Saab B204e to Calibra SE5 - & So It Begins.....!

[Miscbrah]

In a perverse way I would go with a bulge or a scoop and look forward to it! Ask Wayne how me lil beady eyes lit up when he proposed that solution! I'd legit need it too, so conscience would be clear. Scoop would seem less work and no bonnet respray but I can dig a bit of a bulge nudge nudge wink wink ooer etc.

Have a question to field though. Playing devil's advocate, if the offside driveshaft just won't fit into the hub at all and we can't hybridise something out of the bits of the shafts we have then I'll need options. I remember Bad Kid mentioned ages ago that a mk3 Cavalier driveshaft needs no mount on the block and so that'd seem like a tidy plug and play alternative. Does that bear considering? Will it (likely) survive in terms of taking the torque of the engine? It'll be in an F18 box temporarily, then an F20.

[DanSE4]

I don't think a proper attempt to get the driveshaft through the hub has been made yet so I wouldn't worry about that one just yet.

I've heard nothing about bonnet clearance issues with the engine itself as yet from anyone who's done this conversion before & if anything, something didn't look quite right with the pipe from the airbox when I last saw it. That looks to be sitting very high so that needs checking out.

If it is that & there's no immediate way around it, a cone filter can be used for the time being.

[Miscbrah]

OH oh oh Dan! I did some research and was lucky enough to get answers from the one man I KNOW has done a Calibra before. He said 100% that Saab driveshaft will fit the hub, and his Calibra had gone with the 'euro look' on the bonnet (it's raised a bit at the back, have instructions for adjusting the catches.) So, armed with all that we're two problems down and it's all coming up Miscbrah this evening!

And yeah that pipe is a bit 'in the way' too. Will elaborate a bit more Sunday, out of battery now but had to post that bit.

[Miscbrah]

Hmmm, that's something I'd not even thought of. Let's hope not!

[DanSE4]

There isn't with Calibra's (V6 driveshafts fitted my 4 stud hubs fine) so I'm pretty sure it should be the same with the Saab shaft.

[Chavtastic]

All the same I believe.

Only difference in GM shaft splines I'm aware of is between "big block" and "small block" engines and gearboxes

Broadly speaking 1.0 -> 1.6 are small block

1.8s can be either big or small

2.0 and above are big block

[Chavtastic]

Saab driveshaft castle nuts are different though and not interchangeable with Calibra ones.

They are £2 new on eBay though

[DanSE4]

Saab driveshaft castle nuts are different though and not interchangeable with Calibra ones.

Yeah, we discovered that one. The Saab ones are around somewhere but if we can't locate them then James can grab a set as they're cheap.

[DanSE4]

James's big day finally arrived (on his Birthday too )!

Few things to deal with first.

Andy didn't see the point in having one driveshaft with a Calibra castle nut & one with a Saab nut so he split the offside shaft at the CV & put the Calibra end on the Saab shaft. Good work!

I finished up the wiring for the washer motor, sorted out the hoses & got the nearside wheel arch liner back in. Last check of all hose connections, nuts, bolts & an everything check, fill with fluids (oil, coolant, gearbox oil & PAS fluid), check everything again, scratch balls & we were ready for it............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQIB7y2 ... e=youtu.be

She's alive, ALIIIIIIIVE!!

Usual stuff for the first few minutes (also remember the downpipe isn't connected to the exhaust yet) after an engine build, smoky, tappety & a bit rough at the edges but it settled down nicely, really nicely in fact!

We ran it for probably 20 mins but there's no temp gauge as yet nor an operational cooling fan so Andy monitored the temperature of the coolant pipes, also to make sure things were happening in the correct order, so when it hit 103 degrees we shut things down.

So, the "to do" list (in the new year now);

Get temp sensor fitted & connect to temperature gauge in dash.
Get the cooling fan working (temperature switch, relay & a bit of wiring for that).
Make up a pipe to join downpipe to exhaust.
Connect up gear linkage.
Put drivers footwell back together again.
Cut anything required on the bumper to clear the intercooler.
Get it back on wheels & go for a spin!

Good result today & big relief to all I think. Looking forward to a bit of a break from it now but also looking forward to seeing it move under it's new power for the fist time.

As they say, job's a good-un!

[Miscbrah]

That's about where I am right now!

[craigyboy]

Keep up the good work guys

[Miscbrah]

Happy new year everyone!

Got cracking at the weekend with Dan and Andy who both braved the cold. Ian and Paul popped over for a bit also which was nice.

Saturday was not the most joyous of days as we discovered an oil leak, likely from the crank oil seal. Either that or a less-than-tight sump bolt. Both or either locations leaking would suck a bit, but as Andy and I discussed the F18 is only on until I source a decent F20 so a little weep of oil is tolerable until that's replaced, at which time I can remove the flywheel and fit another. If it's the sump then we've enough super-special top-grade "raspberry jam" anaerobic sealant to re-do it. I SO WISH THEY MADE A GASKET FOR THAT BIT! GRRrrrrr. We also reckoned the Saab downpipe to Cally stock exhaust (60mm down to 45mm) would throttle the engine performance far too much.

On the plus-side, Dan and Andy worked some more of their magic and we've got a standalone thermostat control for the fan fitted and some more wiring done (bless those guys!) 'Tidyup' jobs included fixing brackets for intercooler and odds and sods fitting back on. Had a play with sorting the gear stick/linkage. We had chicken burgers too.

Sunday I'd slept on the oil weeping business and felt more positive, and we found that with a little fettling and some flexi joins we can use most of the Saab exhaust! Different route and probably not 100% permanent but hey, beats the crap out of spending £400+/- on a full stainless system! That'll be for fitting next weekend though. We popped a hose off revving the engine in a shower of coolant (I SOOO wish I'd been filming that) to discover we'd never even put a clip on it! Herp derp.

On the horizon is a switchable boost controller (either the stock T5 or the T7 APC conversion) which I have advice on installing. Advantage of that is I won't be running full chat all the time for the sakes of fuel consumption and a more favourable torque level for the F20. Not sure if it's switchable with the engine actually running, but I know of at least one person who does this.

So yes, I'm off to eBay to buy a new backbox as exhaust fitting is next week.

As is the initial test drive.

And so it begins...

[Miscbrah]

Ta! I'll give him a prod on that.

Do you know if the route of it varies much in the way it misses the transfer box etc? Or will it just fit into the hangers and recesses of an 8v under there?

[Miscbrah]

Okay, made an exec decision and bought a flexi or two and a nice* backbox. We'll make the exhaust up out of the rest of the Saab one seeing as it's in good nick.

*workable.

In other news, I saved £100 on my car insurance by using the DanSE4 negotiating method! In just fourteen free seminars you too can learn phrases such as "ooh, now I know I've had it cheaper elsewhere" and "Admiral never said that" and irritate the poor work experience call centre phone girl who has to go and ask her manager for reductions and best prices over and over.

Covered to drive this hybridised road-nasty from Saturday, just to tempt fate.

Right, eBay deliveries sent to MK so Rangie/Andy has been receiving pipe all day (which sounds FILTHY doesn't it?) So exhaust additions on site and almost ready to go. Saturday I guess all we need to do is trim a teeny bit off the inside of the bumper, sort out the gear linkage, nail that exhaust together and *deep breath* give it a drive.

Wish us luck kind internet people.

[DanSE4]

Did you use the same negotiating method for your life insurance?