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Largest horsepower engine to fit?

3K views 21 replies 12 participants last post by  nfusaf 
#1 ·
I just got word that my car will need a new engine when I get back from the desert, so I figure why not go all out. I know my body style and engine compartment will require modification regardless, but I want the fastest engine I can get for my car. I plan to make it a 5 or 6 speed manual transmission as well.

Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
Unless you have loads of time, money, and knowledge, only replace the engine with a stock 9-5 2.3L engine. There really isn't anything else that would work without massive amounts of changes made to the car, and by that point it wouldn't be anything like a Saab anymore. The reason you can't just throw something bigger in there is that the Saab ECU won't be able to control anything else - it's made specifically for Saab engines and components. You can't just put a different car's ECU in either - all the different systems in your car communicate with/through the main engine ECU. I would say that your only two options are to either get a new 2.3L engine or get a new car.
 
#6 ·
...............with an electric dump valve for added "wow" factor :cool:
 
#7 ·
A Hybrid. Saab 9000 2.3 block with 9-5 head. Some 9000 had forged pistons factory fit. If u can combine that with a 9-5 head, a custom turbo with custom ecu software and an uprated clutch, you should get a lot of horsepower. B234R with T7 head.
 
#8 ·
I have that set-up and would beg to differ. yes I can thow about 500 HP on stock 234 pistons but for the trouble I would sawp pistons into a 235, I seem to need to dump fuel into my 234 T7 hybrid engine build to get it to stop running lean ( common problem that you get when you reduce the compression as you do with the 234 block/T7 heads it seems...

So my advice, get a 235 rebuild the botom with forged pistons, add a Hoslet HX-40 custom T7 suite tune and get 600 WHP... easier ( and lighter for sure) than all the mods you would need to stuff a bigger engine in there...
 
#9 ·
I love all the ideas. Looking at those kinds of overhauls makes me drool a little. From what the mechanic at the shop my engine is still leaking oil at the oil pressure sending unit, loosing compression at a spark plug or two, O2 sensor front bank is shot and around 1k rpms the engine either struggles to maintain rpms/catches idle. Also around the 1k mark it likes to randomly die while idle or actuall driving. The exclamation mark in the triangle comes on around 1k rpm along with the oil light.

They replaced just the oil pressure sending unit but its still got an oil leak. The engine keeps giving me problems, from day one of owning it actually. Just not exactly sure where to go from here. The mechanic suggested going with a new engine and I deploy soon, so ill have cash to put into my car. Just need help deciding the most practical and economical route to go.

I really like this car and want to kick up the horsepower, but so far I've don't nothing but spin my tires.
 
#10 ·
Just need help deciding the most practical and economical route to go.

I really like this car and want to kick up the horsepower, but so far I've don't nothing but spin my tires.
Use your cash on a newer Aero and junk this old girl ;)
 
#11 ·
I would have done that a while back but I still owe around 3 grand on this car. Not quite sure what to do really. May just see the cost comparison of repairing this engine over dropping a newer aero engine in (or would there be complications resulting from the aero engine since it isnt a stock 9-5 4 cylinder engine?
 
#12 ·
The Aero engine is a stock 9-5 4-cylinder engine. ;) It still suffers from the weak T7 pistons, so you're not gaining anything in terms of durability.

Best case: rebuild your engine with forged pistons, just as jssaab suggests. Replace all the bearings, chains and seals and you'll be fine for 100,000 miles or more...
 
#13 ·
It is looking like that may be the best bet for me. I just need this job done well while not paying for it with my arm, leg, and the promise of my first born :roll:

This car has been my favorite car out of all of the ones I have owned....when it is running like it is supposed to run. I just got back from an 800 mile road trip to get back to base, so I won't be searching for a pre-existing thread on 9-5 engine rebuilding. I was curious if someone had the link off hand? If not, I am sure I will find it when I get up later on today. ;ol;

Oh, and on the 800 mile trip my car only died twice when I was going through a town and the RPMs were at or below 1k, and it was dying, struggling to maintain idle RPMs, or catching its idle as if it were about to die when I would stop to give it a break. Low Oil Pressure indications are still coming up at about 1500 RPMs and lower.

Thanks again everyone.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Let me know what you decide to go with. I just spent $3000 rebuilding my engine and I still have noise coming from the head 500miles later and my transmission is stuck in 3rd Gear Limp Mode.

(everyone)

Is it better to spend more time and money with this engine or pull it out and put in another engine that is rebuilt with forged pistons and better valves and lifters?

I have a 99 9-5 2.3 with an aero turbo catback cold air intake reprogrammed ECU from BSR (2001 body previous aero ecu)
 
#18 ·
Let me know what you decide to go with. I just spent $3000 rebuilding my engine and I still have noise coming from the head 500miles later and my transmission is stuck in 3rd Gear Limp Mode.

(everyone)

Is it better to spend more time and money with this engine or pull it out and put in another engine that is rebuilt with forged pistons and better valves and lifters?

I have a 99 9-5 2.3 with an aero turbo catback cold air intake reprogrammed ECU from BSR (2001 body previous aero ecu)
With respect you need to start your own thread with some decent background on your car..........
 
#16 ·
Hey Chris,

I have been thinking about what you were saying about getting rid of my car. If I did decide to sell/junk it, what would be the best way to get the largest portion of my money for it? Coming back from deployment I will have over $7,000 to invest in a different car so buying something else would be easy peasy. I see lots of talk about the 9-5 Aero and would love to look into one with a manual transmission here state side.

It will be several months till I can actually do something about selling/junking this car, but I would like to see what options I have.

Thanks
 
#17 ·
I think your fellow countrymen will have a way better idea than me on this, but I do think that sometimes you just have to cut your losses and start afresh.

If you think an Aero with a couple of tweaks to say 280 bhp will be what you want then thats probably the way forward just to part exchange and to buy one - if you are genuinely looking to build a 350+ bhp beast then as the previous posts have said you will need to build an engine, so I guess you may was well do it with the one you have........ remembering of course that you will need to change the suspension and brakes to cope too.

I would say though that the 4 speed auto does not work well with a lively tuned 300 bhp or more car in my opinion..... Manual with LSD in the box is the real way to go if you want to "drive" your beast yourself!
 
#20 ·
You want fast?

Buy an Aero engine, rebuild with sleeves, forged pistons and rods etc. Then add custom turbo kit with something like a gt35r ball bearing turbo, redo the complete fuel system to support extra power, crank the boost up, and get it tuned.

Oh, that and you'll need an LSD.
 
#21 ·
#22 ·
I've had this car for well over 2 years now :confused: I am just needing it to last me another 2 weeks or so till I deploy. When I get back I decide what I want to do.

I have some options.

Option 1: For almost (from what I gather) $8,000 I can swap over to a new engine, replace the front bank O2 Sensor, and add in enough performance parts to put it at, or around, Stage 4 (still unsure of what the BHP would be though).

I still owe $3,000 on it though. Bought it for $4,500 with $500 down.
-A few weeks later I spent $140 to repair a line going from my radiator to my transmission line.
-About 1,500 miles later the turbo blew 2 hours away from base so I ended up adding another $1,500 to my base cost of the car on the loan to afford the turbo.
-Almost a year and a half later the idler pulley busted while I was driving during the winter to Illinois from New Jersey (about 800 miles), breaking in Dayton, Ohio, 300 miles from home. Spent $40 on the pulley and $120 on the water pump that I got from the local Saab dealership back home (the price I paid to not have to wait for overnight shipping for parts online).
-Just 1 month ago the O2 sensor went out. I was hard up for some money so I went with a Universal Front Bank O2 Sensor, about $50. (hard lesson learned there)
-500 miles from home, 2 weeks ago, the engine started acting up really bad. I replaced the Oil Pressure Sending Unit for $85, but was told that due to two spark plugs leaking compression, the sending unit still leaking oil, and the O2 sensor completely inactive, I would be better off with swapping the engine if I did keep this car.

In all I have put nearly $7,000 into this car in little over 2 years, not counting the $80 I spent for a larger intake air filter from K&N.

I hate putting the figures together but if I kept the car and performance tuned it after making sure all the mechanical and electrical problems are gone, I can easily get near the $15,000 mark. The two plus sides to this are that I would have pride in knowing I made the car what it is when it is finished and I have had the car long enough that I know a lot of what is wrong or quirky with it. Lucky for me, I have a stable and high enough income job that is doesn't bleed me dry with repairs, but it comes dang close.


Option 2: Sell the car as is and cut my losses. Doing this it would be worth $1,500 on a good day, especially since the idle is rough, it likes to die randomly, and the low engine oil pressure indication comes up every time you near idle RPM while driving or stopped.


Option 3: I could part the car out, which may get me a little more than above, but not likely.


Option 4: Talk to a dealer, use the car as a trade in, make sure the dealer takes over the remainder of what I owe on the car, and use my deployment money for a down payment and finance a newer/certified vehicle.


I think that is about it for it. Well there is one final option that I kind of like but it is still a lot of work, but the parts would be cheaper. My best friends sister is pregnant and needs a larger car for her growing family (After hearing I would be better off with an engine swap I ruled this one out because that would be cruel sticking an expecting mother with a car that has a short engine life span ahead of it). She has an older Camaro with a performance engine. Only problem being that it is more of a fair weather car. Man does it have some power going to the wheels though.


Any other ideas are appreciated though. I am more so torn between fixing it up and performance enhancing and tuning it, or using it towards a trade in on a different car. All I am doing as of right now is weighing my options so that I have a clear picture of what I want to do when I get back.
 
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