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Car Forum / Saab Cars / July 2005

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Saab 99 gearbox gasket or not?

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Richard NL - 07 Jul 2005 17:19 GMT
Hi all,

I have to lift the engine out of the 1980 99 soon. (Please dont ask why...
;-)

I was wondering what the easiest option was:
1: leave the gearbox attached to the engine and get it out as one piece
OR:
2: loosen all the gearbox bolts and get only the engine out, as this saves
me the hassle of removing driveshafts etc.

The question is:
Is 2: an option? And if yes: Is there a gasket between the engine and the
gearbox?
If yes then I need a new one before I start....., if no: what do I use there
instead to keep the oil in? :-)
The book I have is not clear about this. Maybe Haynes says something more
specific?

Thanks already,

Richard.
Grunff - 07 Jul 2005 17:27 GMT
> 1: leave the gearbox attached to the engine and get it out as one piece
> OR:
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> The question is:
> Is 2: an option?

Yes, it's an option, but not one worth considering.

It's considerably more hassle than 1, bearing in mind that you'll need
to remove the clutch in order to achieve it.

Go for option 2, and take this opportunity to replace all 4 driveshaft
boots. One less job for the future.

> And if yes: Is there a gasket between the engine and the
> gearbox?

I don't think there was a gasket, no. You'd simply use gasket compound
(high temp silicone) instead.

Signature

Grunff

Richard NL - 07 Jul 2005 18:25 GMT
> > 1: leave the gearbox attached to the engine and get it out as one piece
> > OR:
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> --
> Grunff

Grunff,
thank you.
But I already have the clutch off, and driveshafts and boots are really
good.
Does that change your view?

Richard.
Grunff - 07 Jul 2005 18:31 GMT
> But I already have the clutch off, and driveshafts and boots are really
> good.
> Does that change your view?

It swings it a little, but I'd still pull the lot - much less fiddly.

I think unbolting the tranny and leaving it behind is quite doable, but
for my money not worth the additional knuckle skin.

Signature

Grunff

Dave Hinz - 07 Jul 2005 18:57 GMT
> Hi all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> I was wondering what the easiest option was:
> 1: leave the gearbox attached to the engine and get it out as one piece

Yes.  Without question.

> 2: loosen all the gearbox bolts and get only the engine out, as this saves
> me the hassle of removing driveshafts etc.

The driveshafts "hassle" totals two bolts for the lower ball joints per
side, maybe the shock absorber, and that's _it_.  You'll also have to
undo the speedo cable and shift linkage.  It's a whole lot easier to get
at the important bits when the engine and tranny are out as a unit.

> The question is:
> Is 2: an option? And if yes: Is there a gasket between the engine and the
> gearbox?

Not a good one, and I've seen gaskets but I always use a good grade of
RTV on that joint.  Which is very tricky to get done properly if you're
fighting that joint with one in the car and one not in the car.  The oil
strainer has to go in the sump, while you control descent of the engine
without smearing things, while you're avoiding the firewall at the
alternator bracket, while you're standing at an unnatural angle using
muscles in inefficient ways.

Ask me how I know this...

> If yes then I need a new one before I start....., if no: what do I use there
> instead to keep the oil in? :-)
> The book I have is not clear about this. Maybe Haynes says something more
> specific?

RTV; try to keep it out of the bolt holes if you can.

Dave Hinz
Richard NL - 07 Jul 2005 19:28 GMT
.
.

> > 2: loosen all the gearbox bolts and get only the engine out, as this saves
> > me the hassle of removing driveshafts etc.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> undo the speedo cable and shift linkage.  It's a whole lot easier to get
> at the important bits when the engine and tranny are out as a unit.

Dave,

are the driveshafts not bolted to the gearbox? I thought 4 bolts each?
And I also have to disconnect the steering rods, right?
Take both wheels off and put something underneath the car...
Drain the oil from the gearbox too...
If you take both shafts out, what happens to the differential thing in
there? Or is that only an issue with the 900 gearboxes?

Gearbox is only 12 hassles (bolts) total.

And the other option counts up to 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 = ehm .. 22
hassles (bolts)
Voila: the reason for my question.

Besides: the gearboxbolts are all nice and greasy, whereas the the ball
joint bolts look a lot harder.

> > The question is:
> > Is 2: an option? And if yes: Is there a gasket between the engine and the
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> alternator bracket, while you're standing at an unnatural angle using
> muscles in inefficient ways.

Hm... it doesnt seem that hard to me, but _I_ never did it before, so....

> Ask me how I know this...

Ok then, if you insist:
"Hey Dave, how do you know this?"
:-)

I will have a close look, and reconsider.
Thanks.

Richard.
Dave Hinz - 07 Jul 2005 20:38 GMT
> .
> .
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> are the driveshafts not bolted to the gearbox? I thought 4 bolts each?

Nope, it's a 3-lobed driver going into the drive cups.  Undo the clamps
on the rubber boots right at the tranny, undo the lower a-arm bolts at
the balljoint, slide the balljoint outwards.  I did the shocks at the
same time but I'm not sure it's needed.

> And I also have to disconnect the steering rods, right?

Nope.  Plenty of room to get the shaft ends out of the drive cups
without that.

> Take both wheels off and put something underneath the car...

Well, yes, the road wheels being off make getting to the ball joint
bolts much easier, so jack stands under the car will work the trick.  I
usually use the shaft making the cross-bar on the "A" arm.

> Drain the oil from the gearbox too...

No reason to; you'll keep it horizontal.

> If you take both shafts out, what happens to the differential thing in
> there? Or is that only an issue with the 900 gearboxes?

Same gearbox for all practical purposes. You're not taking the inner
drivers out, you're taking the driveshaft out of them.  Slides right
in/out.

> Gearbox is only 12 hassles (bolts) total.

Yeah, but you have to get the exhaust manifold out of the way, remove
the starter (if a B-engine) to get at the 3 or 4 under there, and a
whole lot of leaning over to get at things that are very easy to access
if you have the whole thing out.

Not to mention the two bolts upwards through the back of the tranny case
into the back of the block.  Those are a bitch.  Don't forget the long
bolt behind the flywheel, going upwards, that is longer than the space
you have to remove it, and so on.

> And the other option counts up to 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 = ehm .. 22
> hassles (bolts)
> Voila: the reason for my question.

Pull it as a unit, you won't regret it.  I've done it both ways, and
there's no question.

> Besides: the gearboxbolts are all nice and greasy, whereas the the ball
> joint bolts look a lot harder.

You might be surprised.  

>> > The question is:
>> > Is 2: an option? And if yes: Is there a gasket between the engine and
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Hm... it doesnt seem that hard to me, but _I_ never did it before, so....

I guess it depends on if you're going to take the advice of several
people who have been there and done that, or if you want to repeat the
mistakes we've made and are advising you against. (shrug?)  I've heard
the saying that goes something like "Experience is learning from your
own mistakes; wisdom is learning from the mistakes of others".

>> Ask me how I know this...
>
> Ok then, if you insist:
> "Hey Dave, how do you know this?"

Don't ask...

> I will have a close look, and reconsider.

Maybe some of these images will help:
http://www.davehinz.com/oldsite/saab/99turbo/

I don't have them annotated, but the pictures might help give you an
idea what you'll find in there.  I also notice that I never uploaded the
installation pics, but as they say, it's more or less the reverse of
removal.

Dave Hinz
Richard NL - 08 Jul 2005 00:11 GMT
Dave,
thank you for the info, I was already hoping you could shed some light on
this.

The main reason I asked here is that I had never heard anyone that left the
gearbox in place, even though it looked (rel.) easy.
So... wise as I am (eh ... ahem.... ;) I though I better ask the better
experienced here.
:-)
And yes, I was worried there just might be a bolt or two that I would not be
able to remove this way.

Good News about the steering rod and the inner drivers. I just didnt realise
that.
Makes a difference.

*sigh*
I _only_ have to replace the aux shaft that I broke when I rebuilt the oil
pump and put the wrong rubber seal in there so it wouldnt turn anymore...
Grr.

Thanks again!

Richard.

> > .
> > .
[quoted text clipped - 102 lines]
>
> Dave Hinz
Dave Hinz - 08 Jul 2005 15:26 GMT
> Dave,
> thank you for the info, I was already hoping you could shed some light on
> this.
>
> The main reason I asked here is that I had never heard anyone that left the
> gearbox in place, even though it looked (rel.) easy.

That's what I thought the first time I did one, yes.

> So... wise as I am (eh ... ahem.... ;) I though I better ask the better
> experienced here.
>:-)
> And yes, I was worried there just might be a bolt or two that I would not be
> able to remove this way.

The two up against the firewall are an absolute bitch in the car, and
nothing to it out of the car.

> Good News about the steering rod and the inner drivers. I just didnt realise
> that.
> Makes a difference.

Were you able to make out those drivers on the pictures?  There's one
which shows the right-side one (left as viewed from the nose of the car)
- you can see the starter leaning up against the wheelwell arch, just
 laying out of the way - that photo.  Zoom in (click once or twice on
thumbnail) and you can see the driver cup & rubber boot there.  When you
lift the whole thing, that improves the angle and makes the gaps larger,
so the inner drivers just drop out with a bit of wiggling of the whole
thing.  Having a backhoe as a hoist isn't absolutely necessary, but it
sure helps ;)

> *sigh*
> I _only_ have to replace the aux shaft that I broke when I rebuilt the oil
> pump and put the wrong rubber seal in there so it wouldnt turn anymore...
> Grr.

By aux shaft you mean the layshaft that drives the water pump and the
oil pump, yes?  Yup, no way other than pulling the engine to get that
sucker out.  Mind that you don't do the same thing whe you install the
water pump - any instructions which mention a slide hammer are WRONG and
will break teeth.  I can write something up on that if you want.

> Thanks again!

Da nada.

Dave Hinz
Richard NL - 08 Jul 2005 16:07 GMT
> sucker out.  Mind that you don't do the same thing whe you install the
> water pump - any instructions which mention a slide hammer are WRONG and
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Da nada.

`> Dave Hinz

I think I remember reading that story...
I dont have to remove the waterpump to get the shaft out, at least I did not
have to with the donor engine. But getting the shaft IN might present some
yet unknown surprises.
I'll find out soon...
R.
Dave Hinz - 08 Jul 2005 16:45 GMT
>> sucker out.  Mind that you don't do the same thing whe you install the
>> water pump - any instructions which mention a slide hammer are WRONG and
>> will break teeth.  I can write something up on that if you want.

> I think I remember reading that story...

If it was me complaining about the previous owner of my 99T leaving me
three distinct failures inside the engine I had blueprinted, and he had
then torn apart to put the wrong pistons in it, then yes.  That's the
engine that is in those photos, with #3 piston/con rod poking through
the block.  The re-assembly was...not done well...  Particularly
annoying after all the effort I had gone into making it
dead-freaking-nuts-right when I built it initially.

> I dont have to remove the waterpump to get the shaft out, at least I did not
> have to with the donor engine. But getting the shaft IN might present some
> yet unknown surprises.
> I'll find out soon...
> R.

(thinks...) Well, make sure you get the right number of teeth on those
two gears; there are two versions of that shaft, and the water pump and
dizzy's gears have to be the right ones for the shaft you use.  I've
never pulled that shaft without taking the water pump out, but if you
look here:
http://davehinz.com/oldsite/saab/99turbo/reanimation/cleanup/img_1470.html

That's looking down the bore of the water pump showing the gear on that
layshat.  IF you take it slow, it may come out.  There is nothing to
"grab" the shaft coming out when you pull it, so if you can't just slide
it out and you feel a hard stop, stop.  I'd pull the dizzy first just to
get that out of the way, and if you have a mechanical fuel pump (I
assume not) get that out of there as well.  If you don't have to pull
the water pump, you don't want to.  I don't know the diameter of the
dizzy gear on that shaft compared to the water pump gear, that and the
lobes for the fuel pump and such would be the other things which might
hit the water pump's gear.
 
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