1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup
I thought I'd post my new thoughts on the SAAB transmission. I met a guy this week who owns a SAAB repair shop in Utica, NY called SAABCARE. I got to hang out with him for several hours, and learned that he apparently lives for the SAAB automobile (not NG900's though, or "Opel Saabrolet's", as he calls them). I asked him why saab trannies were such a piece of crap. He looked me right in the eye, and told me that they were actually excellent transmissions. I said, "why are they always going bad then?" and he replied "because Americans don't know how to drive stick". I thought about this and (after hearing his criteria for knowing how to drive stick) decided that he was absolutely right. The way he explained it was marvelous. "The SAAB transmission was designed to be shifted in an 'H' manner, not an 'X'. Put the transmission in first, let out the clutch, pull it back lightly, pause between, pull back to second, push it forward to neutral, pause, go to third, pull it back, pause in neutral, pull it back to fourth, push it straight to neutral and over and then up to fifth." He insists that he just threw away a perfectly good transmission from his favorite customer's 88 SPG because it had 400,000 miles on it (looked like 10 miles), and he's been servicing the car since it was new, and that's the maximum amount of miles he allows on SAABs before he feels the transmission has worn out, or will be soon. I assume he's right because I've never seen a saab get past 175,000 miles without needing a new transmission. The SPG in question was immacualte, and he said it had over 300hp after mods the customer wanted installed. He says that the customer who owns the SPG is the only customer that he trusts with his own personal car, because he says the guy knows how to drive a stick. Thank god I've finally found a mechanic in upstate NY who really knows his stuff, and he isn't even difficult. A really fine fella named Bill, so if anyone lives in the Utica area, make yourself familiar with him, he is as straight as they come. I've never seen a mechanic as anal-retentive as he is, he always does the job right, and has a clientele base to prove it.
The moral of the story, if any of you guys are "X-shifters", plan on a new tranny. All of you "H" shifters, start thinking about modifying your car for 300HP, after all, you can afford it now that you know you won't have to buy a new tranny anytime soon!
posted by 24.24.81...
, Wed, 30 Oct 2002 15:35:39
, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 15:42:19
, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 10:06:44, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 15:03:30, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 16:35:24, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 16:37:14, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 08:25:31
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
