Saab 60th Anniversary, and 30 years of the Turbo

Nutcase · 24-03-2007, 09:10

It's challenge nutter time!

In June Saab celebrates 60 years, and it also coincides with the 30th Anniversary of the Saab Turbo. I just happen to have a first production year Turbo (1978), but it's off the road needing the leaky sunroof replaced, and a replacement engine because most of the gaskets and oil seals in the current one are original and leaking like mad!

Whilst I can't see me getting over to Sweden for the real celebrations, I'd like to have the thing on the road again by then. Sounds easy, but I've been trying to get the time to do the engine since August! I also want to move the battery to the boot and a few other bits and bobs, Fun!

How it can look:

How it looked when I got the car in 2003:

Von Smallhausen · 26-03-2007, 02:37

There is something about the Saab T I just love. When I was at clown college ( police training school some call it ) one lad had a B reg Saab turbo and gave me a drive of it. I just loved it.

Best of luck with the repairs.

Nutcase · 27-03-2007, 16:14

Yeah they're very understated, and with a few simple tweaks can embarass a lot of performance cars

I scared the ed of the now defunct retro cars with mine round bruntingthorpe. Managed not to spin it though, despite seriosuly trying

Nutcase · 07-04-2007, 16:29

Hurrah, some progress

Engine and gearbox are out. Need to do some tidying and rust treatment in the engine bay tho' = not pretty in places!

Tomorrow hopefully I'll get the replacement engine onto the gearbox and ready to drop in, then I'll get on with the engine bay.

Will · 07-04-2007, 18:43

More pics required!

Nutcase · 07-04-2007, 23:36

I forgot to take my camera today

But in the mean time here's some pics of when it was actually working

At Power Engineering the day before I took it out on the track at bruntingthorpe. I forget the output, but it was about 165bhp. I've had 173 out of it, standard is 145.

Twins! I took it to a car show in Bristol - mine's on the right (easy for me to tell, it's lowered!).

And I also took it to last year's classic & retro show. It was on the way back from this show that the clutch went

Meant the mini cooper S I was chasing actually beat me

Nutcase · 09-04-2007, 09:34

Some singularly unexciting pics, but you asked for them

Split the engine off the gearbox and found a nice suprise. Saab gearbox cases are notoriously stiff as cream cheese. In the late 70's they tried various ways of stiffening them up, and one method they used was to add loads of ribs into the castings. And a different casting method, these (very expensive to make) boxes are called chillcast. The only external way to tell for sure if you have one of these "holy grail" boxes is to take the engine off. I got one

I have another gearbox that from the outside looks identical (even has the same casting number!), but doesn't have those extra ribs on top.

The outgoing engine:

The big hole it left:

The ingoing engine:

The engine going in is nothing special - just a standard one with new gaskets and oil seals. The original engine will (eventually) be rebuilt with a few tweaks

edit: here's a box advertised as chillcast, but without the additional ribs. Not chillcast http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAAB-99-900-CH...QQcmdZViewItem

Nutcase · 14-04-2007, 18:07

Me cream crackered!

Engine is in, everything down the bottom connected up (exhaust, driveshafts etc). Started on the top end, still a million things to do. I've ordered a qmax cutter to make the last hole through the bulkhead for moving the battery to the boot - need to finish running the hoofing great cable through

Getting there anyway. Amazing what a few days of great weather can lead to! Forgot my camera again tho

Nutcase · 15-04-2007, 10:48

Remembered camera, forgot memory card

Not that I achieved anything anyway. Put alternator on, found when I'd rebuilt it I'd assmebled it slightly wrong. Took it off and put the crappy unipart one back on that was a temp while I rebuilt the proper one.

Went to fit the clutch and I've bought the wrong one - I've changed to a flywheel from a 9000 as it takes a bigger clutch - but somehow I managed to buy a clutch for a 900

too complicated trying to swap bits about! Think I'll get the original 99 flywheel resurfaced and use that again for a while as the clutch will fit that... I hope!

Nutcase · 22-05-2007, 19:48

It's running

Sort of

Wouldn't start to begin with - turned over but nowt else. Eventually diagnosed a duff dissy. Changed that, and then it would cough but nothing else.

Bled the air out the injector lines, and it started yay! But there was a strange gurgling sound. Found most of the oil pumped out the turbo feed line joint, guess I forgot to do that up

Running reasonably now, but the valve clearances need checking I think as it sounds a bit clunky up top.

Some pics:

And posh hoses arrived finally!

24-03-2007, 09:10	#1
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	Saab 60th Anniversary, and 30 years of the Turbo It's challenge nutter time! In June Saab celebrates 60 years, and it also coincides with the 30th Anniversary of the Saab Turbo. I just happen to have a first production year Turbo (1978), but it's off the road needing the leaky sunroof replaced, and a replacement engine because most of the gaskets and oil seals in the current one are original and leaking like mad! Whilst I can't see me getting over to Sweden for the real celebrations, I'd like to have the thing on the road again by then. Sounds easy, but I've been trying to get the time to do the engine since August! I also want to move the battery to the boot and a few other bits and bobs, Fun! How it can look: How it looked when I got the car in 2003: Last edited by Nutcase; 14-03-2009 at 19:39. Reason: updated pics

26-03-2007, 02:37	#2
Von Smallhausen I'm Free Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tyneside Posts: 3,061	There is something about the Saab T I just love. When I was at clown college ( police training school some call it ) one lad had a B reg Saab turbo and gave me a drive of it. I just loved it. Best of luck with the repairs. __________________ " Well, old bean, life is really so bloody awful that I feel it’s my absolute duty to be chirpy and try and make everybody else happy too." David Niven, 1910-1983.

07-04-2007, 18:43	#5
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	More pics required! __________________ *No No!*

09-04-2007, 09:34	#7
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	Some singularly unexciting pics, but you asked for them Split the engine off the gearbox and found a nice suprise. Saab gearbox cases are notoriously stiff as cream cheese. In the late 70's they tried various ways of stiffening them up, and one method they used was to add loads of ribs into the castings. And a different casting method, these (very expensive to make) boxes are called chillcast. The only external way to tell for sure if you have one of these "holy grail" boxes is to take the engine off. I got one I have another gearbox that from the outside looks identical (even has the same casting number!), but doesn't have those extra ribs on top. The outgoing engine: The big hole it left: The ingoing engine: The engine going in is nothing special - just a standard one with new gaskets and oil seals. The original engine will (eventually) be rebuilt with a few tweaks edit: here's a box advertised as chillcast, but without the additional ribs. Not chillcast http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAAB-99-900-CH...QQcmdZViewItem Last edited by Nutcase; 09-04-2007 at 09:37.

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27-03-2007, 16:14	#3
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	Yeah they're very understated, and with a few simple tweaks can embarass a lot of performance cars I scared the ed of the now defunct retro cars with mine round bruntingthorpe. Managed not to spin it though, despite seriosuly trying

07-04-2007, 16:29	#4
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	Hurrah, some progress Engine and gearbox are out. Need to do some tidying and rust treatment in the engine bay tho' = not pretty in places! Tomorrow hopefully I'll get the replacement engine onto the gearbox and ready to drop in, then I'll get on with the engine bay.

07-04-2007, 23:36	#6
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	I forgot to take my camera today But in the mean time here's some pics of when it was actually working At Power Engineering the day before I took it out on the track at bruntingthorpe. I forget the output, but it was about 165bhp. I've had 173 out of it, standard is 145. Twins! I took it to a car show in Bristol - mine's on the right (easy for me to tell, it's lowered!). And I also took it to last year's classic & retro show. It was on the way back from this show that the clutch went Meant the mini cooper S I was chasing actually beat me

14-04-2007, 18:07	#8
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	Me cream crackered! Engine is in, everything down the bottom connected up (exhaust, driveshafts etc). Started on the top end, still a million things to do. I've ordered a qmax cutter to make the last hole through the bulkhead for moving the battery to the boot - need to finish running the hoofing great cable through Getting there anyway. Amazing what a few days of great weather can lead to! Forgot my camera again tho

15-04-2007, 10:48	#9
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	Remembered camera, forgot memory card Not that I achieved anything anyway. Put alternator on, found when I'd rebuilt it I'd assmebled it slightly wrong. Took it off and put the crappy unipart one back on that was a temp while I rebuilt the proper one. Went to fit the clutch and I've bought the wrong one - I've changed to a flywheel from a 9000 as it takes a bigger clutch - but somehow I managed to buy a clutch for a 900 too complicated trying to swap bits about! Think I'll get the original 99 flywheel resurfaced and use that again for a while as the clutch will fit that... I hope!

22-05-2007, 19:48	#10
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	It's running Sort of Wouldn't start to begin with - turned over but nowt else. Eventually diagnosed a duff dissy. Changed that, and then it would cough but nothing else. Bled the air out the injector lines, and it started yay! But there was a strange gurgling sound. Found most of the oil pumped out the turbo feed line joint, guess I forgot to do that up Running reasonably now, but the valve clearances need checking I think as it sounds a bit clunky up top. Some pics: And posh hoses arrived finally!