The banner above is an advertisment - if it asks you to download software, please ignore.
Site News - 3/26 M Car Covers (by State of Nine) | 12/12 Make Amazon Pay Saabnet!
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 04:34:10 GMT
From: David M. Arnold <darnoldnopsampc.com>
Subject: Re: 1987 Saab 900S Transmission Swap Information Needed


In article <uP4E3.763$n82.135635nopsam.shore.net>, "Eric Law" <elawxnospamxnopsamecsxnospamx.com> wrote: > > ...Which is still one more than that 1950's-design automatic! > > > Eric Law If it were a 1950s design, there'd be only 2 speeds...Let's make it a 1960s design. The problem w/ 900 automatics (I'm speaking of 900 Classique, 1979 - 1993) is that the gear ratios & shift points are terribly mismatched to the engine's power curve. This is especially the case with the non-turbo 8-valve version of the engine. This engine doesn't deliver any real torque until you get it into the 3K RPM range, and the transmission wants to shift way before that. Add to this gear ratios (especially first & second) that are way to high. This strategy might fly in Europe where fuel is $5/gal and economy is as important (maybe more important) than performance. But, it makes for a very unsatisfactory driving experience for most Americans. My SAAB mechanical guru tells me that in the old (99) days, they used to be able to change out a gear in the transfer case that resulted in lowering the gear ratios in all speeds. This made the automatics a pleasure to drive, but it also had the effect of significantly lowering the car's top end. If you happened to find yourself going 75MPH on a freeway, the engine would be running between 4500 & 5K RPM; and, you would bury it in the red by about 90MPH. We mothballed our '79 900-GLE (w/ automatic) when the transmission croaked. We just got done resurrecting it as a car for my 16 year old to drive to school. We had the option of rebuilding the automatic or converting it to a 5-speed. In the end, we kept it an automatic (out of deference to my daughter, and I think it's OK for a 16 year old to drive a car that's a little slow). But if I were going to drive it, we would have made it a 5-speed. Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

Return to Main Index
StateOfNine.com
SaabClub.com
Jak Stoll Performance
M Car Covers
Ad Available

The content on this site may not be republished without permission. Copyright © 1988-2024 - The Saab Network - saabnet.com.
For usage guidelines, see the Mission & Privacy Notice.
[Contact | Site Map | Saabnet.com on Facebook | Saabnet.com on Twitter | Shop Amazon via TSN | Site Donations]