|
|
| 900SAAB.com: Originally Asked Questions? |
 |
These are the original questions and responses from the first generation questions page. Eventually, I will integrate these into the new format.
Nice site you have here! Could you tell me what kind of paint you used on your engine components and where I could find some?
Leon; thanks for the question. It looks like you're the first! I used Duplicolor's Engine Enamel; you can pick it up at any local auto parts store or even Wal-mart. I've used VHT engine enamel, as well, with similar results.
Thanks for this wonderful site, you are doing absolutely great work! Quick question: I am getting ready for a similar engine rebuild and would need a lot of cleaning solution. I checked my local WalMart and was unable to find the stuff you used, concrete cleaner. Can you send me more information? where to get it? and how it looks? Thanks
Ross; thank you for visiting the site! The degreaser is made by Castrol and is branded SuperClean. It's either SuperClean "Tough Task" cleaner-degreaser or SuperClean "Concrete cleaner". I find it in the automotive section, with funnels and engine oil. I've included a picture, below, of the label on the front of the gallon jug. There is a spray bottle available also, however, the gallon container is much more economical.
Hi Radare, Very nice site you have here. I am really impressed with your attention to detail. Both of your Saabs look excellent and would be a pleasure for anybody to drive. From another V6 owner I look forward to seeing your progress with that as needed. I was looking over the summary pages and saw in the 900SE interior section "Interior: Classicsoft new tan-leather interior with new seats and visors. Chrome interior door handles. Leather shift knob, boot and steering wheel." I am curious about the new seats and visors. Could you provide some additional information on the seats? Perhaps some pictures? Again, very nice work. Thanks! Tboy
Thanks for the question! I have added pictures of the V6's interior under it's section in the gallery. I purchased the ClassicSoft leather on EBay. I don't have any information as to where to purchase it otherwise. Good luck!
Great site radare. It's very well organized and easy to navigate. My serpentine belt in my 900S (2.3L) is starting to show cracks, and I would like to get it replaced soon. The short belt mod has been brought to my attention, and I was wondering if you recommend it? I can see its advantages in bypassing the lower idler pulley, but I find it hard to believe that Saab would install a component that did not serve an essential purpose.
Thanks for the question Chris! The short-belt mod does remove a known-troublesome component from the engine bay. The point of the additional pulley is to increase the amount of belt in contact with the power-steering pulley and upper idler pulley. The more belt contact, the less slippage that will occur under load. That being said, however, beginning in 2000, I believe, SAAB installed the short-belt in all 9-3's at the factory and omitted the second pulley. If SAAB did it at the factory, I don't believe it would cause any problems retrofitting previous models. I personally have not performed the short-belt mod on my '94. I did this because I wanted to be able to use a factory-spec'd belt if I had to do an emergency roadside replacement. If it's a concern, you could always carry a second belt.
Hi: Again, great site!!! I tried today to rebuild my distributor. The problem was in the pin. I used the catcher (a small socket) and a pin from the other side in the wise. I applied a large force with no result. Any special recommendations? I really do not want to break it. in addition, the rotor is not coming off the shaft. Looks like it is molded onto it. Would really appreciate your answer. Thanks, Ross
Good morning Ross. Removing the pin is the most difficult task of rebuilding the distributor. It is a medium interference fit between two hardened materials and requires a substantial force to disassemble. When removing the pin, you want to ensure that you're supporting it by the drive-collar so that only hardened-steel components receive any force. Be sure not to apply force to the soft aluminum housing. I used an 8" vice and slipped a piece of pipe over the handle for increased leverage. It required about 300 ft-lbs of torque to press the pin free. I would recommend using a hydraulic shop press if you are having trouble removing the pin. For a small fee, most machine shops can press it out for you if all else fails.
The rotor is epoxied to the distributor shaft. To remove it, you must crush it and then remove the pieces from the shaft with pliers. This, unfortunately, will require installation of a new rotor.
Great site, thanks! Did you ever try actually try one of those Chinese Siemens replacements, and if so, how did it work out? The CEL is so buggy when it comes to the distributor electronics that got to wonder whether the Chinese one would be able to keep it off. BTW I have never had to break an original rotor to get it off - just steady pressure and prying usually breaks the glue seal. Oh and I hammer out the pin, using a block to support the collar I made by drilling a hole in a block of wood then cutting it in two and drilling a smaller whole for pin clearance. There's a GM tranny seal that is available at almost any large auto parts store, which seems to work fine even though it isn't spring loaded - can't remember the GM part# but mine is an SKF and labeled 4912.
Hi Steve! I did not actually try one of these sensors as mine has yet to fail; when it does, I will try one and report. Good news on the rotor; I figured, if my seal had failed, it was a good time to replace the rotor as well. Thanks for the information on the GM part number. If the one I've mentioned fails, I'll give your SKF a try.
Hello. I've made a bit of a blunder. when i took the distributor cap off to have a look / clean it etc, I forgot where all the spark plugs go. I can't remember which goes into which on the distributor cap! I couldn't see any markings on the cap itself either. Any ideas? I've tried guessing, but I think I got it wrong. The engine didn't seem too happy with me and decided to fire the spark plugs at random moments! Ben
Ben, thanks for the question; I apologize for not responding to it sooner, my life's been turned upside down lately. There are no markings on the distributor cap. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Crank the engine (don't start it) until the crankshaft pulley timing marks line up. Remove the distributor cap and look where the distributor is pointing. This is where the #1 spark plug wire should go (mark this with a 1, using a Sharpie). Once you know where the #1 goes, the rotor rolls around in a counter-clockwise direction (looking at it from the left side of the car); the next wire it will hit will be the #3 wire, so put it on next. Follow this with the #4 wire and then the #2 wire. From my SAAB 900S, here is the approximate location of the wires to the cap:
Could someone please tell me the location of the camshaft position sensor on a 1995 v-6? Many thanks Jason
Jason: the camshaft position sensor on the V6 is located on the front cylinder head toward the passenger side of the vehicle (drive belt side). You need to remove the top cover to access it; once this cover is removed, look near the drive belts on the front-bank cylinder head. It has a two-wire harness and is secured to the head with a 10mm headed bolt.
What's up? I have a 94 Saab 900s with a factory tape player, I would like to install a subwoofer with an amp. I can't find the original amp anywere? Can I connect the aftermarket amp into the radio or do I need to swap amps? Cheers.
Eric. The 900S does not have a factory amp or front door speakers. Only the SE models had the amp installed at the factory. You can fabricate a DIN cable to connect to your head unit which will provide you with the pre-amplified signals your aftermarket amp would need. You can find information on that cable here.
Hey, I notice your black pearl grille....Do you have any suggestions on how I can get a hold of one? I have the Saab catalog and there are a lot of parts that I would like...but cannot seem to find much other than your site!
Hello Eddy. Unfortunately, the black pearl grille is getting extremely difficult to find. I think your best bet would be to take a standard 9-3 grille and have it black chrome-plated by someone who specializes in emblem plating (have you ever seen the gold emblems on Honda's or Toyotas? ). This would essentially duplicate the original grille in every aspect.
I need a engine diagram for a 1995 Saab serpentine belt change. One of the pulleys seems to be frozen and not sure if related to water pump thank you
Hi Michael; I'll have to track down a diagram for you. My WIS isn't working at the moment. Let me see what I can find.
How do you remove/replace the distributor rotor?
Tony; the rotor has to be crushed to be removed. It is glued on at the factory. Once you remove it, clean the old glue from the shaft and slide the new rotor on. No need for glue on the replacement.
How do you replace the serpentine belt?
Jason; assuming you have the 4-cylinder engine . . . to replace the serpentine belt, remove the airbox and air hose, place a 1/2" socket extension into the tensioner and release the tension and slide the belt free. The new belt will route on the same as the original; make a diagram for yourself showing this routing. It is advisable to replace the pulleys when doing the belt; namely the idler pulley.
Car wont change into fifth gear. Any ideas?
Hello Terrell. The likely cause for this is a misalignment of the shifter assembly at the transmission. Genuine SAAB has a great procedure for adjusting this. If your car is a '94 or '95, it's advisable to replace the original shifter assembly with the updated version. You will see much better shifting performance.
How do I remove the part without having the airbag deploy? I am removing it from a parts car (no engine, no battery, etc). I will need to put it in my 1994 900s hatchback. I could use some technical advice. Thanks.
Chuck: To keep the airbag from deploying or setting of the SRS light, disconnect the battery before working on the system. Since you say it's a parts car, you shouldn't have any problems with disconnecting or removing the bag. Once it's removed, protect it from static electricity and store it with the bag pointing downward so that if it does deploy, you won't be injured.
Hi. I have a 99 Saab 9-3 2.0 turbo and I am in the middle of replacing a head gasket. I need to find out how to properly time the camshafts now that I found tdc by using the crank pulley alignment mark. You look like the guy to talk to. Thank you for your help. Greg.
Greg; I've removed your contact information to protect you from spammers. There are three marks and colored chain links to be concerned with. Looking at the timing cover, you will se a notch at roughly the two o'clock position. Align this mark with the notch in the crankshaft pulley and ensure you're at TDC for the #1 cylinder. Once this alignment is verified, looking at the camshafts, you will see a mark just behind the pulleys. Align these marks with the notches in the front bearing caps. Platonoff has some good pictures here: http://photo.platonoff.com/Auto/20060704.Saab_B204_B234_Engine_Assembly/
I have a 1995 Saab v6 with the 2.5L V6 and it wont turn over. It sounds like a fuel pump issue, maybe. Can you find me a diagram that shows where the fuel pump is located?
Kodiak, thanks for visiting the site! The fuel pump is located with the fuel tank. If you fold up the lower portion of the back seat, you'll see a round plastic plug approximately 5" in diameter. Pop this out. The wires and hoses you see on the other side are the fuel pump. To replace the fuel pump, you have two options: 1. you can drop the fuel tank or 2. you can cut an access hole and fit a panel. I've done it both ways, with dropping the tank being my first shot. Some words of advice: First, pull up on the lines only; they are VERY fragile and if they break, you'll replace the entire line. Second, you'll need a special tool to remove the fuel pump retaining ring. I made this one to do the trick, using 1/4" thick by 3/4" thick steel bar. I bent it and welded on a cheap socket. It's a very handy tool and saves you quite a headache. Third, once the retainer is out, remove the pump and swap for the replacement. Fourth, before sealing things back up, ensure that the fuel gauge is reading accurately.
A great writeup has been posted on SAABCentral.com:. http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119759
I have a 1994 Saab 900s and sometimes I cant get the car to shift into gear. The shifter shifts but the car wont go into gear any ideas
Hey Jim. If you have the original shift assembly, I'd be suspicious of the bushing in the shifter assembly at the transmission. These can break resulting in the problems you are describing. There is an updated mechanism that will definitely improve your shift quality. GenuineSAAB has the bulletin outlining the upgrade: http://www.genuinesaab.com/psi/files/psi-432-2024.pdf. If your shifter checks out, I'd then look at aligning the shifter assembly with the gearbox. The previously provided link will show you how to align the shifter. Instead of tool 87 92 335, use a small diameter torx screwdriver to hold the alignment at the gearbox and shifter.
Do you happen to have a picture/diagram showing how to install the fuel pump assembly
Gus; If you look a few questions up, you will see a response that is very similar. You can see a pictorial on installing the fuel pump at SAABCentral.com:. http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119759. Good luck.
Is there any easy way to remove the shift knob from a 2000 Saab 9-3 se? I want to replace it with a pretty wooden knob.
Hi Ann. Unfortunately, you have to destroy the original knob to remove it. It is bonded to the shift lever with epoxy. To destroy it, take a pair of pliers and peel back the leather, like an onion. Once the leather is off, carefully break apart the plastic until the knob can be pulled off. With the old knob off, secure the new one with epoxy.
Excellent photo essays, and I appreciate the link to Platonoff's site as well. Did you send out your valves to be polished or did you do them yourself? If it was a DIY job, can you describe how you went about it please? I've seen a video (Youtube) where the valve was chucked into a lathe, but the technique was not really described. Personally, I'd be concerned about grinding off metal and screwing up how the valve seats. Thanks!
Trey; thanks for visiting the site! For valve polishing, I used a wire cup brush in my angle grinder and repeatedly wiped the valve surfaces until they were as smooth as I could get them. The wire laps the surface and smoothes it without removing metal. That's as far as I took it. After that, they could have been lapped using a bench grinder and polishing wheel. For the flat valve face, I cleaned off all soot with the wire cup brush and then ran them back and forth on a sheet of 1500 grit wet-or-dry. This gave them the mirror finish you see on the site. Just be careful with the seat area and you should be fine.
I have been trying to knock off some old rotors form the listed car for 2 days. I have been using penetrating oil the whole time. Is it typical for these to be rusted on so hard, or am I forgetting something?
Scott: Sorry for the late response. If Liquid Wrench and a mallet don't work, your next bet is to use a large gear puller. Place the fingers on the rotor and center the shaft into the CV axle. Torque the gear puller until it's tight. Tap the rotor with a copper hammer or mallet and then crank down on the puller until very tight. Repeat the process until the rotor comes free.
And unfortunately, in wetter climates (and saltier ones), this is a common problem. When reassembling, clean the hub flange with a wire brush mounted in an angle grinder and then coat the hub face with anti-seize compound. This will help with future rotor removals.
Why is it hard to get my car into first gear?
Kristen; the problem with your difficult first-gear engagement could be a clutch that isn't fully releasing. More likely, however, is a misalignment of the shifter assembly. See the post above (problems going into reverse) for instructions on how to realign the assembly.
Can a bad idler pulley cause a speedometer to malfunction prior to completely shutting down?
Mary; If you mean, "Can a bad idler pulley cause the speedometer to chime a warning and trigger the information triangle", then yes, it can. When the belt breaks, the car thinks the alternator has failed and will warn you. If you continue to drive the car with the broken belt, it will either overheat or the battery will go dead. If it overheats and shuts down, you will likely toast the engine. If the battery dies and it shuts down, you may be okay. Put a new belt and pulley on it and see if the car starts/runs.
If you mean "Can a bad idler pulley cause an inoperative speedometer", then no, it cannot. The speedometer is given information from wheel sensors placed on the CV axles. If the speedometer isn't reading correctly, then one of these sensors may be damaged. Do you have an ABS light on as well?
I have removed the front and rear subframe bolts but the two middle bolts will not budge. i have used a 500lb impact wrench and a 1/2 inch breaker bar. On the drivers side I have even drilled a hole through to the threads of the bolt and sprayed with Break Away and even Coca Cola and let it sit. I now have a nuts off socket for rounded bolts on and it is on tight. i am waiting on a 1000 ft/lb impact wrench. Will i have to torch these bolts off? Oh (dropping oil pan)
Jack; nothing special about the middle bolts that wouldn't be the same on the rear. My guess would be that rust has built up on the threads making them difficult to back out. Since the heads have rounded, you might consider welding a socket or larger nut to the head and try backing them out with that. The heat-cool cycle might help them budge loose. If that fails, you will have to torch them out and re-tap the chassis. Good luck mate!
I dont think your strut replacement link is working. I'll be glad when it does though!
Hey Corey! No, the link isn't working yet. It's a placeholder. I'll be replacing the struts the last weekend in March (when I do the front brakes) and will detail the information shortly thereafter. Check back in April!
I started having problems with running out of fuel when i still appear to have 1/4 tank of fuel left, i looked under the rear seat and found the steel cut away indicating some work had been carried out, could the assembly have been put in the wrong position?
Darren; there are two possibilities: One, the float isn't in proper alignment or two, the fuel sending unit is worn out. If you look at the top of the fuel pump, you will see two triangles, one on the fuel pump and one on the tank. These must point to each other for the fuel float to be installed correctly. If they are not, try realigning the pump. If they are, I would suspect your fuel sending unit is worn. You can remove the pump assembly and lightly sand the resistor bars with 2000 grit sandpaper. This may or may-not work. If it does not, you'll have to replace the entire fuel pump assembly to renew the sender unit.
I recently moved to Louisville Kentucky for hopeful seminary studies, and being from Florida I had never seen snow/ ice let alone drive in it. Needless to say I happened to slide around a curb two blocks from my house almost a month ago and smacked into a curb at around seven miles an hour. Now all this time I figured only the alloy rim on my 97 Saab 900 was unrepairable, but as I put the new rim on today I found that what I believe to be the subframe has been severely bent and the bolt of the control arm has also cracked the metal supporting around it on the subframe. I'll have to replace the new rim with the spare tire for another few weeks until I can afford a proper fix unfortunately, but I just wanted to seek your advice on repairing all this since I just moved to a new town and have little to no expenditure for this dire situation let alone the tools and uncle's garage that I had back home in Florida. I don't mind getting dirty and working on a vehicle myself to thwart labor costs, but this looks to be one of those situations where I'm gonna have to do something now and costly before I wear that spare tire of mine out. I kinda joked with friends and family about advertising my paypal account on myspace along with my profile to seek aid with this current blunder of mine. Nonetheless, I appreciate your site and am quite glad I stumbled upon you and am inspired myself with your own aspirations with Saab. Be well fellow enthusiast and pioneer of curb damages ;-)
Harley: I've removed your contact information to protect you from spammers. If the subframe is damaged, you'll likely have to remove it and replace it as they are not worth the expense to repair. You can source a used one for under $100. If the subframe is bent, the suspension will be too. Inspect the strut mount and assembly. When you have the subframe removed, I'd recommend installing the SAAB 9-3 suspension kit (from G0nuine Saab http://www.genuinesaab.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=56_28&products_id=248); Unfortunately, this kit is almost $500. I'd also check all three engine mounts as they are likely damaged. You've seen my curb damage pics: http://www.900saab.com/curb.html. As for funding, I can't offer up any suggestions other than to pass a few items off on CL and go for broke! As a starving single dad, it seems I have to do it every time I need to repair anything on the SAAB.
My mechanic said the oiler cooler on my 95 900S V6 needs replacing. What is involved in that?
Hi Phil. The V6 oil cooler is located in the intake manifold. As air enters the engine, it flows through the oil cooler. Replacement requires removal of the intake manifold which in turn, requires disassembly of a major portion of the top of the engine. The oil cooler itself is quite expensive. Expect to spend upwards of $800 on this repair. The thermostat is located just beneath the intake; when you have this work done, consider replacing the thermostat.
 |
|
Copyright 2007: All content on this site, including text and images, may not be reproduced without the written consent of the author. |