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Re: Blown Head Gasket
Posted by Andrew Baker (more from Andrew Baker) on Sun, 12 May 2002 10:46:02
In Reply to: , Kok Chen, Sat, 17 Dec 1988 12:00:00 

Just my personal observation about others personal observations. Classic 900
motors are very solid powerplants. The bottom end of these engines is darn
near bulletproof. And my own experience with the top of them includes
several examples in the high hundred thousand miles arena before failure,
and one example in the 220k miles range with no failure (before retiring the
car for other reasons). And my 900's are siginificantly 'boost enhanced' and
driven spiritedly. This is not to say that head gaskets cannot or will not
fail. As far as I am concerned this is the most interesting contrivance of
the modern Carnot/internal combustion engine. It seems that we would have
devised a more long lived method of sealing the top cylinder. But we
haven't. But let's remember, John, that the word 'anecdotal' does not imply
'non-factual'. It simply means that one may not draw too many conclusions
from either a miniscule sample size OR a non-randomized, double blind study
in which the unknown variables have not been accounted for. I have no idea
of the reliability of saab V-6 engines, for example. But to characterize an
entire marquee as 'needing head gasket repair in the 50K miles range as a
fact of life' based on your own cars and the cars of your freinds and
acquintances seems a bit overstated. Maybe there is something about the
water supply (very hard or very soft) in your area contributing. Maybe you
all used the wrong coolant type. Maybe the cooling fan switches all failed
for some reason, and you live in a hot climate. Who knows. All I'm saying is
that it seems to me that your conclusion and generalization appears
premature even though your own experience supports your feelings and ideas.
In any case, I support your right to think anything you choose to think and
to continue to drive Saabs or not, as you see fit. Drive safely and enjoy
the road.

Andrew Baker
Southeastern PA

ps. You should know that I make these comments exactly one year post my own
head gasket repair on my 1985 90016V Turbo (lady Thor), whose boost pressure
has been know to hit +

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