1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Bob,
There are lots of ways to look at your Saab's max boost (and as a test pilot, I've explored most of them!) but here's one I recommend. Make sure your tires are in good shape and properly inflated before you start any high-speed runs.
Find yourself an open stretch of highway, and preferably one with an uphill grade. (If it's flat, things will just happen faster!) Drive it at the legal limit to clear it for any highway patrol lurking in the bushes, then loop back to the bottom of the hill. :D Make sure there are no cars in front of you; you need a clear lane.
Starting at around 65 MPH @ about 3K RPM in 5th, ease the pedal to the floor and watch the turbo gauge as you accelerate to 100 MPH or so. You should see steady top-of-the-yellow boost. You may note some normal kick-down of the needle as the knock sensor does its job, but if the machine is well-tuned and you've got high octane fuel, it should stay up there in the upper half of the yellow.
The reason I suggest this test method is because it gives you a good long look at the boost gauge -- sustained boost without shifting. If you go for max boost in lower gears, you only get to see what's happening for a couple of seconds before you're running the tach too high. If you choose a section of highway with a good uphill slope, you can watch the boost performance for a respectable amount of time in 5th.
Prior to its mods, Beastie used to come close, but not quite touch, the red zone during this test, and the needle was pretty steady up there. When it didn't go up that far or stay there, it was usually a message to me that something needed to be done -- new plugs, clean the throttle body, find a vacuum leak, etc.
Let me know what you see with yours, and don't get a ticket!
- = M = -
'87 900T 159K
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