[markcanderson]

Hi all,

Getting a rattle from camcover on my Abbott tuned 9000 2.3 Turbo, thinking the cam chains, cogs etc need to be replaced.

Have asked Abbott to quote on work whilst fixing an oil leak at oil pump and cam cover, replacing shocks for Konis, Abbott springs, tyres - Bridgestone S-03, wishbone bushings, antiroll bushings, engine bushings and abbott rear antiroll bar.

What would the typical price be to get a specialist or a dealer to change the timing chains, balancershafts, cogs etc normally?

Would it be better just to get an engine swap for a newer 2.3?..

Engine blows no smoke, doesn't use oil, pulls strongly, no water contamination but has done 150 thousand miles.

If just getting the engine work.. is it worth it to get them to do the head gasket anyway?

wat denk jij?

 

[murphwiz]

Not sure of cost of work...
But on the engine front..

Why 'throw' away a known good engine... for a unknown one with half the miles?

I'd spend the money on your one!

 

[mark e]

The problem with newer 2.3s if I remember the age of you car correctly Mark is there aren't many! The block design changed around 94, so you're not likely to get a significantly newer engine agewise, although you might pick up a younger one in miles, but you can't say how well it's been looked after.

You could (and Giles might suggest this) however still buy a new short engine from Saab for I think about £1400.

IIRC the chains on mine were about £800...

 

[Eric van Spelde]

I agree - timing and balancer shaft chains are more or less a routine repair on the 2.3's - at least the earlier ones, and any engine that will fit your car will be '93 or earlier anyways, so the chance of finding one with say half the miles AND full service documentation is prectically nil. I would have new chains fitted on any s/h replacement engine before I'd dropped it into my car as matter of course.

The only viable alternative IMO would be finding a really late ('97/'98) crash damaged 9000 with super low miles, and transplant the entire driveline (including all electronics) into your car. Two Stroke To Turbo do these kind of conversions fairly regularly (at least according to their website), but be advised that the cost seems to be only slightly lower than replacing your car with a newer example in the first place, so you'll have to like your present car a lot...

 

[1989agoodvintage]

Two Stroke To Turbo do these kind of conversions fairly regularly (at least according to their website), but be advised that the cost seems to be only slightly lower than replacing your car with a newer example in the first place, so you'll have to like your present car a lot...  [/b]

If mine goes pop, I'm buying an Aero, noooo question about it. I'm a bit worried, Ray at Highgate Saab thought it sounded "chainy" and advised me to check with TSL that both balance and timing chains had been done at around 150K. It will be a [expletive deleted] if I need these doing, I really wanted to start spending money on the fun stuff pretty soon.

 

[cdcarlsson]

My car had the balance and timing chains done at the end of '99 by a Saab Main Dealer. The cost was; labour £450, parts £562 (and this after a 30% discount!), vodka & tonic £177, total £1189.

I'm glad it was a previous owner who stumped up a nd not me. Obviously the parts prices may well have changed by now.

Nick.

PS. Every conceivable part was changed, inc all gears, guides, tensioners etc. as you might expect.

 

[markcanderson]

Right then, decision made then.

My car goes into Abbott on the 4th of April, where they will have her until the 25th of April.

Engine out job and rebuild- Balancer shafts, chains, pullys etc, new cylinder head gasket, bearings, oil pump, new engine mount bushings, new gearbox mount bushings, abbott rear uprated anti-roll bar, uprated anti-roll bushings front & rear, uprated wishbone bushings, abbott springs, abbott koni-dampers + 4 new bridgestones.

Eye-watering price.. but worth it to keep my 9000 tip-top.

 

[Eric van Spelde]

As you'll have basically everything apart anyways and the price for it all can assumedly hardly be more eyewatering than it will be now, you could have asked them to port the head and fit bigger valves while they're at it.

 

[billj]

Originally posted by Mark_A:
[qb]My car goes into Abbott on the 4th of April, where they will have her until the 25th of April.[/qb][/b]

Our 9000s are likely to meet at some time over that period, then, depending on how Abbott deal with my gearbox failure.

You won't regret the Abbott suspension mods. I don't know what it's like on the 9-3, but it gave excellent results on my Aero. And I started ahead of yours with the Aero suspension and didn't fit the uprated rear bar.

 

[sgould]

I think it's his 9000 T-car that he's having done, not the 9-3.

 

[billj]

Originally posted by sgould:
[qb]I think it's his 9000 T-car that he's having done, not the 9-3. [/qb][/b]

Apologies for my ambiguity. I meant that I know he's had the 9-3 done already but I don't know what the improvement was like.

 

[markcanderson]

My 9-3 feels fantastic with the Abbott mods.. I can't wait to find out how the 9000 will be improved by the suspension mods, - hopefully it will help with traction and prevent premature TCS cut-in.

All I need to do now is get the car nice and clean and shiney, with this work, my 9000 will be complete, and hopefully ready for the STTE Speed 2003 day!

.. I may even take it down to the Nurburgring on the Monday!.. he he

So.. mods wise.. I stand at.... (jeeze it all adds up!)

9000 2.3 Turbo CD Griffin -

Abbott ECU Upgrade.
Abbott Wastegate Actuator.
JR Performance Filter.
JT 3'' downpipe.
JT 3'' superflow sports exhaust.
Trent Group N Brembo Grey Iron Discs all round, with Ferodo DS2500 Pads Front, Mintex Pads Rear.
Koni Sport Adjustable Dampers.
Abbott Lowering Springs.
Abbott Wishbone Bushings.
Abbott Anti-roll bushings Front and Rear.
Abbott Engine Mount bushings.
Abbott Gearbox bushings.
Abbott Uprated Rear Anti-Roll bar.
Saab 16'' Aero Wheels with Bridgestone S-03 tyres.
Speedparts white DRLS.
Smoked side repeaters.
Abbott overhauled and rebuilt engine.
VDO Calibrated Boost gauge.
VDO RDS/CD Player.
Nokia Handsfree GSM kit.

And it all looks very standard on the outside..

 

[1989agoodvintage]

Originally posted by Mark_A:
[qb]Right then, decision made then.

My car goes into Abbott on the 4th of April, where they will have her until the 25th of April.

Engine out job and rebuild- Balancer shafts, chains, pullys etc,  new cylinder head gasket, bearings, oil pump, new engine mount bushings, new gearbox mount bushings, abbott rear uprated anti-roll bar, uprated anti-roll bushings front & rear, uprated wishbone bushings, abbott springs, abbott koni-dampers + 4 new bridgestones.

Eye-watering price.. but worth it to keep my 9000 tip-top. [/qb][/b]

Jaysus H wept!! You obviously like the car a lot Mark.

 

[markcanderson]

The car was owned by an old lady before I bought it.. it's immaculate (bar a small dent in the boot lid).. everything works.. the leather is perfect.. and it drives so sweetly and looks so good with it's light sand leather interior, dark green exterior and those lovely two-tone aero wheels.

For the money I've spent on it (and will spend) I could have bought a fairly decent 5 year old VW Golf(and nothing else), however that wouldn't have wall to wall leather, electrically adjustable leather memory seats with heating, climatecontrol, electric everything, real walnut burr appointments, proper performance (circa 250HP), good road manners (i.e. chuckable and safe) and real road presence.

And as to an Aero, well this will now out-accelerate an Aero, out-brake an Aero and out handle and Aero (even a 9-5 aero )... and do so reliably.

It actually kind of makes sense in a funny way, because I KNOW what the problems with my car are, whereas if I bought another one.. I could just be buying someone else's problems.

This thing is lovely to drive and is sooo fast. (I saw 150 mph on it a few weeks ago and it was still accelerating!!!)

 

[billj]

Originally posted by Mark_A:
[qb]hopefully it will help with traction and prevent premature TCS cut-in.[/qb][/b]

It will certainly improve traction, so it should help with the TCS.

 

[billj]

Originally posted by Mark_A:
[qb]And as to an Aero, well this will now out-accelerate an Aero, out-brake an Aero and out handle and Aero (even a 9-5 aero     )... and do so reliably.[/qb][/b]

Oh, yeah? Whose Aero might that be? Not mine, I think.
Umm... except that right at this minute, even a Reliant Robin would out-accelerate it...

 

[1989agoodvintage]

well this will now out-accelerate an Aero[/b]

I can do that bit, although the rolling road results may suggest otherwise. I know that by selecting a lower gear and "dabbing" the throttle I can definitely get more than 215bhp out of it, I've seen the boost clear red at around 4250rpm this week!!

I plan to get the handling and braking sorted asap. I hope Mark E goes for the godspeed kit and sells his AP kit. After that; exhaust, air filter, hybrid/big turbo, see what I can do to get to my 300bhp target on the current LH/APC units and then perhaps get an engine tuning kit.

I just hope my engine bay rattle turns out to be no more than an a shakey old alternator, otherwise the fun bits will have to wait a while!

 

[1989agoodvintage]

Oh, yeah? Whose Aero might that be? Not mine, I think.  [/b]

Is it currently on the back of a trailer being towed by a dodge viper then?

 

[markcanderson]

That sounds really cool Jason.. your car will really fly!

Bill.. no not your Aero.. infact.. not anyone's Aero around here .. you've all uprated yours!

 

[billj]

Originally posted by Jason (Mr Torque-Steer):
[qb] QUOTE

Oh, yeah? Whose Aero might that be? Not mine, I think.  [/b]

Is it currently on the back of a trailer being towed by a dodge viper then? [/qb][/b][/quote]Touché, Jason. All those "off-track" comments have come home to roost