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It reminds me of the Ford Flat Rock transmission fiasco with Mazda on the MX-6 vs the Ford Probe. (I believe those were the two clones, but you get the idea.) Seems the transmissions were identical on the blueprints, but the Japanese-manufactured and assembled transmissions for the MX6? had roughly 10% of the warranty costs of the Flat Rock-manufactured and assembled transmissions for the Probe.

The culprit was the Japanese interpretation of manufacturing specifications...the Fords manufactured the parts according to the Japanese blueprints, and inspected the parts before assembly, reworking or rejecting those parts outside the 'specs.' The Japanese, OTOH, simply manufactured the parts to six sigma specs, or roughly one in one million rejects. The Japanese didn't bother to inspect when the parts were clustered around X bar so tightly.

Thus...the tolerance stackups caused the American transmissions to run rougher and fail sooner than the Japanese transmissions.

Methinks the Swedish/Euro transmissions are much of the same ilk....a part may be within specifications, but how close is it to the 'blueprint?' And furthermore, how close are the assembly torques to blueprint torques? All the little things add up, and the Saab transmission just doesn't cut it in comparison to Toyota's cheapest transmission. Heck, Hyundai probably makes a 'better' transmission.

One more thing I found with Saab (learned on Hondas the hard way) manual transmissions/clutches...they last longer if the clutches aren't continuously 'feathered' during use. Not that I sidestep clutches on takeoff, but the less the clutch is slipped the better, in or out, except on takeoff. The first clutch I replaced on my 84 900T (with aftermarket intercooler and overboost, approx 165hp) was at 88K miles when the OEM trans broke the pinion bearing mount...the clutch had about 50% wear on it according to Pete VanderVate's shop in Fairfax, VA. They put in a Saab reman transmission and new clutch plate (nothing wrong with slave or pressure plate or flywheel, BTW!) and the reman out of the box was better/smoother shifting than the OEM...and stayed that way to 188K when the car was totaled in a rear end collision. I had no reason to believe that manual transmission (and clutch) wouldn't go 200K.

posted by 140.32....

• SAAB Transmissions: In their defence..., MattVW, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 00:24:48
  • They still suck dude, ryan , Wed, 30 Oct 2002 15:35:39
  • I take a full sec. to engage 2nd, nice & easy., a pain but wth, Wed, 30 Oct 2002 02:41:03
  • Proper shifting? Hah. (Request for info), White Vampire, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 22:57:16
  • What I hear him saying,,,, KeithR, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 22:53:03
  • Re: SAAB Transmissions: In their defence..., Bill N, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 21:16:13
    • Swedish Dynamics has a pinion upgrade kit., KB88900T, Sat, 2 Nov 2002 18:48:13
  • Re: SAAB Transmissions: In their defence..., Tony Derenthal, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 16:44:16
  • Re: SAAB Transmissions: In their defence..., Nathan Pflaum , Tue, 29 Oct 2002 15:42:19
  • Hey MattVW, did Bill happen to mention..., Greg Netzner, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 14:35:05
  • It's the nature of the beast..., Royce Fitzgerald, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 11:23:03
  • Ya, but my sister jams the gears in her BMW,, Terraplanem, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 10:49:40
    • Re: Ya, but my sister jams the gears in her BMW,, White Vampire, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 22:43:52
      • I believe HP numbers are in the owner's manual. Someone, Terraplanem, Wed, 30 Oct 2002 10:40:36
        • Re: I believe HP numbers are in the owner's manual. Som, White Vampire, Wed, 30 Oct 2002 17:13:23
  • Opinions are like, well you know. And that's his. But, Texron, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 10:38:02
  • Re: SAAB Transmissions: In their defence..., kooch, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 10:11:03
  • Hey MattVW, BuHuSPG, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 08:49:46
  • Re: SAAB Transmissions: In their defence..., Uwe K., Tue, 29 Oct 2002 05:32:51
    • Re: SAAB Transmissions: In their defence..., Tony Derenthal, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 16:37:22
    • Excellent argument, JohnB, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 08:36:24 <-- Viewing This Message
      • That's interesting. I have a friend who works ..., RS , Tue, 29 Oct 2002 10:06:44
        • Swedes are under no pressure to produce anything, LOL, Anders, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 13:04:29
          • Thank God there are people who don't, RS , Tue, 29 Oct 2002 15:03:30
            • They have a much healthier emphasis on actually living., Terraplanem, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 16:11:01
              • A recent study show that Swede's are among the >>>>>>>, Anders, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 16:21:29
                • Y'all need some sunshine ... and smog :-) n/m, RS , Tue, 29 Oct 2002 16:35:24
                  • I should say -They need some sunshine ... and smog :-), RS , Tue, 29 Oct 2002 16:37:14
  • Re: SAAB Transmissions: In their defence..., Simon S, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 01:57:23
    • There is no defense, Jd from LA, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 02:37:00
      • Re: There is no defense, RS , Tue, 29 Oct 2002 08:25:31
      • Yeah, give up your 94 900TC manual immediately...., JohnB, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 04:37:17
  • hey, that's me!, tyler, Tue, 29 Oct 2002 00:39:55

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