Gearbox noise NG900

Hello fellow Saabers

I own a lovely gleaming black 1996 NG900 2 litre (non-turbo) S and have noticed a vibration when accelerating after changing gear. At first it was only at low speeds, like when setting off. More recently, however, it seems to occur at higher speeds but always when accelerating and now not always after changing gear.

What is happening to my nice 900!

Pete Brown Ballyclare County Antrim Northern Ireland

Reply to
Pete Brown
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Off hand, I'd suspect engine mounts, or possibly loose bolts. The accelleration part is probably key information. I'm not an expert, though, by any means.

Harvey

Reply to
Harvey White

Might be clutch, engine mounts (not likely without turbo) or CV's. I'm assuming it's a 5 speed - if not - you may need to do the tranny filter. I'd also check balls, control arm bushings, rotors and wheel bearings just be sure.. I gather the roads in Ireland aren't a lot better than here.

You are coming up on 7 years with that machine which could put a few things at their service limit depending.

Reply to
Dexter J

Salutations back, J Dexter :)

Thanks for your post. Although the balance of opinion seems to be engine mounts, it sounds generally like a damn good overhaul is required.

The roads in Northern Ireland (on the whole) are better than in the Republic of Ireland which has seen a highway building campaign going on around Dublin. Here in Northern Ireland, the roads can be a fairly mixed bag. The motorways (Amer: freeways - but not as wide) are very good. Most trunk roads can be fairly good although some fall short of the mark with poorly repaired surfaces in places. Minor roads can range from very good to not so good!!!! Bit a road building campaign going on in the Greater Belfast area. I travel from a very rural area through Belfast (and out the other side) to get to where I work. The roads can range from excellent to badly repaired. I can appreciate your point about the quality of the roads.

Where in the world are you, if you don't mind me asking?

Best Wishes

Pete

Reply to
Pete Brown

Just across the North Atlantic from you actually - Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. On a clear evening we should be able to flash headlights if we got the right elevations.

However - it's sort of a car hell come winter round here - follow by the annual spring frost heave culling of the motoring herd into donors and beaters for following winter.. :/ .. Very nice through the summer though, constant ocean breezes and Christmas is usually a postcard too.

I was pretty sure it wasn't a gearbox - they just usually start slipping out of gear.. I'm surprised you've lost a mount on a NG non-turbo - but it would explain the noise. Are you weeping oil from the engine seal on that end?

I would still have them take a peak around the hubs for anything else that is coming up before foul weather season starts in earnest. Don't want the lads playing hurley with your gear knob next spring.. :) ..

Reply to
Dexter J

Thanks for rely.

No oil weeping at location specified.....nor anywhere else for that matter. Engine and gearbox housing very clean below with the exception of the usual road dirt. Car has been pampered by previous owner and myself.

Have organised local servicing independent to check out mountings anyway.

Will keep u updated.

I was in Nova Scotia twice in 1991. Stayed in Halifax and Yarmouth and saw quite a bit of the southern end of the province. Was doing business with Tri-star Industries in Yarmouth. Have very fond memories of the place. Thought that Halifax was excellent. Went out for a sail in the Blue Nose sailing boat. Tried some of the local dishes and at one time I thought I was going to turn into something from the sea. There is of course a great connection with Belfast, my birthplace, in the form of the RMS Titanic. Visited some of the graves in Halifax. My family from 1886 to the 1950s were involved with Harland and Wolfe, the yard that built the Titanic. My Great Grandfather was a Master Craftsman who worked on the ornate wood panels that went into the staterooms on the doomed liner. Very moving experience to visit the Titanic graves in the Halifax area.

Best wishes

Pete

Reply to
Pete Brown

Salutations:

Given that you have clean bay - I guess it's just age setting in.. You should try to keep an eye some of the other rubber bits and pieces in the system (particularly suspension) as the winter passes..

Very interesting regarding Titanic and your stay here - I take it you weren't here in the dead of winter.. :) ..

Amazing builders Harland and Wolfe - put up some of the very best technology of their day and well appointed too, with my respects for your namesake. I know a boat builder here and they are finding it increasingly difficult to find the talent anymore - but that is of course because they can't really find the customers to pay for it anymore.

Reply to
Dexter J

Note your point about rubber bits. Vehicle has done 111K miles and will get CV covers and bushes on suspension checked whilst car in for mountings check. Will keep u posted as to what is found.

You are right about the time of year I was in NS. Was there July and August

1991. Since studying in the US, I have always like to drive in the country I am living in. Canada no exception. Through contacts at Tri-star, I was able to get the loan of a Chevy Lumina APV 3.8L minivan. Loved that car!!!!!!! Nearly bought it and imported it back to UK. Eventually bought one in Florida (no road salt) in 1996 and imported it. With the exception of the Saabs I have owned, the Chevy was the most reliable car I have owned.

Been on your web site to see why there was a musical ( 50s) ring to the link on your posts. All has been revealed, my friend.

Best Wishes

Pete

Reply to
Pete Brown

Salutations:

Well therein a HUGE debate rests brother Pete..

North American machines are thought of as 'second rate' by many.. However, I often point out that road conditions are not the same as in Europe and potential distances to be covered at speed are not anything most Europeans would readily understand..

Pull out an old map if you still have one from your visit - it takes about

15 straight hours at 115kph to make it from Halifax to Montreal - only about 1/4 the way across Canada - almost 20 hours to Toronto which I think is around the same distance as from Paris to Moscow in terms of total mileage and you are *still* less than a 1/3 the way across..

During that run you will stay on main highways across hill and dale that go from 4 lane to 2 lane to 6 lane that are used for local traffic, passenger traffic and very heavy trucking loads.. Canada has adopted a trucking strategy in favour of good old rail over the past number of decades and thusly it is not uncommon to see double tandems carrying everything from 18 foot high spools of wire to prefab homes at 100+ kph..

Road conditions will go from flat and smooth to rough and washboard to deeply potholed and badly broken depending on how wisely the locals voted or how marginal the riding is or how close the next election is and in relation to what heavy industry is using the road to move goods from their wood lot or factory..

Often, in rural areas, you will see SUV's and half tons and vans - but interestingly - you still often see big block 70's land yachts like New Yorkers and Pontiacs rolling along pretty much as they were sold.. A little rust here and there of course - but still rolling along on their OEM springs and usually without any serious engine or transmission work..

It was put to me that while my SAAB is more than capable of making the speed at distances - they (and very few other European sedans/saloons) simply aren't built for the long term pounding. A point that has been borne out over a couple of nice machines I have owned over the years.

The trade off for snappy steering, advanced interior appointments and vastly improved gas mileage - is the kind overall brute mass required (and found in those big yankee machines of the 70's) for the long runs around here. Indeed - with the advent of after market rust proofing - one of the greatest problems with those old yachts can be largely eliminated for about $120 a annually..

My other toy is a '77 GMC 260 motor home with 403 (6.6 litre) front wheel drive Olds V8 (set up just like the old 900's), torsion bars in the front and airbag scissors in the rear.. Comes in around 8,700pds rolling down the road..

It's never needed any kind of serious engine work nor has it required anything other than a new hub, wheel bearings and a steering rack rebuild.. It gets 13 miles to the US gallon at 100kph and you can run it all day long, turn it off hot and wet, and do it again the next day without worry..

That's saying something I think - not the most efficient machine by far - certainly not a snappy driver at 26 ft - but it just goes on and on without a lot of care or attention.. That has some merit and it is the same when you start looking at older V8 Fords and Chevys.. No handling, no fuel efficiencies, but credit where credit is due - keep her greased, the oil swapped and the rust proofing up to date and it is not uncommon to see a million kilometres on the odometer on OEM head gaskets and transmissions..

80's and early 90's Lincoln Town Cars and Caddie Fleetwood's are still like that..

Now I do not believe that it is the same with average newer North American sedans/saloons - indeed many folks move to the SUV and the van to get that 'overbuilt' engineering only to discover that it is not necessarily as advertised - and most certainly it is no cheaper to keep a new GM/Ford/Chevy on the road in terms of parts and service than it is an average SAAB/Volvo/BMW and I'm reliably assured that after market parts are actually cheaper for the Mercedes than the SAAB.. A pal of mine commented that it was undoubtedly because the organized car theft rings prefer Mercedes to SAABs.. :) ..

So I'm in a pickle currently regarding my own SAAB (89 9000T CD).. Do I now fix up and/or swap out several things that are at their service limit and splash some paint on before it rusts out beyond the point of no return - or

- do I run it into the ground over the next couple of years fixing just enough to keep it rolling..

I like the SAAB a lot - but - I'm still not sure which way to go yet.. Insurance may tip the decision as I wouldn't have to change policies if I just fix her up or let her rust out under me.. Conversely - it will become less reliable as I let it go and that can turn out to be expensive given that $400 towing off the highway is not uncommon (depending on distances)

Anyway - I noticed you were in the site on Friday - pick up a copy of RealAudio 8 from the site and you should be able to listen in if you want to.. It's not so much any 'era' as it is a small collection of 'tunes' from all era's.. It's a new W2K thin server test platform rather than any commercial concern - but to no one's greater surprise than my own - it is remarkably popular with it's regular fans, meets DCMA 30% cache rules and is thus far extremely robust in production. No naughty downloads - but you can stream anytime you want..

Cheers and good luck with your own service round.. I'll report back in if I do go ahead with the restoration and add a couple of pages to my site under

Reply to
Dexter J

Greetings AND Salutations

It is an interesting predicament that one finds one's self in. (Though I would add a little Brit in there, good buddy). Keep the old gal going or invest in something else.

The math is not a straightforward as you think.

Big variable being the REAL reliability of what you have versus what you might buy. A change may prove just as cash intensive ( or more so) as your current Saab. Sometimes it is better the devil you know etc, etc, etc................

I learnt the hard way when I imported a Mitsubishi (MMC) Chariot Turbo from Japan. The vehicle is known as a Space Wagon in the UK and only came in 1.8 litre petrol (non-turbo) and 1.8 litre turbo diesel for the UK market. I got myself a 1.8 turbo petrol. Over the following year or so I spent circa $4,000 keeping that auto on the road. The auto gearbox (sorry, tranny!!!) broke down. The turbo blew. All within 6 months of each other. The car I changed from was a Renault Savannah that was infinitely more reliable than the MMC and in reality cheaper to run.

I look forward to your updates.

Best Wishes

Pete

Reply to
Pete Brown

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