Hi all,
I've been searching around in the forums here and over at tsn but can't find solid consistent answers to a few questions. These seem to pop up from time to time from anybody with an automatic... So I was thinking if I could get a thread started which could answer some basic questions it would be helpful to a lot of people (including me).
If anything here is wrong then correct me and I'll update the post too. I'm by no means as knowledgable on Saab's as most of you around here.
How much horsepower/torque can my automatic transmission handle?
Quoting ricot83: "If you learn nothing, learn that horsepower does not blow trannys, torque does."
The general consensus seems to be 400Nm / 295ft-lb.
Will upgrading to <manufacturer> Stage <x> shorten the life of my auto tranny?
Personally I have a Nordic Stage 3 ECU, K&N intake, and a 3" e-cut out. I've been running this for a little over 30k miles and still haven't noticed any slippage or shifting problems. And I tend to have a bit of a lead-foot on take offs... :roll:
Anybody else have comments on this? I would be curious as to how long others have been running on stage <x> with an auto box.
Should I still follow the routine maintenance schedule for my tranny after performing upgrades?
I've never seen a concrete answer on this. I saw one post suggesting changing the automatic transmission fluid every 10k miles after serious power upgrades.
Can I switch my automatic transmission for a manual?
Of course. There are guides out there on how to do this. (Can somebody provide a link here? I know I've seen one or two...) However don't walk into a project of this nature without any type of mechanical experience. Meaning if you have never worked on your car I wouldn't take this as a first timer project.
However the topic of whether or not it's worth it is debated quite a bit. Most people indicate the auto tranny to be "bulletproof" while the manual tranny is problematic. The flip side to this is that the auto tranny has a torque limit of 295ft-lb before it will become problematic.
The solution? I haven't seen one yet.
Will the transmission from a Cobalt/Cobalt SS fit on my saab?
I don't know. I haven't seen a solid answer on this... some posts say it will but it's no more reliable. Other posts say it won't. Anybody know for sure?
Will the automatic transmission from a Saab 9-5 fit on my 9-3?
Again, I don't know. I've seen posts indicating these can handle more torque than the transmission in the 9-3/900. But I haven't seen an absolute "yes" or "no" as to whether it will fit. Anybody know for sure?
Are there any companies that will rebuild our automatic to handle more torque?
I remember a chain where Abdukted1456 was doing some research on this -- did you ever find anything? (assuming you read this) Or has anybody?
Can I put an LSD on a car with an automatic transmission?
Again - I don't know. I saw somebody say in a post once that this was not possible. Anybody?
If I'm doing something that's already been done let me know. I had some idle time at work and was getting frustrated not being able to find a lot of answers to the above questions... I can't be the only one, surely. :cheesy:
-Rich
I've been searching around in the forums here and over at tsn but can't find solid consistent answers to a few questions. These seem to pop up from time to time from anybody with an automatic... So I was thinking if I could get a thread started which could answer some basic questions it would be helpful to a lot of people (including me).
If anything here is wrong then correct me and I'll update the post too. I'm by no means as knowledgable on Saab's as most of you around here.
How much horsepower/torque can my automatic transmission handle?
Quoting ricot83: "If you learn nothing, learn that horsepower does not blow trannys, torque does."
The general consensus seems to be 400Nm / 295ft-lb.
Will upgrading to <manufacturer> Stage <x> shorten the life of my auto tranny?
Personally I have a Nordic Stage 3 ECU, K&N intake, and a 3" e-cut out. I've been running this for a little over 30k miles and still haven't noticed any slippage or shifting problems. And I tend to have a bit of a lead-foot on take offs... :roll:
Anybody else have comments on this? I would be curious as to how long others have been running on stage <x> with an auto box.
Should I still follow the routine maintenance schedule for my tranny after performing upgrades?
I've never seen a concrete answer on this. I saw one post suggesting changing the automatic transmission fluid every 10k miles after serious power upgrades.
Can I switch my automatic transmission for a manual?
Of course. There are guides out there on how to do this. (Can somebody provide a link here? I know I've seen one or two...) However don't walk into a project of this nature without any type of mechanical experience. Meaning if you have never worked on your car I wouldn't take this as a first timer project.
However the topic of whether or not it's worth it is debated quite a bit. Most people indicate the auto tranny to be "bulletproof" while the manual tranny is problematic. The flip side to this is that the auto tranny has a torque limit of 295ft-lb before it will become problematic.
The solution? I haven't seen one yet.
Will the transmission from a Cobalt/Cobalt SS fit on my saab?
I don't know. I haven't seen a solid answer on this... some posts say it will but it's no more reliable. Other posts say it won't. Anybody know for sure?
Will the automatic transmission from a Saab 9-5 fit on my 9-3?
Again, I don't know. I've seen posts indicating these can handle more torque than the transmission in the 9-3/900. But I haven't seen an absolute "yes" or "no" as to whether it will fit. Anybody know for sure?
Are there any companies that will rebuild our automatic to handle more torque?
I remember a chain where Abdukted1456 was doing some research on this -- did you ever find anything? (assuming you read this) Or has anybody?
Can I put an LSD on a car with an automatic transmission?
Again - I don't know. I saw somebody say in a post once that this was not possible. Anybody?
If I'm doing something that's already been done let me know. I had some idle time at work and was getting frustrated not being able to find a lot of answers to the above questions... I can't be the only one, surely. :cheesy:
-Rich