'92 900 turbo with too many miles and too many transmissions

[xassh]

i figure it is about time to post some information about my own rolling project car.

1992 Saab 900 turbo 5 sp.
~290,000 miles on the odometer
~385,000 miles on the block (which i killed when i blew my radiator and overheated badly)

Engine Mods:
T3/T4 hybrid turbo w/ .63 exhaust housing on a stage 3 compressor wheel and 'new style' trim 50 wheel on the intake side (whatever that means, was something the shop that built the turbo was talking about... new technology as compared to old, supposedly this wheel is nearly equivalent to the old style trim 57 wheel)
K&N open filter
minimally ported throttle body housing
gasket match ported and polished to 100 grit 2.0 intake manifold
Turbo XS 'type H34 racing bypass valve'
Swedish Dynamics APC, EPROM, 'red series' injectors (i believe to be 34lb? correct me if i am wrong)
Summit Racing 'turbo' muffler - it's all about the price ($15) and sound (car alarms chirp at me when idling in parking garages, a blip on the gas gets cars honking)
what else? i am drawing a blank right now, this post will be edited many times i am sure.


Suspension Mods:
Bilstein HD shocks all around
poly lower front shock bushings
PBR brake pads all around
ball joints, tie rods, control arm bushings replaced ~50,000 miles back
front ARB removed
Saab Savior Rally Skid Plate


Sound System:
Kenwood head unit (cannot recall exact model... MP6025?? 50watts x 4, 4.0 volt preouts for 2 speaker amps plus sub, MP3 player jack, remote, etc)
Pioneer speakers in 4 stock locations (i could not find Kenwoods for the rear and spilled coffee into one in the front, hence all Pioneers now)
2x 10" Kenwood 'tornado?' subwoofers in dual enclosure box
800watt 2 channel amp mounted to the box
1 farad cap inline to the amp.
fused, of course.


on the TO DO list:
3" DP (in the garage)
EVO 8 FMIC (in the garage, inlet/outlet need to be cut and rewelded)
900aero APC mod (again, in the garage, just too much in line in front of it)
build myself a fresh motor, over time, to eventually replace the one i am currently working on installing.
full respray in OE color
MegaSquirt (of course!)
front door speakers, maybe tweeters at the corners of the windshield, or in cutouts next to the dash speakers


on the PARTS KILLED list:
5 transmissions - i nearly cracked the casing in half on the last one
1 turbo - the compressor wheel got shorn off when i sucked a rag into the air box near 5k rpm in second gear, boosting hard)
1 MSD coil - lead wire vibrated loose and caught fire
1 more MSD coil - failed to produce spark over 5psi of boost after 20,000 miles, i am back to using stock coils now
1 frame - i broke the front suspension at the left side upper control arm rear bushing bracket. the bracket is bolted through the frame, both nuts were welded on, prior to me breaking them off and there was a crack running between the two holes in the frame. i got airborne at 120mph in Death Valley, CA with a full load of camping gear and tools/parts for a 2 week road trip. dont do this.
4 or 5 front motor mounts
can i count 3 broken headlights, 4 lost front corner lamps, 2 grillEs and a front bumper here?


here's some inspiration for me to get moving with finishing the body repairs - the hood and hatch both were dented when i bought the car, the left front fender had been pushing in, then an amateur pulled it out, filled with bondo and let it be. all is now fixed and primered. sadly, paint has been moved far down the list of things to do in exchange for things like... getting an engine installed that is not seized.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/DSCN6195a.jpg

headlight wipers have since been removed
fog lights are not currently mounted (one has broken glass)
wheel center caps have been replaced
driver's side headlight glass has been swapped for one that was much closer to the nearly new pass. side

[DanF.]

I like it...

...especially the one about 120mph through the air ( yeah... born from jets)

Keep the pics coming. (I saw your engine rebuild threadon SL)

[xassh]

a couple of weeks ago i was showing a Dodge Charger what was what when i blew my radiator and did not notice the water temp gauge until it was near the top. i got off the freeway as quickly as i could and shut the motor down before i was fully off the road. i was hoping for the best, it turned out to be the worst - the head i just put on is surely warped, the block is seized. i must have overheated worse than i thought.

so i shopped around, found a motor for $300, spent another bill on seals and gaskets and went at it.

this work was done a few days ago on the 'new' used engine that is going in. 180,000 mile 2.0 turbo engine out of an '87 c900

the crank pulley came off without any problem at all, the oil pump as well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture103.jpg

the oil pump itself... this worries me. i wonder if large pieces of metal were floating around and did this damage. perhaps carbon? i have another pump off the another engine that is going in, there is no apparent damage to the spare i have.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture105.jpg

how does this look? it definitely has some miles on it, but everything looks completely usable to me. in fact, it looks damn good.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture106.jpg



i have a new endless link timing chain going on. every seal i can get to so far will be replaced. i would not want to do this in the car, i am feeling rather happy that i had the foresight to do it now

[xassh]

yesterday morning i got back to work on the motor, started with turning it to TDC for the timing chain swap. water poured out of cylinder 4, lightly rust colored water, which scared the crap out of me. i talked to the guy that sold me the motor and he said it was out of the car for under 3 months, but he would be willing to make good on it if i need. i figure 'well, i can turn it over by hand so i should check the cylinder walls and see whats going on.

the cylinder wall rust appeared to be only at the bottom end of the cylinder bore where 1) it will very quickly be cleaned up by the piston rings and 2) there is no compression happening there, i have nothing to worry about. the work can continue! yay!

i pulled the old timing chain off and took a look at the guides. oh boy! these are worn. i wonder if this is the upper engine noise that was thought to be lifters that i was told about.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture121.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture122.jpg

so i run to storage to pull the guides off my spare motor. hehe, these were not put on here too long ago. barely broken in!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture126.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture127.jpg

i also decided to update my flywheel - to one that has some actual timing marks on it. my cracked Sachs pressure plate will not be used, i am installing a stock plate in it's place, though i do need the friction disc off the dead motor...

i cleaned every gasket surface thoroughly using a scraper and brake cleaner, i also cleaned the surrounding area to be sure i dont get any grit in the gasket while installing.

rear main seal installed

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture131.jpg



i cleaned quite a bit of oil and grease off the tming chain cover before reinstalling it. the water pump that is half bolted in was only used to get the gasket to properly seat.

new timing chain
new rear main seal
updated flywheel and clutch
new front seal (at oil pump housing)
new oil pump o ring
new timing cover gaskets

every gasket surface and o ring got either a spray of copper gasket sealant (aerosol can) or a bead of copper gasket maker from a tube. i primed the oil pump with vasoline (i dont think i will ever use that much vasoline again in my life. personally, i tend to stick to water based when needed...) the oil pump was swapped for one in far better condition.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture134.jpg

i need to remove the clutch from the dead engine, along with the exhaust manifold and turbo, unbolt the gear shift rod and unbolt the passenger side motor mount and that sucker is coming out!

[xassh]

i could not post this in the last reply so...

and the updated flywheel bolted in.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture132.jpg

[TheRedBaron]

Love the color :D - why is 900aero mod on your to do list, though if you already have an SD box?

[Palmer1980]

Hi!


I was wondering if you were going to make one of these threads...

[TheRedBaron]

Also, how is that SD EPROM? Do you run way rich with the larger injectors, or does the chip do it's job? I'm asking a lot of questions because in it's current state of tune (well pre-charger incident) your car is proabbaly just about where I'd like mine to be at :D )

[IronJoe]

why is 900aero mod on your to do list, though if you already have an SD box?

Great question. IMO the SD box is much better than self modded... I went from the 900aero mod to a SD stage 4.

There's probably no point in you even trying it out.

[xassh]

Love the color :D - why is 900aero mod on your to do list, though if you already have an SD box?

adjustability. i would do this only so that i can run potentiometers to my dash to adjust boost on the fly.

[xassh]

Palmer, yeah, i have been thinking about it, just finally got around to doing it. i never knew where to start so i figured i'd start with my current project.

the SD EPROM seems to do its job and do it decently well. i need to go back up top and add wideband O2 sensor and gauge to my list of To Do items before i can say much more than it feels good and the spark plugs show signs of running slightly rich - which is a good thing!

i do like the retuneability offered by JSP chips and i think that is the direction i would go if i were to do it all over again. but i wont, ill do MS next time :P

in part, i want to do the 900aero mod just so that i can say that i did it and that i have successfully soldered more than one circuit board thus far in my lifetime. i loved the tune on the SD APC with the stock turbo, i am starting to wonder about it now that i am using the T3/T4. i think i need to either a) get used to my new found turbo lag or b) see if i can get rid of some of that lag with an APC tune. SD puts a drop of glue on each of the potentionmeters in their boxes, negating my chance to do any sort of adjustment. hrmmm, you mention stage 4 APC? i wonder what sort of credit would i be looking for with my current APC (bought as part of a package deal) and what's the cost of upgrading. i have not called them in a while because i know i would end up on the phone with Gary for over an hour. i dont have that kind of extra time most months on my cellular phone plan.

[xassh]

Great question. IMO the SD box is much better than self modded... I went from the 900aero mod to a SD stage 4.

There's probably no point in you even trying it out.

ahh, but the satisfaction of saying "I did this!", that is reason enough for me, whether i install the box and hate it or love it or never even use it.

[Palmer1980]

ahh, but the satisfaction of saying "I did this!", that is reason enough for me, whether i install the box and hate it or love it or never even use it.


I was standing over the broken remains of my first c900 transmission, and I thought "I did this with sodering a few things"

[scubasaab]

What's the concern over doing your own APC?
A soldering mistake?
I have built many recording studios and repaired countless consoles and tape machines costing fortunes (800,000+ for a console), so I can solder in my sleep.
Is there a design problem with the mod?
Thanks,
John

[TheRedBaron]

What's the concern over doing your own APC?
A soldering mistake?
I have built many recording studios and repaired countless consoles and tape machines costing fortunes (800,000+ for a console), so I can solder in my sleep.
Is there a design problem with the mod?
Thanks,
JohnSupposedly the sd box is just that much better - they do a lot more to it than the 900aero mod

[Palmer1980]

What's the concern over doing your own APC?
A soldering mistake?
I have built many recording studios and repaired countless consoles and tape machines costing fortunes (800,000+ for a console), so I can solder in my sleep.
Is there a design problem with the mod?
Thanks,
John


No issues at all. The increased power made my 3rd gear vaporize.

That's all.

[xassh]

What's the concern over doing your own APC?
A soldering mistake?
I have built many recording studios and repaired countless consoles and tape machines costing fortunes (800,000+ for a console), so I can solder in my sleep.
Is there a design problem with the mod?
Thanks,
John

the only problem is getting around to doing it. it seems like every time i think about popping open my spare APC box, i break a transmission or spring a major oil leak or this time, blow up a motor

[xassh]

i finally got the time to finish on Monday night. i pre lubed the motor like a good boy should (hall sensor unplugged, turn motor for 15-20 seconds, wait 2-3 minutes, repeat a few times) - after 5 minutes of wondering why my new starter would not do anything. that problem turned out to be ground wires i left loose on the transmission casing and at the radiator cross member. oops! :roll:

before installing the motor, i did a bit of cleaning. you can see there are some new parts in there.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture213.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture215.jpg

i removed about 2 pounds of sludge from the bottom of the engine compartment before realizing that more than needing a clean engine bay, i needed to get my car back on the road.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/Picture217.jpg

most of that happened over the weekend, i kept getting pulled away by other stuff going on so i did not get as far along as i had wanted. i had wished to hear the engine fire up that night, but only got it as far along as dropping the engine in.

(insert image here, photobucket went offline for maintenance moments before i clicked on the link to a picture of the engine in the car)

[xassh]

bah, i am sometimes picking up a CEL during or soon after heavy acceleration. i think it is due to the long stud i broke off in the turbo at the exhaust elbow.

one more reason to get my 3" DP installed ;)

[xassh]

the charcoal canister finally came off my car today. the lines to/from it had been patched two or three times, i don't know if the solenoid works or not and, well, it was original so i doubt it was doing anything more than getting in the way.

i spliced the two lines together with a check valve so that i would not pressurize my gas tank... until i blow out the check valve.

i had feared idle problems, but have noted nothing more than the usual ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/Picture250.jpg

my car is a good 2-3 pounds lighter now! yes, yes, i know, my car is dirty under the hood

[xassh]

well, tne new (used) engine was running well for a good 500 miles before that gave out on me too. 180,000 miles on that motor and, the best i can figure, i might well have blown the original head gasket.

i've never seen, nor heard of someone blowing a HG this badly before

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/another%20blown%20HG/Picture252.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/another%20blown%20HG/Picture251.jpg

i was on my way to an appointment in Yuma, AZ at 7am. i had planned to wake up around 2:30am to get on the road for the 250 mile trip there, giving myself plenty of time to get there in the middle of the night, with no traffic. well, i woke up an hour later than i should have.

making up the lost time should have been no problem. there was minimal traffic when i got on the freeway and i felt safe moving just a little faster than everyone else, so i was doing around 90-95 mph when the road completely opened up.

i squeezed on the throttle, spooling the turbo, and climbing quickly past 120. i realized that at 130, i still had 17psi on the intake manifold but i was probably going plenty fast enough to make up some lost distance in a rather short amount of time so i backed off the throttle, settling in to cruise for a few miles at this rate of speed.

it was only a couple of moments later that my windshield was sprayed with a fine mist. i thought nothing of it until i smelled the coolant, only a moment later. i knew it was bad, but i had caught it just as the temp gauge starting reaching the halfway point so i backed way off the throttle and started slowing down.

i did not overheat badly, maybe 3/4 of the way up the gauge before i had slowed enough to safely pop the hood and shut down the engine, pulling off the freeway at the next available exit.

the best i can figure, i blew that chunk out of the HG, which pressurized the cooling system, causing the newest weak spot to give way. i have a new water pump, radiator, rad. hoses installed and thankfully those all held up well. the weak spot was the 'H' pipe with the check valve, above the alternator.

there was no white residue on the inside of the dipstick tube and the oil had not even begun to foam so i figure i can safely presume that i did not damage to the bottom end of my motor.

i have the HG, i have new head bolts, i dropped my gasket match ported and polished head off to be resurfaced tuesday morning and was hoping to pick it up that night. alas, i ended up out of towm until late friday and now, cannot get my head until i either a) catch the shop mechanic there doing the weekend cleanup or b) pick it up on monday or tuesday.

my appointment in Yuma was rescheduled for Wednesday morning... at 7am again, and i can only hope i get a chance to get my car together to avoid driving the 250 miles in a 3/4 ton gas guzzling suburban.

[BF!ChuckB]

well, tne new (used) engine was running well for a good 500 miles before that gave out on me too. 180,000 miles on that motor and, the best i can figure, i might well have blown the original head gasket.

i've never seen, nor heard of someone blowing a HG this badly before

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/another%20blown%20HG/Picture252.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/replacement%20engine/another%20blown%20HG/Picture251.jpg

i was on my way to an appointment in Yuma, AZ at 7am. i had planned to wake up around 2:30am to get on the road for the 250 mile trip there, giving myself plenty of time to get there in the middle of the night, with no traffic. well, i woke up an hour later than i should have.

making up the lost time should have been no problem. there was minimal traffic when i got on the freeway and i felt safe moving just a little faster than everyone else, so i was doing around 90-95 mph when the road completely opened up.

i squeezed on the throttle, spooling the turbo, and climbing quickly past 120. i realized that at 130, i still had 17psi on the intake manifold but i was probably going plenty fast enough to make up some lost distance in a rather short amount of time so i backed off the throttle, settling in to cruise for a few miles at this rate of speed.

it was only a couple of moments later that my windshield was sprayed with a fine mist. i thought nothing of it until i smelled the coolant, only a moment later. i knew it was bad, but i had caught it just as the temp gauge starting reaching the halfway point so i backed way off the throttle and started slowing down.

i did not overheat badly, maybe 3/4 of the way up the gauge before i had slowed enough to safely pop the hood and shut down the engine, pulling off the freeway at the next available exit.

the best i can figure, i blew that chunk out of the HG, which pressurized the cooling system, causing the newest weak spot to give way. i have a new water pump, radiator, rad. hoses installed and thankfully those all held up well. the weak spot was the 'H' pipe with the check valve, above the alternator.

there was no white residue on the inside of the dipstick tube and the oil had not even begun to foam so i figure i can safely presume that i did not damage to the bottom end of my motor.

i have the HG, i have new head bolts, i dropped my gasket match ported and polished head off to be resurfaced tuesday morning and was hoping to pick it up that night. alas, i ended up out of towm until late friday and now, cannot get my head until i either a) catch the shop mechanic there doing the weekend cleanup or b) pick it up on monday or tuesday.

my appointment in Yuma was rescheduled for Wednesday morning... at 7am again, and i can only hope i get a chance to get my car together to avoid driving the 250 miles in a 3/4 ton gas guzzling suburban.

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!!! With 34# injectors you do not have enough fuel for what you are trying to do.If you want to run that amount of boost then you need larger injectors and a remaped chip.If you need a remaped chip then get a wideband and a chip burner and I can send you tune files via AIM.

[xassh]

anyways... so, MS is in the works... a wideband O2 sensor and the MS will both be ordered shortly.

[xassh]

my gasket match ported and polished head is still next door - i did not happen to catch anyone there over the weekend. i cannot install my new HG and fresh head, but i did have a chance to get a couple other projects taken care of.

completion of AC deletion, with air filter install (i dont know if i can order a pollen filter for a N/A non AC c900, will look into it tomorrow) -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/AC%20delete/Picture265.jpg

i also did a little bit of polishing with Blue Magic Metal Polish... Bling! Bling!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/Picture267.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/Picture268.jpg

and then popped apart, siliconed shut, then Rescu Taped and cable tied the H pipe back together that had sprung a leak when i blew the HG. i also replaced one heater hose.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/Picture266.jpg

[xassh]

i found a few pics of the gasket match porting and polish job i did on my intake manifold and head.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/spare%20head%20-%20port%20and%20polish/DSCN5996.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/headgasket/DSCN6078.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/DSCN5237.jpg

the intake was not quite finished when that pic was taken.

[xassh]

this little baby now has just under 5000 miles on it.

T3/T4 hybrid water / oil cooled
.63 AR TO4E exhaust housing.
intake - not sure, it is big though
stage 3 wheel exhaust side
'new style' trim 50 intake side
360 degree thrust bearing


i am running about 17 psi of boost max. i get around 8-9 psi starting around 3200 rpm, climbing slightly towards 4000 when the turbo really spools up and i quickly climb to 17psi, which holds to redline.

my SD fuel chip is no longer keeping up, i believe i am running a little rich from around 3k-4500 and ending up horribly lean over 5k rpm.

anyway... here's my turbo

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/headgasket/DSCN6104.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/headgasket/DSCN6106.jpg

i am not using a steel braided oil feed line as was originally planned, i am back to the stock hardlines for oil and using steel braided for water. the turbo is water fed from between cyl 3 and 4, which is supposedly 3-5 degrees F. cooler than what is drawn from the thermostat housing.

the intake housing was also polished by me, over the course of several weeks.

all port and polish work took me almost a year and a half, keeping parts and paper in my car with me, working on it a little here and a little there until it was finally done.

[xassh]

i had noticed some shaft play when i took the turbo off and figured that, well, it's not all that bad. it is within wear limits, even if just barely.

well, the seals let go within 400 miles of getting the turbo back on. by 'let go' i mean it, i burned a bit over 1/2 quart of oil in 20 miles, leaving a complete white-out behind me at a couple of points.

i let the car sit for a few hours, my friend brought me a few quarts of oil, then i drove her home. i did not want to try going anywhere until well after traffic had let up.

i took a video of me getting on the freeway. watch the bottom of my mirror.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/th_Picture291.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/?action=view&current=Picture291.flv)

the best i can figure, that is what happens when you blow your turbo's exhaust side oil seals. i know that exhaust smoke will be blue if burning oil in the combustion chamer, i believe everything ends up white, like what i was spewing out, when the oil is burning in the catalytic converter.

[xassh]

work has been keeping me extremely busy (80+ hour weeks) and hence, all i have been able to do since last posting is remove my turbo, in bits and pieces.

i should have it rebuilt and up and running as of Friday (no work due to forecasted rain here / snow in the mountains). i do hope to get to go skiing this weekend :cheesy:

i have not yet had the joy of experiencing the moutain drive with my ported and polished head, paired with the T3/T4. And power steering, imagine that!

a few pics, to show the extent of the leakage.

i had made it home without trouble, then parked the car on the street for a couple of days. you can really see how bad the leakage is here as i had the engine running for less than 2 minutes before shutting it down and then started removing stuff a day or two later.

everything that looks wet is wet. there must be a nice spray of 10w30 Valvoline Durablend spewing forth.

but wait, wouldn't that help to extend the life of my muffler bearings? :p

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/turbo%20oil%20seals/Picture294.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/turbo%20oil%20seals/Picture295.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/turbo%20oil%20seals/Picture296.jpg

maybe, just maybe, i will get up early enough friday to get the turbo installed and bolt up my new (slightly used) 3" DP and maybe, just maybe even get to installing my wideband O2 :P

[xassh]

yay for SaabSavior Rally skid plate!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/DSCN6359.jpg

that's been in for a month or two, picked it up in the group buy.

also, the Bilstein's that need the lower (badly rounded) poly bushes replaced and complete lack of front ARB hardware (i love how the ride was transformed, removing the front ARB, not too highly recommended for someone that gets nervous if or when their car ends up sliding sideways around a turn :cheesy: ).

[dlb]

Great pics! Keep it up.:)

[James Bond]

Great stuff!

How do you fix the braided oil line to the block?

[xassh]

Great stuff!

How do you fix the braided oil line to the block?

i ended up running the stock hard lines for oil and using the braided on the water only after i ran into some trouble with my 90 degree fitting that threads into the block. the threading on the block is a pretty standard size, but the problem i had was with a small 'hump' that is very near the threaded port on the block. i simply could not get the fitting to clear it and ended up damaging the taper seal on the fitting.

[xassh]

i thought i had posted more concerning my turbo blowing smoke. ahh well, i am here now.

i pulled my T3/T4 out and pulled it apart. the new bearings were installed and i was wiping everything down before lubing and reinstalling when i found this -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/turbo%20oil%20seals/Picture312.jpg

that washer sits between the 360 degree thrust bearing and housing. it cost about $10, ordering it from across the country (plus $6 priority shipping) or $25 from a local turbonetics distributor. so i ordered it and waited.

the new washer is in, thrust bearing is in and backing plate reinstalled but alas, i cannot get the exhaust side oil seal to slip into the housing like it should. i screwed up the seal that came with the rebuild kit, then i screwed up the one that i ordered along with the washer, then i gave up and called a turbo specialty shop that is right near where i am working tomorrow. yet another new oil seal and balancing (just to be on the safe side, i marked everything but don't really trust myself at this point). should run about $60 and i will finally have my turbo back!

[xassh]

in the meanwhile, i installed a T3 our of the '86 c900 that i took the transmission out of. this turbo is oil cooled only, leaving me with the job of plugging the water lines.

off to the hardware store i go! this is what i ended up with -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/turbo%20oil%20seals/Picture327.jpg

on the left is the turbo water supply line fitting, which i had threaded into my intake manifold between cylinders 3 and 4. center is the 14x1.5mm (i think that was the size) bolt (only grade 8 available at that size) and matching nut to help me cut it straight across with a cut off wheel. on the right is the plug i used on the lower radiator hose. it is basically a stiff rubber rube with a shoulder on one end (where you can see the head of the bolt) and a nut made into the far end. tighten the bolt, expand the rubber, seal the lower radiator hose.

alas, i have apparently screwed up the oil seals on this turbo when i was rebuilding it. i went skiing last weekend, burning a good bit of oil, but not as bad as i was with the T3/T4. the hotter the turbo ran, the more it smoked, so i was forced to just not boost.

due to the total complete lack of boosting i am seeing the best fuel mileage i have ever seen. i always reset my trip odometer when i fill my tank, i am usually refilling somewhere around 310-320 miles and getting around 24-26 mpg.

i have 330 miles on the trip odometer and 1/3 of a tank left. i can't wait to see what kind of mpg i get on this tank. easily 30, possibly 35+?? (i am feeling optimistic)

[xassh]

it took the turbo shop under 30 minutes (time it took me to order and pickup lunch to-go) to reassemble my turbo and balance it. the quoted $60 turned out to be $35 labor and $9 for the seal.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/turbo%20oil%20seals/Picture333.jpg

i also picked up the 2 reducer pieces (can't miss that blue, eh?) required to install my FMIC (if i ever get around to it). you can also see a couple of other projects i have in the works. or, well, parts that need to be installed ASAP at least :cheesy:

[xassh]

the last thing i needed was to damage a water line fitting for the steel braided hose, hence why they are still attached.

the turbo is completely reassembled, but i left everything loose so that i could easily get it properly aligned. i was having some major issues with the oil outlet pipe due to the center section being a few degrees off of where it should have been. i figure i will bolt the turbo to the exhauast manifold, then the turbo outlet, then once i know everything is where it should be, i will tighten the turbo housing bolts.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/turbo%20oil%20seals/Picture344.jpg

[xassh]

well, the freshly rebuilt turbo went in, but the smoke just kept coming out.

i really should have started with a compression test. cylinder 1 was pumping to about 50psi, cyl 2, 3, 4 were all doing around 150.

i started tearing the engine down, but figured i would also take care of a few other projects that have been lining up for some time now.

my digital camera is out for another week with repairs under warantee, i will not be torturing everyone with low resolution cell phone pics unless i feel that i really have to show off my work. :cool:

3" downpipe is going on with 2 O2 sensors, after having heard of some issues with LH 2.4 interpreting the signal from a wideband sensor.
my Innovate wideband setup (you can see the box in the last pic i posted) will be installed - i need to fab a heat shield for it.

3" catalytic converter will be arriving early this week, the intermediate pipe is 2.5" along with the muffler. my exhaust ends with a turn-down in front of the rear axle.

in order to fit the 3" DP, i am relocating the battery to the other side of the engine bay. this may well end up requiring installation of my FMIC (which needs to be cut and welded), in order for me to have space for an air filter.

pics will be coming when possible.

[xassh]

the head is off the car. i cannot see any major damage to the almost new headgasket, but i can see where oil was definitely leaking. lots of it.

most of the battery wiring is out, and i was hoping to put the battery in place of the stock airbox. the problem now is that i have been running the largest battery that i could find that would fit behind the stock DP and on the stock battey tray.

there is no way, no how, that i can mount this battery on the other side and keep the stock IC. i might, just might be able to squeeze piping for the FMIC up past this battery, but it won't be easy.

i am thinking, at this point, to just tie in the trunk mount battery and go from there. i will need to remount my subwoofer box so that i can move my Optima Yellow Top over an inch so the side mount terminals (to run to the engine bay) will clear the carpeting. i will leave the amplifier connected at the top mount terminals.

does anyone have any tips about where to run 1/0 wire up to the engine bay? i am thinking unde the passenger side seat, below the carpet, up past the Jetronic box and through the hole in the firewall that the harness is run through. i fear i do not have quite enough room to slide 2x 1/0 wire through. yeah, perhaps this wire is larger than i need but i got a deal on it, so i bought too much of it, and it is about time that i put it to use.

[xassh]

i wish i had a camera... perhaps i can 'borrow' the parents tomorrow.

apparently there is enough room through that grommet where the harness comes into the passenger compartment from the engine bay.

[xassh]

a few pics from my battery relocation. all terminals have been soldered and heat shrinked using glue lined tubing.

alternator to starter and starter to battery is all red 1/0 cable.
i also ran black 1/0 cable from the battery to the transmission and again from transmission to front radiator cross member. some say this is not necessary. i figure it is better to overdo a job than to have to redo a job. i also twisted the two cables every foot or so to prevent the chance of any sort of radio interference.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/battery%20relocation/Picture374.jpg

(yes, that is a rebuilt starter)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/battery%20relocation/Picture375.jpg

i was able to reuse part of the shield from the stock wiring. i simply could not get the 1/0 cable past the second bend so i cut it down and used split wire loom to shield the cable at the last bracket before the starter to prevent wear/chafing.

more split loom is in use here, again to prevent wear/chafing on the frame rail. also, 1/0 black from battery to transmission casing on one bolt. i forgot that i had reused part of the 2g. black wire from the stock ground to battery wire that i replaced a year ago.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/battery%20relocation/Picture376.jpg

i drilled out the passenger side airbag deployment sensor (as i no longer have an airbag wheel or steering column), to allow me to easily route the cable into the engine bay. more split loom used here on the positive cable only. you can also see the negative cable here.

i did not have any fun at all splicing the 4 gauge wire in for the power distribution block. my torch flame is simply too wide, it was heating a 4" long section of battery cable. my soldering iron(s) were all too small to get the 1/0 cable anywhere near hot enough. i got a solid connection in the end, with the 4 gauge running down in between the 1/0 strands, all soldered and then heat shrink wrapped. i think i will put a cable tie on the two spliced parts, to help prevent any damage.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/battery%20relocation/Picture377.jpg

twisted here too, serving two functions - i only had to tie down the red cable to hold everything neatly in place, and that possibility of radio interference (yeah right, not with this setup :cheesy: )

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/battery%20relocation/Picture378.jpg

yes, there definitely is enough room to fit these through into the passenger compartment. i will cable tie the frommet shut again once i get the LC-1 wideband installed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/battery%20relocation/Picture379.jpg

and... into the trunk. i ran the pair of cables down past the Jetronic box, under the carpet of course, along the outer edge of the passenger side of the car, under the rear seat then up the right side of the rear seat. i used hold downs to keep the wires up, so they dont get pinched between the seat back and the rear fender.

i want some nicer looking side mount terminals, but all i could find were the cheesy universal clamps sold at the chain auto parts stores. the subwoofer box is connected to the top battery terminals and the 1/0 is connected to the side mount terminals. the block of wood is at the base of the battery to keep the subwoofer box away from the terminals. the box holds a pair of 10" Kenwood subs, an 800watt Kenwood 2 channel amp fits neatly between the speaker connectors. i have a 1 farad capacitor on the side of the box and a 50w?? fuse also on the side of the box, down low and in front of where the battery sits.

[xassh]

i had thought i had ordered way too much cable when this came in the mail (shipping was free, thankfully - that stuff is Heavy!), but only ended up with a bout 3 feet of red and 4 feet of black when i was done.

i plan to run another ground from the battery to the center crossmember under the floor of the trunk. i know that people will often only ground their battery here and never have any sort of trouble.

i like the idea of grouding both up front and in the trunk.

[xassh]

i have finally gotten back to working on my car, trying to diagnose the compression problem with cylinder 1.

the motor is out, to be seperated from the transmission and head will be pulled. time to get down to the block, for the problem certainly is not the headgasket (i have used 2... or is it 3 different gaskets?), and it is certainly not the head (i have tried two different heads), as all combinations of parts yield approximately the same compression figures - 50-60 psi on cyl 1, 150-160 on cyl 2-4

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/blown%20motor/Picture395.jpg

[xassh]

the missing headlight seen in the last pic was removed for resealing.

i got the engine out, then got sidetracked for a few hours. i did get more done last night though.

engine seperated from transmission, i also removed the oil pump, water pump (realizing later i could have left it bolted to the timing chain cover) and alternator.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/blown%20motor/Picture396.jpg

also pulled the flywheel

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/blown%20motor/Picture397.jpg

[xassh]

i got sidetracked once again, then realized i had to reorganize most of the garage before i would have any room to work on my motor inside, rather than doing the rebuild in the driveway.

i have a 6 foot table devoted to tearing down and rebuilding the block, leaving me plenty of space to organize parts and keep tools within easy reach.

i rolled the hoist inside and started tearing the block down. man, i wish i had a decent, working, engine stand. a hanging, swinging engine is not easy to work with, but i suppose it is easier to deal with than having it on a rickety table.

piston 1 came out first, as that is where all of my troubles are. i thought, at first, that everything looked fine. i was only looking at the piston rings.

then i looked closer. uhoh. i cracked the piston

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/blown%20motor/Picture398.jpg

i cracked it worse than i thought...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/blown%20motor/Picture404.jpg

that crack is longer than that... i am surprised that i did not break a chunk off the bottom of the piston. the crack runs almost all the way through

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nbraley/saab%20900%20green/blown%20motor/Picture400.jpg

heh, i also bent the rod.

now, i am on my way to pull spare pistons and rods out of the block i have in storage. i have all the seals and gaskets on order, but it doesnt look like any of the parts suppliers are having much luck with piston rings, crank bearings or rod bearings. i am hoping for the best.

[Matthew]

Nasty.

Do you think detonation caused the crack in the piston?

[idiot_saabvant]

Xassh,

I've had no problems with ordering piston rings and main crank bearings, but my connecting rod bearings have yet to come. I got my piston rings from Deves Pistons in Calif. Try http://www.deves.com/devesrings/cars_SAAB.cfm if nothing else.

pierre

[xassh]

my favorite local shop found all the bearings and a wide variety of piston rings, but asked that i bring my spare piston to ensure correct sizing.

well, it turns out the spare block was bore - 0.020" oversized. and thus, the 'spare' piston will not even come close to fitting.

i really cant complain about having to swap blocks, as i realize now that my spare block is in far far better condition than the block on the engine that i bought just a few months ago as a quick replacement.

i decided to try a set of Total Seal (http://www.totalseal.com) piston rings, which should be here later this week.

the block is being magna-fluxed and decked, i have all new gaskets and seals to use, i even bought a can of red engine paint to touch up the 15+ year old red that is on there now.

pics coming soon.

[Palmer1980]

With great sadness, I would like to inform all of you about the death of a member of our saab family...

Nicholas Alexander Braley
November 29, 1982 - May 3, 2008


Nick (XAASH) was killed on 5/3/08 in a head on Motorcycle accident on a noted stretch of road in California called Ortega Highway.


He was not on his saab but rather riding his motorcycle and hit a BMW SUV head on.





Quote:
Man killed in crash on Ortega Highway identified
Posted by Joe Fanaselle at 5/5/2008 7:27 PM and is filed under TC,Fatal,Lake ElsinoreAuthorities have identified the man killed in a head-on collision along Ortega Highway at around 7:00 pm on Saturday. According to the Riverside County Coroner's Office, 26 year old Nicholas Braley of Mission Viejo was the operator of a motorcycle that collided head-on with a sport utility vehicle west of the Riverside / Orange County line.Paramedics and officers from the California Highway Patrol responded but Braley was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the Coroner's Office, he was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. It is unknown of the occupant(s) of the sport utility vehicle sustained any injuries. No other details about the crash are available at this time.

NEWS STORY (http://inland-news.com/2008/05/05/man-killed-in-crash-on-ortega-highway-identified.aspx)



MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR NICHOLAS BRALEY

Nicholas Braley, 26, of Mission Viejo, died Saturday, May 3, 2008 in a traffic collision. A Memorial Service to celebrate his life will be held this Saturday, May 10 at 2PM at the Laguna Beach Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 429 Cypress Dr., Laguna Beach, CA 92651. All of Nick's many friends and acquaintances are invited to attend. For directions call (949)951-7278





He was a motivation to us all, and he will be missed.


Threads here:

http://saablink.net/forum/showthread.php?p=443779#post443779

And his saablink "project thread" here:
http://saablink.net/forum/showthread.php?t=25007

[Tikka]

:cry:

Horrible news, he was a great guy.

[Saab-Daniel]

Ohh my dear god...

This is horrible news, very sad to hear about this!


May he rest in peace...


Daniel.

[saabmatt]

I read his project thread, I didn’t know him, at just 26 it’s a sad day RIP.

[philb]

Ah no.. this is awful. Rest in peace man.

[burks]

rest in paradise. very sad to hear.

[dlb]

I never met Nick, but through reading his posts it felt like I knew him. May he rest in peace.

[saabingmad]

wow, this is just awful, i dont know why terrible things happen to nice people, i think im going to observe a few minutes of silence so i and all those that observe as well, can reflect upon the contributions Nick has given to SC and to everyone else.. R.I.P brother in arms