Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 18:09:57 +0200 From: "Mark Gerritsma" <usenetnopsamtmfweb.nld> Subject: Re: Saab TSB - Retorque your head !
'nuther Bob <norealaddynopsamphonydomain.com> schreef: > For those not familiar with the issue, some Saab 2.0 and 2.3 head > gaskets sometimes develop leaks. Some theorize that the bolts are > too tight and that the movement (expansion) of the iron block against > the alum head causes wear. The solution would appear to be less torque > on the bolts and Saab did in fact issue a TSB for the NG900 years > suggesting that a (if/when) replacement gasket be install with > _less_ torque. > > Other theorize that the bolts were simply left too loose in > manufacturing. There's some evidence of that. I and others have > checked and found that a couple head bolts were too loose. I myself > had a very minor seepage at a corner and sure enough, that bolt was > very loose. I took a risk an re-torqued the head. The danger is that > tighter is worse. So far, so good for me. > > Saab has now issued a TSB suggesting re-torqueing. I don't pretend to > know if you should do it as a preemptive strike or if you should > do it on engines in the '95-'99 model years. Make your own decision. > At least the TSB settles the question of whether or not you need to > replace the head bolts when you do this. I had the same problem last winter. After a cold start coolant was seaping through the head gasket at one of the corners. I had to refill the coolant tank once a week. It turned out some of the bolt were quite loose, which my garage said was a common problem with those engines. My garage indicated that you could retorque it, but only once. There is no way of telling if they were retorqued more than once. I decided to have that done anyway. For me the retorqueing did the trick, the coolant loss was gone. And even if it didn't work in the long run, I don't care anymore. Last week I replaced my '99 9-3 S 2.0i with a '01 9-3 SE TiD. You loose 5 hp, but who cares with that torque. When maintaining the same driving style you barely need to rev past 2500. I think I'm going to pay a visit to Germany in the next few weeks, just to know... Mark
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