1985 SPG Rebuild Again

[MattWatson]

I did this last friday, just hadn't got around to posting it. I picked up a housing locally for $220, which was cheaper than I could find it online, so that was nice! They had stock from 2006, so he hummed and hawed about what they should charge me for it :)

Anyway, I was planning to just remove the turbine housing and leave everything else in place, but then after taking off the wastegate housing, I just decided to pull the turbo. I timed the process, and it took me 15 minutes to pull the turbo, so pretty damn quick. None of the bolts had had any chance to freeze yet though, so it was faster than normal.

I rotated the impeller on the bench, and had a bit of a panic, because I couldn't hear any noise anymore... and I really didn't want to put it all back on the car if it was going to make noise at speed. The shop told me to check it, because this was a turbonetics housing rather than a garrett one, so they they said it was likely to be good, but that it may require a hone if it touched.

Pulled the turbine housing off and I just couldn't tell if it was touching or not

It looks WAY larger in this pic than it is in real life. touching for about 1/2mm x 2mm or so.

The replacement looks just like it, just a bit more room on bolts to the manifold


It took a grand total of 10 mintues to swap the housings over, and get everything tightened down. Luckily, the new housing came with studs, so I didn't have to pull them. I will have to watch the housing, becaue it the studs for the wastegate are shorter than stock. IF they start to loosen, then I will have to swap the studs over.


After taking the turbo apart now 4 or 5 times (Rebuild, then trying to solve the contact noise) I figure I could do one start to finish in a couple hours at most, not counting cleaning.

I have something coming in on monday for this car to roll around on that this group may or may not like

[Geoff]

I have something coming in on monday for this car to roll around on that this group may or may not like

??

[MattWatson]

Nah, already have a set of tractor tire winters. Thought I would go a bit bling. a set of these in 22's!

Untitled-1.jpg (58.45 KiB) Viewed 3227 times

Bling Bling

The ones I got are a bit more understated than that... and only in 17" but still.

[iceman_ca]

What is the offset..looking forward to seeing them in place

[MattWatson]

They are 17x7 with a 38mm offset.

I was happy to find something narrowish, so the offset wasn't as much of a concern. Hopefully 38 will have enough poke, which, according to my calculations, will give about 2cm more. It looks like it runs 15mm further inset at the widest point, so I shouldn't have any issues there either.

The only thing with these wheels that sucks is they are only a 72.6mm centerbore, so there is no room for permanent centerbore spaces to be added, I assume I am going to have to keep track of stupidly thin plastic bits. I am considering getting them welded and machined or just machined a bit larger so I can fit a permanent ring.

If you are looking at tire rack or anywhere for larger wheels, take a look for a 240sx. They have the same bolt pattern, similar offset, but a different studs and centerbore. Most aftermarket wheels need adapters anyway, so just ask for 71mm centerbore adapters, and 1/2-20 lug nuts, which they will substitute for free.

Edit: Changed 42.6 t 72.6, which is what it really is.

[SwedeSport]

I thought the center bore on a Saab was much larger, like 71 or something like that.

[Jordan]

I want to say that the early bore is 71.5mm

[MattWatson]

I thought the center bore on a Saab was much larger, like 71 or something like that.

Sorry, misstype, yes 71mm. 41mm would be crazy small.

[Jordan]

If the wheels use conical nut seats, than you wouldn't really need spacers since it wouldn't be hub centric. Since the wheels have studs it won't be such a pain in the ass to square them up either.

[Jon1]

[MattWatson]

interesting.

http://jpowell.tripod.com/saab-wheels/ states: "Pre-1988, SAAB used lugs and nuts for the 900/99 with a lug pattern 4x114.3mm, or 4x4.5", 71mm centerbore"

Too bad my bentley is not here, I could check to see what it says.

For interest sake, I'll take a wheel off and check what the actual hub is with a mic tonight.

Matt

[MattWatson]

Well I wonder what the tolerances on wheel centerbores are? Haha.

I set a bore guage to 2.795 (71mm) and then got .027 (.68mm) over... so that leads me to believe the centerbore would likely be 71mm... 0.18mm seems to be an awfully small tolerance for something that spends most of it's time rusty and has crap on it.

I suppose I could pull a wheel and check for sure however if anyone is actually really interested.

Actually, I am an idiot. I don't need to do that, I could just check the spare hub I have in the garage.

Edit: May have proved my assumption wrong: They are either a sloppy 71.5mm or there was a bit of stuff on the hub and it is a 71mm (possible, I just wiped it off). a set of '86 900 Turbo hubs measured in around 2.813 (71.45) so apparently wheels are extremely tight on their tolerances for centerbore.

To be honest, I don't think it will really matter. if it does, I guess I get to go pick up a new set of centerbore adapters. At this point, it has gotten a bit anal pedantic and I will just put the damn wheels on and not worry about it...

Matt

[MattWatson]

After checking online... I wonder if they gave me 71.5mm hubcentric rings anyway... they seem to be MUCH easier to find then 71mm ones.

[Jordan]

Yeah. just put them on!

I thought 99's through 80 had a smaller center, which is why you need to open up some 99 wheels in order to fit onto 900 hubs.

[MattWatson]

Sooo I got them, they look great!

Checked the invoice to see what they shipped me for rings, and they did ship 71.5mm rings, which slid on with no issues. They are damn thin though.

Got everything ready... opened up the lug nuts, tried to put one on and WTF, they don't fit the wheels . Checked the car, worked fine. They are just too big to fit in the holes on the wheel. So I phoned tire rack, and apparently they are shipping me out another set of lug nuts, since they sent me standard ones, and they need tuner lugs to work.

I tried to find some here and just have them credit me, but couldn't find any 1/2" ones in stock anywhere, they would have to order them, and I am out of town until the weekend (in Denver) so it is no great loss... I guess. Hopefully they will be here for the weekend. It will be close.

They look pretty good propped up against the car, but it might force me to lower it Anyone know of any good lowering springs that still exist? I might pull the ones off the 99 and swap the SPG springs to the 99.