[Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup
The basics - 1982 T 8V 900 4 door, loaded (for it's day), included the initial rollout of the APC system. I bought it in December of 99 for $450 and have since been giving it a moderate+ restoration inside and out. Many replaced and upgraded components, plus some modifications including two below-chassis left and right oil coolers (one for crankcase, one for turbo oil cooling), stock IC, front and rear anti-sway bars, vented rotors, boost assisted cold start/fuel pressure regulator, adjustable distributor vacuum retard stop. For an essentially stock car, these modifications, plus my regular care and upkeep, have made it a very reliable and optimum running 8V. It's my daily driver and fun low budget project car all rolled into one. I'm in the finishing stages of a cyl head port, polish and resurfacing, and just today I pulled a 1986 9000 front mounted intercooler that's going on my car.
I first have to thank a bunch of you for posting insights that gave me the inspiration to do this fmic mod. By doing it, I'm hoping for just that much more charge cooling to avoid pre-ignition. I live in Southern CA, and where I live and drive it averages near 100 during the summer months. While adding the stock IC has been a noticable improvment in avoiding boost bog, I'm convinced it can be better. To have consistent max boost (between 8 and 10 psi) without preignition under all conditions is what I'm looking for at this point. I also see it as a good platform for the eventual performance mods I have in mind such as a 16V engine transplant, water injection, high flow exhaust, and suspension upgrades. Not trying to build the perfect beast, just a damn fine classic sleeper.
So on with the questions. When I pulled this IC from a scraped donor car, I also pulled the front end off (hood, bumper, grill, air dam) of an 84 900T nearby to do some eyeballing and advance fit work (towing eyes are a goner). Because of this IC design, it's obvious I'm going to be re-positioning the in and out ports, plus removing a few of the top horizontal rows for a proper fit. This is one big unit! This design as is looks to me to require considerable pressure to build up throughout the piping, the internal IC tubing and the intake manifold before any boost reaches the combustion chambers. Now mind you, I'm no expert when it comes to IC design and efficiency measures, but something tells me that for my engine and needs, smaller will be better. Better meaning less boost lag.
The design is also curious because of the pyramid shaped side chambers that expand wide at the bottom for the in and out ports, then narrows midway up and stays narrow to the top. I'm guessing that atmospheric air, like water, will seek a path of least resistance when passing around matter, or through a baffle chamber that is the inside of a IC. That means that the lower half of that 9000 IC is the most utilized under both normal driving conditions and boost. For an ideal fit, I'm figuring some 5 rows (between 2 - 3 inches) can be removed from the top without effecting the function or efficiency, and may even reduce lag.
So here's a good question - those of you who have done this IC mod in particular, can I remove even more rows? How small (vertically shorter) can I make this 9000 IC without effecting efficiency? Any other insights? I'm already planning to move the AC condensor further back for a better fit and less trimming of the back side of the air dam.
posted by 205.188.20...
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
