Advice wanted for turbo engine into 1976 SAAB 99.

I have a 1976 model year 99 GL, and am seriously considering putting a more powerful engine in it, doing all the work myself since I am currently unemployed. I have more than once replaced engines, brake discs/calipers and drive joints of non-SAAB cars (jackshaft/driveshaft on a Citroen BX was the most difficult), so I am certainly not put off by dissassembly and reassembly. What does concern me is that, although I am told from many sources that the engine can be made to fit in overview, there may be some detail problems. If these require parts to be modifed to adapt between both cars, then I could quickly find myself well out of my budget and/or technical depth because I am no machinist or welder. I dont think I should go ahead with it if it were going to take more than about 80 hours of my time, not including waiting. Putting the 99 cylinder head back on took me about 5 hours.

My car has about 130k miles on it and has a 1985cc B20 naturally aspirated engine. Unfortunately, the car was stood for 10 years and a compression test show 3 cyls with no measurable difference, the 4th about half the others, so I think it shrugged the miles off like they were nothing (valve guide wear very slight), but probably has a stuck ring ? it blows oil out through the breather above 55 mph (150 mpg oil @ 75 mph). I think that the previous owner ran it on unleaded, because I had to replace a burnt out valve. Unfortunately this lead to some erosion of the head casting around the valve seat, and I ended up putting the head back on (after being told by experts who had seen it to expect 30,000 more miles out of it ? and I?ve had 15,000 already) with the head well below the skimming limit. I am thinking that it would actually be easier to both source and install a new engine than sort this one, and am starting to want much more power anyway. Another very important point (for the donor car under consideration) is that the previous owner had a SAAB genuine (and specialist installed) replacement complete gearbox (4 speed manual), which now has about 20

000 miles on it and still feels smooth and tight.

I have a friend who lives less than a mile from me and wants £300 for his 1993 model year (outgoing old model) 900 catalysed turbo 5 speed injection. He says the only problems with it are that the gearbox is starting to get dodgy and there is a problem with the heater (mine wont turn off). Is this a good price, and is it a suitable donor car, in regard to any parts not fitting and/or needing modifications, or is it worth waiting for a better one? Are there any other SAABs with even more powerful engines that would fit? Am I right in thinking that it would be best to put his engine with my gearbox back in/would it fit? I am told that since the 5 fits more gears into the same space as the

4, the 4 is actually stronger and so arguably better anyway? Would the gear ratios be OK? I am assuming that top speed would be limited by revs rather than power, to not much more than the old car?s top speed, and cruising would be more revvy than the 900 but no more so than the old 99 I am used to. This would be OK for me ? it is all about mid-range acceleration.

I understand that I would need to transfer the front brakes and anti-roll bar aswell ? the same questions of part compatibility/modification exist here. Is transferring these parts essential? Are there any other parts that need to be transferred? Because of the body shapes, I would need to keep the old radiator and hoses, right? Is the old radiator up to the job of cooling the new engine? What about fuel tanks ? the 900 pump is in the tank I think? What about the bracket for the computer ? surely the 99 body doesn?t have features to fit this? And the catalyst?

Are there any maintainance jobs that it would be good to do while the engine is out of the car? Are there any good kits to further increase the power that I could fit whilst the engine is out of the car? Obviously all of this is going to affect the insurance ? could anyone reccomend a good insurance company for me please? I am 33yo, have had a license for 12 yrs and insurance for 9 and have never made a claim.

Any advice relating to any of the above or anything else that you think is relevant would be gratefully recieved.

Best Regards,

SaabyGiles

Reply to
SaabyGiles
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That has been done before e.g. a 900T 8v or 16v, but the main thing is that you need to adapt the firewall;

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Reply to
MH

MH gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

There's also Emmett's 99T16...

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Reply to
Adrian

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