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Folks,
I'm posting this in hopes it might help somebody else out of a predicament on the side of the road. It's about a failed upper radiator hose T-connector, which is made from (apparently) cheap plastic. Here's the story:
I was driving my 2006 2.0T 9-3 SS yesterday. After about a 35-mile trip, including driving up some mountain passes with passengers and about a 2,000 foot climb in elevation, I pulled into a parking spot at our destination. Only a few seconds after I had turned off the motor, there was a loud gushing or spewing sound, accompanied by steam and immediate river of orange DexCool antifreeze running down the pavement from beneath my car. Big uh-oh.
Now, the car had been driving perfectly normally. Temp gauge had been rock steady on the middle, normal position. No SID message, though I have had a phantom slow coolant disappearance.
Raising the hood, the steam seemed to be coming from the passenger side of the engine (U.S. terms here). I could see a little rubber hose that seemed to be loose just to the side of the plastic SAAB engine cover. I had a sinking feeling because I realized I had taken my tool kit out of my 9-3 and put it in my old '84 900S a few days earlier after a brake job on the 900S. Gulp. The only tools I had were a few wrenches and my Torx screwdriver set--at least that would enable me to take off the engine cover and get a better look at the carnage.
After removing the 3 Torx screws, which I think are T-30 size, the plastic SAAB engine cover pulls up and off. This showed the upper radiator hose's T-connector had broken at the small nipple which lets coolant flow to (or from?) the turbocharger housing. Why SAAB didn't make the T-connector metal, I don't know.
Luckily, I was able to call for a ride and get to a parts store the next town over (about five miles away). They had no listing of the T-connector. Now, looking back at the situation, and after having consulted SAAB parts retailer websites, I see the T-connector is actually sold WITH the upper radiator hose. It's already connected with clamps and everything. I didn't know to ask for it as "the upper radiator hose/assembly" so that might have made a difference. I did get a few worm-type hose clamps, pliers, a screwdriver, and DexCool, along with a tube of water-resistant epoxy. The epoxy, though I followed instructions, didn't work. I'll admit, I had little hope it would. So, back to the drawing board.
A family member suggested trying the hardware store. With nightfall approaching, I agreed it was worth a shot. Going down the plumbing aisle, a store worker helped pick brass plumbing fittings off the shelf to cobble together something that would simulate the broken SAAB T-connector. This turned out to be just the ticket that would get the SAAB back on the road.
The parts were:
* Brass T connector, 3/4 inch Female Iron Pipe (FIP) thread, store had Watts brand, #LFA 858
* Brass bushing, 3/4 inch MIP x 1/2 inch FIP (this screws into the perpendicular outlet of above listed T), Watts #LFA-870
* Brass bushing, 1/2 inch MIP x 1/4 inch FIP (this screws into the bushing listed above), Watts #LFA-827
* Brass nipple, 1/4 inch MIP x close, Watts #LFA-740 (one end of this screws into the bushing listed above and the turbo coolant hose fits onto other end)
NOTE: I'm no plumber, but the "close" designation seems to mean that the nipple is threaded the same along its entire length--it doesn't step up or step down in size. And "MIP" means "Male Iron Pipe" thread.
I also installed 3/4 inch MIP x close brass pipe nipples, Watts #LFA-877, one on each end of the T to connect to the upper radiator hose, but these are significantly smaller than the hose and probably useless. I left them on anyway in the hope they added support.
The store clerk asked what type of liquid would be going through the new fitting, and I told him antifreeze. He recommended the yellow type of teflon pipe tape (used for LP gas applications) to apply to the threads between the brass pieces to stop leaks. I also bought a couple of thumb-adjustable wrenches to assemble my Frankenstein replacement T-connector.
Once the new IMPROVED T-connector (in my opinion, metal is better than plastic for such a high temperature location like this) was assembled, I slipped new worm-screw hose clamps on the turbo coolant and upper radiator hoses. I put a bit of saliva (spit) as lubricant on the large rib or rim of the T-fitting so that I could wiggle the big hoses up onto the rib. Having the big hoses squished by the clamps--trying to reduce the hoses down to the 3/4 inch nipples I mentioned above--would not have held water, pun intended. The hoses must seal over the body of the big brass T, though that is precious little clamping surface when compared to the OEM part.
After I clamped everything down tightly, I looked around but didn't see any coolant bleed screw like my old 900 8-valve has. Oh, well. So, I poured in the DexCool up to the Full Cold mark, left the coolant reservoir cap off, and started the engine. The level really didn't fall in the reservoir after several minutes of idling, even as I regularly squeezed the lower and upper radiator hoses to try to expel air bubbles. When the upper radiator hose began to get hot to the touch, I screwed the reservoir cap down, and watched a few more minutes for leaks. I drove gingerly and kept an eye on the temp gauge, still unsure if air bubbles lurked in the cooling system.
All was OK after a quick check of the "new improved" T-connector a few miles down the road, so I felt comfortable driving the rest of the 35 miles home. I had intentionally left the plastic engine cover off, stowed in the trunk, so a visual leak check would be easy. Coolant level remained the same after arriving home. I'll look up the 2.0T coolant fill procedure when I can get my SAAB WIS CD-ROM booted up (got one off FleaBay).
So far, so good. I guess I'll order the OEM replacement part (the parts websites call it "Saab Radiator Hose Assembly - Upper," part # 12787608. But I really wonder if my setup will last longer! :-)
Hope this helps another SAABer!
--Micah in NC
'84 900S, 340K+ mi.
'06 9-3SS, 94K mi.
posted by 76.6.115...
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