SaabCentral Forums banner

The dark side of tuning

2K views 13 replies 9 participants last post by  dann1940 
#1 ·
Here is what I'm working with.

  • 1999 2.3 LPT 5-speed 127K on the clock
    • Good turbo (Original????)
    • Year old stock brakes
    • Clean sump/engine and running Amsoil Euro 5W-40
    • All maintenance done except serp belt and two pullies (will be done within the month)
  • Bilstein HD with stock springs
  • CTI 2.5 cat back
  • GS Intake
Here is what I am worried about.... I want to go stage 2 (logical way to go since I have the catback and intake) which should put me at about 240 bhp and about 270 foot pounds of torque. Does this extra power mean extra wear and tear or were these engines, gearboxes and such designed to take much more?
 
#3 ·
Kermit said:
It will cause any suspect components to fail quicker thats for certain but, so long as you're not getting on it all the time there's no reason why you shouldn't do it. :cool: (and you know you want to)
That is a fact sir!

The car is very strong as it is (60-100 mph is fun in 4th) but let the power mongering begin.
 
#8 ·
Thanks everyone.

I have considered stage 3 but it will have to wait.
  • Stage 3 means downpipe which is an extra $500... money that I would rather put towards a full polly suspention rebuild, a TD04 turbo when my GT17 finally buys the ranch, or save towards a 17" wheel and tire package next spring
  • With Stage 2 I will be going from 170 to 240 bhp (an a lot more torque) which is quite a jump... especially for a FWD car without traction control. Not that I am doubting my driving skills but still.....
  • The car is at 127K and I don't know if my clutch is original or not :eek: so if it goes crunch (this is a daily driver) I am screwed. Mind you that I don't really beat on the car or autocross it, and I never dump the clutch.
Basically Stage 1 would have done me fine as far as the power gains but since I already have the catback and intake installed, Stage 2 might as well be done to take the full advantage of the current setup.
 
#10 ·
So I have another question......

It seems like all of the tuners will give you about the same levels of power through out each package/stage.

Does anybody have a clue to what they do to the software to turn a 170bhp car into a 230bhp car?
 
#11 ·
You have a near-10 year old car with over 100k on it...what do you include in "all maintenance done"?

-Vacuum lines?
-Boost hoses?
-Radiator and hoses?
-Head gasket--is yours leaking externally? (Known issue on the B235, mine is leaking slightly after 50k easy miles)
-IDM?
-CV joints/boots?

Increasing boost on any motor is going to stress all of these components further. Some of them may fail without any harm to the engine; others may cause catastrophic damage if they fail.

The longblock is likely very able to take the increased stress--but I'd want to assess the health of the other components above prior to cranking up the boost.

You're wise to think about your little stock GT17 and OEM clutch, too.
 
#12 ·
numbersix said:
You have a near-10 year old car with over 100k on it...what do you include in "all maintenance done"?

-Vacuum lines? Yes
-Boost hoses? No
-Radiator and hoses? Yes except for the top (I just got it mailed to me with a new thermostat and will replace it when I flush the coolant)
-Head gasket--is yours leaking externally? (Known issue on the B235, mine is leaking slightly after 50k easy miles) Very light
-IDM? No idea what that is... do you mean DIC?
-CV joints/boots? No... the boots are in perfect shape and the joints don't make any noise.

Increasing boost on any motor is going to stress all of these components further. Some of them may fail without any harm to the engine; others may cause catastrophic damage if they fail.

The longblock is likely very able to take the increased stress--but I'd want to assess the health of the other components above prior to cranking up the boost.

You're wise to think about your little stock GT17 and OEM clutch, too.
So is it the boost that is cranked up by the tuners then? I take your point on the GT17 but it does spin up faster than the TD04 in my buddy's Aero so I may stick with it for now. You are also right about the clutch.

Basically I am just looking for a bit more power than the 170... 200 would be fine but 240 would be better as long as my motor doesn't blow up.
 
#13 ·
Yup, they crank up the boost and tune the F/A mixtures to match.

GT17 will spool faster, but will run out of breath much sooner than the TD-04.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I did a stage 2 on the same model only with automatic when it had 115000 miles. I also did the SAAB sport suspension, added the larger air snorkel, K&N and a few other upgrades to include the Abbott modified GT17 turbo. Now at 165000 miles my car shows no sign of being stressed. It runs as well if not better than my o3 aero. If you believe the engine to be in good shape go for it. I don't necessarily believe the stage three is the way to go. I still get 30+ cruising the highway with near perfect air fuel ratios. Dan
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top