Hi there,
I have a 1993 900 S with 176K and I just got the bad news: The engine head gasket is blown. The car runs good but overheats; loses antifreeze thus lots of white smoke out the exhaust; one plug gets wet; small bubbles come up the radiator reservoir; I add water daily :-( I got an estimation of about $1600 - $2000 CAN to have it fixed. I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Your advice will be appreciated.
Thanks to all in advance.
ts
I forgot to say that the engine is the 2.1L 16V.
What sort of advice are you looking for? Get it fixed or scrap the car. :)
You could do it yourself for much less depending on your abilities.
David.
Absolutely. You can do this job yourself if you have the time, inclination and tools for a little over $100 in parts.
You should definitely shop the job around with some independant SAAB specialists as I'm sure you could get it done for a lot less than your current estimate. It's not really that tough of a job...
-Fred W
I've heard somewhere that the 2.3L engines where prone to heads cracking, which sounds like it may have been what has happened to you.
Not necessarily. The gasket tends to go on these far more often than head / block cracking. In any case, the only way to know for sure is disassembly anmd inspection.
Fred
PS - Did you notice the OP said it is a 2.1L and you answered with an analogy of a 2.3L?
The advice I am looking for, is in regards to what really needs to be done to justify the quoted price and also, if anyone knows any reliable service stations or mechanic in the Ottawa area that repair Saabs.
thanx
Remove head, clean, install new valve seals (if you're sensible), then reinstall head.
Book time is ~ 8 hours. Materials ~£60.
Aaaagh, never noticed that at all. Probably because over in the UK, we never got a 2.1, but some euro places, plus the US did, but I've heard of people fitting 2.3 heads with
2.1 manifolds that they imported onto 2.0 litre engines ;)
I can't help you with the mechanic but can tell you that the UK price for when I a head gasket done by an independant was around 400 UKP. However this turned out badly and had to be dismantled again (cracked head not checked for) and a rather protracted and acrimonious result.
In the end I towed the car with the head in the boot to the local Saab main dealer and had them put it back together again. Cost for that was another 400 quid.
Looking back, i'd rather have done it myself, the gasket and head bolt set is a fraction of the overall cost.
David.
Should be more like $1000 CAN/$750 USD and a bit up, but I don't know Ottawa
If this is a 2.1L, there have been some reports of the engine block/deck pitting. It doesn't happen to all 2.1Ls (and who knows? it may happen to a few 2.0Ls, too). Only way to know is to pull the head. Just a heads up. Some repair by brazing
If you've done clutches, driveshafts & joints, brakes, etc., and are so inclined, set aside 2 - 4 days to do. Detailed pre-project info can be provided (on-line and in service manuals). You'll need a couple of not-so-special tools, like a E-16 torx bit (IIRC), torque wrench, a "Torque-To-Angle Indicator" would be recommended, along w/checking the block deck and head for flatness (may be just fine; not too expensive or time consuming to have shop machine if needed).
Lance
After high milleage and/or overheating the head may (will!) also be warped. As part of the process a *more* expensive garage should skim it (remove metal from the surface until it is perfectly flat). What other messages said about valve seals/guides should be done too.
Charles
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