TSG's Unified Fleet Thread

[GB]

A lot of us have been on all the various GT boards for 15-odd years or more and I think, with very few exceptions, we all consider ourselves friends of one-another. This holds true whether or not we have met "IRL" or not. And many of us are Facebook friends and get glimpses into each other's home lives, and that's something for which I am grateful.

And there's some others that we've been in contact with for a decade, and have never even seen a photo of them.

So when I read posts and have a dialog with those I've never seen or met, I try to imagine what they might look and sound like. For tsg, for unknown reasons I've always imagined him looking a bit (but not exactly) like an actor by the name of Loren Dean.

http://www.metalsucks.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Loren-Dean.jpg

I'm here to report that he looks nothing like that.

And we had a great afternoon at Petersen Automotive Museum.

Thanks for spending some time with my family and me on Thursday. What a spectacular venue Petersen is! Would have been nice to have a little more time to sit down for a meal together, but like you said, that will have to be a goal for our next meeting.

:rawk: :toast: :up:

[Random]

:up:

[thesameguy]

It was indeed a good time - it was a great diversion from my trip and I was stoked all the timing came together like it did. It was really fortunate on every level!

[thesameguy]

Some other things:

The Sprinter netted me 21mpg. I kept it between 65 and 70 pretty religiously. Aside from electronic nannies, it was a solid drive and never felt fatiguing. I'm pretty sure those warnings will get turned off on the way back. ;)

My rental was a Ford Fusion Hybrid that came with 11,000 miles on the clock. Pretty new. I turned it in after adding about 900 miles. The initial driving was all within SoCal - Oxnard to Santa Monica, to Rancho, to Santa Paula. I kept to a bit over the speed limit mostly, a fair amount of traffic but very little stop & go. Before I left, I had the average fuel economy up to 53mpg, which is pretty amazing. On the way out, I took Highway 33 from Santa Barbara out to ... Shafter? Some little town between Bakersfield and Visalia. 33 is two lanes and *super* twisty, with repeated ascents and descents in the 3000-5000' range. I wasn't racing, but I wasn't taking it easy. Once of the open road, it was 80-85 pretty consistently. That netted me 44mpg. Still pretty great.

The Fusion was comfortable, but I found the cloth seats to lack grip and over time I'd literally slide down in them. It would become uncomfortable til I wrenched myself back up and then I was fine for another hour or so. Never a problem in day to day driving, but annoying on a road trip. Otherwise, it was comfortable and easy to drive. Absolutely criminal understeer - something you'd not notice in normal driving but was omnipresent on 33 - head into a turn and then halfway through need to ratchet the steering down further. It was a little disconcerting until I got used to it, and then it was just jarring. Hard to be mad at that when you're driving a commuter boat. As I mentioned earlier the hybrid system worked great - watching the gauge show the power mix (engine vs. motor) was interesting - if you couldn't see it, you'd never have any clue what sort of blend was happening it was so smooth. From my perspective, it seems like the electric system needs to get beefed up - it's *impossible* to keep up with traffic and stay on the motor - anything more than 5% throttle (yielding a guestimate 30 second 0-60) means the engine is kicking in, so it's essentially impossible to do any stop & go on electric. It will cruise effortlessly at 30-60mph on the motor, but *any* increased throttle and you're burning gas. Obviously this works - 53mpg is great - but it seems a small bump on the EV side would yield big gains. This car does not have a lot of power - some of the climbs on 33 were literally full throttle - but it's not a problem around town. And, really, not a problem on the road... just don't expect much. The car has a LOT of buttons, they're everywhere, but it's laid out thoughtfully and ergonomically. Once I figured out what they all did I was able to ignore 95% of them. :) I liked most of Ford's feature implementation - the display was easy to use, the rotary gear selector worked great, stereo controls were intuitive. All good stuff. I don't care what *anyone* says, proximity keys are the bomb... I really liked just hopping in, pressing start, dialing drive and going. Upon arrival, just press stop - it automatically shifts into park and you're done. That's good stuff, technology helping rather than just hanging around looking cool. It did not have an automatic park brake which I thought was weird considering it was electric, but maybe there was some engineering reason. Although I believe in using the park brake, I didn't. :D

Overall, I liked the car. In a vacuum, I'd buy one. I think MSRP is like $27k (Hybrid SE) which seems like a value. Buuuuuut.... I think I prefer $7000 XJR and $20,000 worth of gas. :D So, no sale Ford!

[thesameguy]

Well, got plane tickets to go back to SoCal Thursday night and pick up the Sprinter. It's been a long time since I've logged so many miles so quickly. Oh well, gotta get paid!

In the interim, against all logic, the parts I ordered from the UK arrived. It took six days - Wednesday to Monday, which is absolutely unreal. Stuff from the east coast doesn't arrive that quickly.... and UPS is who transported it from PA to CA! So weird. It does look exciting:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/rwdbellhousing1.jpg

Well, it looks exciting if you're into limited-production cast aluminum parts that connect oddball motors to ultra common transmission.

Also included are a few parts needed to make the clutch work:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/rwdclutchparts.jpg

I am blown away that the clutch fork - which is from an RS2000 BTW - comes brand new in a Ford bag. Did not see that coming. How come I can't buy XR4Ti parts but they can buy RS2000 parts? I call foul!

I didn't expect things to arrive anywhere near this quickly, so they're just going to have to sit around for a month. I need to figure out what I'm doing for an engine - finding a 2.3l is easy, but finding the good "R" version is a bit more difficult. That got me thinking about maybe going another route entirely - putting a 2.0 in it instead. It's a loss of some displacement, but the shorter stroke means the smaller motor is a bit more responsive and responds better to redline increases. There are plenty of formulas for hitting my target output, and I have the advantage of a bigger engine bay and more room up front for an intercooler. The idea of a 2.0t with an 8k redline (it's been done - new valves, cams, solid lifters) makes me giddy. Down the road, if I decide the 2.0 isn't cutting it, externally the motors are the same so no work is lost. It's an upgrade path!

That, unfortunately, brings me back to Charlotte. Taking her apart just for some T5 parts seemed unnecessary, but if I could repurpose that engine and fuel injection system for the XR and repurpose the top hydraulics for the Viggen, well, that does change things. I already indicated that her caretaker either needs to buy her or give her back at the end of August, so that works out for me - it's either two grand to buy a different car, or parts. Not bad.

[thesameguy]

I forgot the other item that came from the UK:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/falcon_duratec/duratec_mounts.jpg

A boring looking selection of metal bits, that when skillfully assembled by a highly trained craftsman allow one to place a Duratec in a RWD configuration. There is nothing complex here, but those beefy plates save me from a lot of work. Even if I don't use the rest of the parts the plates were worth the $100 or so they cost to me. I'm undecided on those basic rubber mounts (the shiny tubes) - they're probably fine in Locost or whatever, but I'm not sure it's what I'd want in the Falcon. I may get a generic biscuit mount kit and go that route. We'll see. I'm just (oddly) happy I found a reason to place a bigger order with rwdmotorsports.com, as I was struggling with spending $40 on shipping $100 worth of metal that might have mostly gone to waste anyway. :lol:

[thesameguy]

Monday morning at 5pm I hopped in the Aero and hauled ass down to Walnut Creek to have the Takata airbag replaced. I haven't really driven it since I bought it - I handed the keys over and the only seat time I've gotten since is pulled it around back for work. Not very exciting. Traffic on I80 in the morning is pretty exciting - a mix of people half asleep doing 50 and a people already late for work in SF doing 80. It gets a little dicey sometimes when the two groups mix. About halfway between Sacramento and Walnut Creek a group of cars *blew* by me. I double checked the speedo to be sure I hadn't fallen into the 50 group. Nah, never happened. Carpe diem, I mashed the throttle. I had forgotten how insanely fast the Aero is - 80-110 in a but puckering moment closed the gap and then clicked off a few miles at 90-something.

The 9-3 is a very weird car... around town it's nice, but doesn't feel special. Honestly, not as planted as a contemporary 3-series, not at solid. What's crazy is how great it feels at freeway++ speeds. Everything just kinda clicks into place and it does exactly what you want it to. Brakes are stellar, transmission on point, a mountain of torque at your beck and call. The faster parts of the journey took me back to my friend's Vector at Buttonwillow... a great drive!

I dropped the car at the dealer, walked a couple blocks to a Hertz, and picked up a rental Sonata. womp womp Funny story, when I met GB over at Petersen, we commented that family sedans are family sedans and largely interchangeable. I think I need to revise that. I wrote down my notes on the Fusion - it was an understeering festival, but an otherwise nice car. The Sonata I have less positive things to say. You know, all the current Hyundais look pretty nice outside, and the '17 Sonata is no exception. Inside, I went back and forth marveling how damned gigantic it felt and how it somehow captured the essence of a 2000 Avalon so perfectly. Like, not bad, but nothing good. Everything about the driver's seat experience was just mushy. Mushy motor, transmission, suspension, brakes, interior. It's like a 75% Fusion. If your only comparison was an oval Taurus you'd be like, "Wow, nice car!" but after driving a direct competitor... I'd take the competitor every day of the week! MUSHY!!! And I don't know why I felt so damned small in the thing. Very disconcerting. On the upside, it knocks out 33-35mpg at 80 on the freeway, and that's not bad. Probably makes a hell of an Uber. :lol:

Tuesday night I flew down to Burbank and hopped in the Sprinter to bring it home. The folks doing the work were kind enough to meet me at the airport, saving a two hour round trip out to Ventura. The drive home was largely uneventful, although I am growing increasingly enamored with Sprinters. Rock solid at 75mph, getting 18-20mpg, and just a hint of turbo whistle accompanying me down the road. It's just a nice ride, totally comfortable for 400 miles in the middle of the night. It's parked in the driveway right now, kinda trying to work out a way I can use it a bit before I hand it back over. "Hey guys, can I borrow your brand new $150k limo please? kthx." Hmmm. I don't see that going over very well. :lol: Although I do likely have to take it to SF next week, so that's not bad. ;)

Other than that, Chez TSG is on full brakes. The doggie agitated her 2014 injury which will necessitate a surgery next Monday; they'll be removing the implant. That was always on the table - sometimes it stays, other times it goes. I was hoping to have another year or two before that came up, but ~2 years is not atypical. The bone screws are loose and likely the source of some discomfort or pain, so they gotta go. Fingers crossed her body has healed and the implant is unnecessary now, but it's possible that is not the case. Best case is a couple weeks of rest, worse case is a couple months of PT, worst case is a bone fusion. Working in a law firm, I can say bone fusions are never good. Better than nothing, but never good. Given the cost and care commitment, pretty much everything I'd otherwise be doing is not happening. SPG is on hold, Saab Convention is cancelled, XRSaabti is pushed out. Really bummed out about all of this, but she gets whatever she needs and she deserves all of it. It's difficult enough to manage work commitments and dog requirements together - adding anything else is an impossibility. I felt like things were finally really rolling along smoothly in '17, guess it figures that couldn't last.

[novicius]

:(

Was hoping to see some updates on the Viggen. Hope the puppy heals up quick! :up:

[thesameguy]

Me too. Gonna need to order another battery tender because it's not going anywhere for a while.

[21Kid]

:(

Was hoping to see some updates on the Viggen. Hope the puppy heals up quick! :up:

Agreed.

[thesameguy]

Over the weekend while pointlessly looking at Craigslist I found an ad for some gas cans for cheap - three of 'em for $8. I had to jump on that as it would make eventually recycling the bad gas in the "new" XR4Ti a lot easier... I certainly didn't want to buy $90 (3 @ $30ea) worth of gas containers to get it done!

My ability to commit attention to car projects right now is about nil, but I did go ahead and start draining the tank Saturday night. It was easy enough to unplug the secondary pump, then secure a length of Tygon hose to a P2C fitting and attach it to the fuel filter -

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/fueldump.jpg

and jump the fuel pump relay

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/fuelpumpjumper.jpg

Took about 15 minutes to pump out 8.5 gallons of fuel, then the pump ran dry. The gauge still shows nearly half a tank of fuel, but I don't think there are any features in the tank that hold fuel the pump doesn't have access to. I suspect either the gauge is bad (not uncommon) or the sender is gummed up and stuck. I may try hooking an ohmmeter, but OTOH I guess it doesn't matter. If I can't pump it out, I can't get it out, so whatever.

The gas smells terrible - it's definitely gone bad, and almost certainly a contributor if not entirely responsible for the car not running right. I'm not sure what happens now... maybe drop the tank and go ahead and install a single-pump solution, maybe put in ~5 gallons of good gas and see if it runs right. I'm probably not going to put 100 miles on a car with very expired tags, so that added gas would go to waste in the long run when I do swap the pump, but it might be the quicker path to establishing the motor works so I can list it somewhere and get it gone.

Got plenty of time to think about it, but at least I will have gotten something done in August. ;)

[thesameguy]

I had some time this morning before heading into the office to make a dent in the Viggen... to install the parts I ordered several weeks ago.

Replaced the cabin air filter and engine air filter - both actually looked pretty good, but I already had the new parts so whatever. $20 in filters is less expensive than me taking things apart twice.... especially old plastic that really isn't fond of being touched in the first place. ;)

I also replaced the fuel filter - I was happy to see a Mahle filter already installed (versus some crap store brand) but unfortunately could not tell when it was installed so out it came too. The bonded washers weren't all trashed, so it probably wasn't too old, but new is better!

The hard work was changing the transmission oil. As with many gearboxes there is a fill, a drain, and a check plug and none of them are particularly accessible.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_transdrain.jpg

That they are torqued to 44 lb ft and then heat cycled for years doesn't help... and the drain has almost no clearance:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_transdrainclearance.jpg

Fortunately this isn't my first rodeo, so I had my 8mm allen bit, an 8mm box wrench, and a piece of pipe ready to go. It's an unnerving maneuver, but the crack when it's free is fulfilling. :D

The drain plug looked about normal:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_transplug.jpg

It's not great for me, but doing work on a weekday morning is at least possible - not much happening, so the dog just sits and watches...

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_dog.jpg

Over the weekend, when people are out doing whatever people do she won't sit still, and she can't be running around right now. If I can steal some more weekday mornings maybe I can get caught up with work (not so much with money).

[dodint]

Amazes me what you get done.

I was almost late to my track day yesterday because I couldn't get a vacuum hose on. Took 40 minutes and lots of cursing. :lol: Didn't even fix my problem either. :(

[thesameguy]

I have the benefit of few time constraints and other cars, so I can usually just park whatever it is and plan out work a fair amount in advance. Really, most work isn't that time consuming - as long as I'm able to stockpile all the parts and tools I need in advance eventually I can wrangle a day to set aside for work. What slays me is mission creep and when things don't go as planned - I stall out real easily when my program fall apart. I still have the SPG taken apart in the driveway because the pressure of SOC got lifted and because my plan for the stereo and alarm turned out to be inadequate. I can't get back into the groove, I'm not sure what I should do. If I could just throw money at the problem it'd be resolved, but I just can't get into that mindset. I need to find the efficient, economical way to take the next steps and they haven't crystalized for me yet.

In the interim, I went ahead and ordered a fuel pump for the new XR, so maybe by next week I can have it running properly again. Shit. Forgot to order a fuel filter.

[thesameguy]

Something else I need to think about soon is going to be a battery solution for this XR. I am 99.9% sure I am going to relocate it to the cabin - clearing out that space in the engine bay will certainly make any sort of swap easier, and keeping it away from the engine will hopefully make it last longer. I probably need to incorporate a disconnect switch - not only does it make sense from a track car perspective, but since it's pretty likely to spend a lot of time sitting a disconnect makes sense. Need to figure out where to put it to minimize cabling. I am now regretting not ordering 100' of 2ga battery cable with my last order... It's more than $2/foot in quantities less than 100' but only $1/foot in 100' quantities. IIRC 40' is the crossover point, and I was "sure" I'd not need 40' in the near future. Bah.

[thesameguy]

Weekend:

Wash the Viggen, Fiero, XR, and Jag. I think this is the second wash in '17 which makes me a bit sad... or, maybe, it makes the cars a bit sad. It was a virtual mudslide coming off them. The XR is still a reasonable 20'er... it's obviously real old but mostly looks old and not beat. Someday soon it's gonna be beat. A lot of rubber is running out of life. :(

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_clean17_1.jpg

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_clean17_2.jpg

Since the SPG is stalled out, I commandeered the Infinity speakers I bought for it to go in the Viggen, The mid-bass drivers in the doors sounded pretty bad... Turned out to be a reason why.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_drvspeaker.jpg

Fortunately those Infinitys were the right size and the right impedance - only tiny, tiny modifications to the baskets in the doors were necessary and they dropped in.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_passspeaker.jpg

It sounds much better now. :D I may go ahead and pick up rear speakers so they can be replaced when I do the top hydraulics.

On Sunday I grabbed the FSM and refamiliarized myself with dropping the fuel tank on an XR4Ti. It's real easy, so I went ahead and did it - ready just in case the gauge was right and the pump was hosed and I was about to get drenched in old gas.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/assup.jpg

Fortunately, the pump was indeed fine and there was about 3/4s of a gallon left in the tank. Easy!

Not bad in there, just a little dust & dirt but nothing sticky and no rust. :up:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/fueltankdown.jpg

The XR's fuel system is a little weird, in that there is an in-tank pump that is powered via a resistor wire that drops input voltage to around 10v, reducing both flow and pressure. That feeds a secondary high-pressure pump under the car. Not sure what Ford's logic was here, but this operation eliminates the secondary pump.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/hp_pumpout.jpg

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/hp_pumphole.jpg

A longer filter goes in under the car, taking the place of the secondary pump, and a single Walbro 255lph pump goes in the tank.

I'm expecting that new pump tomorrow, so with any luck this weekend I'll be able to fire it up and have it drive right. We'll see - hopefully the injectors aren't all gummed up, and hopefully nothing else is wrong.

Tonight, I guess, I'll wash the Aero and the Suburban. Then everything will be clean for nine days or so. :|

[Random]

Nine days?! You optimist... :lol:

[thesameguy]

Ugh. I know. It's nice while it lasts. :|

The other thing I accomplished this weekend is replacing the drum in my dryer. I'm blown away by how shitty the materials are in a $1500 appliance... I shouldn't be, but whatever. Turns out Maytag may have made it too thin, and it develops stress cracks over time. I guess the upside is it's only a $200 part and it only took an hour or so to replace... now, good as new.

But now I have this 27" drum sitting around that I feel I need to do something with... Unfortunately it's from a dryer and not a washer, so no cool perforations to use as a light or fire pit... but... something...

[21Kid]

I can't find the time to work on one car... let alone 3+. Nice work. :cool::up:

[thesameguy]

It's not a big time commitment... I spent about 30 minutes on the new XR, 30 minutes on the Viggen, and maybe a couple hours washing cars. Not so bad. It's the big work I can't do right now - the rams on the Viggen for example require too much attention over too long a period to do. I have to pay more attention to the dog than that.

Hmmm... two hours is probably not an accurate estimate on washing cars, as I probably spent 45 minutes on the Jag alone. I found a spot on the hood that had previously escaped me - I don't know what happened, maybe fallout from a tree or a bird, but it's a topographical feature on the hood nothing I tried would address. Despair is probably an appropriate adjective. :(

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/03xjr_blemish.jpg

On the one hand, damn, that's a nice finish for a black car, but on the other that's not a lens problem in the middle. Dammit.

[thesameguy]

Of course: USPS has lost the fuel pump. :smh:

[thesameguy]

Been a real learning experience over the last few weeks...

Turns out the "T5 bell housing for Saab B234" isn't as bolt in as one would like to believe. T5s were pretty popular in the US having been fitted to cars and trucks for two decades, but in Europe their use was really limited. I think to a couple TVRs and the Sierra Cosworth. The issue is that these cars all got really early T5s, and they were a bit different than the ones we got here. Specifically, the input shaft & bearing retainer are quite a bit smaller. As a result, the opening in this bell housing is "too small" and the clutch solution will not fit over the input shaft. The things I need to account for are the bolt pattern, the input shaft bearing retainer diameter, the input shaft diameter, input shaft length, and, to a lesser degree, the shifter placement. I knew I needed a Ford-pattern T5 as that's what's on the bell housing. That eliminates most GM T5s, although the ~93+ S10 had a Ford pattern. I knew I needed a car shifter placement, so that eliminated the S10 T5. I need a World Class transmission, as the older , NWC T5s would not put up with a Saab turbo for very long at all. That leaves me with TurboFord (SVO, TurboCoupe), V8 Ford (Mustang), or 94+ V6 Ford (Mustang) options. Unfortunately, all these gearboxes have a input shaft bearing retainer diameter that will not fit through the bell housing, meaning I'd either need to modify the retainer or modify the bell housing. The V6 and V8 versions have a input shaft diameter that is too big for my pilot bearing, so they'd need to be turned down to fit. The '94+ V6 option has an input shaft that's about 5/8" too long. IT'S ALL SCREWED UP.

I spent a lot of time reading about T5s, largely growing more confused, and finally I enlisted the aid of Modern Driveline, who are complete experts about the T5. After some conversations Paul over there directed me to this:

http://www.moderndriveline.com/catalog/images/MD-401-2102.jpg

which is described as:


T-5 Adapter plate for a Ford SB 6 bolt bell housing or 8" wide pattern 3/4 speed. 6 bolt BH used on 1965 and later 289, 302, 351. Adapter also used with 1967 and later 200ci inline-6 bellhousings. Two new mounting holes required. Includes mounting hardware. Note: T5 means T5 from a "V8" car, not from a 4 cyl

TBH, I don't understand all the pieces in play, but what I do know is that one side will fit into the bell housing I have, the other side will fit over a US-spec T5's bearing retainer, and it's about 5/8" thick so it would allow me to use a '94+ T5 input shaft. That's real nice as the '94+ boxes have the highest torque rating of any T5 ever produced, good gear ratios for the Saab motor, and the extra 5/8" moves the shifter to a move comfortable place. I am *guessing* what I will do is bolt straight through this adapter into my bell housing, ignoring or removing the extra bits that it's actually designed to "adapt." I dunno... I felt bad about all the questions I had so I just ordered it... I'm sure I can figure it out. If not, I won't feel so bad about sending them more questions now that I've given them some money. ;)

The other detail is going to be the clutch... the cable setup I wanted to use, that would have been plug & play, won't fit over a US-spec T5's input shaft. I'm going to have to go hydraulic. It's not all bad - it should be more reliable and involve less pedal effort. A few people make universal HTOB/CSCs for T5s - Modern Driveline sells the Tilton version - so I don't think that'll be the problem. The difficult part will be getting a master cylinder onto the pedals. A few people in the UK make hydraulic setups for Sierras, and I'm hoping I can use or model one for the XR4Ti. Some look *really* easy.

I guess early September I need to start looking for a motor and a transmission. That timing works out well, as I should be able to evaluate the motor by then... with the hope of selling it for some $$$. Everyone wants a low-mileage 2.3 turbo, right?

[thesameguy]

Spent an hour or two on the new XR over the weekend. USPS was kind enough to deliver the fuel pump to me (at last), so I got to work on that. I had to take a small diversion as when dropping the tank I noticed the diff cover was looking particularly nasty.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/diff_dirty.jpg

Since the tank sits directly behind the diff, and the tank was gone, there was never gonna be a better time for me to deal with that. Access to the cover with the tank gone is quite good.

Popped the cover off - the fluid that came out was like iced coffee. Brown and real thick. I suspect the vent tube may have become dislodged or clogged and let moisture get trapped in there. Not nearly as bad as the Falcon (which some of you may recall), but certainly not good.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/diff_open.jpg

I cleaned it out as best I could and let it drain overnight, then cleaned everything up and put it back together. The XR4Ti diff calls for SAE 90EP gear oil, which essentially does not exist anymore. Nobody uses straight-weight anything as it's just bad for fuel economy. I went with Amsoil Severe Duty 75w90, which is an EP-rated (exteme pressure) rated multigrade. I wish I'd know about it when I did "my" XR4Ti... I would have used it instead of the Mobil 1 stuff. Oh well.

It's cleaner now, and I used a little RTV to (hopefully) seal the vent tube in place... it's old and probably a bit shrunken. it seemed secure when I last looked at it. :)

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/diff_clean.jpg

Back to the fuel pump... Old pump looks like this:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/fuelpump_oe.jpg

Installing the Walbro pump is pretty straightforward, it's just important to be sure the filter sock is at the same low point to avoid running out of gas prematurely. Otherwise, just some clamps, a small bit of 30R10 submersible hose, and some new wire. As you'll notice, I used Oetiker clamps instead of regular hose clamps on the fuel line... I'm really happy to have the clamps & tool around for jobs like this. They take up less space and there is zero chance of failure. For a "set & forget" type of connection, they're great.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/fuelpump_walbro.jpg

Installation, as they say, is the reverse of removal. :)

The final step is removing a resistor wire from the fuel pump ground. I'd really love to hear Ford's reasoning for this system - a regular fuel pump running at ~10v (via a resistor wire) feeding a secondary pump under the car. Was it a noise concern? Volume? pressure? I have no idea. In any case, running the Walbro pump at 10v would make no sense, and I've heard stories of the resistor wire catching on fire due to the higher amp draw of the Walbro, so out it comes.

Unfortunately the resistor wire is a branch of a major ground junction, which meant I had to make this kinda ugly connection:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/fuelpump_resistor.jpg

I'm not proud of it, but it seems plenty strong, and with some marine grade heat shrink over the top it looks professional and nobody (except the internet) will ever know my shame.

Digging out the resistor wire caused my OCD to kick in, so I started working on the hatch wiring. Like ten years ago I parted out an '85 XR4Ti that had gone through a fence and I gave the bi-wing hatch to my buddy, who let it sit in his garage for about five years. About five years ago, I helped him replace the mono-wing on this car with the bi-wing, but in that five years he could never be arsed to do the wiring. Shocker.

It's gonna take some creativity, but to get the party started I needed to get the felt tape Ford used off the wires, and that proved to be more difficult than I'd have imagined all these years later. It came off, in chunks and pieces. I quickly got frustrated, so I hosed it all down with CRC QD Electrical Cleaner, which is "insulation safe." Hells yeah it is! Melted the felt and the adhesive immediately so all I had to do was wipe the wires clean. BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY!

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/hatchwirecleaning.jpg

I fed all the wires into their correct holes... now I just need to splice them together. Unfortunately I'm out of small butt connectors so I gotta wait for an order from Waytek. in the interim, I need to learn how the rear window wiper's washer works, because i can't find the hose in this car's body! Or, maybe I don't care. Maybe budget race cars don't need rear window wipers anyway. :P

All that done, I decided I should probably start it up. It was not happy about it, but after a minute or two it settled into an 1100rpm idle. Not sure if that's more electrical issues, mechanical problems, or vacuum leaks, but it was a stark improvement over the "struggling for 600rpm" I had before. It still sounds like it may be missing - there is a "puff" sound in the exhaust - but two minutes may not be adequately long to wait after having sat for years and years.

I'm planning on getting some road time, discretely. I did notice that the last year this car was registered was 2008... that works out well because the 2008 reg sticker is the same color as the 2018 reg sticker, so at least it's not glaringly unregistered. ;) I just want 5-10 miles then it can go back to sleep for month or two.

I'm really not sure what's next. I'm not going to take it apart until I have a T5 & Saab engine sitting around. I don't need a car that has to be pushed. I'm thinking about maybe picking up a 3" exhaust for it, since that will eliminate any clogged exhaust issues it could have right now... it has its original 1988 (IIRC) catalytic converter and an ancient, smashed glass pack on it... one or both of those are probably totally jacked and could be responsible for it's puffiness. That 3" system will be used with the Saab motor anyway, so it's not a matter of if but when. Just not sure I should put other things aside for that, but I feel like I'm on a bit of a roll. ;)

[dodint]

I'm planning on getting some road time, discretely. I did notice that the last year this car was registered was 2008... that works out well because the 2008 reg sticker is the same color as the 2018 reg sticker, so at least it's not glaringly unregistered. ;) I just want 5-10 miles then it can go back to sleep for month or two.



:lol:

Amazing.

[thesameguy]

Who on earth would keep a running car unregistered for 10 years...

[thesameguy]

One thing that occurred to me today...

I wonder if I should not try and sell the 2.3t from this XR4Ti. They are not worth that much I don't think, but at the same time the heads are getting very rare. Maybe I should take it apart and have it checked out at a machine shop, keep it if it's good. On the one hand, get maybe $200 or $250 for a running 2.3t, on the hand get no money, store a head, and have a spare when I really need it.

Hmmm.

[thesameguy]

Well, this is good news:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/gotgas.jpg

It means the car made it under its own power to a gas station, and then got me back home so I could post this. :)

I went ahead and replaced the oil filter tonight, figuring it was probably 5+ years old and might disintegrate with any actual use. I did not change the oil. :lol: I threw in a quart of that Milesyn 5w-30 to replace what was lost with the filter, but figured even really old oil can go a few miles. :up: Then, I cleaned the windows and went for a spin.

Engine runs SO much better now. It's still a little rough and it seems a bit more laggy that I remember, but it's been a long damn time since I've driven a stock XR4Ti. Whatever... it drives like a normal car. An old one, but a normal one.

Well, mostly. The actual moving experience is a bit terrifying. It wanders pretty badly at low speed and crashes over bumps. It's like driving on soggy rocks. It could be that the tires are legitimately ten year old Riken Raptors, or it could be worn on suspension. Or both. I kept to surface streets, speeds under 50mph. It did not feel safe to drive faster than that. Put about 10 miles under the tires... that's good enough for now. I can move it around the yard, and take it out every few weeks to keep it from gumming up again so I'm happy. Back to my previously scheduled programming.

[thesameguy]

I decided to dig into the dead top on the discount Viggen. You may recall I bought the thing with a working top - its failure was sudden and unexpected. Prepurchase, I moved it up and down and up and down and scanned it with Tech 2 and everything came back great. I used it four times over two weeks, and then the fifth time I ended up at a stop light with a half open top, looking like a tool.

Tonneau was working, 5th bow was working, but operating the main ram resulted in a sloshing sound and a pool of fluid on the passenger side ground, so at least I knew where I was looking.

Here's what I found:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_tophydleak1.jpg

Little hard to see there...

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_tophydleak2.jpg

Oops.

I also found this:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_tophydleakbolt.jpg

floating around in the top mechanism back there (not laying peacefully in the pocket as pictured). I'm not sure where it came from, not sure if it's related to the issue at hand.

I'm not sure what happens now. I was prepared to replace a cylinder or three as I assumed that was the issue, but it seems unnecessary as they don't leak. I don't have long term ownership aspirations, so a full $1500 just-in-case rehab is probably excessive. I may just replace this singular hydraulic line - it failed at the joint, which suggests the lines themselves are okay and this may have just worked its way loose over time. As I mentioned, before this sudden failure the top worked perfectly. I guess I need to inspect the mechanism/shear pin/etc. to ensure a physical fault didn't result in the line blowing off.

Conundrums!!

[George]

Who on earth would keep a running car unregistered for 10 years...

A cheapskate who didn't even want to pay $20 per year to file PNO (Planned Nonoperation)?

My current job has made me slightly familiar with the California DMV. :D

[thesameguy]

... or a procrastinator. Like the type who would ask you to save a hatch from a parts car and do nothing with it for ten years, then give it back to you like it was your problem. :lol:

[thesameguy]

I dug into the Viggen's top last night, referencing a guide that tophydraulics.com provides as there is a LOT going on back there and I've never seen any of it before. It's wrong in several ways, and I can't tell whether it's maybe a variation from year to year or just steps are missing or poorly thought out. The author has you remove a bunch of trim that is clearly irrelevant, then skips over removing an entire body panel which is clearly required. I'm going to read it again to be sure I didn't overlook something, but I don't think I did. It's not valueless - I was glad to have it - it's just only about 80% accurate.

In about two hours I got most of the interior out. I'm left mainly with the interior side of the top storage bag in place, which I left so I could leave the top closed since it'll be a few days before the hoses arrive. The hoses are a hundred bucks each, and I ordered four of them. Ouch.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_tophydleakseatout.jpg

There was a lot of crap under there, and some missing trim clips. I'm going to see if I can source some of them quickly, as I'd prefer to put it back together once. It looks like someone may have replaced glass or something, as there are tiny fragments of it laying around amidst... a lot of jelly beans. So gross.

Each side has two hydraulic cylinders, one which moves the 5th bow (rear window) around, the other which moves the main top. There is a funnel under each group which I presume is designed to direct moisture, but also catches hydraulic fluid when a cylinder or hose leaks... that's nice. On a c900 convertible, when you had a hydraulic leak it would pool under the back seat, or on the floor, which sucked. Hydraulic fluid is incompatible with everything. On this Viggen interestingly, the driver's side channel was very clean with just a slight film of hydraulic oil, but the passenger side has some leaves, grit, and (oddly) some quarters. Fortunately, all the fluid was directed outside and none overflowed into the passenger space. :up:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_tophydleakpasscyl.jpg

When I cleaned out the funnel, more fluid drained onto the ground.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_tophydleakpuddle.jpg

While photographing that for posterity, I noticed what I believe is the charcoal canister hanging down precariously...

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_charcoalcanister.jpg

Something else to deal with. Little excited, too, because I'd *love* to see how that happened.

Top work is now paused while I wait for parts (scheduled for Saturday's mail). Tonight I am going to try and remove the brake booster to replace the plunger seal and cure the last remaining vacuum leak. Really hoping I can wiggle it out without fully disconnecting the master cylinder. One hydraulics project is enough for me. ;) I'm told this is helpful:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VheQtHwWO5s

[thesameguy]

Really feeling like doing nothing tonight... but I either gotta address that charcoal canister, or get in here:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_boosterlocation.jpg

Remove the strut bar, the fusebox, maybe the intake pipe. I really don't want to bend the brake lines to move the master cylinder, hoping they have enough spring in them... unfortunately they're *real* short. I guess on the upside the brake booster is mounted entirely in the engine bay on a bracket so I don't need to mess around in the interior. That's neat. I'm thinking I may just remove the hard lines on the top, then shoot some fluid into one front and one rear brake caliper to force air up into and out of the master cylinder. It should work. :)

I really just want to fix the top and go for a drive. Poop.

[dodint]

I need to fly you out here for a week and just have you address all the oddball shit that's wrong with all three of my vehicles. You make relatively mundane (read: maintenance) stuff really interesting.

[Yeti]

I've seen cars around here with so much rust that the lower front fenders would flap like wings while driving.

But I've never once seen a brake master reservoir crumbling to bits like that :lol:

Climate's important, I guess.

[thesameguy]

I don't know why it looks like that - I've never seen that happen before either. It's pretty far removed from any sources of heat like the exhaust and no other plastic in the engine bay is damaged. I suspect something specific happened, like maybe used a chemical on it that they shouldn't have. This is my sixth '94+ 9, and the only one that has the problem. It's a little scary, so I will be replacing it as part of this operation, which I started last night.

As expected, the seal that came out of my booster was damaged - it was missing a pretty substantial chunk of the side, much larger than I would have guessed given the slight hissing. But, it was a pretty clear indicator the plunger was indeed leaking.

I watched the video above several times to be sure I wasn't overlooking anything then dug in.

My attempt was a disaster. I got the edge of the seal in without issue, but could not get even the first rib past the booster body. Every attempt resulted in the same thing, the installation tool sliding inside the seal rather than forcing it down. I tried with a hammer like they suggested and even a press... same thing every time. I tried for hours. Definitely top 10 most frustrating car tasks.

Eventually, the rubber of the first rib started ripping away so I stopped and ordered two more $30 seals to try again... I figured even at $100 it's cheaper than other options (used = $400, new = $700), so I'd give it another shot or two.

I went back out a little later just to mess around. This time, I depressed the plunger with my press, which allowed me to wiggle the plunger around in its bore. It wasn't pretty, but in doing so I was able to work the seal into the booster... rock the plunger to one side, insert seal, rock it in a different direction, insert seal. Really awkward, uncomfortable work. I got the seal in completely and it seems okay - I worked the plunger around quite a bit and it doesn't appear to be going anywhere. It's no worse than it was but I still know it's not right. I used a Mityvac to put 20" of vacuum in it... it didn't hold perfectly, slowly leaking down, but I'm not sure exactly how airtight it should be, ultimately.

I don't know what happens next, whether I'll try again or call it good enough. Probably the former, I'm doubt I can live with the doubt. Hopefully the "press trick" works on a totally undamaged seal.

Guess nothing happens for a week. Blah.

[thesameguy]

I need to fly you out here for a week and just have you address all the oddball shit that's wrong with all three of my vehicles. You make relatively mundane (read: maintenance) stuff really interesting.

One of my major defenses for owning a bunch of cars is that if I don't feel like doing something I just park it until I do. I'm trying to stay on task with the Viggen as it represents a fair amount of stored money that I'd like to get back out soon to fund other projects. Or maybe it stays and the Jag goes. The barrier to owning Saabs for a long time was "the computers," but with $250 Tech 2s it's not so much a barrier anymore.

[dodint]

That's why I like following you though. I have an attraction to older non-exotic and not particularly special cars. If I had the inclination I would have a Scirocco, Lancia Scorpion, VW Beetle, etc laying around. Those are not cars you're looking to do engine swaps and big brake kits on. The goal there is to keep them alive, as you do. Watching you scratches some sort of guttural itch I have in that regard.

Not saying your cars are not special, just that the treatment you give them is similar to what I'd have to do to keep an old 3000GT VR-4 alive or something.

[thesameguy]

It my guttural itch too. I enjoy high end and collector cars as much as anybody, but I'd never feel like I could actually enjoy them as cars. All the weird castoffs society has moved on from gives me an opportunity to have something special and enjoy it as it was intended without feeling guilty. Or poor. In some lucky cases, like the Viggen and XJR, if I'm lucky I can make some money, too. All win.

If it wasn't for the fact I associate 3000GTs with douchebaggery, I'd probably buy one too. :P

[thesameguy]

Since I suck at installing brake booster seals and now have to wait, I've been thinking a bit about this XR4Ti. It has a lot of needs, obviously, and I'm having a bit of trouble rationalizing how I should approach it. There is a money component, but also a space component and a time component.

Ignoring the fact it's not registered and wholly illegal to drive around, it's not really roadworthy anyway. No matter what it needs tires, and it may need suspension as well. The conundrum here is that the wheels it has weigh a metric ton and are 16", so they won't clear any brake swaps or upgrades - and that's important at least because pad choice for XR4Ti is pretty lacking. If I upgrade to 17" wheels to clear brakes, I'll have a clearance problem with the front struts. If I buy 16" tires then I'm stuck with these wheels and brakes, if I buy coilovers then I don't have cash for tires for quite some time.

Ironically complicating matters is that I recently received a $900 reimbursement in the mail yesterday - a reimbursement that was supposed to have arrived in May and I'd pretty much written off and out of my budget. As far as commitments go, it's free money. It could buy all new suspension, or wheels & tires, or it's just shy of what's needed to buy a welding setup. All those things will be needed eventually, it's just a matter of order. Tough choice but I'm not mad I have to make it. ;)

Not sure of the approach here... but now that I've written words maybe my thoughts will clear up on the matter.

[thesameguy]

I received the Modern Driveline adapter over the weekend.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/md_adapter1.jpg

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/md_adapter2.jpg

Its shape is a little weird because it's designed to put a T5 on an old Ford bell housing, but the T5 pattern is, obviously, right there.

Registration on one side fits into the RWD Motorsports bell housing (4.850), the other side over a standard T5 4.905" bearing retainer - you can see the little half-moons that clear the bolts on the retainer. The thickness makes up for the long input shaft on a '94+ T5. It's really a neat hunk of aluminum.

I will use the Tilton or McLeod HTOB just because they're the go-to solutions domestically. Probably the Tilton, as Modern Driveline supplies it so support is easy - they've been absolutely phenomenal thus far. :)

Gonna be a bit before I get any further, but at least at this point it seems *these* hurdles are cleared. :)

Saturday AM I went outside to look at the tire sizes on the new XR, got side tracked and ended up washing it.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/itsclean.jpg

:lol:

Tires are 205/45-16 in front, 205/55-16 in back. Because that makes sense. Having seen that, I recall that back in the day I was able to fit 205/50-16 in front and still clear the strut, so that could be a short term option.

Since it was clean I drove it around a bit more. I think maybe the tires are re-vulcanizing a bit as it not nearly as squirrelly anymore. Not that it's suddenly safe or anything, but I think maybe the suspension isn't actually in such bad shape... just standard '80s German tuning with super soft spring rates.

USPS lost yet another package (two in two weeks!) - the hydraulic hoses for the Viggen. Work on it was limited to installing some new rear speakers. I went with JBL GTO629s, which are really beefy!

http://carspeakerspro.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/JBL-GTO-629-Front-and-Back.jpg

I liked the sturdy rear basket, as I was hoping it would reinforce the factory sheetmetal bracket if/when I had to modify that. Fortunately I did not - the only issue I ran into was the surround on the JBLs interfered with the bracket. I fixed it with some 3/8" nylon spacers.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_rearspeakerspacer.jpg

Glad I got speakers with sturdy baskets. :)

Final bit of work was some wiring on the SPG... I made some adapters to connect a DEI power lock relay and alarm module to the factory harnesses. It was anticlimactic, ran out of terminals. I really only have one roadblock with this car - making a small speaker box to integrate into the door panel. The box isn't the problem (assuming I can operating a scroll saw properly), but the box goes in at one end of the map pocket and I can't rationalize how to connect them to each other. Hmmm.

[novicius]

Shampoo the interior of the white XR and she's a keeper! :D :up:

[thesameguy]

Yeah, it really doesn't look too bad from far away. But, a car like that would never sell here...one, you know, it's a Merkur, and two the rust on the a-pillars, c-pillars, and under the door windows is not attractive. :) It's a good situation for me - if it was nicer looking I'd have a hard time gutting it; if it was uglier I wouldn't want to keep it. It should be adequately presentable at even a fancy track day! :lol:

I spent some more time researching the '94-'98 vs '99-'04 T5s last night. I think the differences are the earlier .73 vs. later .68 final drive and earlier gear-driven vehicle speed sensor (VSS) vs. later output shaft sensor (OSS). Neither one makes Saab Trionic-compatible signal, the former being 8000ppm and the latter being "a lot more." On stock wheels with a stock diff the OSS makes about 32000ppm. Trionic needs 4000ppm - and I think the Dakota adapter I bought for the SPG but didn't use will work here, I think it can do a 1/8 ratio. Vehicle speed is used for idle control and for boost control in lower gears, so really not critical to this application... road speed > 0 is all idle control cares about, and per-gear boost is less critical on a RWD car, much less a RWD car relegated to track duty.

It looks like there are a couple decent trackable tires in 205/50-16, so I will probably keep these wheels for a bit - I don't think anyone will have any interest in these Y2K-tastic Konig Monsoons, so using them to fund new rolling stock is... unlikely. They're not ideal, but they'll be fine. If a Mustang drops in my lap that's great, otherwise the next purchase is probably gonna be shocksnstrutsnsprings.

[thesameguy]

Some interesting stuff: https://accutach-public.sharepoint.com/general-how-tos/vss-oss-swaps

[thesameguy]

Got additional brake booster seals so I could take another shot at embarrassing myself.

Original vs replacement seals, for reference:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_boostersealcomp.jpg

I am pretty convinced there is no way to install it as demonstrated in the Uro video. But, compressing the booster plunger so it will rock around a bit makes all the difference. I mounted it in the press, compressed the plunger an inch or so, and mostly installed the seal by hand, working it in as I moved the plunger around. A little finish work with the driver and it was done.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_boostersealinstalled.jpg

I guess we'll see how long it lasts!

[thesameguy]

These exist

https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Cable-Imports-200mm-Length/dp/B0040CVTOU

and while it seems obvious, it makes me happy nonetheless.

[thesameguy]

Spent about 30 minutes this morning installing the ostensibly repaired brake booster in the Viggen. I am *hoping* late tonight or maybe first thing Saturday morning I can bleed the brakes. Looks like it's gonna be a bit before I can repair the top hydraulics... it's apparently going to be 110 degrees here all weekend. Feeling really positive about that.

I registered for and left a deposit on dashub.com. I've been looking at it for a long time, but repeatedly dismiss it because the buyer's fees are usually around $500. If you're buying some $10,000 car it's not a big deal, but when you're shopping for $1000 cars it seemed really nuts. However, steel is in the shitter right now and I'm really interested to see what kind of money wrecks & parts cars are actually fetching... it may be less than I think. Dashub offers what's effectively a margin account - you deposit $x with them, and they let you bid 10$x, collecting whatever the excess is after a successful bid. I'm planning on bidding on some local cars over the weekend - just tiny amounts I can easily justify, but at least I'll get to see what sort of waters I'm swimming in. Bit of an experiment, I suppose, but could be interesting.

[thesameguy]

Really odd weekend... had a huge project for the office I was working on, resulting in me keeping really odd hours for four days straight. A lot of it was waiting, so I squeezed some early morning & late night car work in, avoiding the crazy heat.

I replaced the scary-looking brake fluid reservoir on the Viggen - of course the part is unique to the Viggen, so impossible to find used and $150 new. Meh... it'll last another 20 years.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_newres.jpg

Got the brakes bled using Pentosin brake fluid - sucks that Valvoline stopped making their Synpower stuff; this was the best the parts store had to offer. (No complaints, it's good fluid) One great thing about big wheels over small brakes? You don't have to remove wheels to bleed brakes. :up:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_brakebleed.jpg

I obviously needed to return to the original mission, fixing the convertible top. I thought I was going to need to buy some $30 hydraulic fluid, but after extensive research I confirmed what others had suggested - Pentison CHF ("central hydraulic fluid") works. There are about two dozen GM part numbers which all supersede to one part number, and that final part number is compatible with both CHF-11S (old) and CHF-202 (new). I had a bunch of 11S in the garage as it's the correct power steering fluid for the Audi, the Solstice, and the 9-3... so now it's in the top as well. :)

The pump is buried in the bulkhead between the rear seats and the trunk, and it hangs down so working with it is a PITA. I learned on my old '00 9-3 that having something to place over it's cubby is life changing... fortunately I had a big flat piece of aluminum. :)

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_toppump.jpg

I don't recall why I needed a ruler. :lol:

The old lines are made by Parker - they're a plastic tube covered in braided stainless and coated in PVC. My failure was the tube disengaging a fitting on a hydraulic ram, but what I found in taking things apart is the PVC is failing all over the place. Apparently in my ten year hiatus from 9-3s this became a thing, everyone complains about it. :( The new hoses from tophydraulics.com are made differently - I didn't slice one up to find out how, but it's clear they're different, they are much smaller in diameter. In this photo you can see the four hoses on top are much thinner than the two on bottom (and you can see the failing PVC jacket on the OE hose).

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_toplinecomp.jpg

Interesting.

It's crazy, but these little buggers move an entire roof around. Hydraulics are so cool. :)

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_topcyls.jpg

I was a little concerned that the difference in size would lead to a difference in speed at the ram, but if there is it's slight... top works perfectly.

I am waiting on some of those push mount zip ties from Amazon, but then I get to put this thing back together and start driving it again! I'm not sure what's next for it, how far I want to go with it. I feel like I'm either going to just fix the front air dam and call it good, or I'm going to need to spend a couple grand for new tires, a new stereo, fix the de-pixelated display, the AC, blah. It's a big list!

[thesameguy]

These are even better than the ones I posted before:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UYSJU1S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

1/4" push-mount releasable zip ties. Nice 10mm width so they don't pinch wires. A little pricey at, what, $0.30 each, but so nice. :D

Interior on the Viggen is almost back together - been buried at work and limited to like 20-30 minutes of work a day... by time I get ramped up it's dark. :( I need to make a trip to the junkyard this weekend to try and harvest some interior parts from a '99 convertible they have... mine was missing some stuff and I'd really prefer to put it back together correctly.

I'm having analysis paralysis with what to work on next - I've lined up a shit ton of work costing a shit ton of money and I'm not sure what to tackle. Without any clear vision I think I'm going to tackle nothing. Just drive stuff until something I want to do presents itself.

I did try bidding on a 2002 9-3 on that dashub.com site. Not sure this link will work:

https://dashub.com/car-auction/2002-saab-9-3/lt6355613

The process is a lot lamer than I anticipated, and I don't think my bid is going to go through, but at least now I know I shouldn't waste my time with it. :up:

[21Kid]

:eek: That current bid is misleading with those fees!

+ $587.00 fees

[thesameguy]

Some of those fees are typical of auctions - bidder fee, documentation fee, tax. They are usually a percentage with a flat minimum. Dashub adds another fee, which presumably covers their time to go participate. In this case, about 2/3rds of the fee is just auction crap, and the remaining third is overheard. But, yeah, you definitely gotta mind those fees when bidding on cheap, crappy cars. A few hundred bucks in fees on a multithousand dollar vehicle isn't so bad, but in this case the fees are going to exceed the bid!

[thesameguy]

Officially washed my hands of Charlotte on Sunday. I helped her new owner with a new valve cover gasket, collected a check, and sent her on her way. Happy that resolved easily.

[21Kid]

:cool: :up:

[Godson]

who was Charlotte?

[dodint]

Apparently there is a lot of that going around these days.

[thesameguy]

Charlotte is a '99 9-3 I bought back in May.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/999-3_charlotte.jpg

I wasn't sure how I was going to approach the Trionic 5 swap on the SPG so I picked up a cheap T5 powered car to serve as a parts donor. Then Pick & Pull had a half-off sale and happened to have several T5 cars around so I got everything I needed. I gave Charlotte to my perpetually car-challenged friend... who just kept quietly driving. I had to call it in, gave an ultimatum of Labor Day to other find another ride or buy her... she took option B.

On a side note, I will rant for a minute about this person: She's had a difficult life and I'm sympathetic, but this is the same person who explained to me how gun rights are super important, and that we should demand personal responsibility instead of government meddling. Although I broke even on Charlotte, I didn't make money where I easily could have, and I didn't charge for my time for repairs over the last four months or the time I spent getting the car back from SF, or finding it, or anything else. I did her a big favor, because she can't afford for me not to. I really wanted to ask her if personal responsibility includes taking advantage of nice people or if charity is excluded, but I didn't. Because I'm a socialist or something. :p

Then I got really sick, which pretty much never happens. I haven't been actually sick in like a decade, so that sucked. I had committed to picking up the girl from the airport Monday night and was regretting it, but it turned out ok. It was dark, I put the top down on the Viggen, hit the night panel button, and went for a drive. It started raining a little bit on the way, but after 35mph or so the wind kept the cabin dry. I thought top down & heat up in the winter was the pinnacle of cruising, but top down & light rain in the summer is even better. So wonderful.

[thesameguy]

Having been reminded I needed to fix the evap canister on the Viggen, I looked it up in the FSM just to see what the problem might be. Seems like the FSM might be the problem:

Dismantling
1. Raise the car.
2. Detach the purge line and the shut-off valve hose from the EVAP canister.
3. Detach the line from the fuel tank to the EVAP canister.
3.a. Press the connection inwards towards the EVAP canister in the direction of the connection.
3.b. Compress the ring so that the catches are bent upwards.
3.c. Release the connection by detaching it from the connector pipe on the EVAP canister.
4. Undo the screw and remove the EVAP canister.

To fit:
1. Position and fit the EVAP canister, making sure it hooks correctly on to the holder.
2. Connect the shut-off valve hose to the EVAP canister.
3. Connect the line from the fuel tank and then the line to the EVAP purge valve.
4. Lower the car to the floor.

You have to remove the screw to remove the canister, but you don't have to put it back to install???

Derp. Seems like someone did exactly that.

[dodint]

:lol:

[thesameguy]

Yeah...

[thesameguy]

I know I have total auto-ADD, no misconceptions about that.

I've been casually looking for suspension options for this new(er) XR4Ti, and something I kinda didn't realize is that lots of parts have dried up. Like, you can't even get Konis for them anymore. The only two domestic suspension options are KYBs and Bilsteins, like opposite ends of the spectrum. There is a third choice - AVO makes a full coilover kit for them (well, the Sierra) at a "more reasonable" price, but it's still a lot especially once cross-Atlantic shipping is factored in. I suppose I could, but I don't want to afford a bunch of new, expensive pieces. It quickly turns affordable fun into seriously mis-spent capital. At the same time, 100 degree September weather kinda tricked my brain into thinking we were still in the thick of summer. We're not. It's over! I had to sleep under a blanket last night! I suddenly feel zero pressure to get anything on this car done. I can just be opportunistic about it for many months rather than convincing myself $1300 coilovers is what I gotta do right now.

So, winter projects. Where is a good place to get used Miata parts at reasonable prices? Finding NC wrecks is just pointless, so it's paying for discrete parts. Where do I do that?

[dodint]

Rock Auto? ;)

[thesameguy]

Shoulda known I had to be explicit...

Where is a good place to buy big heavy used Miata parts, like a transmission?

:p

[Random]

Mazda recycler in Rancho?

Treasure Coast in FL: http://treasurecoastmiata.com/c-326816-used-miata-parts.html

Planet Miata in PA: http://www.planet-miata.com/index.php

The Parts Group in FL: http://partsgroup.com/

[thesameguy]

Mazda recycler in Rancho?

Any particular one? Went hunting through them a few months ago with an RX8 owning friend and wasn't so impressed. The current one on the corner isn't like it used to be, not since Steve sold it. I think we went to three (one may have been generic Japanese). None of them seemed all that enthusiastic about being enthusiastic. ;)

Edit: I looked on ebay, which is effectively limited to LKQ, of course. I found it weird prices ranged from $150 to $600... I don't understand that wild variance!

[Random]

"Mazda and Mini Cooper Recycling" on Dismantle Ct. is the last one I went to. Been a while, though.

[GB]

Why do you need / want a Miata trans? I think I missed something.

[thesameguy]

Why do you need / want a Miata trans? I think I missed something.

The two major projects I am working on are the Saab motor with T5 into the XR4Ti and the Duratec into the Falcon with either a Ranger 5-speed or Miata 6-speed. I am assuming the Miata box is physically smaller, and it's what I'd like to focus on. I have been waiting to work on this for lack of a welder, but those funds are in and available, I'm just figuring out which one to buy.

The XR probably won't get used (at this point) for six months, so I am thinking about working on the Falcon over the winter. Getting it done will cost less and clear up space in the garage.

As always I am being opportunist about this - if a T5 falls in my lap that could change things.... I have just been unsuccessful with the cheaper option so far. I know NCs are rare and resigned myself to an expensive gearbox on that a long time ago. ;)

[thesameguy]

Did not get nearly as much done this weekend as I'd hoped, but I guess did knock out the critical stuff.

Fixed the charcoal canister on the Viggen - all three nuts were missing from the bracket which nobody would ever have any reason to remove in the first place. Really weird. People do strange stuff.

Started in on the Jag - I am replacing the sunroof mechanism and headliner... the mechanism has been broken since I got it, and the headliner itself has developed a little sag. Real happy I dragged my feet on the mechanism as I'd be pissed if I had to remove the headliner twice. Happy to knock 'em both out at the same time. Since the Jag is "the AC car" and "the date night car" I haven't much needed or wanted the sunroof anyway, so no harm no foul. Guessing this is a two-week operation... when it's done, the cat's for sale.

Getting the headliner out wasn't quite as bad as I thought it was going to be. Parting out that '02 a couple years ago was huge - I knew where all the fasteners were and got it down really quickly.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/03xjr_headlinerout.jpg

Getting it out was a whole other issue. You get real spoiled with hatchbacks where the headliner just slides out the back... not so easy on sedans. I tried everything but gave up when I mangled the "bridge" by the rear view mirror... always the weakest part of any headliner where there's a sunroof. I sliced the shell with a sharp knife near the middle of it so it could be folded to a 90 degree angle and withdrawn from a rear door.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/03xjr_headlinerslice.jpg

It's not ideal, but I'd rather have controlled damaged than random damage.

Fortunately, my weaksauce fiberglass skills are slowly improving... I am getting a much better feel for the cloth to resin ratio. ;) I did a quick repair on the mangled bit by the rear view mirror - it'll be fine.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/03xjr_headlinerrepair.jpg

Plan is to re-fold the shell to get it back in the car, then repair the slice with fiberglass inside the car. Should be fun. :)

As much as I've enjoyed having the Jag, I'm looking forward to selling it. With the Aero and the Viggen it's definitely redundant, and getting the cash back out will fund other... um... endeavors.

[dodint]

Fixed the charcoal canister on the Viggen - all three nuts were missing from the bracket which nobody would ever have any reason to remove in the first place. Really weird. People do strange stuff.



https://media.giphy.com/media/ykPvII5mPWuvC/giphy.gif

[thesameguy]

Truly sums it up. I mean, I'm happy nothing was broken, but I seriously laid there and stared at it for five minutes, trying to figure out what whoever did it was trying to do.

[thesameguy]

Oh yeah, the other thing that happened this weekend...

Sunday I got an email about a 9-3, a response to an email I'd sent weeks ago. Dude was selling it, decided not to because he found "an input shaft leak" that was contaminating the clutch causing slipping and he didn't want to dump that on someone. I didn't mention I was going to dismantle it anyway, but volunteered that a leak wasn't a dealbreaker. So, rounded up a U-Haul tow dolly and set out on an exciting road trip.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/0293partout/0293route.jpg

Trust me when I say Google Maps doesn't adequately illustrate how twisty these roads are. Random knows what I'm talking about. :lol: Also, UHaul doesn't adequately illustrate how fatiguing towing an unladen tow dolly is. No suspension on those things, they bounce around like crazy. But, I was seriously concerned about the Suburban's ability to handle the extra 1200lbs of a full trailer, so tow dolly it was. Driving down rough roads sounds like you're just dragging ladders behind you. But, it was a really pretty drive and the Suburban, as always, did great.

The guy was asking $1000, which seemed reasonable for the car before I knew it had a leak that would have required major surgery. I drove out there with the intent of talking him down based on the leak - I mean, not much since there isn't far to go down from $1000, but a token amount anyhow.

Upon arrival, I didn't. Dude is a cancer survivor on disability. Not gonna mess with that. I loaded it up and towed it home.

It's an '02 9-3 SE. I'm sure it's the 205hp HO engine - it's actually really fast. So fast I'm wondering if it's been tuned. No idea how to find out! It only had 125k on it, and I'm apparently the third owner. It's complete - running and driving car. I put about ten miles on it yesterday between the test drive and the "last mile" - once i Sacramento I dropped the UHaul off and just drove it the last eight miles home. Story is the PO put in a new clutch but due to the oil leak the new clutch is slipping too. He did not want to take it apart again. He says transmission input shaft is leaking, I say the rear main seal is leaking. Engine has a nice coating of oil underneath - there isn't that much opportunity for a manual transmission to lose that much oil. But maybe it's not the leak causing the slipping at all - maybe the flywheel is glazed or something else. Don't know, don't care. :)

The front suspension is worn for sure - it wanders a little bit & torque steer like crazy. PO lives down a 2 mile gravel road, sooo... Roof has major clear coat peel, but the paint & body are otherwise ok from what I can see under all the gravel dust.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/0293partout/0293outside1.jpg

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/0293partout/0293outside2.jpg

It has the cool two-tone leather/cloth anniversary interior. If nobody needs those front seats they're becoming office or Forza chairs. They are *so* comfortable.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/0293partout/0293inside1.jpg

It has a complete consumer-grade stereo setup - new head unit, new Pioneer speakers...

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/0293partout/0293inside3.jpg

and this monstrosity.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/0293partout/0293inside4.jpg

Aside from a donor motor for the XR, there are some good things for the Viggen under the hood -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/0293partout/0293engine.jpg

Coil pack, some turbo electronic doodads. I think the tires will end up on the '88 XR4Ti's 16" wheels - they're newish Fuzions... nothing special, but round and safe which is a major step up. :) Or, maybe I can sell the wheels + tires to fund some alternatives.

Anyway, gonna finish the Jag, then get to work on this.

[GB]

There might be a way to tell if it's tuned. Many of them incorporate OpenSID with the tune. I forget how to activate OpenSID at the moment... I had it on my '02. I'll dig up some info that you can try... it's a particular sequence of buttons pushed. If it doesn't work, it won't prove that it isn't tuned, but if it does it proves that it *is* tuned.

[thesameguy]

That's a great idea - good call.

Have you messed with t7suite at all? I think I have everything I need to at least read the ECM... I'm thinking maybe if I find the max charge pressure variable and just see what it is?

[thesameguy]

I didn't realize until just this moment the NC Miata was available in both a 5-speed and a 6-speed. USDM ratios:

Gear Ratios (5-speed Manual)
1st - 3.136:1
2nd - 1.888:1
3rd - 1.330:1
4th - 1.000:1
5th - 0.814:1

Gear Ratios (6-speed Manual)
1st - 3.815:1
2nd - 2.260:1
3rd - 1.640:1
4th - 1.177:1
5th - 1.000:1
6th - 0.832:1

Stock diff is, I guess 4.1 but there was a 3.73 and a 3.63 diff in other parts of the country.

The Falcon has a 3.50 diff... I guess it's fortunate it has the sporty diff and not the economy diff! :) Of course, it's not that awful to swap rear axles (there are no other gear sets) if push came to shove. But, the Falcon weighs about the same as a Miata with a 550lb motor in it (~2500lbs) and I'll save 200+ lbs with a Duratec... So taller gearing may be just fine. Assuming I remember my tire size correctly, I'd be looking at:

5-speed Manual @ 6000rpm
1st - 38
2nd - 64
3rd - 92
4th - 122
5th - 150

6-speed Manual @ 6000rpm
1st - 32
2nd - 54
3rd - 74
4th - 104
5th - 122
6th - 147

Really similar overall... and I think both totally acceptable.

Seems like all NC transmissions fetch about the same money, but I always hold out hope something will drop into my lap. Good news is I don't think I have to be choosy. I wonder which one is smaller? Guess I'll hit it a dismantler this weekend.

[Godson]

The comical point is the gearing to 150mph....



That car ain't gonna hit it stock.

[thesameguy]

I'm sure most modern cars can't reach top speed in top gear. I think the only car I've ever owned that could was the 164Q - 160mph at 7000rpm in 5th. Every other car I've owned has been power/drag limited... at least stock. It's probably more true today than in the past, where cars are geared for good freeway economy which necessarily will create an unattainably high gear-limited speed.

I don't care about any of that, though - I am only interested in good cruising performance. 75mph at 3000rpm in top gear is perfect... although, tbh, I doubt I would ever drive the Falcon 75mph. Certainly not without some significant improvements. I think it's likely that 65mph at 2600rpm in top gear will mean freeway passing requires a downshift but, again, not planning on going faster than that anyway.

[TheBenior]

My Mazdaspeed3 is gearing limited to 173 mph and has a 155 mph electronic speed limiter. It actually doesn't even need the speed limiter; FWIU, they're drag limited to low 160s if the limiter is defeated and came with Y (186 mph) rated tires.

Given that mine has an extra 50 hp over stock, it might actually do that 173 mph.

[GB]

Have you messed with t7suite at all? I think I have everything I need to at least read the ECM... I'm thinking maybe if I find the max charge pressure variable and just see what it is?
No, I never did any tuning on my own. Not enough patience. Just have friends in the right places to send me ECUs to run!

Press the + and - buttons simultaneously to see if OpenSID is available.

Decent video: https://youtu.be/HvTmZ1khrMM

[thesameguy]

Awesome! I will give it a try.

I did remove the ECM yesterday to take a peek... it's the original one with the correct VIN so there's that. Definitely will try open SID, and I think I will try and connect to it with t7suite. It'd be good experience and on a car I don't have to really care about. Unfortunately the common place to intercept the bus it at the ACC, but this car is manual. No worries now, the ECM is staring at me.

[thesameguy]

Spent time on the Jag yesterday. I learned something important from a fellow on the Jaguar forum that got me going in a good direction. Really glad he'd posted, as I probably would have wasted a bunch of time otherwise.

What I learned is that, like a lot of turn of the century car parts, where manufacturers suddenly forgot how everything works, the Jag's sunroof is so fragile it breaks itself over time. Absolutely ridiculous! I had three sunroof assemblies - one on the car, one I bought in "perfect" condition from a wrecking yard, and one that I salvaged from the parts car.

The problem I'm trying to fix is that the sunroof has a two-piece interior panel - I don't specifically understand why, but I suspect it has to do with ratios - the ratio of panel size to roof size. Something like that. In any case, the rear interior panel became details from the front, so moving the sunroof would cause a jam, and/or the rear panel would get lost in slider mechanism, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling.

I took apart the parts car mechanism to see how it worked and couldn't figure much out. Turns out the reason is that mechanism is decimated! Piles of shattered plastic and even metal shrapnel. I was not kidding when I said these things self-destruct. But, it got me thinking in the right way, and with the post on the Jag forums I was able to inspect the mechanism from the wreckers and identify the part that was likely damaged on mine. In fact, I found that one of the two parts on the wrecker mechanism was damaged too. LAME. It probably would have worked a few times and then I'd be right back where I started. Fortunate discovery.

I started taking the one on the car apart figuring maybe I had a chance to fix it rather than swap the entire mechanism. I believe I was successful!

The headliner was already out, so I removed the main interior panel from the sunroof. That allowed me to remove the exterior steel panel and get access to 80% of the mechanism. The problem is the pivot arms, one of several pieces that self destructs. Here you can see the arm is severely bent - I am holding it against its spring to show how bent it is... it will not engage the hoop on the rear panel slider. So when you move the sunroof around, the rear panel doesn't follow.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/03xjr_pivotarm_bent.jpg

Flip it up, apply 5-10 seconds of heat with a tiny butane torch. These crap cast pieces will shatter if you use force - evidenced by the destroyed mechanism from the parts car. Heat is critical.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/03xjr_pivotarm_heat.jpg

Holding it with pliers I was able to bend it back into shape without damaging it. A little heat, a little bend, test - making sure it's cool (at least not hot) before trying to engage the slider to prevent more damage! Once done, it engaged perfectly.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/03xjr_pivotarm_straight.jpg

I wish I had known this three years ago when I got the car. This operation took 30 minutes! I feel like an ass.

I also took 30 seconds to pressure wash the '02 9-3.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/0293partout/0293clean.jpg

It's not bad at all. Still coming apart, though now I feel a little bad about it.

The real reason to break out the pressure washer was to clean up the Saab intake manifolds I junkyarded. I wanted some better imagery to stare at to thing about how I can hybridize a T7 head flange with a T5 throttle body. Sorry about your bandwidth.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/t7vt5manifold_top.jpg

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/t7vt5manifold_bottom.jpg

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/t7vt5manifold_side.jpg

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/xr_racecar/t7vt5manifold_inlet.jpg

[thesameguy]

Wish I'd known about these when I replaced the bushings on the XR. :(

http://www.burtonpower.com/adjustable-tcas-pair-3-door-ford-sierra-cosworth-bushed-type-tca6b.html

http://www.burtonpower.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/dbee39002c3ed3c5438224ee0989910f/T/C/TCA6B.jpg

[thesameguy]

Dropped the Jag's headliner and related roof bits off at an upholstery shop this afternoon to be redone. I have never used this place before, but Yelp reviews were fantastic and they are right up the street so I thought I'd give it a go. The owner is super cool and nice to talk to. His rates are quite a bit lower than the shop I've used in the past, and he seems a *lot* more flexible (enthusiastic?) about materials and such. I'm a little excited - it seems like the type of place I'd feel good about taking work to in the future. After the... unsatisfying... results with the Benz from my usual shop, I'm happy to have found this guy.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/premier-upholstery-sacramento

Maybe in the future I can trade them a website for an interior. :lol:

[thesameguy]

Put a fair amount of miles on the Viggen over the past couple weeks. I guess "fair amount" for me - my annual mileage is like 10k, so I'm talking about like 200 miles. :) The weather here has been really nice, pretty much perfect convertible weather so I have been very happy to have it.

This is my second "9400" body (that's various '94-'03 900s & 9-3s), but I had some seat time in my dad's '02 and plenty of drives in other cars over the years. Honestly, I think these are crappy cars. They have motors and tires and whatnot, but the chassis is lackluster and interior appointments more Chevy than Cadillac. I would honestly go so far as to say the only thing worthwhile about these cars is the engines - it's a little mind-blowing that an engine more or less the same in 2002 as 1985 is as good as it is, but the Saab four cylinder turbo is just phenomenal. Way ahead of its time. I doubt anyone truly appreciated in the aughts what Saab had accomplished.

So, this Viggen is quite the dichotomy. In hardtop guise, its best attribute is probably the fact that it's a practical hatchback. It's just too imprecise and clumsy to be a legitimate 3-series or C-class competitor much less //M or AMG. All their refinement and attention to detail just leaves the 9-3 in the dust unless you're trying to move a refrigerator. But, the convertible is really, really good. All the things you might care about in a hardtop - those "performance" statistics, kind of fade away when you don't have a roof over your head. It doesn't handle all that well, it isn't quiet or composed. But it has NO ROOF, it closes freeway distances like nobody's business, and big turbo torque make for easy driving with all the satisfaction of rowing your own gears. It's no soft top race car, but it's an incredibly satisfying drive.

I'm not sure what its exact future is. I'm definitely not keeping it forever, but I may keep it into next year. With the Jag gone, it could be my newish car for a while - that'd be alright. I think its needs are limited to a new AC compressor, new tires, and some attention to the front bumper. Probably by next year it'll need a new top. I'll definitely deal with the bumper & compressor, but not sure I want to get to the top, but I'm not sure I don't. ;)

[Cam]

:cool:

[thesameguy]

I'm not mad at it. :)

This weekend was mostly yard work, but I decided to do a little h4x0ring on the parts car while it was still intact. I'm still baffled at how fast it is, so I really want to see if it has been tuned. Since the interior is coming apart anyway, I got started Sunday. Pulled out the glovebox and unwrapped a wire harness, exposing the two wires for the car's CAN bus and then spliced into them.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0293parts_cansplice.jpg

With access to the bus, I can use an interface made by "johnc" to read & write straight to the ECM. This is all rocket science as far as I'm concerned, but is actually four or five year old tech. :lol: I'm way behind the curve on this. Although I only need access to the two CAN wires, I decided to mock this up for real like, all professional, just to get a sense of what's involved. I will probably execute this on the Viggen as well. No real intention of tuning it, but I would like to turn on OpenSID now that I have a functioning SID2 in there. A test run on the parts car is a low-risk way to experiment. So, I ran the wires to the OBD2 plug under the dash so it's all easy-access & invisible.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0293parts_obd2.jpg

I thought I was short an OBD2 -> DB9 cable so ordered one on Amazon. This morning, I realized I think I actually have one left over from the V70... and more importantly I think I know where it is. But, my short-term test was to be sure Tech 2 would still connect to the car. It does, so good on me. :)

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0293parts_tech2works.jpg

Tonight I'll check to see if I have that cable and, if so, try and grab a copy of the parts car's ECM so I can mess around with t7suite. Kinda exciting!

[thesameguy]

Been fighting a some CELs on the Viggen. Well, I didn't know I was fighting them. Turns out I was. I was getting a P0101 and a pair of misfire codes (P1312 and P1334 maybe?) a few months ago. Codes would come and go, and I blamed them on the big vacuum leak from the brake booster. After I replaced the seal, the codes cleared themselves and didn't come back.

Until Monday. Spent all day driving around with the top down and the CEL popped on a little after 5pm. So, I guess it's a battle!

I took the MAF off to clean it, in doing so found this

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_brokenrubbercoupler.jpg

Hmm. Maybe that's it.

Pulled the one off the parts car (PARTS CARS ARE AWESOME), so we'll see what happens next. :)

[thesameguy]

This felt pretty awesome...

2017-09-27 14:00:26.8035 Opening connection
2017-09-27 14:00:26.8313 Open called in Trionic7
2017-09-27 14:00:26.9401 Canbus channel opened
2017-09-27 14:00:26.9550 Session started
2017-09-27 14:00:27.9659 Aquiring ECU info
2017-09-27 14:00:28.0339 VIN: YS3DF55K522029033
2017-09-27 14:00:28.0689 Immo: 8610UH208102024
2017-09-27 14:00:28.1142 Engine type: :9-3 B205R LEV US
2017-09-27 14:00:28.1423 Software version: EC0XY3RC.50G
2017-09-27 14:00:28.2338 Connection closed
2017-09-27 14:00:44.7147 Opening connection
2017-09-27 14:00:44.7557 Open called in Trionic7
2017-09-27 14:00:44.8263 CombiAdapter ready
2017-09-27 14:00:45.8425 Acquiring FLASH content
2017-09-27 14:00:45.8781 Starting download of FLASH

It's not magic and it's not rocket science, but it's still some cool technologies to have at home.

Now I can analyze the actual tune on the parts car with software. Also means I have everything necessary to program any T7 ECM... just download a tune off the intertubes!

First thing I want to look into is exactly what's involved with divorcing Trionic 7 from all the body modules. I keep reading it's been done, but can't find any information on doing it. If I can learn this stuff, I could potentially run the engine out of the parts car in the XR4Ti and not bother with switching to older - but easier to program - T5. I just want stock performance at least initially, so tuning isn't even a consideration.

[thesameguy]

Guess Fall is the season of boost problems. XR went ppooooooooooooooooft and then nowhere fast. Spent about two hours trying to find what was leaking and got nowhere. I was just about to call it quits, when I heard a pooft from somewhere down low. It was close enough. Spent another hour replacing things with test pieces and disconnecting things and got really frustrated. As I was getting ready to pack it in for the night, lightning struck... the noise was from the damn boost controller!

This is one of those moments where I don't know how to feel. The boost controller is about 10 years old, but only has around 20,000 miles on it. I can't decide whether I should be happy about the time or angry about the mileage. Thing it, it's a quality Hallman part, not some random ebay garbage. I feel like it should generally last a lifetime, and shouldn't much be subject to straight age.

Bah.

It doesn't matter, it's gotta be replaced. Now I need to figure out what to replace it with. Although it's money I'd rather not spend, I'm secretly hoping there is a good, inexpensive electronic boost controller available here in '17. That'd absolutely make this worthwhile.

[thesameguy]

I went ahead and removed the Hallman boost controller and connected the wastegate actuator directly to the manifold then headed out for a test drive. The fluttery sick sound is gone, but there is still a really loud woooooo when the turbo spools. If anyone's heard a really old turbo, you know the sound. This turbo is pretty old - maybe 10 years - but has less than 5000 miles on it. It's a genuine Turbonetics T3/T4. It seriously sounds like old, failed turbo. I can't for the life of me explain such a sudden change in behavior. Real weird.

Car seems ok, other than oddly loud. And I do mean real loud. I'm going to keep driving it hard, sans boost controller at about half boost and see what happens. I guess it's not the end of the world if I have to get a new turbo. It'd literally be the first turbo I have ever replaced in my entire life due to failure, so I'm not too upset.

Or, that's how I felt until the girl ripped the bumper off the Aero and I priced out a replacement. Highly likely I'm going to have a $5000 Saab with a $1000 bumper and an XR4Ti with an embarrassingly loud turbo. FML.

[Random]

I thought turbo whistle was how the panties were made to drop? The diesel truck guys certainly seem to think so...

[thesameguy]

It's not really a whistle - it's a loud woooooooooooooo. Cummins ain't got nothing on Lima.

[thesameguy]

Called every junkyard I knew to call, nobody has any '08+ front bumpers much less an '08+ Aero bumper. I'm going to take a closer look at it this evening in better light, but I don't think there is a repair option. The entire bottom center section is ripped off - it's a fair amount of weight with a very small "connection" to the bumper, so I don't think there is an adhesive solution here. Because of the lower attachment and lower grille, there isn't a lot of room for fiberglass reinforcement. Bah.

On the upside, an entire new front bumper cover is just over $500. I'm *sure* it would have been a grand or more from the dealer. I also need a new lower grille, it's obliterated too. Another $60. The lower mounting reinforcement seems to have survived. There are two "supports" that I can't see at $40 each. The "guard plate" may be fine, it's another $30. At $110 total for things I don't know about, I'm probably better off just ordering them. Won't hurt to have new parts, and I'm sure I'll save shipping. I mean, what doesn't fit in a bumper box?

The guy who painted the Jag is good to go on this work, so I think I'm just going to pull the trigger. So much for that welder! Again. Although I guess I should be happy I have this cash sitting around rather than wondering where it's coming from.

Edit: Shockingly, I can 2nd day this for $60! Regular ground is $40.



Total: 820.18


Ugh.

[thesameguy]

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/08aerocombi_brokenbumper2.jpg

:sadbanana:

[21Kid]

Looks custom. Nice FMIC Bro!!!!

Who looks that low anyway? ;)


You know what you have to call the XR now, right?
https://media1.giphy.com/media/FXo3Din7pWybK/200.webp#1-grid1

[thesameguy]

Oh, it's custom. That's for sure.

I am so angry about this - I'm not really angry at her. I know she didn't mean to do it, and I know she feels terrible. I am annoyed she was careless like this - "this is why we can't have nice things." I am angry about the loss of $800 (plus, what, another $300 for paint?) that I'd been holding for almost a year to finally get that welder, and I'm angry I gotta spend a bunch of time on this instead of things that keep getting delayed. I'm angry at the circumstances. My Sunday "work on the SPG at last" day started with "can you spend eight hours helping my friend with some video" and ended with "let's not get a welding machine and also spend next weekend tearing my car apart." I am seriously thinking I should have kept the Santa Fe, something she could crash into and over stuff, zfg. I love her, but I increasingly think she is incapable of driving a car. This whole thing sucks.

[thesameguy]

The XR's remaining noise is definitely on the exhaust side. It may be the flange between the manifold and the exhaust - it was REALLY loud this morning, but quieted down to an acceptable level after warming up... it didn't take long. I'm guessing one side of the flange (turbo or manifold) isn't razor-straight and is getting worse. I really hope it's the turbo and not the manifold. The turbo is fairly easily replaceable, the manifold borderline hen's teeth. I wonder if someone like ATP has a thick T3 gasket. Hmm.

[thesameguy]

Don't believe anything I say.

The XR drove fine on the way to work today. Took it out at lunch and things started great. About 20 minutes in boost went from a wastegate limited ~8psi to exactly 0. I looked around, replaced some unlikely but suspect vacuum hose, listened and felt with the engine running, found nothing.

Back on the road, no boost. Then boost. Then no boost. At around 0psi during a no boost moment there is a sound like someone capped off or opened up a whistle.... from normal turbo spooling sound to plbththth to nothing very quickly.

Upon arrival at my next destination I had a very high idle - 1500rpm or so. Initially I assumed the issue was pre throttle body since my idle was solid, but maybe things have changed. Or maybe not. This car has an extremely infrequent idle problem - about once every three months it does the 1500rpm idle thing - so today's event could be complete coincidence. A shutdown and restart always cures it, as it did this time as well.

After leaving my appointment, I hit the freeway again. First 10 minutes, no boost. Rest of the drive (about an hour), regular boost. I took some video which I'll throw up on youtube that I *hope* captures the "no boost noise." It's very exciting! But, no further idle problems.

I went by the house and did some emergency vacuum hose re-routing. ;) I disconnected the hose to the vacuum tree and ran hose directly from the intake manifold to the brake booster. I tee'd into the FPR hose to run the WGA and BPV. I swear - I can't make this stuff up - I am now getting a DIFFERENT noise than I have ever gotten before... a whooshing sound. It *could* be the air filter, it seems about right, but it's important to document everything. This is for posterity. Boost for the next 30 minute leg of my travels. I don't know how much boost since I have no gauge now, but *some*, more than 0.

I have had various boost & idle issues with this car for 10+ years, but they come and go... like the idle issue, it's so infrequent it's not been worth tackling. Thing is, in '14 when I installed the RS500 intercooler and hybrid turbo, I assumed the past problems would be cured since it was essentially a complete intake system rework. But, they didn't. And, they didn't change when I installed the intake spacer over the summer & resealed the intake manifolds. All of the "big stuff" has been gone through, but old problems persist... and now have gotten much worse. I can't help but think the root cause is in something I did *not* change through all of this, like the vacuum system. So now I'm ruling that out. I'm grasping at straws!

Right this second, I have a weird noise and some boost. If that doesn't change, I'm happy to leave it that way for a while. I have other things to deal with, the XR can go slow for a bit.

[thesameguy]

Possibly more lies:

SPG is so close. What I think I am missing:

1. 8 gauge butt connector - Amazon will deliver that tomorrow
2. Rear tweeter install - should knock that out tomorrow or Thursday
3. Test the stereo (ain't no thing, I'm a pro)
4. Stupid damned rectangular nut for the passenger seat. No idea how to solve this.
5. Put the interior back together.

Then it goes for a drive. WHAT.

[CudaMan]

It's not really a whistle - it's a loud woooooooooooooo.

But but but...

https://media.tenor.com/images/9e717dfafa7c18239f9948645c2d2a32/tenor.gif

Srsly, know the feeling on the bumper and "this is why we can't have nice things." I just had to replace the silver Z's side skirt after someone ran over a curb with it. [In addition to all the clips used to fasten it, there are a good 8 bolts holding it in place - ain't gonna fall off with cone contact at autocross, like the ND Miata is prone to do.]

Learn lots on solving that boost problem so you can help me diagnose and fix my friend's Supra this fall. :D The second turbo can't hold boost.

[Phil_SS]

Your girl does nice work. Very clean and efficient. :p

[thesameguy]

Oh, no, it came in dragging on the ground. That's post damage-ectomy, where I removed all the broken stuff. :smh:

[thesameguy]

But but but...

https://media.tenor.com/images/9e717dfafa7c18239f9948645c2d2a32/tenor.gif

I had not considered that, but solid point. :lol:


Srsly, know the feeling on the bumper and "this is why we can't have nice things." I just had to replace the silver Z's side skirt after someone ran over a curb with it. [In addition to all the clips used to fasten it, there are a good 8 bolts holding it in place - ain't gonna fall off with cone contact at autocross, like the ND Miata is prone to do.]

It's fair that you get a pass - sometimes when you get a new car you don't quite know the limitations and you learn the hard way... One day after getting the Viggen I tagged a curb at work. Learned my lesson. This is not even remotely the first time she's run the Aero into something. I hope taking a grand out of our finances will be a lasting reminder that it's not okay. Don't. Hit. Things. Failure is punishable by Hyundai!!! (Although I do keep eyeballing a Juke Nismo across the street...)


Learn lots on solving that boost problem so you can help me diagnose and fix my friend's Supra this fall. :D The second turbo can't hold boost.

I'm on board with that! I haven't ever encountered such an elusive problem before. I have had a fair number of turbo cars, and I have accumulated a fair number of tools to help find boost problems but they're all proving useless. Admittedly, a big part of the problem is that XR4Ti's have crap throttle bodies that leak boost, so I have to "listen around" the throttle body, but the major issue is that this problem comes and goes rapidly. I can't even rationalize what component would cause that. It's like a solenoid randomly opening and closing... but I don't have any. :lol: I thought maybe the bypass valve, but I swapped it with a known good one... and, really, if the bypass valve was leaking boost there would be a pretty funny sound from the air filter. So, I don't know. Now I'm working by process of elimination. We'll see how that goes.

[thesameguy]

Looks like the Aero's replacement bumper is scheduled for delivery on Monday. Not sure I can get it to the paint guy before Wednesday or Thursday, so I guess the Aero is gonna be down for couple more weeks. Kinda sucks, but whaddayagonnado? In the interim at least the Suburban is getting some exercise, and hopefully it means adequate time to get the SPG finished... or, as finished as it can be given I am missing one single, solitary, unobtanium nut. Who needs a passenger seat???

I don't think the Jag's interior is due back for another week, but hopefully reassembly on that is quick. It too is missing one single, solitary piece... albeit trim and hopefully slightly more obtainable.

October's weekends are a tad compromised due to audial awesomeness:

15th = Punk in Drublic: http://punkindrublicfest.com/sacramento/
21st & 22nd = Aftershock: https://aftershockconcert.com/lineup/

It's a lot of guitar, with no Burning Man EDM to balance it out, but I think I'll be okay.

[thesameguy]

Oh, yeah, forgot the other cartastrophe...

Got a text from the girl's mom last week saying she was going to take the Benz to Colorado and asked if there was anything she should do ahead of time. I said check the tires & go.

She, instead, took it to The Shop (I don't remember the name) to have them look at it. They came back with leaky valve cover gasket (*barely* true), cracked guibo (maybe true), and leaky diff (maybe true). She asked what she should have them do, and I told her to consider having them reseal the diff, but nothing else was worthwhile at this point. It's old, she doesn't drive it much, and none of that was critical. I told her to ask the owner, Oscar, if the diff was really leaky or not, how critical it was. Radio silence. Two days later "I replaced the guibo, the valve cover gasket, and had them do the diff. Total bill was like $800, $500 of which was the guibo. Complete waste of money, but whatever. I asked her what Oscar said about the diff... "Oh, Oscar left. New guy is Carl." JFC, we don't know Carl, why are you listening to Carl? Whatever, what's done is done. $800 of work on a $2000 car. Nice.

Two days go by.... Sunday another text: When I was backing out the other day, the car would not go into drive. I put in back in reverse and then into drive again and it caught. I asked Carl what he thought, he didn't know." I asked her if this problem was before or after they worked on it, she says after. Great, so I don't trust Carl now. Car has zero issues for four years, and suddenly Carl does a pile of work and now the transmission doesn't shift properly. I know old cars are finicky and it's entirely possible it's coincidence, but, man, I can't shake the feeling that old lady comes in with old Benz and this fucking Carl guy takes advantage. I drove it pretty hard back in April and there was zero signs of any issues... it's probably only done 2,000 miles since then.

In any case, she has had the car for 3.5 years, which is 1.5 years longer than I intended. With Oscar gone and my prejudice towards Carl already seeded, plus possible early signs of transmission failure, it's time for the Benz to go. It had a good run. I'm not sure what's up next, but I have about six months to nail it down.

[thesameguy]

ZOMG TODAY.

Didn't sleep last night, went to work so I could have the day to work on the SPG. Got home around 10am and dug in. Got the rear tweeters installed, alarm siren mounted, stereo half-installed so I could test the amp & speakers. I was ROCKING. Everything worked as it should, so I started putting tools away, bundling wiring, and cleaning up the interior with the intention of putting the driver's seat back in. SMOOOOOOOOOTH. Around 1pm, I decided to turn the key.

SPG sprang to life and settled into a nice idle. A little clattering from the boost control solenoid, but otherwise rock-solid. I let it run for about 3 minutes and then turned it off. Well, I turned the key off. The car kept running. That was unexpected. I pulled the fuel pump fuse and it died. Then I spent an hour going over all my Trionic wiring and coming up completely empty handed. I made some interesting little wire pieces with various terminals on them so I could bypass various things and see why the ECM kept running even with the key off, and narrowed it down to the actual ignition switch wire - with the key off there was still 5v coming across that wire, keeping the ECM alive.

Panic set in. Self-destructing wiring is not limited to door jambs in '85 Saabs (and Volvos).

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/c900_t5/morebadwiring.jpg

Maybe I missed something somewhere. Maybe things got worse while the car was sitting. So maybe possibilities. Out came the fuse panel, time to start chasing wires.

After another hour, I found the actual circuit back-feeding the system... the instrument cluster. FML, it's my wiring for the speedometer. Of course it is. All that monkeying around trying to cure the hanging needle and I jacked something up.

EXCEPT I DIDN'T. I ripped all that apart, no change. So I started isolating things in the instrument cluster... fortunately in 1985 those circuits are all pretty straightforward and disabling components not too difficult. Then I made a leap of logic. You know what tends to back-feed electricity into an ignition switch? The alternator light. Started the car, turned the key off, made sure it kept running, remove the alternator bulb. DEAD. Now we're getting somewhere.

Out comes the cluster and the wiring diagrams, but I know what I'm looking for... the diode that blocks the alternator exciter from energizing the car's entire electrical system. Except, my car doesn't have one.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/c900_t5/85clusternodiode.jpg

Ain't no diode. It's shown on the wiring diagrams, but it's not there. I grab a cluster from a 1990 (I miss my '90 SPG) to compare.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/c900_t5/90clusterdiode.jpg

It has a diode. WTF!

The only thing I've got is 1985 was a weird year - the introduction of the 16v turbo and Saab definitely hadn't gotten some stuff figured out. A lot of stuff changed for '86... but maybe some stuff changed along the way in '85. Maybe this car is really early in production, before they realized they needed a diode?

I have no idea. So I made one.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/c900_t5/customdiode.jpg

All better. Now the car turns off when I tell it to.

Unfortunately, now I need to reinvent all the dash wiring I tore apart to find the problem. :down:

Now I'm at work again so I can put this shit to bed tomorrow.

Although I may chicken out and work on the Viggen... I may be up for some painless, brainless, bolt-on repairs tomorrow.

[CudaMan]

I would have never figured that out.

Especially on no sleep.

[thesameguy]

Eh... sleep is overrated. I'm typically good for 50 or 60 hours before things start getting weird. At 80 I might as well be on meth. 50 is coming up pretty quick though!

[thesameguy]

STILL KICKING ASS.

I did a bunch more wiring in the car today - fixed up the stereo wiring (I did a real bad job of it in 2010) and ran an expandable harness for aux gauges, then cleaned up the dash and got to fixing my self-wrought speedometer nightmare. Plugged everything in and started the car up and let it idle. Pretty quickly got a CEL for a evap purge valve failure which, after inspection, is not a surprise. The one on the car was in bad shape. Grabbed one from the garage that I'd junkyarded anticipating just this and reset the CEL. So far, so good.

I've got a breakdown, though: I am not getting a speed signal through the ECM. Both Tech 2 and a generic OBDII scanner say 0mph even with the car idling in 3rd (like 15mph). I'm not sure what's up with that. The speedometer is working, so the signal is there. I have continuity all the way to the ECM, so either I have a jacked up signal or maybe the ECM had the speed input programmed out? I'm bummed and baffled. Not sure I have the presence of mind right now to try and get the BIN from the ECM and look at it.... but maybe I do.

There's not really any pressure since I still don't have my unobtanium nut so I can't drive it. But, I can't even put the dash back together til I have an answer on this so it's a bit of a road block. Boo.

[dodint]

STILL KICKING ASS.
Pretty quickly got a CEL for a evap purge valve failure which, after inspection, is not a surprise. The one on the car was in bad shape. Grabbed one from the garage that I'd junkyarded anticipating just this and reset the CEL. So far, so good.


MUST BE NICE.

[thesameguy]

When in a junkyard, carpe diem.

[thesameguy]

Eh... sleep is overrated. I'm typically good for 50 or 60 hours before things start getting weird. At 80 I might as well be on meth. 50 is coming up pretty quick though!

60 hours! Doing great!

[GB]

I'll trade you my son for your girl.

[thesameguy]

Does he cook? How's his yard work? I'm interested.

[GB]

He can cook basic stuff. Decent at grilling.

His yard work, when he does it, is a bit lax. Likes to cut corners.

[thesameguy]

Seems pretty lateral. Probably not worthwhile once you factor in shipping.

[GB]

Damn, I didn't sell it hard enough.

I can throw in his Florida Pre-Paid College Fund.

[thesameguy]

Have you considered selling him into slavery? Probably fetch a pretty penny.

[thesameguy]

I tried downloading the flash from the SPG so I could look at the tune... but failed. The software reports "error, unknown ecm" and only writes out a 128kb file which crashes t5suite. I should have a 256k bin. Looks damn scientific in the SPG right now:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/c900_t5/veryscientific.jpg

I've since been told you need 15v running T5 to successfully run this operation, and I don't have a power supply of that voltage with a high enough amperage rating. Lots of people use laptop power supplies, but all mine are Dell and 19v, which is outside my comfort range. This was all the excuse I needed to order in a regulated variable power supply. I have wanted one for years for bench testing stuff, now I have a "need" so it's happening.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rAokCxNDL._SX342_.jpg

Kind of excited!

But, I did have to put the SPG aside for a bit, so I did a little yin

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/08aerocombi_nobumper.jpg

and a little yang

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_newbottomplastic.jpg

All the fairing plastic under the Viggen was AWOL. Now it's all new. It was a very satisfying install to be honest... hopefully it helps keep the bumper together until I can rebuild & repaint it... it should help a bit with cooling & fuel economy too!

[thesameguy]

My other task today was a second drain & refill on the Viggen's transmission... it's an '02 so *should* have had the "new" fluid, but I didn't want to bank on it so drained $30 worth of special gearbox juice and put another $30 worth of special gearbox juice in.

I think it was worth it - very much so. A 50 mile drive today and it was tangibly quieter and easier to shift. Like, actually really good to shift.

Next up... figuring out whether the rumbling up front is the tires or the wheel bearings. Hopefully the former!

[thesameguy]

Spent a little time last night considering possible Benz replacements. Some things have changed - she is no longer commuting 50 miles daily and in fact is no longer commuting at all... that means I need a car than does 2-3,000 miles annually instead of 5-7,000 miles annually. She's still strapped for cash so there isn't any driving for fun or anything like that. As shitty as this sounds reliability is somewhat less of a concern because there is nowhere she's gotta be. There is also less of a crunch for service needs - she's got time to travel "some distance" for repairs instead of needing to cram something in locally on a Saturday.

I seriously considered a low-mileage lease. It's scary what you can get a lot of small cars for with really onerous mileage restrictions - like $50 or $60 per month. Problem is that comprehensive insurance on a new car would slaughter her, so that's not workable. It's gotta be used, and old enough and "lame" enough that insurance will be inexpensive. Fortunately, while I can't tell for sure, I think used car prices are starting to normalize a bit. Or, maybe I'm starting to normalize a bit. Sub $4k cars in '14 were all into the '90s, which is why I made the play for the '94 - I didn't lose much in terms of features or performance but saved a couple grand. Now, $4k gets a variety of early/mid '00 cars and $5k is access to a bunch of mid '00 cars. It feels like an improvement. Unless you're selling a mid '00s car, I guess.

I think $5k buys any 2005 4-door sedan, anything from an Accord to a Mercedes. Some stuff is a bit cheaper - like more or less anything domestic. I'm kinda tempted to look at yet another 2000-2002 Saab 9-3. Still don't think they're good, but safe and cheap and the major roadblock to owning one - getting Tech 2 programming - isn't a roadblock anymore. There are three excellent Saab shops in SoCal - none in the IE, but she's got time to make a drive. Hell, a drive would do her good. Also high on the list is a - and it's tough for me to say - a Prius. They've proven extremely reliably long term, and cheap Target runs are attractive. Sadly, all the things I'm really enthusiastic about (for her) are still outrageously priced - Elements, RAV4s, even 1st gen Matrices. Meh. Whatever.

Targeting a December or early January acquisition. People are poor post-Christmas and car prices tend to fall. Selection does, too, but I have the luxury of not being that picky.

Edit: One other car which, for whatever reason, I'm finding particularly attractive is a four cylinder Altima. Of all the import sedans I've always liked them the best.

[novicius]

I actually really liked the 2015ish Nissan Altima CVT that the wife & rented to drive to Kansas City last year. :up:

CVT is fine. 'D' = 'Drive' and you fugetaboutit. #shrug

[thesameguy]

I have had quite a few rentals and generally liked them. Oddly, I liked the 1st gen better than the 2nd gen - I can't put my finger on what changed, but something did. I put probably 2000 miles on an '06 or '07 Coupe and had zero complaints. Totally pleasant in all regards.

I am slightly concerned that the CVT will freak her out - she does not like it when the gauge thingy goes above 3. I remember when I gave her the Saturn and she called me from the side of the road in a panic "The gauge went past 4 when I passed someone going uphill and I don't think it should do that." :smh: OTOH, maybe a CVT will be beneficial since it'll always do that. So exciting!!!

Edit: There are also Mk V Jetta 2.5s in this price range... but as much as I'd like to go that route I don't think it's a smart choice at any level. Although, maybe there are specialized VW shops in her area... we've got lots of them around here. Worth looking into.

[thesameguy]

FedEx delivered one very expensive piece of plastic:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/08aerocombi_newbumper.jpg

w00t?

Started thinking about considering doing something about the Viggen's rumbling. I verified my magic Hub Grappler has the correct dies etc. for the 9-3, so that's a relief. I also thought it might be prudent to take a very close look at the tires...

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/02viggen_tiredatecode.jpg

Ick. 2010. They are nearly seven years old. Although only about 60% worn, they could have simply aged out.

I started thinking a good plan would be to move the Bridgestones from the Aero (235/45-17) to the Viggen (215/50-17), but that's a dead end. I guess randomly I kept looking at the left rear tire on the Aero, which is in "good enough" condition... maybe 6/32nds. I got more specific today... it's the only one at 6/32nds. The other three are around 4/32nds, and a full year older. I guess someone broke a tire and replaced only one. :smh: So, new tires for BOTH Saabs?

My last ditch effort is going to be calling the dismantlers and seeing if they have any Saab/BBS wheels with decent tires for a decent price. The stock 5-spoke wheels are, I don't know, appropriate? But the optional BBS wheels work too:

http://www.car-revs-daily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Len-1999-SAAB-9-3-Viggen-33-800x387.jpg

http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/images/dto_garage/users/12432842/19049.jpg

http://i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz165/TomMitten/93%20Viggen%20Convertible/DSCN3666.jpg

[21Kid]

Which gauge-thingy? The RPMs?

[thesameguy]

Yeah, the rpmx1000ometer. It can't go past 3 or the car explodes!!!!

[CudaMan]

She needs a ride in an AP1 S2000. The party starts at 6!

[21Kid]

:lol:

[thesameguy]

She doesn't have healthcare! She can't afford heart failure!

The Benz was nice in this aspect because even though it's a bit rev happy (for a Mercedes) it's still a 3.2l six with a lot of grunt. 2500rpm is adequate. Anything I'm thinking about now is going to be a smallish revvy motor, except, I guess, a Prius or a Saab. :lol:

[CudaMan]

Surely she would listen to thecarguy when you 'splain the red areas on that gauge and why anything below that is A-OK.

[thesameguy]

If you think about it, it's pretty obvious there really isn't an incentive to listen to the person who's kept you in automobiles for 10 years. It just doesn't add up.

[novicius]

Those SAABs look great! You should sell everything else. :lol: :up:

[thesameguy]

They do look good, that's for sure. Too bad they don't drive all that good. :P

I'm dropping the new Aero bumper off for paint today, so I'm going to talk to JP about fixing the Viggen's bumper, aim to do that in December. By then it should be cold and wet and it won't be a problem being knocked out for a bit.

[thesameguy]

Edit: There are also Mk V Jetta 2.5s in this price range... but as much as I'd like to go that route I don't think it's a smart choice at any level. Although, maybe there are specialized VW shops in her area... we've got lots of them around here. Worth looking into.

Man, you can get up into 2010 if you buy an Impala. $5k for an '05 Altima vs. $5k for a '10 Impala. Hmmm. IDK.

[Random]

I like the Altima at that price.

edit: what the heck happened to teh rear bumper? https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/2010-impala-v6-automatic-flex/6340735204.html

[Random]

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/2005-toyota-camry-se-109k/6340459256.html <-- reliable as a hammer.

[thesameguy]

I know, I know... but it's a Camry. I hate them. So much. But, you're right, and I wouldn't rule it out.

I did have one absolutely insane-crazy thought... An '05+ Prius would be eligible to drive for Lyft or Uber, and be an economical way of doing it. She could *potentially* make some money with zero commitment and fill up some free time. I *seriously* doubt she'd even try, but I'm tempted to at least give her the tools. It'd end up being a little more than I wanted to spend, but OTOH probably hammer-like reliability and low TCO.

[Random]

Looks like you're right on the Priiiiii. I thought they were still sitting a bit higher than that. Neat.
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/toyota-prius-2008-fully-loaded/6325819483.html <-- 240k!
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/2006-toyota-prius-navigation/6340000790.html <-- ultra rare RWD Prius!

Just because:
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/2003-ford-focus-svt/6340323458.html <-- You should get this one.

[thesameguy]

This one is 262k: https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/2005-prius-single-owner-45-mpg/6309084729.html and I am pretty sure I saw one with well over 300k. But, there are also quite a few with much lower mileage like https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/2005-toyota-prius-hybrid/6340799528.html or https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/2006-toyota-prius-smogged/6314331821.html

Seems like mileage doesn't factor all that much into pricing. A lot of salvage title cars all with suspiciously low mileage, too.

Generally, this feels like a winning approach. It's a solid car with good reliability, low cost of running, good resale value, and generally easy to drive. Assuming you don't care about actual driving, it's a perfect car. :)

I should get that SVT. I made a nasty comment about the girl not driving a stick last night. We're making that happen. It's kinda becoming a sticking point. HA!

[thesameguy]

Maybe an AlternaPrius?

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/2010-honda-insight-civic/6340037823.html

[Random]

Tons of room in the back of the SVT for the dog if you flip the seats down.

Just sayin'.

[thesameguy]

She's ridden in a ZX3 fo sho! :)

Nevermind on the Insight, apparently they TOTALLY SUCK.

[thesameguy]

I think the SPG is solved.

New magic power supply running a Trionic ECM at 15v allowed the flashing software to successfully download the flash without issue, so now I can open it up in the tuning software and feel totally ignorant. That's nice.

I don't know what I am doing, but every indication suggested the speedometer input was still active, so I went back at it with a multimeter. And then, possibly by miracle, I found the issue. I failed at a crimp. Somehow, the terminal pierced the insulation and severed the wire inside. Never seen anything like it. Every time I moved the connector to test, the wire bent into just the right shape the circuit got completed so it just. kept. escaping me. At one point I randomly inserted the multimeter probe from another direction and I got nothing... setting the whole discovery in motion.

I recrimped, reinstalled, and voila, speed signal. JOY.

Now I just gotta sort out my dash wiring and put it back together. All the infrastructure is done - all that is conceivably left is tuning the ECM. Hopefully, there isn't much of that, I'm really counting on eeuroparts to have gotten a pretty solid base tune. Honestly, though, I have about a year to sort that out. I'll settle for "pretty driveable" right now.

[thesameguy]

Sunday morning I took the SPG for its first drive since May. It got onto the road without issue which was a nice treat. I had a little problem calibrating the speedometer - my guestimate was a little off, about 10% off - but I used a GPS to dial it in. Had a few false starts - but got it sorted.

Over the course of the first 15 miles I was taking rpm vs. speed measurements so I could configure the gear ratio setting on T5. My transmission is unfortunately missing the GM tag, so I had no idea what was inside of it. After some samples and some math I got some good numbers, which I compared against published specs for various transmissions and then against the programming in T5. My samples are a couple tenths off from any published ratios, and everything is off a few tenths from Trionic. Not far, though, so that's good!

I wasn't hammering on the car - just some easy cruising up to 70mph and a few psi of boost. I didn't want to create a headache for myself my introducing more problems. The car did great, much better than I actually though it would. By the last few miles, I think some adaption had locked in and things were going very well.

I did get a repeated CEL - a P0443 for 'general evap system fault.' Upon arriving home, I'd found I'd installed the evap valve backwards, so some more experimentation is needed. ;) Unfortunately, it'll be a week or more before it gets more road time

The stereo sounded great, the alarm worked great, and the aftermarket speedometer accurately tracked mileage (my old odometer was broken) so these are all plusses. I celebrated by doing the thing I wanted to do more than anything, removing the distributor and plugging the hole. :)

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/c900_t5/nodistributoratlast.jpg

I am going to pick up a wideband O2 sensor of some sort and do that wiring before final reassembly. But, all the big stuff I think is done - mostly what's left is software. Road time & tuning, or whatever my sorry attempt at the latter looks like.

[thesameguy]

Looks like DTD's ebay store is doing the regular $100 off $400. Prices are not as good as last year this time, they are about the same per-tire as tirerack, *but* with free shipping (saves about $50) and still $100 off. So, still cheaper, just not stellar.

Need tires for the Aero, want tires for the Viggen. Probably 235/45-17 on each, maybe 225/45 on the Viggen. I don't want anything over the top sporty, neither car will be driven that way.

Thinking about:

DWS06
PILOT SPORT A/S 3+

on either, and maybe

G-MAX-AS-05
VENTUS V12 EVO2
G-FORCE COMP 2 AS (not the Sport/summer due to noise)

for the Viggen, where actual wear is going to be far less important *and* because no matter what I don't have to live with them that long if I make a bad choice. :lol: The General tires have an additional $70 rebate, making all four... $280? Seriously thinking that's a good move. It gets edged out in TR's comparison by the G-Force... but I can't imagine why I'd care.

[Random]

The Michelins are the OEM all-season tires on the FiST--I've had no complaints. I do get some pretty hilarious wheel spin leaving the metering lights on cool mornings.

[CudaMan]

Hooligan.

[thesameguy]

Wheel spin is definitely something I'd like to avoid... the Aero has much power through the front wheels. Amazingly, the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity POSs on there now aren't that POS. I'd actually consider doing them again.

Between the DWS and the Pilots, the DWS is wider and lighter with a higher treadwear rating and better snow performance; the Pilots more less just better everywhere else. I'm not sure they're $200 better, though. Not for how the Aero car gets commuted.

[thesameguy]

After further reading and considering I did the Sport Comp AS for the Aero and the GMax for the Viggen. We'll see how this goes.

[thesameguy]

My sister decided to put her Mercedes into the back end of something sturdier, so now she is transportationless. Not entirely unexpectedly, this is my problem.

I have three options, and I'm not particularly enthusiastic about any of them:

1. Try and rocket through fixing the oil leak on the Jeep
2. Try and rocket through fixing the oil leak on the 9-3 I bought for parts (it's totally viable)
3. Find something else

Eh.... there is also:

4. Do nothing. She's a 50 year old adult and capable of taking care of herself. Generally.

[dodint]

Wow.

Get her a bus pass.

[thesameguy]

I won't repeat the details of the call with my dad because they're nuts, but in general, wtf.

If I ignore it, it'll probably go away, but I will feel guilty.

[Random]

I won't repeat the details of the call with my dad because they're nuts, but in general, wtf.

If I ignore it, it'll probably go away, but I will feel guilty.

2000 Toyota Camry? Pre-dented!

[thesameguy]

I think she's open to anything right now. Neither time nor money are her friends.

I don't know whether I should be talking to dad or getting in the middle of things right now. He often taints advice with his agenda, she often takes the easy way out. It's very convoluted! I am going to wait to hear back what the actual insurance offer is and see some pictures.

I think I can fix the 9-3 quickly and cheaply. A couple day's "easy" work... subframe drop, lift the car off, do the transmission thing, reattach. I have never done that specific job with the intention of reassembly, but I keep telling myself this is a GM car built for ease of assembly and nothing more, so it's probably not that had. More Focus than Jaguar for sure.

[thesameguy]

I am mentally committed to starting on repairing the 9-3. If I get into it and there is a problem or it becomes no longer needed it's not a problem since it's coming apart anyway... or it'll go back together and be a fully running car.

The manual makes it sound like a subframe pull is not so bad. Disconnect a bunch of electrical stuff & fluid doodads, disconnect the exhaust somewhere, pull aside the power steering pump & AC compressor, unbolt the struts and disconnect the tie rods, drop the subframe. Very Focus like indeed.

Aftershock is this weekend, but I can probably commit the entire next weekend to this work. Maybe knock it out in one.

[thesameguy]

Had a bad day. Thought I would have some zen by enjoying the simplicity of putting some of the SPG's interior back together. Easy, brainless stuff. Managed to turn replacing the map light into breaking the rear view mirror. That was pretty great.

I aborted future work.

Spent the last couple hours reading about the state of wideband AFR sensors. Back in the day, you kinda bought an Innovate Motorsports controller and called it good, but obviously things can't be that simple anymore. I made the mistake of reading reviews of Innovate's recent products and most of them aren't favorable. Not bad, all of them, but not good. People seem to favor AEM, except those that don't. During my reading, I guess I found out that narrow band emulation isn't a thing anymore... none of AEM's or Innovate's current product line offer it. Some of Autometer et al products do, but they are 50% more expensive and, broadly speaking, 50% less functional. WTF? PLX's gauge system includes an AFR product, but doesn't include logging. They'll give you the software, but you need to buy a $75 USB cable. WTF?

So where I am now:

1. Broken rear view mirror because hulksmash
2. Do I need narrow band emulation when I already have a narrowband sensor?
3. Do I need separate data logging when I am pretty sure I can use t5suite to it?

I really don't know.

[thesameguy]

Pulled the trigger on the AEM. Since everything uses the same sensor, if I decide I need narrowband output I can swap controllers down the road. I'm sort of expecting I will get the point where I no longer need the wideband anyway, and having a $100 sensor emulating a $30 sensor makes no sense. Stuff is piling up on me, but hopefully I can tackle the wiring part of the install in a week or so... maybe by then have sourced a replacement rear view mirror... then put this to bed for a while.

Until I decide the engine needs to get pulled. YEAH!

[GB]

Between all my Saab buddies around here, I probably have access to 50 or so rearview mirrors for a 900. Can't guarantee a price, but if for some strange reason you can't find one, I can make a marriage.

[thesameguy]

Between all my Saab buddies around here, I probably have access to 50 or so rearview mirrors for a 900. Can't guarantee a price, but if for some strange reason you can't find one, I can make a marriage.

It might come to that - I'm not super-pressured at this moment, but after that WBO2 shows up I won't have any excuses for not driving it. :)

My sister is being typically evasive about her car. Knowing my family, I am sure that she wants to have it fixed because she can't let her mom go and I am sure my dad lectured her on why she shouldn't fix a 15 year old Mercedes when she is perpetually underemployed. STALEMATE!

I am seriously considering just fixing the 9-3 anyway... it's a weekend worth of work and like $150 in parts, but it might not be all bad in terms of the experience and an essentially disposable car. I can cut down the dollars by using low quality parts. Still pondering.

I picked up the refinished headliner for the Jag yesterday. Crushed to discover that while the quality of the work is top-notch, the execution was flawed. I think I can make it work and nobody will be the wiser, so I'm inclined to ignore the problem rather than fight about it. Got it 60% installed yesterday... I'll see what it looks like in the daylight today and then make a determination. It'd be great for it to be fine so I can put it up for sale next week.

Aero's bumper is done, but since the girl refuses to drive a manual transmission (MORE reason to have a disposable 9-3 around) and the Jag is apart, she has the Suburban so I can't pick up the bumper. LAME. Maybe not a big deal - I can finish the Jag tomorrow, rock out til my ears bleed over the weekend (is it a crime I have zero interest in seeing Ozzy?), then finish the Aero on Monday. It's workable.

[thesameguy]

Oh, on the topic of fine Mercedes automobiles, the '94 E320 completed a second trip to Colorado this week. About 1500 miles round trip, zero issues. On the one hand, I'd not hesitate in driving even my 300,000 mile XR4Ti 1500 miles, but on the other I definitely understand how a single lady in her 60s might have concerns about a 23 year old car on such a trip. I'm happy it was painless and money was saved vs. a rental.

It's still getting replaced though. :lol:

[dodint]

All Viggens are manual, right?

[thesameguy]

I believe so, yeah. Not really sure why, since Saab had an automatic in the 9-5 Aero. Same engine, same transmission. Weird. It doesn't affect me, I just don't understand the logic.

[Random]

Optics. Same reason all the STs are MT only.

[dodint]

That's a bummer.

[Godson]

I drove a '93 164k mile Corvette from SD to KC this weekend, no problems.... I mean, cars aren't as shitty as they used to be

[thesameguy]

They really aren't, and assuming you're driving on a major highway at a reasonable time of year, a cell phone will pretty much always save you. Driving an interstate in Fall and suffering a breakdown is an inconvenience, not a life-threatening emergency. Not worth panicking over.

[thesameguy]

Weekend work was minimal - had to go explode my ear drums. I was initially a little put off as I've been motivated to work this month but it was well worth it. Anti Flag knocked it out of the park. Would recommend. Only thing that bums me out about these festivals is that I'm almost invariably more interested in the smaller bands than the bigger bands, but at least it's an opportunity to see bands that might otherwise never come through town. It's not so bad.

The issue with the Jag headliner was adequately solvable. Someone who knows what they're looking for would be able to find the problem, but it'd take looking. Got it installed without too much hassle and it looks good.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/03xjr_newheadliner.jpg

The sunroof works as it should too. I'm really irked I never dug into it before. The issues were totally fixable without removing the headliner at all... I could have fixed it in an hour back in 2014. Dammit. Well, at least I don't have to include "sunroof doesn't work" in the ad. I hate that. Unfortunately, I found SO MUCH broken trim while doing this I'm just sad. There is no reason for the stuff that's broken to break... now I gotta figure out how to replace it. I may - I may have to go to Stockton. I definitely don't want an add that says, "Lots of broken trim inside." LAME.

Picked up the bumper for the Aero this morning so I'll get that installed over the next couple days. I think I finally pinpointed its cooling system leak - the hose that goes from the heater core to the engine:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/08aerocombi_leakyheaterhose.jpg

It'll be awkward to replace, but not difficult. Just not sure whether I should put the car back out on the road or just leave it where it is for another weak. Meh. Whatever. Guess there was an upside in going OCD and replacing the wheel well liner... I probably never would have found it otherwise.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/08aerocombi_passwheelliner.jpg

I don't think I have ever touched a legitimately new lines before in my life. :lol:

I think my sister's transportation issues worked out in a way that will not affect me, but I do think I'm going to go ahead and fix the clutch on the parts 9-3. It's a stupid thing to do, but I'm kind of interested in trying and it'd be nice to be able to actually exercise the car a bit and make sure the engine is as good as I think it is before pulling it out. Maybe also try and get the girl some seat time in an easy to drive manual transmission whose clutch I just don't care about. ;) A waste of a day and $100... could be worse.

[thesameguy]

Spent too much time today looking at vacuum manifolds. I just can't find what I want for the XR4Ti. Everything is either too big or poorly priced or too much of a pain to configure ("choose your block, then up to ten slightly off-sized fittings!")... and then still too expensive. For a hot minute I started shopping NOs distribution fittings, then realized that "aluminum nitrous block" is pretty much a 2X$ industrial fitting. Hello McMaster Carr.

https://www.mcmaster.com/#5469k13/=19xxn56

https://www.mcmaster.com/mvA/Contents/gfx/ImageCache/546/5469k12p1-c01fl_635261052690000000.png

Pretty much bingo.

Add in some sort of plastic NPT fittings and solved. Or, at least beta-tested!

I still haven't found the actual leak or anything productive, but you know, baby steps.

[thesameguy]

Went to put the new bumper cover on the Aero the other day and realized one of the headlight washer nozzles was damaged so I paused. Glad I did, as after reviewing the facts I determine the bumper cover has to be removed in order to replace the nozzles (WTF?). Glad I found that before and not after. Ordered a new nozzle, it's scheduled for delivery today.

Last night I installed two new heater core hoses... one of which I'm pretty sure is responsible for the slow leak. Hoping it's solved. There isn't much else on this engine that can leak! Just the water feed & return to the turbo and a metal pipe that are all in the wrong general area. I will say that although push to connect fittings make for some expensive hoses (the two heater hoses totaled $100) they do make for some really easy installation in awkward places. Just pop 'em on and you're done.

I think the bumper goes back on tonight and then the Aero is on the road. I can't think of anything else that might be in the way of that.

I'm not sure what's wrong with me... everything is taking forever right now. :smh:

[thesameguy]

BLOODY HELL! USPS has bungled the freakin' washer nozzle package.

Got the AEM WBO2, though, so at least I can do that wiring tonight and get on with putting the SPG's interior back together.

[thesameguy]

USPS claims to be delivering me a headlight washer nozzle today - hopefully they do! I would really like to get that put together tonight so I can take it in for tires tomorrow. That'd fit SO. WELL.

I spent about two hours last night essentially reinventing the wheel. I had a complete misunderstanding of how Trionic manages the factory O2 sensor, so I spent a bunch of time discovering how wrong I was. Very exciting. End result is that I can't use the existing circuit to control the WBO2 sensor as I'd hoped, I need new wiring.

Fortunately, I found a spot in the fuse box that was connected to the car's main relay (so switched with the ignition) that was unused so I snagged that and ran a new wire into the cabin to power the new sensor. Not difficult! I think I just need to lay out the AEM's wire harness and run a ground, then it's done for now. DOPE.

To be filed under: Potentially gigantic mistake

There is this: https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/2000-saab-93-se/6358089762.html

I know I was talking all that BS about buying a Prius to replace the Benz, but I am liking this. I'm now completely tooled up to manage a 9-3, I literally have an entire car's worth of spare parts, and I'm a huge fan of the super-low entry price as I can back it up with "new everything." I think I'm going to check it out tomorrow.

[Cam]

Wow. Good luck.

[thesameguy]

Well, no word from the seller on a time for tomorrow, so maybe it's off. Never know with weirdos selling cheap cars. ;)

Also, USPS DOUBLE BUNGLED my damned package.

[thesameguy]

I went and looked at that cheap 9-3 this morning, and possibly against better judgment, I pulled the trigger.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_new.jpg

It was disgusting when I picked it up - I'll share some pictures later, but it's very clear that it sat for a long time. There were two consecutive non-ops on it, so at least two years. Spent a lot of time cleaning it this afternoon to get a sense of the situation... good news is that it cleans up pretty good!

It's still a mystery mechanically, but it did make a 40 mile drive without incident. No weird noises, no leaks. Definitely needs a mountain of work, but it (so far) is all stuff I would be doing anyway to prep it, so the upshot is I didn't pay for things I'd need to replicate.

Step One is going to be doing some recon on the mechanical side, then I'll get to actually fixing stuff. With a $760 entry price, I feel like I should be fine executing my mission even as I generate a four-figure parts order. :eek:

[CudaMan]

A sub-$1k car that looks that good and drives? You've already won.

[thesameguy]

Hopefully. The 9-3 is a collection of expensive repairs, you just hope you find the right intersection of price and needs. Like a lot of high line cars, I suppose. So far, things seem pretty good. Plugged the VIN into thesaabsite.com - it appears to have every option available in '01 - HOT, dual power seats, OnStar, 6-speaker audio, "sport chassis", the whole nine yards. Good place to start. The interior cleaned up really nicely - a couple broken things, but no sign of actual damage or abuse.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_cleanedinterior.jpg

The car must have been parked under a tree, because *every* crevice is filled with piles of dead leaves & such. Like this, everywhere:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_somanyleaves.jpg

Took a long time to vacuum everything and clear out gutters and such of caked on dirt. Oh, and lots of spiderwebs and lots of spiders.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_engineleaves.jpg

I am not a fan, but it's better than rodents so I won't complain. And nothing ugly on the underside, either.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_enginebottom.jpg

All four almost-new tires are totally dry-rotted and wrecked, so they gotta be replaced:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_deadtires.jpg

So, I got to work today. Step One was check fuel pressure and do a compression test. Fuel pressure is a rock-solid 39psi at idle which is good stuff. Compression seems a bit disappointing - 145psi +/- 2psi across all four on a warm engine - but it's consistent so maybe just a broken-in engine. Plugs looked good cold and still after warming up (nice even tan color) and are the correct NGK plugs, so that's positive. No glaring warning signs.

I decided to pull off the whole front section of the exhaust to give me maximum room to work, and, honestly, so I could vacuum the back of the engine.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_noengineleaves.jpg

I was not looking forwards to reaching in there... I've found two black widows so far so I didn't want to risk finding a third the hard way. I know I'm gonna have to deal with this craptastropiece:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_insanepcv.jpg

That is the oil separator that's supposed to bolted to the back of engine zip-tied sideways to the strut brace, and some insane mishmash of hoses and check valves. I have no idea how something like this could happen.

With the exhaust off, it was only a couple minutes to get the oil pan out so I knocked it out. These cars are susceptible to sludge in the oil pan like Toyotas and Audis, so given the signs I thought it best to check. Happily, it looked really good in there:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_oilpanok.jpg

Only thing to speak of was a collection of particles swimming around down there:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_oilpanparticles.jpg

I suspect it got a bit crusty from sitting for so long, and when the guy I bought it from changed the oil and I put some miles on it some of the buildup got loosened up. But, no sludge and still no real warning signs.

Even compression, no sludge... Next step is figuring out why the car has an intermittent harsh shift. The motor mounts don't look bad so my next plan is a fluid change. It does look pretty nasty. I'll probably try a fluid replacement while it's up in the air. I'm in pause mode while I wait for the first delivery of parts - things I need to put the oil pan back on.

[thesameguy]

Also -

The reason I was able to get to work on this 9-3 is because I finally got everything for the Aero wrapped up -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/08aerocombi_newbumperinstalled.jpg

As always, in doing detail work like this I found other flaws in the body which will now aggravate me, but nothing is going to change, and it looks super from a couple feet away. In a way, I'm glad the bumper got damaged - I really like having it in perfect shape.

Also fired up the 3D printer over the weekend for the first time in many, many months. I made an enclosure for the device ("combi adapter") used to program Trionic ECMs. Turned out exceptionally I think:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/combi_adapter_box.jpg

I'm not doing anything that I'd expected to with this device - the flexibility and quality and durability just isn't there - but I am making quick work of otherwise difficult and annoying things. :up:

[dodint]

Shiny!

[thesameguy]

It's real pretty when it has all its parts. ;)

[thesameguy]

Decided I might as well get working on the transmission fluid change. It's definitely happening, and I'm hoping that by working over several days I can get a bit more old fluid out that I would otherwise. These pan-less transmissions are a big PITA, I tell you.

Old fluid out is gross.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_transfluiddirty.jpg

I use a big measuring cup so I can track exactly how much comes out, giving me a good place to start on how much goes back in. ;) I drained from the regular drain plug, but also removed the two banjo bolts from the oil cooler. Got just shy of 5 quarts out, so even a single drain should be productive.

I did trace and label the ports:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_transcoolerinout.jpg

On Volvos with the same transmission, a good method is to let the transmission pump out a quart at a time via the cooler lines, but they're in better places on those cars. I don't think that method would work very well on the Saab. Too bad, it's easy. :) So, I'll do this 5 quart drain twice, replacing the sealing washers on the cooler hoses and drain plug on the second pass and call it good. Or, as good as it's gonna get.

While doing this work, I may have determined a contributor to the harsh shift behavior:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_transmount.jpg

VERY NICE! I had to place my third parts order in three days. Makin' it rain... Saab parts.

While I was down there, I snapped this:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_suspensionrubber.jpg

All the suspension parts do look to be in good shape. They may fall apart once put back into service, but right this second there isn't a big reason to suspect them as a problem.

In theory, with the O-rings, PCV system, and transmission mount that are en route plus swapping wheels 'n' tires from the parts car and a fluid refill this car should be roadworthy. It'll need some miles to determine other needs... which hopefully are few or none... and then I guess knock out the couple remaining items - filter change, cooling system, AC system, and maybe a gratuitous fuel pump.

[thesameguy]

Got the tiny first round of parts in... three O-rings and some Loctite 518. It was underwhelming.

But, it was enough to put the oil pan back on, so that's good. One O-ring for the oil pickup tube two O-rings for the turbo oil supply pipe. Check out the strainer on the pickup tube:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_oilstrainer.jpg

Some weird stuff in there.

No weird stuff here.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_bottomend.jpg

It's back together now, so hopefully there's no weird stuff in there. IDK.

I spent some time on Mouser's website Sunday night, and ordered some TE Power Timer terminals:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_powertimerterminals.jpg

It's not particularly exciting, but it means at long last I can expertly repurpose all the fuse and relay holders I've scavenged from Saabs. I'm sure that will come in handy!

[thesameguy]

So the latest work-related vehicle to come into my life is a 2001 Xterra. I'm on the periphery of this - I didn't source it and I'm not responsible for keeping it, but I did end up with the dubious task of picking it up, and subsequently getting repairs done. The thing is a real POS - it looks good enough, but it's been mechanically ignored so it's riddled with issues. Unlike the 528i and the Santa Fe, I feel absolutely no responsibility here to "make good" on my recommendation, because this thing was not my recommendation. :D So it's getting serviced by Professionals.

I just picked it up from the shop, where they:

1. Put two new tires on, because the front two were alignment-worn bald - $330 parts, $30 labor
2. Put two new calipers on, because the front right one was seized - $390 - $290 parts, $100 labor
3. Put two new ball joints on, because idk - $690 - $190 parts, $500 labor

It's been a long time since I've looked at a professional repair bill on an old car, but JESUS CHRIST how does anyone afford this crap? Definitely lends clarity to why someone would happily take on a $250/mo car payment. Just making this thing brake straight cost four months of payments.

Sheesh.

[novicius]

Yeah but those labor bills are still cheaper than paying for a complete car loan. ;)

[thesameguy]

They are, but I can understand how at face value someone is staring down $1k to keep old vs. $1k for four months of new. Nobody really considers Month 5 (through 60) anyway. It's so far away!

[21Kid]

$250/month???!??? :lol:

[thesameguy]

I think that's a pretty regular car payment... is it not?

[Random]

Mine is $450, FWIW. $20k for 4yrs @ 2.9%.

[GB]

$250/month will get you a decent late model used car. But something new with full warranty in effect? $375 and start climbing from there.

[thesameguy]

I've said it before and I will say it again: Fuck that noise! :lol:

[Godson]

Average price for a new car loan was like 450/mo a few years ago....

[novicius]

I've said it before and I will say it again: Fuck that noise! :lol:
Exactly -- I read your post and thought, "That's not terrible, a fix like that should be good for the next 5-7 years. Good ROI." :D

[Random]

I know of a good-condition FiST coming up for sale locally...

(Not mine)

[thesameguy]

I wanna do something like that next year - it's probably too much for me to deal with in the next couple months... year-end for whatever reason is our seasonal home improvement time, and we gotta long, long list. :)

[thesameguy]

The maiden voyage of the $760 9-3 did not go terribly well. It started off really strong - 12 miles of zero issues, everything doing exactly what it should and being actually quite pleasant to drive. I got cocky and decided to give it a little boot merging onto the freeway and got a Check Gearbox fault and no 4th gear. I drove it eight miles home limited to 3rd (which is fine for surface streets) and went looking for problems, pretending like I know a damned thing about automatic transmissions. Please. I did find these:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_mousewires.jpg

That's the connector for the coolant level sensor (so that's why the warning is always on) and the ground for the transmission temperature sensor. It seems like this car had spiders and mice. I fixed them, found no other damage, changed the transmission fluid a second time, and then had the exact same problem again, reaffirming the fact I don't know a damned thing about automatic transmissions.

So I spent most of the evenings this week reading. I have some experience with this AW50 transmission - it's the same transmission that's in the Volvo 850/x70 - but not really any knowledge. Context is good though, so I dove in. I've read all the technical documentation I can find, all the service manuals, and I've reviewed both Volvo's and Saab's factory documentation on them.... which is by far and away the most useless. The Swedes apparent don't fix transmissions, they replace them. Got fault? Get a new transmission. Lame.

Anywho, with what I learned and the tests I can do with Tech 2, I still don't know shit. Automatics are HARD. The AW50 is a simple transmission - two drums, two clutches, a single band, no overdrive, two shift solenoids... kind of the pinnacle 4-speed in terms of simplification. It just doesn't have a lot of parts. Because R,1,2,3 all work properly, it suggests that all the parts work properly, so the lack of fourth is a mystery. There is inconsistency is some of the materials I read - one manual suggests that the C2 clutch is used in R and 4 (and that makes sense to me, R being direct drive) but another suggests C2 is only used in 4th. If the former, then the clutch is fine because R is fine. If the latter, then maybe C2 is busted. I could see someone stuck in limp home mode just fucking up the C2 clutch, but I have no proof. Failing that, my only idjit explanation is that there is not enough pressure to shift into 4th, either due to a pump issue or an obstruction somewhere... like perhaps a shift solenoid valve body. Thus, my plan for tomorrow morning is go get a valve body from the junkyard and give it a go. It's not too difficult to replace - a handful of bolts and some time for sealant to cure. What's the worst that could happen? :D

Assuming I'm staring down the barrel of a transmission replacement, it's not even a bump in the financial road - $200 from the dismantlers (they'll even load it in the truck!) - it's just a lot of work and hard to do single handed. One of those "lower the transmission onto your chest" scenarios. Really hoping this weekend yields a 9-3 with a junkyard-healed transmission so it doesn't come to that.

Unrelated, I got the final electrical doodads I needed for the SPG, so it's going back together. Got some of it done tonight before it got dark. I think my fake night panel is rad:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/c900_t5/fakenightpanel1.jpg

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/c900_t5/fakenightpanel2.jpg

The whole cluster will get redone at some point with the tach I ordered, but I was so over budget and over time on this stuff (stupid mission creep) I had to call it. It'll be fine as is until I return to it... hopefully sometime before May '18 and miss all the good driving weather again. :D

[thesameguy]

Apropos of nothing, I keep forgetting this. If I write it down, I will remember it.

https://www.powertraincontrolsolutions.com/Performance_Aftermarket/Products/Transmission_Products/TCM-2000_Transmission_Controller/TCM-2000/

[thesameguy]

There was one '00 and one '02 9-3 at the junkyard, both automatics, so I headed over there and grabbed both of their valve bodies because why not. It was not so difficult - in all seriousness the worst part was the upper bolt on the transmission mount bracket, as it's covered by an AC tube. Getting a wrench in there was very problematic - literally the most difficult part of the operation. Everything else was smooth - a couple dozen easy bolts. I was not particularly proud of this:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_junkyardvalvebody1.jpg

But it worked. Yes, that's a lug nut and two banjo bolts keeping the transmission off the subframe. I just wedged them in there before removing the transmission mount and nothing bad happened. :)

I hope I didn't ruin someone's life, but I just cut the entire harness off the inside of the transmission. That plastic seemed really fragile and I did not want to mess with it without a clear view and good access. So, those things are useless now. :| Both valve bodies took less than two hours not a big deal at all.

Then I totally screwed the pooch. Somehow while being handled - between the yard and my house - I wrecked BOTH lower gaskets in exactly the same place. I didn't notice they were there, and then it was too late. FML.

When I found the damage I decided to make it worse by dismantling one of the valve bodies. What was there to lose? :) That got me to here:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_junkyardvalvebody2.jpg

I called all the major local transmission supply warehouses and nobody sells a replacement gasket set. Then I dug through all the manuals I downloaded and found no part number, or even a kit which includes these gaskets. FAIL.

That left me with needing to salvaging the gasket from the valve body that's coming out of my car. Back in the '90s I did this more than once with the terrible automatics in the early 9000s (4HP18, IIRC) and I didn't even have any service manuals for them. What's nice about this transmission is that there are intermediate plates between each part of the valve body so there is far less risk of losing a check ball or filter, but it's still a bit nervewracking.

Interestingly the '00 was in bad shape, very rusty and deteriorated under the hood. But, the transmission bled bright red. The '02 was in pretty good shape (for a junkyard car) but the transmission bled nasty black like mine had. Both appeared to be original - the same pink sealant on the covers, etc.

Before I started on my replacement operation, I got The Fear so I went back to the junkyard to remove yet another valve body to salvage a gasket. Better safe than sorry, and I'm getting really good at it. Check out my sexy transmission mount... 2nd generation, totally refined:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_junkyardvalvebody3.jpg

Took the thing apart in the junkyard...

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_junkyardvalvebodyteardown.jpg

All I needed was this gasket, so paying for a whole additional valve body seemed silly.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_junkyardvalvebodygasket.jpg

Some interesting details.... the '99 valve body and '00 is different from the '01+. These are the two versions of the pressure solenoid:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_valvebodypressuresolenoid.jpg

And these are the two versions of the S2 shift solenoid:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_valvebodyshiftsolenoid.jpg

I don't know if there is a functional difference, but I didn't want to chance it. My '01 was the same as the '02 part I junkyarded, so I left the '00 one on the bench and got to it.

Getting the valve body out was not difficult (obviously, I had so much practice) and getting it back in was a little nerve wracking as I didn't want to damage the rearmost gasket, but really not difficult. I was nervous about fitting the cover in without tagging anything with wet sealant, so I practiced putting it in place several times before actually going for it. My work probably would have been easier had I removed the downpipe, but I didn't. As a result, I had to go in through the side. Since none of the underbelly plastic was in place that was a convenient approach. The key here was unbolting the forward subframe bolt and instelling a 1/2" spacer between it and the body. With that tiny extra space, getting the cover in was not a problem.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/0193se_resealedvalvebodycover.jpg

I let the sealant cure for 36 hours. It can take "up to 50 hours" for Reinzosil to cure but as little as 5 in ideal conditions. I split it, seemed good enough. ;)

The road test was total failure - no change in performance. Actually, a SLIGHT change. When I left the house, it shifted into 4th and THEN threw a check gearbox warning. I cleared the error but never got back into fourth... I kept driving, maybe 10 miles. Still no slipping, good R,1,2,3 shifts, but no fourth no matter what I did... shifting manually, sport mode, high revs. All the things.

So, I am writing it off. I can return the valve body so all I'm out is about three hours and $25 worth of transmission fluid. It was a good experiment, I learned some stuff, whatever. I'll pick up a replacement transmission this week and hopefully install it over the holiday weekend. Seems like it'll be rough without a lift, but I can go slowly. ;) We'll see!

[21Kid]

Has anyone heard from TSG lately? This seems like an awful long time to go without updates. :erm:

[CudaMan]

Yeah I was wondering the same. Russ?

[Random]

There was an intense discussion in the Gaming Forum, and tsg appears to be taking time away.

I really hope it's temporary.

[KillerB]

Ditto. I hope that argument was worth it to the other participants. :rolleyes:

[CudaMan]

Come back Justin!

[I rarely venture into that forum and I'm not going to go read the argument, but I for one have enjoyed tsg's contributions to this community.]

[novicius]

Whoa! If there's anything I said in that thread that caused him hurt feelings, I absolutely apologize!! :( :( :(

[dodint]

People take timeouts for various reasons. I left for about two years because of something similar. tsg is one of my favorite people in terms of quality of content generated so I hope he returns when ready. If coming here makes a person generally feel worse it's better they take their time away until they can reconcile everything.

[Phil_SS]

:(

[21Kid]

Ah I hadn't realized that.


Damn you Carlo and your popcorn! :shakefist:



Seriously, I don't think it was you.

[novicius]

:(

[neanderthal]

I think it was in the political thread. He left because he told me to "get over it" or something similar in a post, and i will not.

I, as a black man, and an immigrant, get to live with the ramifications of political actions much more so than anyone else here, unless they are female, handicapped, or LGBQT, First Nations etc.

I will not "just get over it" when my life, the lives of those I love and the lives of those I know, are severely impacted by this dystopian Trump regime. It's easy to tell me to "get over it" until you've walked in my shoes.

[KillerB]

It’s cute that you think that, but he posted for several days after his last post in that thread.

Or, maybe you contributed to it. Congratulations?

[neanderthal]

His last post in that thread was the last I saw. i don't go in the video game threads. i've been there once since we migrated here.

Thank you?

[George]

I just posted a four-door '70 T-Bird in the craigslist thread. That ought to smoke him out.

[George]

*looks around*

*checks wristwatch*

Still no TSG, huh?

Well, I guess I'll do a stand-in post, since I know we all miss the usual updates of engineering innovation.


I picked up a nice Oldsmobile for $225. It only needs a little bodywork to become a real head-turner.

My first job was to get headlights and turn signals installed and working.

Done and done!

https://i.redd.it/8rjms160kx101.jpg

Next will be a nice finish to match the existing paint.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EUQAAOSwNSxVSmCV/s-l225.jpg

That was every bit as good as a regular TSG post, right?

Right?

:sadbanana:

[21Kid]

Good try... But, it's not the same. :(

[21Kid]

:random: Say Hi from us!

[FaultyMario]

I do miss your posts, buddy.