So from the pictures available online, it appears that the 900 was available with both longitudinal and transverse engine positions, but was always a front driver, so how was the longitudinal transmission set up? Is it at all suitable for a mid engine setup(ala audi)? or is it something goofy with the diff in the oil pan?
All Saab 99s and all 79-93 (+94 convt.) 900s had a north-south engine set-up, with a chain-driven transaxle directly beneath the block. The left side of the transaxle doubles as the oil sump, so there's no pan, per se. The engines are positioned backwards; that is, the power from the crank exits to the front of the engine bay, not the rear. The power, in turn, travels through the clutch mechanism, which is connected to a chain drive, which drops the power down approx. 10 inches, where it then goes through the gears, pinion, ring, etc.
The diff/axles were positioned at the very back, close to the firewall, so, yeah, lots of engine overhang; however, despite what some people have written about these cars terminally understeering, plenty of people have been able to get them rotate (my '86 is actually pretty loose, maybe too much for the street).
Maybe I should've written this first, but the gearboxes are well known for being the weak link in these cars: for some reason (there are numerous theories) the pinion bearings fail and, if not caught in time, take the gears with them. Of all years, the 89-90 'boxes were best, as they had upgraded pinion bearings, internally centered shift mechanisms, and various other upgrades. Second choice is the 91+ 'boxes; however, they made changes to the synchros/shift forks that make them more fragile than 89-90. Your ideal donor is an 89-90 from a non-turbo.
Note the primary gear chain transfer, right; the shaded area is the sump:
Here's how it all sits:
I thought I remember reading that with the longitudinal setup a clutch replacement was stupid easy to do.
But what do I know I havent owned a saab. yet.
ahh thanks, so it is not at all suiting to MR because it sits way too high, and has trouble handling stock power levels with compromised traction of a FF configuration.
failboat wrote: I thought I remember reading that with the longitudinal setup a clutch replacement was stupid easy to do. But what do I know I havent owned a saab. yet.
Yes, a clutch job is simple because it sits between the gearbox's primary transfer case and the engine; therefore, it is not sandwiched between the engine/gearbox, which do not have to be split apart. There is a plastic cover "protecting" the clutch -- otherwise, the clutch is in the open.
The catch is that the pressure plate fingers must be relieved of pressure and held in place with a small spring-steel tool in order to remove the assembly. Not knowing this, or how to make your own tool (5-gallon bucket handle) can make the job infuriating. If all's good, it can be done in a couple hours by someone with skill/experience.
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