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Well, since I had a request to tell the story of my 5-speed conversion, I might as well go ahead. My '92 9000 had 252,000 miles when the auto box decided that she'd had enough. Considering the apparent record with the ZF tranny, I really can't complain. The only unfortunate part was that it left me stranded on the NY Thruway far away from any of my well-known, friendly mechanics. I had it towed to an Aamco and they wanted something like $1800 to remove, rebuild, and replace the transmission. Being a poor college kid, that just wasn't an option. So, I towed her home, and purchased a '91 donor car for about $150 with a blown head gasket but a good 5-speed and all the necessary components that I needed for the swap. And then I went to work. If you'd like a more detailed account, please feel free to email me, but here are some notes:
1. I decided to pull the whole engine assembly out rather than just drop the tranny out the bottom of the vehicle. This allowed me to change out the timing chain/sprockets, remove the balance chain, and more easily replace the head gasket. I figured that since my engine had 252k, and I was already there, why not do some preventive maintenance. And if you can get access to an engine lift, it's really not that bad of a job at all.
2. The hardest part of the job, as most everyone else has agreed, is the damned pedal assembly. There are 5 bolts (well, 4 nuts, one bolt) holding the primary bracket in place, with 4 of them obvious and the 5th hidden. Now, you can access the 5th bolt by removing the dash and then the instrument cluster. There is a small access hole in the gold-colored support frame than obscures the 5th bolt. From there, it's not too much of a challenge to get at the bolt which seems to have been giving everyone (including myself until I found the hole) so much trouble. Also, when removing the primary bracket, the servo unit for the brake pedal can make it hard to remove. Now, the brake hydraulic unit, and in turn the servo unit, is attached to the firewall/pedal assembly by 4 studs. By undoing the 4 obvious nuts, you free the brake unit and can shift and move it in the engine bay, moving the servo unit out of the way, and allowing the pedal bracket to fall free. This might be more obvious to a better mechanic than myself, but just in case, I figured I'd mention it.
3. Changing the shifter rod wasn't too much of a hassle. The two wires that must be spliced (#1 and #5 on the driver-side connector) are easily accessed.
4. It doesn't hurt to order your parts ahead of time. I would recommend a full clutch kit and clutch hoses as well as engine oil seals and gaskets and all the necessary fluids/filters. You'll also need CV grease for when you change out the half-axle on the drivers side (as the manual is about an inch longer). I changed out all my CV boots/grease while I was in there and if yours haven't been changed in awhile, they're so cheap it doesn't hurt to do it. Also, in my case, i purchased new timing chain components and a head gasket. I made the mistake of waiting till I took the engine/tranny apart to inspect the components and such before I ordered the new parts and it significantly delayed the entire procedure. BUT, kudos goes to both eEuroparts and The Saab Site for both their low prices and expedience in part delivery!
5. I removed my balance chain while I had the timing cover off. It seems like most people have had success with the removal and haven't experienced too severe of side effects at idle. It turned out my balance chain crank gear was worn almost down to nothing, and so I assume the chain was slipping and was part of the cause of quite a racket from that side of my engine. I'm lucky I caught it before it wore the chain down, sent shrapnel all over my timing section, and killed my engine. As for the supposed rough idle...I couldn't notice anything. The engine was clicking so loudly from the timing chain slap and balance chain slip before that after the change everything felt soooooo much smoother. Don't be worried if the engine clicks a lot for a minute or so after you crank her on for the first time...that's just the oil lubricating the lifters, and after a bit, she's quiet as anything.
6. Get you flywheel resurfaced while your there, especially if you notice any significant discoloration or heat marks
7. Have a full set of bolt removers, metal-capable drill bits, and taps. If I had a dollar for every rusted stuck bolt or a bolt that some dumb mechanic had over-torqued and rounded off...
8. The only really special equipment I found I had to purchase was a CV band crimper (about $5) and a three-legged puller (free rental from PepBoys). You might not need the puller, but after I took the half-axle from the donor car, it's trunion looked a bit beat, so I swapped it with mine. Taking it off requires a puller. Also, I didn't make a holder for the belt tensioner, so a small QuickGrip ($10) from Home Depot or WalMart works great for compressing it again. Air tools also help a Heck of a lot.
9. Make sure you switch the driveshaft support brace that attaches to the back of the engine (and supports the tube coming from the differential). As everyone else has mentioned, the automatic is marked A and the manual M.
10. Get a new rubber gear joint! I had the whole thing together and realized that the metal connector had split from the rubber, eliminating my ability to get the vehicle into gear. $55 from Saab...or $8.90 from eEuroparts.
11. The reverse light connector is hidden in the little black electrical cover above the driver-side wheel well, right near the battery. Test it with a jumper wire to make sure you're connecting the right plug...and not the external temp sensor (see previous post).
12. Allocate as much time as you can to this project and prepare for set-backs. Take care of as much of the prep work as you can. It took me two weeks...but that's because a lot of the time was spent waiting for parts, packing for college, hanging with friends, etc. If I had everything I needed, I think I could have completed it in under 5 days without killing myself. Also, keep in mind that this was my first ever engine removal or tranny swap, let alone an auto-to-manual conversion. So, for about $600, I managed to put in a manual transmission and all the associated goodies, a new clutch, pressure plate, and release bearing, all new CV boots, a new timing set, removed my balance chain, replaced all my engine seals, put in a new head gasket, and learned more than I ever could have possibly imagined. While not cheap, I'm quite glad I did it, and I wish everyone else luck with their own auto-to-manual conversions, especially if they're a rookie like me. So, thanks to everyone who posted on this board, and Quasi for his excellent web site, and once again, email me if you have any questions.
Best wishes,
Morkai
1992 Saab 9000 CD N/A
posted by 68.112.255...
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