closer inspection the dipstick tube was too high and seal partially up. Loosened the bolt from the block, pushed the tube properly back in, tightened bolt and done. Dunno whether it's been like that since assembling the engine or has it moved while installing.

I've begun going through the electrics and redoing possible restrictions points. Made separate feeds for the pressure pumps to ensure proper supply. Might change a thicker wire from the fuses to the pumps too. That would've been too easy when floor mats were out. I've made the feed thinking of two -044 copy/K-jet copy pumps and with one AEM and one K-jet copy that has not been enough. Checked the coil wires(no visible issues), retaped them and changed new spark plugs.
 
Much hasn't happened since the last update. Both cars have been mostly sitting while I've driven and repaired others.

Bought like new Gaz rear shocks for the -92. Four clicks seems to be a good choice for the street and 5 on track. I did have to change diff oil from synthetic because it started to creak. First time for that to happen with Truetrac, though synthetic is not recommended.

Ordered a new set of pads and discs for "B6284T" and installed new handbrake shoes too. Old pads were gone, burnt surface and worn. Decided to try a C-hook copy J-hook which Mtec in the UK sells. Same XC90 discs as before. Unsurprisingly grip and pedal feel are way different.

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Pringles can for scale, no banana available :wtf:

Recently repacked all wheel bearings, changed diff seal and oil(again Redline Heavy Shockproof) and made some changes to the shifter. Movement was too long and sloppy compared to the -92 with M90. Now it's much better. Next is shortening the pedal movement, half would be nice.

Release bearing has sometimes made a noise when cold and was going to change only that. Decided to wait until I get around ordering a new disc and change both because clutch is starting to sound like the splines are worn. Might shorten the shifter movement even more.

Yesterday was also a sort of a milestone for the "B6284T". I've now owned it for 10 years. Exceptional for me, even a year is a long time for some cars :lol:
 
Some updates after the last post for the "B6284T".

With new brakes the calipers were again too close to the rims. To correct that I had some spacers made. Front didn't need alot and got 3mm steel plates. The rear was a bit more labour intensive. 25mm bolt-on spacers got turned down to 15mm. Then a steel sleeve was machined and shrink fitted to the spacer for centering both the spacer and the wheel. Now the rear track is 42mm wider in total.

I need to adjust the panhard just a little. Right rear tire barely scrapes the wheel arch on big bumps. Of course now you can see really well how much the centerline of the axle deviates from the wheel arch. Wouldn't like to shorten the control arms and I'm considering moving the wheel arches. Moving the axle forward would also mean redoing the exhaust partially.

Bought some black Powerflex poly bushings for front control arms and panhard. I've already once renewed the front control arm rear poly. Panhard bushings have already been installed for so long that other one didn't come out easily because of rust.

Dropped the tranny for clutch disc and release bearing. Source of squeaking noise wasn't release bearing, pilot bearing was completely gone. Needles had bounced around the bellhousing and were broken in half.

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It was really the time for a new clutch disc center.

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Changed new pinion seal because it had a tiny bit of seeping. Noticed extra movement in the rear driveshaft joint and replaced it too. I know the joint has too little angle for longevity but this one didn't last long. Seems pretty soft material. Previous one was a good quality one and took some beating for several years.

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There were some issues with dropping the 6th cylinder. It always came back but got worse by time and started going through the wiring because it was related to the movement of the car. Didn't take long to find that I had left one injector resistor wire unsoldered, just taped it tightly :doh: I did the wiring already 4 years ago already. Atleast found the reason for the behaviour on left corners on track.

Have driven some, there was a 2 week interval with ~1900km/1180miles. A friend noticed a radiator leak on the left side. Only two years old Griffin and no engine issues like the old one had to go through. Have to buy a new one for next summer. Old one is still going strong in the -92.

Before a wash with 940 rear axle in the trunk:

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Would've liked to take it to track again in the fall but projects and cold/wet weather weren't really tempting.

Just washed again and emptied the breather can. Soon is the time to put away for the winter. First time in a dry storage :omg:
 
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gold paint

Might have been some during the last two weeks for the "B6284T".

Ordered BC-Racing front struts with same springs as I have now(600lbs). Current shocks are worn and would need a service or a replacement. Coils and threads are starting to rust and with helper springs they squeak occasionally. BC has worked much better than a coil kit and Gaz shocks. Might leave the old parts, including Kaplhenke adjustable strut mounts, on the shelf just in case.

Removed the base under the drivers seat and made new supports according national competition rules. Still not a racecar but this way I got the seat positioned better and removed stock rails to reduce movement of the seat while driving. Of course dropped the stock base back too. This was also a good time to clean the carpets.

3.jpg

5.jpg

10.jpg


Drivers door above the lock mechanism had been showing signs of rust since the repaint and it was crispy. Cleaned the rust from window frame support, painted with weld primer and welded a new piece in.

6.jpg

8.jpg


This is how the front of the interior looks now:
12.jpg


Sanded the roof and specially the seam between old and new parts. Might be visible again after first track day but at least I've tried :-P I did weld supports between sides of the roof and roll cage to try and reduce the effects of body movement. Removed tailgate because I had not done it last time and now there would've been even more paint on the edges of hinge seals. There were small rust spots under the hinges on the roof. This was also a good time to paint the hinges black.

13.jpg

14.jpg


All pics here.

After some detailing I took a couple of pics even though it was cloudy. Now it's waiting for better weather.

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Hey , Love the color and how it came out!!!! Amazing build. Im about to get my wagon in the road any day now after 4 years part time build. Covid helped a lot cause i was able to do in a month what it would have taken 6. Greetings from Chicago. DZ
 
I just read the first page of this thread and will hopefully get around to reading the rest sometime later. Very cool projects, thank you for sharing!
 
"B6284T" found its way to the storage a while back and I've been driving mostly the -92.

A bit on the side I've been aiding a 745 "T6" build, mostly getting it running and tuned with a MS2. After sorting some issues slapped in my old tune as a base and after driving on the road we got it on a dyno yesterday. And with good results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LonQ9fbQsY

HX40 Super #16 exhaust, T6 headers with up pipes, T6 bottom end with H-beams, mildly ported RWD head, 204hp cams, RWD intake, etc. basic stuff. 98E gas.

After first two pulls I found out that it still had stock mufflers resulting 396whp @ ~1.1bar. 3" dp won't help much with those restrictions but screamer does. Just for fun tried one pull without the rear muffler and final tuning just with the dp and screamer. "Somehow" boost was ~1.8bar without touching boost control :-D
 
Last night I data logged some pulls with my stock NA exhaust and with my vacuum cut out switches open (3”). Boost increased and climbed faster.
 
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