Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[john-saab]

I have had a few frustrating days in the garage.
The 2 stroke started dripping what smelled like spent oil and fuel. I took the engine out to find a mess and my clutch was contaminated.
Bonett off....

The mess under the engine



Heres the clutch plate and a good second hand spare that i will be replacing it with.

This has all been caused by the rear crank "seal". As the crankcase is pressurised a pair or rings, similar to piston rings, are used at the rear of the engine. The rings are fitted with the gaps 180 degress apart but as this engine had been left for 30+ years one of the rings had moved and allowed the oil/fuel mix to escape.
I have split the crankcase (sorry no pics yet) and will be cleaning everything up on Saturday. I am waiting for a front gearbox seal to arrive (I wanted to replace this while the engine was out) and hopefully the car will be running that afternoon.
When i took the engine out i found a small leak from the carburettor..this could explain the lumpy running that i put down to the clutch judder.

[Rick]

All good fun eh! thanks for posting some pics of the Saab, was looking forward to seeing some on here

R
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[john-saab]

I spent a few mins on the engine yesterday but i had 4 other SAABs turn up...all needing work so i didnt get the engine back in the car ...it is almost ready though.
I may sit and do a write up on the restoration...i have about 800 photos but they are not in any order..i must sort it out.
Heres a few photos of the car as i found it...and some of the work done.
Once i had removed a ton of rubbish heres what i found....


With the bonett off it was clear that the car needed more than a new set of plugs and a splash of fresh petrol.

After a while i give up with the idea of a quick tidy up and bought shares in Nitromorse....


I really liked the look of the car in bare metal.

[john-saab]

I was almost ready to re-fit the engine but was stumped by a large "circlip with 2 shims behind it. The circlip is supposed to sit in a groove but you have to compress the shims with a special SAAB tool...it compresses the 2 rubber O rings that are behind the shims..this is all part of the distributor drive. I tried for 2 hrs on Saturday and 1 hr on Sunday...all without the tool. Today with a piece of brass plumbing pipe the clip went in first time.
I went to fit the clutch and my centering tool doesnt have the correct end piece GRRRRRR. So tomorrow i will shave a piece off the tool and hopefully (if i get home from work early enough) i will refit the engine.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

We all have these problems, but they all make it memorable! It will be a milestone when the engine is in place!

So I take it you are painting it all, what colours are you thinking of? Original?

Cheers

Dave

[john-saab]

The engine has already been it...all painted in the original colour...a sandy beige colour. I had to hunt for ages to find the code...a fellow 2 stroke owner found it and i had a litre made in heat proof paint...£38+ vat+ postage made it almost £50 for a litre ..but the engine is small and i used very little...i have enough to do about 20 engines .
You can see the colour in this picture...it also shows the unusual set up with the generator and waterpump...if the seal in the water pump fails it jets water into the electrics...SAAB changed this set up a bit later.
You can also see (bottom left) the first signs that i had problems..there is oil mix on the clutch control arm.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Twenty engines, what does your other half think of that, bet she is scared of what you may be planning!! hehe

Glad you picked and spent time finding the original colour, What colour is the body?

Cheers

Dave

[john-saab]

Its a light grey. I used a piece of trim that had been hidden from the light and dirt since it left the factory,,the paint supplier matched it after 4 attempts.

[john-saab]

Engine painted (again) and clutch fitted,ready for fitting tomorrow OH NO! Her indoors has better ideas so it looks like i will get my own way on Saturday ....awwwww i have to deal with 3 other SAAB owners cars before i can play with mine...SUNDAY WILL BE MINE!..just in time for a local show I can't wait. I have missed the 2 stroke and I am quite excited about getting it mobile again.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Hope you do get your time on sunday, you will have to show us some snaps of it running. I bet you are real motivated now, to get it fired up!

Cheers

Dave

[john-saab]

My gearbox seal is in place, new clutch fitted and the engine is back in the car. I took it for a short drive yesterday and although the gearchange is 100% better and the clutch isnt slipping the car still seems to be lacking power. The carb had a leak and i thought that might be it...the butterly spindle might be letting in air as it was a little worn.
Today i will go through the electrics and fuel system.
Last time i had a similar power loss it was down to the spark plugs...i will change those first.
I was going to a small classic car meet today but i will spend my time on the 2 stroke and my 900 is well overdue for a service so i will do that aswell today...if it stops raining.

[john-saab]

What a busy day. I started with a full service on the 1985 SAAB 900 turbo...was easy and the car always feels smoother with a new set of spark plugs in it.
Then onto the 2 stroke. I started her and she was still very lumpy so i checked the points and timing..both spot on. I cleaned the SU fuel pump...a bit of sediment but getting better.
I checked for a good spark and No2 seemed a little weak. The plugs (NGK A7) went in a short wile back and were clean and dry but i changed them anyway and the car now runs like a dream...smooth rapid and a nice tickover. ...my ear to ear grin is back.
After i had a good 20 mile drive i found time to fit a few new rubber items that i bought from the SAAB Owners Club in Sweden...they remanufacture hard to find rubber items and offer an exchange on items like the clutch and breaks.
The rubbers i fitted sit between the front wing and the bumper, they were easy.
I then fitted a long thin rubber onto the air intake below the front windscreen...oh what a pain...there is a semi circle cut out on the passangers side where the windscreen wiper arm sits....it popped of every time i put it near the car...after about an hour i give up and cheated... a dab of super glue and it now sits quite nice.
By the time i finished this the sun had turned to sleet so it was indoors....but i had a few more projects. I made a few large rubber washers out of a lorry innertube (the rubber is thicker on truck inertubes) ..these washers will be part of the headlight support.
The next project will be sewing ap a few seams on the drivers seat...the old thread has rotted and the piping has come away on one of the corners.
I must find a way of securing the rubber floor covering to the floor, its ribbed rubber and covers the entire floor in the car...it has a seperate sound deadening material underneath and it keeps slipping. I have found a bag of car carpet fastners but the need to be screwed to the floor and i dont want to go drilling holes....heavy duty double sided tape might be the answer.

[PACresta]

Very interesting pics thanks for sharing, lovely motor you have there.

[john-saab]

I managed to get away from work early today so out came the drivers seat. I took the lower cover off..quite simple as its stretched on with a large piece of wire and stapled at the front. and sat in the warm with a needle and thread...im pleased with the results....
This is the side of the drivers seat..damage caused by getting in and out of the car..

The front edge of the same seat..

And the finished item


Next on the list is replacing the electric clock that dosent work with a mechanical clock ..i have tried 3 electric clocks and they were all faulty so i stripped and cleaned a mechanical clock that was fitted to earlier cars.
The new clock is an 8 day Smiths clock that louses about 1 min in 8 days...not bad.

[john-saab]

The 2 stroke engine started to leak again yesterday...i am not happy.
This time i will be asking for help from Chris Partington...he was a big name at SAAB UK during the early days and now he has retired he has become a 2 stroke Guru...i feel quite humble that he is taking interest in my car