Great, thanks Geoff, I wan't concerned but my alarmist gearhead friend was suggesting that it wasn't right, then I started wondering because the shop I've been using does some foreign work, but doubt they've seen many Saab blocks. They did take enough off to leave the vent passage that is in flywheel end cover to be .003" proud of the block, thinking I might (carefully) take a file to it, or should I not fret as It will be taken up by the gasket?

Got the head on and torqued chain hooked up and double checked that the timing marks line up, I used the T5 cams (9145632 Intake & 9145640 Exhaust) and plan on swapping out the intake for the 94-98 9000 (B204I / L) eventually, according to Nick T's formula as seen on

http://www.genuinesaab.com/temp/cams.htm

Anyone used this recipe? Or found something better? Or am I just wasting my time.... I guess the whole point of this exercise is to max out the junkyard available hp, although I haven't tinkered with the reciprocating assembly besides the pistons - next time.

Cleaned the mating surfaces and gasket with contact cleaner before assembly and smeared a bit of silicone at the timing chain cover mod area, seems like it should seal up. Hopefully I'll get the manifold welded and drilled before too long and assemble the whole mess...

I think with stock style cams on a turbo, you are just moving torque around the chart. I wouldn't expend too much effort into it. It also is going to be hard to tell what is doing what when you change so many variables at the same time.

Sven Block!


And now back to your regularly scheduled cam discussion.

Those graphic design classes you're taking are really paying off

I hope I'm not the only one who laughed at my desk when I say that.

Yeah I've changed pretty much every variable at this point, haven't even posted any pictures of the pile of wiring, sensors, and actuators I've got (working!) on my bench for the Megasquirt.

Kinda proud of my dopey title, maybe it stays.

True story: bought some motorbike parts of questionable origin from a fellow with a Monster Energy tatoo, about 8" square, across his shoulder, the mind boggles...

I'm glad my MS Paint 'skylz' could bring some cheer to your day. I laughed when I made it. And I'm still laughing...

swmeatball wrote:True story: bought some motorbike parts of questionable origin from a fellow with a Monster Energy tatoo, about 8" square, across his shoulder, the mind boggles...

Got the head on and timing hooked up, rotated it over a couple of times to make sure it was right after installing the tensioner, it's a hair off as expected. I think I read that the new head is a little shorter, making the path the chain travels shorter, and therefore retarding the timing a bit, as the flywheel is (where my ignition signal will be coming from) now a little more in the counter clockwise direction when the valve train is lined up, correct? Also taking a bit off the block affected it as well, anyone know what number I should be expecting? Probably a good thing as it means the timing is retarded across the board and I'm less likely to blow things up, or have I got this all backwards...



That mark on the cam spins counter clockwise, flywheel is at TDC.

I am sure someone may correct me, But what you have is quite acceptable. Unless you are going to buy drilled and adjustable cam sprockets, you are fine to go. You should see how far off the marks are when you are one tooth off.

I had it one tooth off in the opposite direction and it looked pretty noticeable, I'm gonna line the cam up and see how far the mark is off on the flywheel, timing marks were wiped out due to lightening process, but I'll measure the circumference and calculate it, would be nice to know, if just for fun. Eventually I'll have a second trigger on the camshaft but sticking with batch fire for now. Thanskfor the response.

That looks fine to me. Like you said, when it's a tooth off it's off by way more than that.

If you have the eeuro flywheel. There is a machined hash mark at TDC

Oh yeah, I'm nominally clueless but I did see the tdc mark on the flywheel, just noting that the rest of them are gone, I got a fancy dial back timing light from craigslist the other week so it's not an issue that they're missing. Was thinking I was gonna figure out how far the timing is off at the cam, just for fun really, and it may prove important when setting up the second trigger, but that's a ways off.

Mocked up the coil install, bit of a mess, some others have made very nice brackets of fancy materials, but this should get me on the road. I will get some grommets for those holes, figure out some sort of clips to keep the HT leads from rubbing on everything, and I have to get the correct boots for the coils. Going to try to find some vibration mounts to fit instead of the screw / rubber hose set up, and I'll need to run grounding wires from the coil mounts to the head. Plugs need to be resistor type, which is what was in that particular head already, NGK R PF6H 10, I'll just stick with those unless there is a reason not to.

When I put a new timing chain in my '85, my timing ended up being off a bit like yours.

Are those coils going to clear the hood?