Engine Questions

[Swedishdynamics3]

Is an engine swap for my 94 9k NA possible? I found a 2.5 v6 on ebay could i swap it? Or swap a 2.3T into it? I need to make more horsepower! I don't know where to start? I want to do it semi inexpensivley

[BillJ]

I think you could swap a 2.3T into it. You'd need all the pipework, intercooler, oil cooler, turbo, exhaust downpipe, BPC valve with pipes and the Trionic ECU. I think the '94 non-turbo used Trionic. If so, the ECU swap should be straightforward.

You'd also be better off getting the transmission too, otherwise you'll have ridiculously short gearing for a 2.3T. You'd get loads of wheelspin in gears 1, 2 and 3, which would look impressive but not do much for performance (or fuel economy).

The 2.5 was never fitted to any 9000, so you'd have a bit of a job getting the Motronic engine management system wired in, I think, and the ECU would have to be from a 900 V6. I'd forget that idea unless you're looking for a challenge and I think you'd be disappointed with the modest power increase, especially if yours is currently a 2.3, rather than a 2.0 (you don't say which). The V6 engines are not regarded as being the best Saab (Vauxhall/Opel, actually) engines from either a performance or reliability point of view.

Again, I think you might need the transmission from the donor car.

[Swedishdynamics3]

I think i should just find a classic 900 turbo on ebay or in the paper

[BillJ]

Or a classic 9000 2.3T?

[Swedishdynamics3]

Either one will do just something with a tad more power!!!!!

[Elmo91]

I thought I might just add on to this instead of posting a new topic.

Is the exhaust on the 2.3T the same (from the cat back) as the 2.3 N/A. I would like to fit some nice pipes on my 91' N/A but dont see many for a non turbo. I would imagine they would be the same with the acception of the header and downpipe.

Dose anyone know???

thanks

Trey

[BillJ]

I'm assuming your car came with a cat. Not all markets had it in '91. The cat is the same, so a turbo exhaust from the cat back would fit. However, the silencers (mufflers) are both different. I assume this is because low backpressure is the key to turbo performance (a turbo engine requires lower backpressure than a non-turbo, and the turbo itself generates as much as you need), while a N/A engine requires a certain amount of backpressure for low-end performance.

In the same way, although a turbo performance system would fit, the back-pressure would be too low for a N/A engine - you would have problems with idling and the car would be rather gutless at low RPM with a definite point where it comes "on-cam" at higher RPM.

It wouldn't be nice to drive and would most likely fail an emissions test.

[Elmo91]

Ahh.
Makes sense...Damn.

Well then, on to the second question. Dose anyone know where I can find a good stainless catback system for a non turbo 9000 :-??

Thanks for the insight,

Trey