The C900 gets some attention (it's going to rally cross...)

So here we are.

The Rabbit is in the driveway, and the Saab is in the garage. I parked it last fall because the brake lights stopped working (suspect switch), and I didn't get to it before salt was on the roads. So the poor thing sat over the winter.

The first thing I was met with was a dead battery (duh). I knew it was old when I bought the car, it's time had come. Of course I hadn't planned for this, but had a Walfart battery left over from a couple years ago that would take a charge. So in it went, and it started right up!

Ok, get the brake lights working. I ordered a replacement Beck Arnley switch from Rock Auto not knowing what the one looked like that was in there. Come to find out it was the exact same brand and everything. But how does one get to the thing?

Well you take the knee pad thing out of course (tan thing under the dash).

Thank goodness for the Bentley book. There are four long screws that hold it to the dash, all different lengths, and two screws that fasten through the engine compartment.

I was impressed by the padding on the knee thing. It appears the Swedes care about your knees.

Anyway, there is the switch!

It took me just over an hour to get to it and five minutes to change it. But the brake lights work now!

Next up is an oil change and supporting the exhaust that fell apart last summer (ahem).

I'm learning that Saabs are like onions (Shrek reference).

In reply to paranoid_android74:

Saabs have layers, indeed. Looking forward to the shenanigans!

A couple updates from the last few weeks.

While I was under the dash replacing the brake light switch, I found these relays with some old, not so stock looking duct tape holding them in their sockets.

Threw some cable ties on them and kept on trucking...

The dash went back together pretty easily. Two of the four long screws went back in, the other two did not (see above). But I'm not the first person to have done this, so who knows exactly what's going on in there. It needs attention, but more than I have time for right now.

On to the exhaust (sigh).

When it fell off last summer, the guy that welded it back together said it looked like some supports were missing. So I had three new stock style rubber supports to shore things up.

For the tail pipe:

And the muffler:

These did make things less boingy than the couple doughnut style rubber supports that were on there.

This image pretty much sums up the whole exhaust system:

Several welded in band-aids rather than replacing any whole parts. And I think there is still a leak in there somewhere around where the catalytic converter should be, as I still hear a bit of a backfire when I shift from higher RPMs. But the gobbed together mess seems pretty solid when I pull on it. So I will probably let this situation ride and see what happens during the rallycross. If it falls off again, well, I won't be too surprised. And I'll pack ear plugs for the ride home, just in case.

Now to the Walfart battery. The stock mounting system is still solid, and with it tightened down I can't move the thing no matter how hard I try. And I added a space age positive terminal cover. Hopefully this will pass tech. Once again, I will be packing some ratchet straps and ty-wraps just in case...

The fuel filler neck. Last season my kids brought the fuel filler door in to me and reported it fell right off the car, they had no idea how I came out to find a plastic filler neck with no plastic left for the mounting screws to hold on to. Ok, so it's an old plastic part. $50 on Ebay yielded a pretty good looking used filler neck delivered to my house. But being used, I figured it would be a bit brittle as well, so I cut some fiberglass fabric and epoxied it on to try to strengthen it and keep this one from cracking.

I let it dry for a few days and trimmed off the excess with a razor knife. Today I drilled out the epoxied clearance holes and attached the door to it, and took half of the trunk apart (again, layers) to install it. Before I had the first screw tight that motherberkeleyer cracked! So much for that idea.

Anyway, it's on and certainly better than what I had before.

And while I was putting the trunk back together my oldest son snuck out to the driveway and opened and slammed the filler door shut about 15 times in as many seconds. Kids.

The next update should be wheels and snow tires!

You know the correct answer for a Saab rally exhaust:

In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:

I do, and believe me it crossed my mind more than once!

In reply to paranoid_android74:

In the near future I may have a used/good condition c900 turbo exhaust system available. Would you be interested? I'm sure it could be adapted to the NA car with a little work.

In reply to HappyAndy:

Wow, thank you for that offer!

I certainly would be interested in it.

I have literally a whole bucket of T3 turbos if you want one to help "adapt" that exhaust

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: I have literally a whole bucket of T3 turbos if you want one to help "adapt" that exhaust

I have a spare turbo exhaust manifold too.

A low pressure turbo system on the NA engine isn't​ unpresidented.

You two are terrible!

(I like the way you are thinking)

I'm a turbo swap newb- do I need a different ecu to manage such an addition? Research this I must...

In reply to paranoid_android74:

Probably- generally speaking, as boost goes up the amount of fuel needs to go up with it, and the ignition timing needs to be retarded from what an N/A engine would want. Since your car had a Turbo variant, the easiest way to make sure that all happens the way it should probably involves parts from a Turbo, but which parts depends on what is shared between the two models.

SAAB had a c900 factory LPT based on the 2.0 NA. It was a version of the 900s not sold in the US market. It only ran 5 or 6 psi, no APC system, no intercooler. I don't know any more about it than that.

For what it's worth, I've built my share of really dumb rallycross cars and I think that a homebrew turbo setup is a terrible idea for what you want to do.

I'll still help make it happen if you want though

I totally get what you are saying, and I agree completely.

If this were my "forever" rallycross car I'd likely pass on the turbo. When goofy car #2 is up and running, the Saab will back on the street- and even a LPT sounds like a fun addition for that.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: For what it's worth, I've built my share of really dumb rallycross cars and I think that a homebrew turbo setup is a terrible idea for what you want to do. I'll still help make it happen if you want though

Does the Bentley say to remove the long dash fascia screws to pull the knee bolster? You shouldn't have to. Also, those screws originally went through various tubes and plastic pieces that are now mostly broken, which may be why they aren't all going back in. Well, it's also just hard to thread them back.

Turbo cat back exhaust will fit 2.1 nonturbo but not 2.0, which has a narrower diameter and different cat bolt pattern. Turbo muffler attenuates less sound than NA so would be louder - fine for some, others aren't happy with it.

Light pressure turbocharge is all bolt-on. Generally, the only differences between Turbo and NA, mechanically, are the pistons and cams (except 2.1, which has a bigger bore, too). You need to keep the stock ECU because of its inputs to the EZK ignition system, which the Turbo ECUs lack. Or, ditch the NA EZK ignition and use the "dumber" stuff from a Turbo. Go to saaabcentral.com and look for a sticky about turbos on NAs on the c900 board.

Sedans often have issues with brakelight ground at left side taillight. Worth it to search your favorite Saab forum for bad taillight ground.

If you are going to be rallycrossing the car, inspect the lower control arms for cracks, close to where they are welded to the round bars on which the bushings are installed. Typically, these fail while backing up, not while going forward, but it's not unheard of. If you want to break out the welder and box the a-arms, there's likely ample info at saabrally.com.

And it wouldn't be a legit c900 data dump post without an obligatory note to treat the transmission gently. c900 weirdos who haven't had one go bad are like ski racers who've never blown out a knee.

You are correct sir, the Bentley does not say to take the looong screws out. I guess I got a little carried away when I was removing the console.

On the topic of the dash front, I suspect someone used a frontal assault with a screwdriver to remove it in the past because mine won't stay flush where it should. It likes to try to pop out some. A younger fella owned it at one point, and I saw evidence of some "sound system improvements" here and there. But that's speculation on my part.

I'd rather not mess with the the ECU or any of the wiring, so if the LPT is a bolt on affair (and if I can find the damned parts!) I'd be game for that. The more I think about it, my biggest concern would be stressing the head gasket. None of the service records I have indicate it was changed, and from reading I've done it can be a weak point.

I will check the grounds in the back and the LCAs, thank you for that tip! I'm hoping to have my VW running in the next couple months, so the Saab should only see two rallycrosses. I hope.

On the topic of Saab-y things, how would you recommend I change the transmission oil? The Bentley book is rather vague on the topic

procainestart wrote: Does the Bentley say to remove the long dash fascia screws to pull the knee bolster? You shouldn't have to. Also, those screws originally went through various tubes and plastic pieces that are now mostly broken, which may be why they aren't all going back in. Well, it's also just hard to thread them back. Turbo cat back exhaust will fit 2.1 nonturbo but not 2.0, which has a narrower diameter and different cat bolt pattern. Turbo muffler attenuates less sound than NA so would be louder - fine for some, others aren't happy with it. Light pressure turbocharge is all bolt-on. Generally, the only differences between Turbo and NA, mechanically, are the pistons and cams (except 2.1, which has a bigger bore, too). You need to keep the stock ECU because of its inputs to the EZK ignition system, which the Turbo ECUs lack. Or, ditch the NA EZK ignition and use the "dumber" stuff from a Turbo. Go to saaabcentral.com and look for a sticky about turbos on NAs on the c900 board. Sedans often have issues with brakelight ground at left side taillight. Worth it to search your favorite Saab forum for bad taillight ground. If you are going to be rallycrossing the car, inspect the lower control arms for cracks, close to where they are welded to the round bars on which the bushings are installed. Typically, these fail while backing up, not while going forward, but it's not unheard of. If you want to break out the welder and box the a-arms, there's likely ample info at saabrally.com. And it wouldn't be a legit c900 data dump post without an obligatory note to treat the transmission gently. c900 weirdos who haven't had one go bad are like ski racers who've never blown out a knee.

My cars are old enough to have drain plugs. My understanding is that for the later gearboxes without drains, you need to pull the diff cover. I imagine that you could pump it out via the dipstick hole. Sorry I'm not more help here.