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Re: What is your goal with this car? Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Wed, 8 Aug 2007 12:57:58
In Reply to: Re: What is your goal with this car?, Austin Underwood, Wed, 8 Aug 2007 10:11:11 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
If you're pulling the engine anyway, this will be much simplified. 10 days is PLENTY of time to do that. I'd be more concerned if you were trying to get this to happen with the engine in the car - that creates obstacles and possibilities for problems... But, you are aware you don't need to pull the engine to replace a head gasket, yeah? Still, just pulling the head off will greatly simplify the task.
Whatever you do, when you pull the head, be sure you've got a complete Elring head gasket set ready to go - that'll have everything you absolutely need. In addition, you'll need two paper turbo gaskets - they are not unique to Saabs, but are specific to T3 turbos. Best bet is to order them right now from eeuroparts and have them shipped fast. You should also get to a Saab dealership (or thesaabsite.com) and order a complete set of exhaust manifold studs & nuts - ABSOLUTELY replace these during the rebuild. If you don't, one of them will surely crack and break in the head when you're reassembling, and you'll be hating life. Ask me how I know.
If you're smart, you'll also replace the alternator bushings and replace the power steering pump bushings since there's no better time than while everything is apart - it's brainless once you've gotten that far. You should also replace the PCV grommet and the three intake manifold grommets - they'll be under more stress with a turbo in the mix, and more inclined to pop out or be sucked in (as the case may be). All this stuff is CHEAP - less than $50 in parts.
If you are indeed pulling the whole engine, I'd also strongly recommend replacing the oil-pump o-ring and the front & rear seals, but that adds some cost, some time, and requires some additional skill... It's just nice to do while you have easy access. I'd say motor mounts (at least the two sides) are almost mandatory, as well. They have a cool tendency to self-destruct if they're weak when the engine is pulled.
Couple more random tips off the top of my head:
1. Be SURE you take your head to a machine shop after you pull it. Do not just bolt it back onto the engine. If you have a leaky head gasket, you may have a warped head. If you have a bunch of miles on your car, you may have worn guides or valve seals. The head set includes seals, but not guides. DO NOT just bolt the head back onto the engine without having it checked. You may end up exactly where you started, or worse off. I've seen so many failed repairs because people were too lazy or cheap to do it right it isn't funny.
2. Go buy one of those small plastic parts containers from Home Depot, the type you use to organize screws & such. As you're taking things apart, keep hardware that came from the same place together - put the valve cover bolts in one section, put the intake manifold bolts in another. It will keep you organized, and help cue you in to where stuff goes when you're putting it back together. Sucks when you lose that one unique screw and your whole job comes screeching to a halt. Keeping everything together ensures it's there when it goes back together. Having two people working on the job makes it very easy to keep track of this stuff...
3. If you don't have a Bentley manual, you need one. Buy one. Borrow one, steal one. There are a bunch of gotchas when doing this type of work - torquing procedure for the head, for example - that you need to know. Do not rely on someone who works on cars in general to get you through this. Even the most highly trained auto mechanics don't know the specifics of every car on the planet.
4. Be happy that you have this BBS to help you out. If you're in doubt about something, post. Be specific about where you are in the job, how you got there, and specifically what you want answered. Post pictures if you can. You'll get accurate answers back quickly!
posted by 207.15.18...
, Wed, 8 Aug 2007 09:49:46, Wed, 8 Aug 2007 12:57:58 <-- Viewing This Message
, Tue, 7 Aug 2007 20:15:02, Tue, 7 Aug 2007 20:02:00, Wed, 8 Aug 2007 13:05:41
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