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Re: Whats next? (Long!) Posted by 900 Aero [Email] ![]() ![]() In Reply to: Whats next?, MikeT, Fri, 12 Sep 2003 17:04:04 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Hi Mike, I agree a 9000T is a fun car, I sometimes refer to mine as a luxury rocket! These earlier Saab engines show their best compression test around 125K as long as they haven't been overheated and have had regular oil changes and of course proper warm up and cool down periods. Before your upgrades make sure the timing chain and especially a new style tensioner has been installed and it would be great if the car has already had the head gasket replaced somewhere along the line. Also make sure your throttle position switch is good as with more H.P. you need to make sure you don't have a lean condition at wide open throttle! The improved exhaust and factory Red APC box is good but make sure the K&N Filter isn't just drawing hot air in from inside the engine compartment. As much as I like my C-900T the 9000T's have a much better designed exhaust manifold, a good sized intercooler and a water cooled turbo ('87 up) which makes these cars a natural for performance upgrades. Also the early ones are much lighter and their 2.0 engines lend themselves better for H.P. upgrades as the later 2.3's have too long of stroke for their stock rod length not to mention the disgusting balance shafts. There is a way to add a RRFPR in the stock location in the '86-'87 applications, if you send me an E-mail I can send you a picture. Also an under the hood liquid filled fuel pressure gauge can be added for convenient adjusting of the new FPR. We're using one of my 9000's to develop a special 3" down pipe for the earlier 9000T's that should be used with a 3" cat. anyway but it's a little hard to explain in one E-mail. A proper turbo would be wonderful but maybe wait until yours starts to show signs of needing to be replaced. The best one we've found so far is a T3 Cosworth setup. Same thing with a better cylinder head, wait until your gasket starts to show signs by watching for moisture along the exhaust side of the block. The '86 to '90 heads have messed up intake ports so when the time comes go to a '91-'92 head and match the intake manifold to the larger ports. Your stock turbo will hold plenty of boost it just doesn't have enough volume get that noticeable top end power charge that we all want. You can do a better than stock rebuild with Mahle 8 1/2 to 1 pistons without spending a fortune. The next step would be high silicon JE forged pistons. The lower end of these engines is pretty much bullet proof with their forged and properly hardened crankshafts (through '90) but you can go to a high strength main cap stud rather than the stock bolt however it requires an oil pump screen modification. Unless ScanWest can do 9000 transmissions as well as C-900 upgrades there's a place in Idaho that does good Saab trans. work. I would shoot for 300 max with the correct down pipe and turbo with a RRFPR and larger injectors and a corrected ignition retard curve along with an Erik P. mod. on your Red box. If you don't abuse the drive train every time you take off the power plant / drive train life expectancy will still be OK! http://www.group9performance.com/customers.asp (some real nice early 9000's including Phillip Grandison's beautiful Air Flow with lots of performance upgrades!) Dave
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