1986 Saab 900 Turbo - White
Discussion
Thank you all for the comments, glad some of this tinkering is of interest!
One final easy fix - door handle backing plate swapped. Much better.
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20180915_124227
Scooobydont said:
Brilliant write up, not often I read a thread from start to finish but this was one of them. Love it. Thanks for taking the time to document your journey with it.
I aspire to the level of mechnical wizardry on some threads here, but until the workshop is built it's likely to be much more about keeping everything running. It's good to document it here - I've already had several people say it's a modern 'service history' for the home mechanic!Cambs_Stuart said:
Really good to see the updates to one of my favorite threads. So will you be using this beauty all through the winter?
Oh yes, my wife uses it a lot and will not be deterred by salt and cold - she says surely winter is what they were designed for! The heater was already the best of the fleet, with the recent sludgepurge it's even quicker to get up to temperature. Will have to fix those heated seat elements one day, but first it's time to get underneath it and coat everything in derustsealantpoxyevilgunkstuffprotector.danllama said:
Also enjoyed that last update. Playing with the coolant/radiator is one of my favourite jobs on cars, nice and simple.
It was on this, yes, though I didn't tempt fate by pulling the engine block drain. Maybe another time, when I have a spare one in case of breakage. shalmaneser said:
I updated my e36 M3 with EV6 injectors from the old EV1's and it made quite a difference to both driveability and mpg and power. Much smoother idle when cold, too.
anywho, this is a great thread, enjoying the journey!
Good stuff! I did the EV1 to EV6 swap for my Alfa Romeo 164 and it really helped smooth power delivery and fuel efficiency, hence my interest for the Saab. Reading up, they seem to be a bit more sensitive and the pump is at 2.5Bar, but I believe I have sourced the correct quad-pintle replacement that will say 'These are not the droids you're looking for, move along' to the system.anywho, this is a great thread, enjoying the journey!
JimmyJam said:
I spotted your Saab I think a few weeks ago parked outside Kew Gardens, looks brilliant. Be good to catch it at Classics and Cake one morning and hopefully I'll have my black 900 to make a nice pair!
Yes she's often there for work, though it gets around a bit! One of us always tries to get to Classics and Cake, it really is the best kind of car meet. Plus cake.One final easy fix - door handle backing plate swapped. Much better.
20180829_19104820180915_124227Spinakerr said:
Yes she's often there for work, though it gets around a bit! One of us always tries to get to Classics and Cake, it really is the best kind of car meet. Plus cake.
It's the only car meeting to go to; if you see me (the Honey Monster-framed chap, usually in shorts, with the hairdresser (cabrio) 3.2 911) please say hi!Sending out and SOS to Saab-minded PHers:
Bit of a problem in Saabland - on the way to the Ace Cafe Norse meet the car started cutting out, strangely the engine was still running and could be caught with a 'rolling bump', but it was as if the key had been turned off. This happened regardless of speed, gear or whether the car was changing gear/braking etc.
My wife limped it home but I hopped in for a bit of the return leg - there is no boost! No turbo or revs past 2500rpm and the boost needle stays in the white zone. To be clear - there was/is no smoke, noises or otherwise that would resemble turbo failure, it's just not even attempting to spool.
The car has been functioning well for a week since the coolant and sensor work, and nothing else had been worked on.
Prior symptoms include APC solenoid chattering away to itself (stopped if unplugged, naturally), some uneven idling and occasional hiccuping (whether hot or cold).
I've checked all the new vacuum hoses are on securely and that the APC wiring is actually attached - from a quick scour of the internet this could be a wealth of items:
Knock sensor
APC unit
APC solenoid
Grounds/earths
Distributor/rotor leads (all checked previously)
Plugs (Replaced recently, will check the correct NGK plugs)
Fuel issue
Airflow sensors
Any pointers gratefully received!
Bit of a problem in Saabland - on the way to the Ace Cafe Norse meet the car started cutting out, strangely the engine was still running and could be caught with a 'rolling bump', but it was as if the key had been turned off. This happened regardless of speed, gear or whether the car was changing gear/braking etc.
My wife limped it home but I hopped in for a bit of the return leg - there is no boost! No turbo or revs past 2500rpm and the boost needle stays in the white zone. To be clear - there was/is no smoke, noises or otherwise that would resemble turbo failure, it's just not even attempting to spool.
The car has been functioning well for a week since the coolant and sensor work, and nothing else had been worked on.
Prior symptoms include APC solenoid chattering away to itself (stopped if unplugged, naturally), some uneven idling and occasional hiccuping (whether hot or cold).
I've checked all the new vacuum hoses are on securely and that the APC wiring is actually attached - from a quick scour of the internet this could be a wealth of items:
Knock sensor
APC unit
APC solenoid
Grounds/earths
Distributor/rotor leads (all checked previously)
Plugs (Replaced recently, will check the correct NGK plugs)
Fuel issue
Airflow sensors
Any pointers gratefully received!
The Saab is testing me. I'm appealing to the Saab experts on here for some further help at the bottom...
I thought I had identified the cause of the stalling as a short on the distributor Hall sensor wiring. If it was moved at all, the car died:
20181125_141855
I ordered a new three pin Bosch connector, prepped the wires and luckily it all went together nicely. I put some heatshrink on the ground connector to give it a bit more durability and less exposed wire.
20181201_111811
20181201_120740
I don't have the official Bosch crimping tool, so had a little jog with the extension lead and soldered them on for good measure.
20181201_122955
20181201_123011
That all went back together with salvaged shielding. Nice secure fit:
20181201_125234
With this securely back on the side of the distributor I checked the plugs again (fine, right plug and right mixture colour), checked all the vacuum lines and scraped off the verdigris under the distributor cap and rotor. The car started and ran, but with it's customary idle hiccuping. In neutral it ran through the rev range, but not matter which way I prodded the wiring on the distributor it didn't falter or stumble.
I decided to check the timing, and followed the guide on Saab forums in combination with the Haynes book of lies. I tried to turn the engine from the crack 30mm nut but there is not a socket this side of Trollhatten that would fit there!
Tried a spanner:
20181201_133646
No luck. So I stuck it in 5th and yanked it like a recalcitrant white hippo down the driveway, muttering. My neighbours said hello. I scowled and slipped, falling face down onto my tool box, scattering sockets. My neighbours wisely shuffled off quickly.
Turned engine until I felt the compression stroke felt on cylinder 1, rotor in the correct position pointing to 1, also an old tippex mark on the flywheel was on the correct number per the manual (around 17 degrees BTDC).
20181201_135639
So, I disconnected the vacuum hose, put it all back together and started it up. Markings were off under the timing light, so I loosened the distributor nut and rotated a bit - car idled better and the tippex mark lined up with the casing mark correctly. IT's a 13mm holding nut and only the slimmest of vintage spanners managed to loosen and tighten it!
20181201_140841
20181201_135444
Revved it manually and no issues, slight dip in rev on deceleration. Reconnected vacuum hose, decided to go for a drive to see how it felt.
Unfortunately back to the original habits: It idles fine and revs in neutral, but problems arise in motion.
The car can't rev above 2000rpm in all gears, and the boost doesn't kick in at all. I can hear a wastegate or similar allowing air to exit. The car attempts to stall between changing gears. If driven gently this is lessened, the harder the accelerator is pushed the more likely it is to stall.
The APC solenoid is not clicking at all now. I unplugged the APC two pin plug on top of the radiator and the car behaves exactly the same - liable to stall.
I checked the bypass valve by disconnecting its hose from the APC and it has resistance when sucked.
The APC is a 7524127 unit, and this is a Bosch B202 car.
I wondered after the Hall sensor wiring what else I could have disturbed, so checked all the vacuum hoses on the car (again), checked every hose clip and prodded the AAC on top of the thermostat. No change, or stall.
Could the APC solenoid finally have given up having chattered away for a few months? Shall I take off all the valves again and recheck resistances?
It feels like the car is in a primitive limp mode, has anyone experience this before or have any pointers? Many thanks in advance.
I thought I had identified the cause of the stalling as a short on the distributor Hall sensor wiring. If it was moved at all, the car died:
20181125_141855I ordered a new three pin Bosch connector, prepped the wires and luckily it all went together nicely. I put some heatshrink on the ground connector to give it a bit more durability and less exposed wire.
20181201_11181120181201_120740I don't have the official Bosch crimping tool, so had a little jog with the extension lead and soldered them on for good measure.
20181201_12295520181201_123011That all went back together with salvaged shielding. Nice secure fit:
20181201_125234With this securely back on the side of the distributor I checked the plugs again (fine, right plug and right mixture colour), checked all the vacuum lines and scraped off the verdigris under the distributor cap and rotor. The car started and ran, but with it's customary idle hiccuping. In neutral it ran through the rev range, but not matter which way I prodded the wiring on the distributor it didn't falter or stumble.
I decided to check the timing, and followed the guide on Saab forums in combination with the Haynes book of lies. I tried to turn the engine from the crack 30mm nut but there is not a socket this side of Trollhatten that would fit there!
Tried a spanner:
20181201_133646No luck. So I stuck it in 5th and yanked it like a recalcitrant white hippo down the driveway, muttering. My neighbours said hello. I scowled and slipped, falling face down onto my tool box, scattering sockets. My neighbours wisely shuffled off quickly.
Turned engine until I felt the compression stroke felt on cylinder 1, rotor in the correct position pointing to 1, also an old tippex mark on the flywheel was on the correct number per the manual (around 17 degrees BTDC).
20181201_135639So, I disconnected the vacuum hose, put it all back together and started it up. Markings were off under the timing light, so I loosened the distributor nut and rotated a bit - car idled better and the tippex mark lined up with the casing mark correctly. IT's a 13mm holding nut and only the slimmest of vintage spanners managed to loosen and tighten it!
20181201_14084120181201_135444Revved it manually and no issues, slight dip in rev on deceleration. Reconnected vacuum hose, decided to go for a drive to see how it felt.
Unfortunately back to the original habits: It idles fine and revs in neutral, but problems arise in motion.
The car can't rev above 2000rpm in all gears, and the boost doesn't kick in at all. I can hear a wastegate or similar allowing air to exit. The car attempts to stall between changing gears. If driven gently this is lessened, the harder the accelerator is pushed the more likely it is to stall.
The APC solenoid is not clicking at all now. I unplugged the APC two pin plug on top of the radiator and the car behaves exactly the same - liable to stall.
I checked the bypass valve by disconnecting its hose from the APC and it has resistance when sucked.
The APC is a 7524127 unit, and this is a Bosch B202 car.
I wondered after the Hall sensor wiring what else I could have disturbed, so checked all the vacuum hoses on the car (again), checked every hose clip and prodded the AAC on top of the thermostat. No change, or stall.
Could the APC solenoid finally have given up having chattered away for a few months? Shall I take off all the valves again and recheck resistances?
It feels like the car is in a primitive limp mode, has anyone experience this before or have any pointers? Many thanks in advance.
Crisis somewhat averted - I was convinced the issue was something simple, an item disturbed or wire knocked out of alignment.
Checking some of the hoses, the main air inlet jubilee clip offered no resistant, and closer inspection with a hesitant finger revealed it was not sealed at all.
20181201_204629
20181201_205101
There are also many perforations on the underside, but when reattached with a cable tie the engine ran much better, and a short drive confirmed it was boosting into the yellow zone as it had done before these shenanigans.
I've ordered a significant silicone replacement set, as if this one is bad the others won't be far behind, and we can then continue the quest for full boost into... The Red Zone.
Checking some of the hoses, the main air inlet jubilee clip offered no resistant, and closer inspection with a hesitant finger revealed it was not sealed at all.
20181201_20462920181201_205101There are also many perforations on the underside, but when reattached with a cable tie the engine ran much better, and a short drive confirmed it was boosting into the yellow zone as it had done before these shenanigans.
I've ordered a significant silicone replacement set, as if this one is bad the others won't be far behind, and we can then continue the quest for full boost into... The Red Zone.
MJK 24 said:
Is the ignition coil failing under load?
No the coil is all within spec, nothing amiss there though some of the HT leads have gouges and splits, so they are being replaced.Veeayt said:
Great car! Is it still with an overpainted badge though?
Yes the whole bonnet needs redoing really, as do two suspect wheel arches but perhaps it's wortht he intermediate therapy of a proper badge in the interim!Christmas has come early for the Saab - silicone Do88 hoses, jubilee clips aplenty, new Bougicord HT leads and a good quality boot handle.
I'm inordinately excited, but that may be down to a breakfast of Strepsils.
Hopefully the used EV6 injectors from the US (yes, really) will arrive just in time for the weekend's operations too...
2018-12-14_11-51-27
I'm inordinately excited, but that may be down to a breakfast of Strepsils.
Hopefully the used EV6 injectors from the US (yes, really) will arrive just in time for the weekend's operations too...
2018-12-14_11-51-27Saturday heralded the first few hours of peace in the holiday period. That meant one thing - time to Saab.
There are two running problems at present - a slightly rough idle and a turbo that only goes midway, which is a failsafe on the system when something is awry.
First off, replacing the HT leads with all new Bougicord items. There were a number of splits in the old leads, and one was not a Bougicord, so they were changed.
20181229_124735
20181229_124742
20181229_124750
No real change, but that made me feel better. Old leads retained just in case.
Next up, silicone replacements for all the intake and turbo hoses. I went with standard black from do88, and I was impressed with the quality - a many-layered material with some give that looks like they will outlive the car.
I carefully photographed each original hose and position, and ensured I had matching replacements, plus I took the opportunity to replace the rabidly clattering APC items with silicone. I know how you all like photos of this kind of stuff: behold;
20181229_132527
20181229_140321
I think all the items that came off were original, and many had cracked, split, deformed or otherwise were in a lifecycle tailspin covered in dregs of oil, filth and nonsense.
20181229_135712
20181229_134007
20181229_135746
20181229_132848
20181229_135703
Darkness fell. I decided reassembling by torchlight wouldn't do, so I pushed the car out of the way and took all the components inside for the night. As the hoseclips were all high quality items, I drenched them in Gunk and gave them a good scrub. Fortunately they all responded positively and were in good working order.
20181229_221730
In the morning I inspected the Bosch MAF, a prime suspect for idling/stuttering and hesitation issues, and of course it was caked in nastiness. There are protective grilles either end, the retaining clips for these carefully pried out to reveal:
20181229_222151
MAF cleaner sparingly applied, et voila:
20181230_111541
Daylight revealed a number of clips, connectors and hoses elsewhere that needed replacement or tidying, and with the air system removed access was never better. Simple things, but it keeps me happy. Some were about to give:
20181230_101055
20181230_102308
20181230_102314
Turbo was also in good order with no play, looks like it had been replaced at some point:
20181230_102431
A fair can of UBIK carb cleaner (note: this does not actually exist) to other pipes and parts later, I started to reassemble. I only had to trim the three-holed turbo elbow to fit, all the other went in with a bit of effort.
20181230_104944
20181230_110857
20181230_113948
20181230_121833
Phew. Did this make a difference? Well...
Not really for the idle, but turbo boost is no longer stuttering when midway into the yellow zone on the gauge, with a definite improvement in delivery.
I expected the turbo to still not be boosting correctly, as there a number of split vacuum lines under the dash for the pressure regulator (and perhaps blow- by solenoid?), so I have new hoses for that when I get a day to spend upside down in the passenger seat.
I also think the injectors might be the last remaining culprit of the idle, one ticks louder than others and they are all original. I have some EV6 quad pintles that can go in to hopefully find some improvement, and at the least eliminate that item.
Any other tips from Saab officianados?
There are two running problems at present - a slightly rough idle and a turbo that only goes midway, which is a failsafe on the system when something is awry.
First off, replacing the HT leads with all new Bougicord items. There were a number of splits in the old leads, and one was not a Bougicord, so they were changed.
20181229_12473520181229_12474220181229_124750No real change, but that made me feel better. Old leads retained just in case.
Next up, silicone replacements for all the intake and turbo hoses. I went with standard black from do88, and I was impressed with the quality - a many-layered material with some give that looks like they will outlive the car.
I carefully photographed each original hose and position, and ensured I had matching replacements, plus I took the opportunity to replace the rabidly clattering APC items with silicone. I know how you all like photos of this kind of stuff: behold;
20181229_13252720181229_140321I think all the items that came off were original, and many had cracked, split, deformed or otherwise were in a lifecycle tailspin covered in dregs of oil, filth and nonsense.
20181229_13571220181229_13400720181229_13574620181229_13284820181229_135703Darkness fell. I decided reassembling by torchlight wouldn't do, so I pushed the car out of the way and took all the components inside for the night. As the hoseclips were all high quality items, I drenched them in Gunk and gave them a good scrub. Fortunately they all responded positively and were in good working order.
20181229_221730In the morning I inspected the Bosch MAF, a prime suspect for idling/stuttering and hesitation issues, and of course it was caked in nastiness. There are protective grilles either end, the retaining clips for these carefully pried out to reveal:
20181229_222151MAF cleaner sparingly applied, et voila:
20181230_111541Daylight revealed a number of clips, connectors and hoses elsewhere that needed replacement or tidying, and with the air system removed access was never better. Simple things, but it keeps me happy. Some were about to give:
20181230_10105520181230_10230820181230_102314Turbo was also in good order with no play, looks like it had been replaced at some point:
20181230_102431A fair can of UBIK carb cleaner (note: this does not actually exist) to other pipes and parts later, I started to reassemble. I only had to trim the three-holed turbo elbow to fit, all the other went in with a bit of effort.
20181230_10494420181230_11085720181230_11394820181230_121833Phew. Did this make a difference? Well...
Not really for the idle, but turbo boost is no longer stuttering when midway into the yellow zone on the gauge, with a definite improvement in delivery.
I expected the turbo to still not be boosting correctly, as there a number of split vacuum lines under the dash for the pressure regulator (and perhaps blow- by solenoid?), so I have new hoses for that when I get a day to spend upside down in the passenger seat.
I also think the injectors might be the last remaining culprit of the idle, one ticks louder than others and they are all original. I have some EV6 quad pintles that can go in to hopefully find some improvement, and at the least eliminate that item.
Any other tips from Saab officianados?
Yes it's tricky - it's an occasional misfire, and the idle doesn't waver too much, which convinced me it it was something to do with a single cylinder, but looking at what is left to replace, it may need more diagnosis of MAF/AMM/ECU rather than the hard components, which have largely checked out fine so far (excluding the Turbo system).
New year's day brought the traditional dilemma - shall we actually get up, stagger through any residual head fug and get to Brooklands? Well, this year I was gently encouraged, and we managed to get there. A fantastic day - highly recommended - we even got a discount due to the usual traffic at entry. I would liken it to Pistonheads itself as the variety is incredible - Astons rub shoulders with tatty Pandas, 80s saloons next to American muscle, and plenty in the museums and exhibits to poke around.
Some highlights:
20190101_120953
20190101_123339~01
20190101_122359
20190101_122407
20190101_121951
20190101_123633
20190101_124318
20190101_125315
20190101_125613
20190101_130950
20190101_131622
20190101_131746
20190101_132154
20190101_131805
The car behaved well, fan kicking in correctly in the heavy traffic and no other tribulations other than the bedamned idle. So upon return home, and as darkness fell, I 'just popped outside for a moment to check something'... more to follow.
New year's day brought the traditional dilemma - shall we actually get up, stagger through any residual head fug and get to Brooklands? Well, this year I was gently encouraged, and we managed to get there. A fantastic day - highly recommended - we even got a discount due to the usual traffic at entry. I would liken it to Pistonheads itself as the variety is incredible - Astons rub shoulders with tatty Pandas, 80s saloons next to American muscle, and plenty in the museums and exhibits to poke around.
Some highlights:
20190101_12095320190101_123339~0120190101_12235920190101_12240720190101_12195120190101_12363320190101_12431820190101_12531520190101_12561320190101_13095020190101_13162220190101_13174620190101_13215420190101_131805The car behaved well, fan kicking in correctly in the heavy traffic and no other tribulations other than the bedamned idle. So upon return home, and as darkness fell, I 'just popped outside for a moment to check something'... more to follow.
Fresh from Brooklands, at 3pm on New Year's Day I decided to replace some final ignition components as the occasional miss at idle had entirely eaten my soul.
First up, the original rotor arm looked healthy and Boschish but was an unknown, and happily the correct NOS item showed up for 4.99, so on it went.
20190101_155741
Luckily it came off with a few gently taps. These are prone to getting stuck on.
20190101_155954
20190101_160309
I also decided the Bosch distributor cap, which I had swapped over 6 month ago, needed a verdigris removal with a dremel. Fortunately a few seconds on each contacts brought them up to scratch.
20190101_161104
20190101_161513
The started up fine... but still had the blasted hiccup. As they say in Trollhaten, skit.
By now it was 4pm on new year's day. My wife had the fire lit and was putting the kettle on. It was the final day before I went back to work, and it was getting dark and cold.
I decided to change the fuel injectors.
Having had great results swapping out old EV1 Bosch injectors on my Alfa Romeo 164, I was disappointed to learn there was not extensive interest in trying EV6 (quad-jet) injectors on the Saab 900. Lots of threads and experiments with bigger injectors for higher BHP, part of the turbo upgrades, tuning etc. but nothing for improving general mpg and throttle response on a standard engine.
In November I consulted one of the online databases of Bosch injectors (Stan Weiss) to find something more modern with the same flow rates as the originals, 0280150706s, which looked decidedly crusty in their original harnesses, at 234cc/hour at 3 bar. Notably, I think the Saab pumps of this era work at 2.5bar, so a lot of double checking ensued. While EV6 injectors from later Saabs probably worked (some suggested the NA 2nd gen 900s), I decided on a slightly closer, and much cheaper, set of 0280155715 (235 cc/hr). From a 5.7L V8 in America. Even with shipping charges and a tax they the price of two burgers and came from a reputable source as fully working. These also came with the same wiring connectors, thank goodness.
Magnetic lights hastily arranged on the bonnet like a closing scene of Batteries Not Included, I got to work.
Two 12mm bolts held the rail in, and all the clips and injectors wiggled free once a few vacuum lines and wires had been carefully moved out of the way.
20190101_162818
20190101_163141
A little bit of fuel was captured by rags correctly positioned (thank you, Alfa memory) and the original injectors all came out without a fuss. Some of the O rings were well past their sell-by date, but luckily my new set came with new replacements.
20190101_163608
Old and new:
20190101_164454
Single vs quad jets. Saab always said 'Born From Jets', and this was probably more relevant:
20190101_164503
All in gently, clips checked and double checked, bolts tightened, pump primed a few cycles to ensure no leakage...
It runs. It runs well. It still misses, but somehow the engine is calmer. No vibrations. Hmm, further investigation is underway.
My wife has been running it for a week now and has said it no longer stumbles when the clutch is depressed, and doesn't have an fuel smell in the cabin (the return line runs through the headlining, which we don't have). It does still miss and occasionally hiccup, but so far the replacement has been a good one - no leaks and some improvements.
Next up...
Actually I don't know. When I unplugged the NTC sensor when the car was warm it ran better for 30 seconds, and previously I had only tested it when cold. I think I'll test it for a whole temperature cycle, as it looks original and older sensors can start to be shouty, cranky and opinionated.
First up, the original rotor arm looked healthy and Boschish but was an unknown, and happily the correct NOS item showed up for 4.99, so on it went.
20190101_155741Luckily it came off with a few gently taps. These are prone to getting stuck on.
20190101_15595420190101_160309I also decided the Bosch distributor cap, which I had swapped over 6 month ago, needed a verdigris removal with a dremel. Fortunately a few seconds on each contacts brought them up to scratch.
20190101_16110420190101_161513The started up fine... but still had the blasted hiccup. As they say in Trollhaten, skit.
By now it was 4pm on new year's day. My wife had the fire lit and was putting the kettle on. It was the final day before I went back to work, and it was getting dark and cold.
I decided to change the fuel injectors.
Having had great results swapping out old EV1 Bosch injectors on my Alfa Romeo 164, I was disappointed to learn there was not extensive interest in trying EV6 (quad-jet) injectors on the Saab 900. Lots of threads and experiments with bigger injectors for higher BHP, part of the turbo upgrades, tuning etc. but nothing for improving general mpg and throttle response on a standard engine.
In November I consulted one of the online databases of Bosch injectors (Stan Weiss) to find something more modern with the same flow rates as the originals, 0280150706s, which looked decidedly crusty in their original harnesses, at 234cc/hour at 3 bar. Notably, I think the Saab pumps of this era work at 2.5bar, so a lot of double checking ensued. While EV6 injectors from later Saabs probably worked (some suggested the NA 2nd gen 900s), I decided on a slightly closer, and much cheaper, set of 0280155715 (235 cc/hr). From a 5.7L V8 in America. Even with shipping charges and a tax they the price of two burgers and came from a reputable source as fully working. These also came with the same wiring connectors, thank goodness.
Magnetic lights hastily arranged on the bonnet like a closing scene of Batteries Not Included, I got to work.
Two 12mm bolts held the rail in, and all the clips and injectors wiggled free once a few vacuum lines and wires had been carefully moved out of the way.
20190101_16281820190101_163141A little bit of fuel was captured by rags correctly positioned (thank you, Alfa memory) and the original injectors all came out without a fuss. Some of the O rings were well past their sell-by date, but luckily my new set came with new replacements.
20190101_163608Old and new:
20190101_164454Single vs quad jets. Saab always said 'Born From Jets', and this was probably more relevant:
20190101_164503All in gently, clips checked and double checked, bolts tightened, pump primed a few cycles to ensure no leakage...
It runs. It runs well. It still misses, but somehow the engine is calmer. No vibrations. Hmm, further investigation is underway.
My wife has been running it for a week now and has said it no longer stumbles when the clutch is depressed, and doesn't have an fuel smell in the cabin (the return line runs through the headlining, which we don't have). It does still miss and occasionally hiccup, but so far the replacement has been a good one - no leaks and some improvements.
Next up...
Actually I don't know. When I unplugged the NTC sensor when the car was warm it ran better for 30 seconds, and previously I had only tested it when cold. I think I'll test it for a whole temperature cycle, as it looks original and older sensors can start to be shouty, cranky and opinionated.
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