[Great_Bu]

My 94 9000 Aero has just lost all the oil from the gearbox, my local mechanic tells me the oil seals have gone and the box may be damaged insisde. He says he can't fix it as he's no Saab expert, can anyone reccomend a reputable independent specialist in the North Manchester/Bolton/Bury area that could fix this ?

Thanks.

 

[cdcarlsson]

Bad luck Bu,

Is the box making noises or is it difficult to change gear at all?

Nick.

 

[Great_Bu]

It still runs but it is more noisy (not suprisingly as there is no oil in it), occasionally it jumps as if the gears are slipping (this was what alerted me to the problem) but I'm not actually driving it at all at present in the hope of not doing any more damage than has already been done.

 

[andyh]

Can't help you much with the gearbox, but there is an excellent specialist in Padfield (east of Manc near Glossop) See http://www.saabtec.co.uk run by Richard Elliot, tech guru at the Saab Owners club. He specialises in gearbox work. Alternatively I have also heard some good things about a saab specialist called Autosport in Ashton-u-Lyme. Not on your doorstep however.

Good luck!

 

[laurent]

I've got the joints changed on my gearbox. As the three joints costs around 30 USD you could manage to do it yourself. I've DIY them and no further touble. It's not so hard to do with the hayne completed by the reading of infos on different saab sites well known here. But it's a long course, and I believe that's why your tech don't want to do it. But you can do it if you are machanically inclined, taking your time, and beeing as clean as possible. First check where the leak appears, then I would help you, step by step if needed.
Cordially, Laurent

 

[laurent]

is your clutch sleepin ? if not, the job won't be so hard to do, but you will need a torque wrench !

 

[Great_Bu]

Thanks for all above, unfortunately my talents mechanically stretch to changing the oil. Any jobs which start with 'first remove the engine....' are beyond my ability. It does always seem that these things end up costing a lot for labour to put some tiny inexpensive part in.

 

[Great_Bu]

If the worst comes to the worst and I need to get a new gearbox, can anyone tell me how much I might expect to pay for one ? Also, what models can it come from (is the box specific to the Aero or can it come from any other engine types ?)

I have a 94 9000 Aero

Thanks.

 

[Paul Harrison]

Try Saab at Bolton, they are also a Vauxhall dealer and charge a lower rate for older Saabs and will probably give you an idea of the price over the phone. When I put my gearbox back together wrong (turned out the 3rd/4th synchro hub was in the wrong place) they charged 5 hours to sort it, nearly £250 18 months ago. I took the gearbox to them. I also tried Saab at Manchester (same group) but they do not do the lower rate.

Kirkby Central Saab, Bolton, tel. 01204 388544.

 

[wrighar]

Bu,

Get some oil in it quick.

There are very few seals, and all of then are resonably high up the gearbox so not spilling much...

Did the oil all go at once or has it leaked out over a few months?

Where is it leaking? Inner drivers, clutch shaft, speed tranducer or the gearbox joints?

Andrew

 

[Great_Bu]

It's actually up at my local mechanics at the moment having the gearbox removed, so it's not being driven.

All the oil came out over the course of 24 hours, and it must only have done about 10 miles from when it started to when it got to the mechanics. It continued to drive fine except for occasional brief shudders (this is what alerted me to the problem in the first place), as if the gears were slipping briefly as you engage the clutch. The clutch seems to bite smoothly and feels the same as before and there is some extra noise in 1,2, and 3 but 4 and 5 seem to sound normal (are these in the bottom of the box and therefore more likely to still be in oil ?). The extra noise is just the same as normal transmission noise but louder (I assume this is down to dryness).

It all appears to have leaked out of the fat end of the gearbox where it joins the engine block so although this sounds like it will need the engine out to fix, I'm hoping that parts wise it will just need new seals rather than a complete recon job.

 

[laurent]

If the leak comes out there, you must, plus changing the joint, to change the clutch disc, as it must have been contamined by the gearbox oil. As it is out of the car, ask your mechanic to change the two other ones, wich are on both sides of the box, one going straight to the inner cv joint ( right side from the front of the engine bay) and the left side one wich goes with the iontermediate driveshaft axle. It's a one hour job at most, for the two of them, as the box is out. And the parts must be around 25 bucks, for both, as I bought them in the US. so DO IT ! you'll be definatly safe ! I've done it, and no more leaks....
Cordielly, Laurent