Help- catastrophic timing belt failure in 94 900 2.5l v6

It really depends on if you want to spend the time and $ to keep this particular car. It may be cheaper than buying a new car if you do your own work and have all the tools necessary. Probably a few bent valves at a minimum. Possibly cylinder wall damage, necessitating a 'bore over' at a maximum. You will not know the total of the damage until you pull the heads. If it is a major damage, it may be If you have to pay to have it fixed, it is cheaper to get a different car. a '94 with average mileage should be 3kish. If you do get a different one, get a 4cyl turbo, you will be much happier...

KeithG

Jas> So tell me, is there any point in pulling this engine apart and doing a

I have a silly question. Does a popped timing belt necessarily mean the valves have contacted the pistons? I have had a couple cars that have popped the timing belt and none have crashed the valves into the pistons.

dave

Depends if it's an interference engine - one where the piston and the valves occupy the same space at different parts of the cycle. Some engines aren't, and if you snap a belt on one of them nothing bad happens. Most mordern engines are interference engines.

Really ? We'd be glad to oblige :-)

I'd do as the other poster suggested and at least tear it down... but I don't think it's worth the time unless you are a single guy with no current girlfriend. It's going to be a lot of hours for car that will be worth about the same as one that has not had a rebuild. In addition, you might be in for a big parts bill. If it was a turbo, you could have some fun with a build out.

MHO,

That brings up another question... would there be any point in considering putting a 4-cyl turbo and matching 5spd tranny in place for the dead v6 and automatic?

I think that's my biggest concern w/ repairing the v6 is where am I going to get parts (dealer only I'm thinking for anything that needs replacing really) and how much are they going to scalp me for- I've never had good luck buying new saab parts for anything close to reasonable prices.

On a side note, I'm driving the spare car, a 1983 240D Mercedes Benz. Not a snappy accelerator, but she sure does ride nice. Better mileage, too. :)

Appreciate the HOs still coming in. I'll take a tally and then flip a coin and see what I'm going to do. :-p

-Jason

I'll be no help in your dilemma, but wondered what references you have on that V6 motor, as I have the ?97 2.5 900S, and can't find a definite source of information on the Opal motor. I'm heartily sick of paying Roll-Royce prices for "servicing" in Australia where the SAAB is a prestige vehicle, and need a little help in the sourcing of a book covering the much-maligned V6. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do; I guess it's partly a question of how much you enjoy getting down and dirty with a recalcitrant lump of engineering.

All the best,

Bill Rule

Holden Commodore V6 oil filters and sump plug crush washers fit a treat :)

I reckon all the whirly parts that went bang can be found in a Holden dealership Vectra/Astra parts catalogue. The V6 was designed by Vauxhall and was used in the Opel family. There are a lot of those motors getting around in Australia.

My belt is getting replaced next week, along with a set of inner "joints".

You haven't got to pay a fortune to service these cars unless you want to. For stuff like brake rotors there are fine Australian mades just as good as ATE. Brake pads are the same price from Saab or anyone else. I find Lucas pads work really well on my 900S.

The automatic gearbox is the same as that found in Toyota Camry and a lot of other popular cars, so any good auto tech can service them.

Changing oil and filters is a pleasant enough job for oneself.

I drive around 5,000 a month, so regular "Prestige" service every 2 months is simply a waste of money.

You could probably talk to the service manager of a Holden dealership with a view to getting them to service your engine in the future.

Stick with the standard Boge shocks when it comes time to replace them. You can get them from some specialist European after market shops cheaper than Saab, although the Saab prices here in Brisbane are not that bad for shocks.