[4saabstoomany]

simple intake mod on a 84 8v (i should know this)

ok gents. Quick question. I did a search but nothing came up that was in depth.

I want to throw one of those cone filters on a 8v (84 non t) to see what kind of pick up it might give it.

I have an 86 so everything is different. The stock air filter looks as though it has sensors on it. Or something. What is involved in putting a cone filter on a 8v non t?

On that note, would that be the place to start for a semi affordable easy day or less job to start with on a 84 8v?

I used to see a special filter on saabperformanceparts.com for the 8v....but they don't have it anymore?!

Danka guys!

 

[SteveTheFolkie]

Probably the best you'll be able to do is swiss-cheese the existing filter box on the fender and front side - maybe add some ductwork to keep hot engine bay air away from the intake - with the fuel distributor and all right on top of the airbox a cone filter is a really tough thing to do.

 

[4saabstoomany]

I'm going to re-hatch this. Steve has a good idea, but if ANYONE has actually modded an old 8v for this type of thing, I'd love to hear how you did it

 

[NSE]

I recall someone here (Si?) got rid of the airfilter box completely and connected a tube with a cone filter to the bottom of the air-flow meter.

Another option would be removing the filter from the airbox and connecting the cone filter to the intake of the box.

One more option would be to fit a fuel distributor/airflow meter from another vehicle.
I've seen some volvos at the wreckers where it doesn't bolt to an airbox, it has a small bowl under it and a pipe coming out to the side that goes to the airbox.

I couldn't find a photo of the Volvo one, but here is one from a Delorean. The Volvo one is similar but the intake doesn't point up.

 

[SteveTheFolkie]

I'm going to re-hatch this. Steve has a good idea, but if ANYONE has actually modded an old 8v for this type of thing, I'd love to hear how you did it

I don't have any pictures, but I did this to a CIS injected VW some years back, and it was a major pain in the neck. I took a junkyard top of the filter box, epoxied some 5" diameter plastic pipe to it (about an inch and a half long section) to which I attached flexible hose (dryer vent) that ran to a cone filter mounted behind and a bit beneath the headlight.
I then had to fabricate fairly stout mounting brackets to hold the fuel distributor in place.
I also fabricated a sheet metal isolation plate to keep engine heat away from the intake.

It worked, but to be brutally honest, it didn't work any better than a hogged out stock airbox (front and side basically MIA) with some shrouding and in the end, with the brackets and all I think the front end of the car gained a pound or two of weight. I didn't want my fuel distributor coming free while driving. In retrospect I could have rotated the FD and made a more direct path from the filter to the FD but I didn't bother. After a couple months I put my hogged out stock airbox back into the car (vibration was an issue with the brackets I fabricated, they were developing stress fractures).

Potentially of note - on CIS VW's we had lovely braided stainless fuel lines running from the fuel distributor to the injectors - movement and vibration that would be fatal to the fragile plastic lines Saab used wouldn't bother the braided lines a bit, something to consider (engine compartment fires are never much fun).

 

[Jokke A]

I wanted a cone filter to my 8v 900. I decided it was easier to change couple of other parts as well:
http://koti.mbnet.fi/jokkea/vvfilsu/00001.jpg

 

[ejenner]

In other words: you changed the fuel injection system...!

I don't think that was the level of work this chap had in mind? But well done - looks great.

 

[4saabstoomany]

I've been so busy i havn't had time to respond. Thanks for the replys. I think I'm going to have to fenangle a few things... Nothing I can't handle. I'm either going to rip teh current intake down to nothing and find a way to remount things that need be remounted, like that fuel relayish type deal. that or just break down the outside of the intake, and get rid of some of the bends. I don't know... It's for the sisters saab, which I typicaly don't work on that much. She always has problems getting up big hills in the 8v. It over heats too... Maybe I should fix that first !!!!!

 

[ejenner]

car sounds a bit sick.

 

[c900]

I've been so busy i havn't had time to respond. Thanks for the replys. I think I'm going to have to fenangle a few things... Nothing I can't handle. I'm either going to rip teh current intake down to nothing and find a way to remount things that need be remounted, like that fuel relayish type deal. that or just break down the outside of the intake, and get rid of some of the bends. I don't know... It's for the sisters saab, which I typicaly don't work on that much. She always has problems getting up big hills in the 8v. It over heats too... Maybe I should fix that first !!!!!

He he my 81 turbo is overheating as well and I'm going to do a couple of things about that - namely getting the radiator checked out and replaced (or re-cored) if need be, and ripping out all the a/c gear (except the extra fan and control relay, etc. for that).

The other thing I'm doing is adding a T16 intercooler. As alluded to in some other posts I need to get longer engine oil cooler hoses so the oil cooler can be shifted from the LHS to RHS of the radiator support, then it'll all start coming together!

I like your idea of trying to sort out the cold air intake though - along with the intercooler mod actually having a better primary air intake is a good project. I've considered trying a 16V air filter box in place of the 8V one (which means I could use the taller size of K&N air filter that the 16V's used) since that has the air intake to the box at the rear instead of at the front. I think that the intercooler might get in the way of the existing air intake to the filter box.

Craig.

 

[ejenner]

The cars aren't supposed to overheat. That means there's something wrong!

Just like the radiator... over time the block fills up with dirt and limescale. I don't know how much of a problem you have with hard water in Aus.. but usually in large cities the water is hard and causes scaling on anything exposed to it for any amount of time (i.e. central heating systems, washing machines, car engine's)

Crud often builds up behind the block drain plug under the exhaust manifold on the side of the engine. Open the three bolts that hold the assembly onto the side of the block and remove the whole assembly. Clean out, reseal and bolt back to block.

Perhaps check the water pump... but be really careful removing the bolts as they can snap quite eaisly... be really carefull... take out the pump and make sure all the fins still look good.. might as well check the bearings aren't wobbling or catching at the same time.

Flush the coolant system using running water from a hose pipe. Just sit there with the hose sat inside the component (such as radiator or engine block) and let it run for 5 minutes so all the crud drains out.

You can also modify the thermostat by either removing it, switching it for a lower temperature theremostat or sometimes you can do funny things like drilling into the housing (although you'd have to investigate that one!) and a cooler thermostat (or no thermostat at all) will allow the car to run cooler.

Crud also builds up quite effectivly between the cylinder head and the block. The water holes between the two components furr-up and sometimes block. Obviously there's not much you can do about that when the head is on the engine.

Old oil causes greater friction and lots of boosting also causes the oil to degrade quite quickly and work less well. Oil should be changed every 6k and a fully synthetic oil should be used for turbocharged engines.

 

[4saabstoomany]

With the over heating issue, I'm almost 99% positive that the rad is stock from 84. I'm going to either clean it out or get a new one for her, as well, I'm thinking of putting a fan on the side (it's no A/C so there is only one rad fan) and hooking it up to a switch, for those "sitting in a 4 mile car line entrance to a fesival" situations

 

[c900]

With the over heating issue, I'm almost 99% positive that the rad is stock from 84. I'm going to either clean it out or get a new one for her, as well, I'm thinking of putting a fan on the side (it's no A/C so there is only one rad fan) and hooking it up to a switch, for those "sitting in a 4 mile car line entrance to a fesival" situations

The extra fan does help a lot. If the car is wired to have AC added, you can probably find the harness connector for the left-side fan, add a relay and fuse to the fuse/relay panel, and then you'll get the left fan running automatically when the right side one starts up via the thermoswitch at the top-left of the back of the radiator.

I'm tempted to get my 81 turbo car professionally checked by a local radiator shop (its been recommended by a few Saab people here in Oz) and plan what to do based on their assessment. Could be a good idea for your car too...

Craig.