As some of the regulars will remember, I've got a spare and perfectly functional steel block 1989 9000T engine in great shape with fresh turbo ready for the stand in the basement. I am wondering if anyone here would have any leads on high torque SAAB engine attempts in the 320ft/lbs torque around the @3500 RPM range?
This goes to my other front wheel drive tart - the '77 GMC 260 motorhome - which uses a surprising low HP but high torque stock 403 olds engine to make 185hp@3600 RPM and 320ft/lbs torque @2200 RPM.
I am finally setting in to drawing and planning the overhaul on our hoopy
70's super van, think I can bring it's curb weight well into the 8,500 pound range and I can't help but wonder if 320ft/lbs of torque in the 3500 RPM range isn't *all that far* to go in the good old long block SAAB engine.. I can give it a 3x6ft intercooler and radiator in any thickness up to 6 inches each.
343ci is 5.5 litres. To get that much torque out of 2 litres or so you'd be running silly amounts of boost IMO. But I know naff all about turbos so I'm sure someone who knows what figures to use will come along in a minute and correct me. FWIW, SAAB get 258 lbft out of their 2.3 engine nowadays.
I was reading just that regarding the AERO wagon - which is why I can't help but think that extra 70ft/pds isn't too tall an order if I intend to pull apart my '89 2.0 liter motor and rebuild anyway..
I am going to have to do the engine and final drive on the motor home as part of her re-hab and current fashion with my GMC 260 crowd is to go big (and I mean BIG) block crate motors (like 590 cubic inch Caddie motors) and re-gear the differential to 321 ratios for big time performance (big block GM engines get into an good power band around 2800-3000 rpm).
Now - I'm not all that interested in huge performance gains in my motor home as I intend to shed about 2,000 pounds in weight and frankly - I cruise happily all day long at 70mph on a stock 403 (6.6 liter) engine currently making 185hp@3600 RPM and 320ft/lbs torque with the extra weight and stock 255 ratio. That's plenty fast for me given everything I love is sitting around the back with juice and lego when we're on the road.
Where the saab motor gets very interesting is on two fronts. One - you aren't all that interested in huge acceleration in a motor home, however you are very interested in mileage.. My 403 makes 13 miles to the gallon at 60mph cruising (although you can get into the 8 miles to the gallon range fast booting around town). Two - as I am looking at re-gearing the differential anyway (it's a TH425 front wheel drive out of the elderado/toronado) - I can pretty much pick any cruising RPM I want up to about 3800 rpm (after that the transmission starts to heat up more than is desirable).
My investigations thus far have it that the 89 steel long block 2.0 liter engine is fairly easy to stroke up to 2.3 and it seems to be a generally stronger block than the later castings. Moreover - given I have an amazing amount of frontal area to cool everything down - I should be able to deal with the excessive heat running the turbo and engine in that RPM range will generate - with the upside that I can shave another 1,100 pds of big block cast iron off the coach weight AND get into the 20 miles to the gallon range on it.
Getting it to mate to the TH425 looks pretty easy - it's not entirely unlike the old 900 automatic tranny set-up (save that TH425 uses pretty much the same internals as the TH400 used in the Rolls Royce through the
60's)..
Sooo - the question remains - anyone have any links on high torque builds and custom engine management programming talent for the 2.0 16 valve block?
I really hesitate to say it, but out on Saabnet there are some guys who do serious performance mods to their c900 engines. 300hp is fairly common out there, as are discussions of all the related issues. Check the performance board.
Are you talking turbo 16V engines here? Surely this isn't possible with the older 8V engines (which my C900's all have)... My cars don't have turbo's so that's a negative in terms of performance increases but it's a plus in terms of improved reliability as there is less to break. 8-)
There are performance mods for the 8v: camshafts, intake & exhaust kits, etc. Not sure about the 8v but for the early 16v engines there is an aftermarket fuel pressure regulator which supposedly adds 30hp by itself.
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