[1989agoodvintage]

I've been reading the threads in the 9-5 section for a change. I don't often, but since my next (main) car's likely to be a 9-5, I thought I ought to.

The car that always interests me is the 3.0 V6 lpt, now with 200bhp as standard, that to me seems to be very lightly tuned indeed, if anything to the point of underperformance. What tuning kits are available for these and does anyone out there have a monster 9-5 V6 fpt, (rather than lpt)?

So far the only modified 9-5's around here have been Leon & Saabmans 2.3lpts. Or have I missed someone?

Obvious the 9-5 Aero with 250bhp requires little modification as the standard suspension and brakes are pretty sound. I imagine it won't be long before someone gets their hands on an early Aero and takes it over 300bhp, surely?

 

[sgould]

The 3.0 V6 only came / comes as an auto. Don't know if the gearbox limits any tuning.

 

[billj]

I had been told that the Vauxhall/Opel V6 is not as strong as the Saab 4-cylinder engine, which is why Saab went for a rather conservative specific power output. I believe the potential for tuning the 4-cylinder engines reliably is much greater. I've never seen any ECU upgrades offered for the V6, but there might be one somewhere.

 

[James]

[qb] So far the only modified 9-5's around here have been Leon & Saabmans 2.3lpts. Or have I missed someone? [/qb]

There's a few more out there - saxelsso has gone Nordic Tuning stage 3, not to mention singsaab and saabchopath - see here for more.

[qb] Obvious the 9-5 Aero with 250bhp requires little modification as the standard suspension and brakes are pretty sound. I imagine it won't be long before someone gets their hands on an early Aero and takes it over 300bhp, surely? [/qb]

I'm almost there - just in the process of considering my better half that such an extravagance is necessary

James

 

[billj]

P.S. I thought 300hp 9-5 Aeros had been done already?

 

[Eric van Spelde]

Aside from the reliability issues of the Opel/Vauxhall engines when coupled to turbocharging, which caused Saab to delay the delivery of the V6-engined 9-5 for six months, the main threshold for getting higher power output is the very small GT15 turbocharger. Actually, the max power output of the 3.0t was actually lower than that of the atmo version used before in the 9000 (200 vs 210 hp); the turbo on the 9-5 is merely there to fatten up the torque cruve in the low/midrange and help emissions, trading top end hp in the process.

 

[1989agoodvintage]

Originally posted by Eric van Spelde:
[qb]Aside from the reliability issues of the Opel/Vauxhall engines when coupled to turbocharging, which caused Saab to delay the delivery of the V6-engined 9-5 for six months, the main threshold for getting higher power output is the very small GT15 turbocharger. Actually, the max power output of the 3.0t was actually  lower than that of the atmo version used before in the 9000 (200 vs 210 hp); the turbo on the 9-5 is merely there to fatten up the torque cruve in the low/midrange and help emissions, trading top end hp in the process. [/qb][/b]

If you'd not told me that I would've hazarded a guess myself if quizzed.

So what we're saying is that the 3.0 V6 is basically not as good as the 4-cylinder engines and therefore not worth upgrading, unless you have the money to spend making the engine stronger? I guess if you did that there's no reason why (and with the necessary budget) you couldn't fit a larger turbo, or perhaps a modified manifold and twin turbos in order to reach power outputs higher than those presently achieved with the 4-cylinder engines?

 

[CPH]

Originally posted by BillJ:
[qb]I've never seen any ECU upgrades offered for the V6, but there might be one somewhere. [/qb][/b]

Apparently Nordic offer one:
Saab 9-5 V6 3.0t Concept Nordic Step 2
or for anyone who speaks Swedish:
Saab 9-5 V6 3.0t Concept Nordic Steg 2
Takes it to 260 hp/380 Nm, I'm not sure if there's a UK distributor though.

Also, according to this page: 1999 9-5 Powertrain the turbo is a GT17 (although that does seem to be US specs). I'm not sure what the difference between a GT17 and a GT15 is though.

Chris

 

[Eric van Spelde]

4-cylinder (non-Aero) = GT17
V6 = GT15