SAAB 900 Oil Leak Fixed - Ep.18

[@massimocei7905]

You are a very good friend of Saab 900!

[@LeeKelso]

Thank you. Keeping these cars on the road is a challenge, but the driving experience is well worth the effort.

[@marczinck2530]

Lee. I felt so bad for you on the seal. I’ve done two auto to 5-speed conversions. Not terribly hard for an “adventurous” mechanic. But it’s a marathon not a sprint. Thanks for the videos. They are really well done.

[@LeeKelso]

Oh yeah!

[@LeeKelso]

Thanks! Turns out the fix was fairly easy. The car just came out of winter storage and is running great... except for a power steering fluid leak and the top no longer retracts. After everything else, those should be fairly easy...I hope. My wife just agreed to driving to Baltimore for the Saab club convention this summer so I now have a goal!

[@316automotive9]

Lee, oil leaks are exacerbated if the PCV system is not functioning properly, ie pressurizing the crankcase. There is a TSB to fix the 9-3 & 9-5. I installed a new TSB PCV system kit & that reduced the oil weeping substantially! The 900 mite not need it, idk. See my repair vid on my 316 Automotive channel, S2E16. Keep up the great work! Maury

[@LeeKelso]

316 Automotive Thanks for the kind words. I’ll pop in on your channel.

[@LeeKelso]

Several more miles on the road since this video confirm the oil seal repair is holding. Just a drop of oil every now and then. I can live with that on a 28 year old car.

[@shellshock940T]

Just did the front seal and oil pump O ring on my 83. I had a gusher on my hands as well. Not too bad of a job though.

[@Barelski]

Great presentation style! I have a 1993 900s. I want to order the correct seal. Although I see you're working on the front end of the car, is this still considered the "rear crankshaft seal" vs. the front??

[@pisethloek531]

Hi ! i have saab900 turbo 1989 4door !i want to order some turbo

[@brianl5172]

A creative solution for getting the seal in properly. Nice job! I'm working on my '94 900 today... trying to get to the bottom of a check engine light issue... wish me luck!

[@LeeKelso]

Did you figure it out?

[@LoneStarLyceum]

Cool.. glad it worked out. I noticed I have some leaking through my distributor. Do you too? Its on the to do list...

[@LeeKelso]

Fortunately, no leaking there. I had an 84 NA that did have a leaky dizz and suffered a minor engine fire. Nothing gets your attention like the smell of burning rubber under the hood. Popped it open and smothered it with a rag before the damage was too severe. Don't let your leak go.

[@kd-bc1lz]

Austin Khamiss I also had leakage thru my distributor in 1990 turbo 900.Finally had mine rebuilt as you can’t find these things new.

[@tsmwukong5302]

left ear loved this video

[@julianuzzell7329]

Strangely enough I used the exact same method to fit my rear crank seal, using large washers.

[@joelhenderson4450]

“That is a major disappointment.” Or in plain English, “Friggggggg!”

[@toystory79]

good

[@Barelski]

Great presentation style! I have a 1993 900s. I want to order the correct seal. Although I see you're working on the front end of the car, is this still considered the "rear crankshaft seal" vs. the front??

[@LeeKelso]

Yes, the rear seal is in the front. That's because the engine is installed backwards from the traditional design. In most non-transverse engines power to the drivetrain comes out the rear of the block - so the power output point is considered the rear. In our engines, power comes out of the front and sent backwards to the drive axles through the clutch and transmission. Yet another reason SAAB's have a reputation as being weird.

[@巫建良]

Hello, I’m from Taiwan. There is a 1987 900 turbo. The gasoline pump is damaged beyond repair. Do you have spare parts you can sell to me? thank

[@jeenoniin]

Thank you for your videos. They are very clear and useful! Btw. Do you know where I can get instructions for that front seal change you mentioned in the end of the video? Ps. Greetings from Finland!

[@LeeKelso]

Hei. Kiitos yhteydenotostasi. Frankly, I don't recall that process all that well. However, here's a written description I hope you'll find helpful: townsendimports.com/Web/engine_folder/front_crank_seal900.htm

[@jeenoniin]

@@LeeKelso Kiitos for quick answer! :)

[@googlesession7120]

But other critical issue I would like to inquire you … Do you have any experienced when driving on the road while speed up to 50 miles will met an sound such like “woowoo” (around 2Khz and not turbo charger or valve ) vocal effect comes out from differential but when release the fuel foot press it will gone …. As we double checked and make a sure certainly this vocal effect was came from differential internal gear set , do you have any solution ideal to fix it ? since this is very rate at present to find one set for replacement . I appreciate ….

[@delvinal5583]

Only thing you can change without a tear down is the oil. Try different types. experiment.Treat her gently.

[@mds2465]

That stinks. Hopefully you can resolve that issue soon enough. Looks like the plastic came off the hood emblem, as most of them tend to do with age. I replaced both the rear and the front emblems on my old Saab with an eBay purchase. Very simple and easy job to do and very inexpensive. I have a little pet peeve about stuff like that myself.

[@oomphalo]

Michael...what year Saab did you have? Were the emblems you purchased authentic originals? The ones I have seen seem to be cheaper and the finish and paint flakes off very quickly.

[@Rodrigo-fo6ku]

We miss you Lee! How's the Saab enjoying the start of summer?

[@LeeKelso]

Thanks for asking. It's dead in the garage at the moment. My wife and I were enjoying a sunny Sunday drive when, about two blocks from home, the engine died at a traffic light. Looks like a fuel pump relay. Part arrives tomorrow, so I'll know soon if there's more work ahead. I'll break out the video gear and show you how to isolate the problem and the fix - I hope.

[@Rodrigo-fo6ku]

Lee Kelso looking forward to it. Saabs definitely have a mind of their own, one day they seem good for a lifetime and others ready for the grave. Hope you can get yours back out there soon. That 5-speed awaits! 😉

[@googlesession7120]

How to replacement other front seal ? Does need to be left up the engine?

[@LeeKelso]

The oil seal against the firewall is easy to change without removing the engine. Working from above and below, remove the oil pump housing and you have pretty good access.

[@victornahirny1440]

I have the same car and wanted to bring her back to life by cleaning and replacing everything. How much did this cost you?

[@LeeKelso]

Good suggestion. I'll make an update to detail costs. Last time I checked, I was about $2,500 in parts plus $500 for the donor car. The result is a 28 year old car that runs great, and that I get a real kick out of driving. It's pretty solid mechanically, but still has cosmetic needs. Since I don't plan to sell it, I'll probably pump more money into it year after year until it's done.

[@willmill409]

Can u tell me exactly where the crankshaft position sensor is located?

[@LeeKelso]

Your car may not have one. Its my understanding that only the late model cars had a CPS. Mine have all had a hall sensor built into the distributor. There's a Facebook group devoted to the class Saab and I've found it to be an excellent source for tech info from very helpful SAAB owners.

[@aaron___6014]

How did you get the leaking seal out?

[@LeeKelso]

The rear seal (at the front of the car) I pried out with a screwdriver, being careful not to gouge the metal sealing service. The seal against the firewall turned out to be much easier than I suspected. There is good access from below once you remove the oil pump cover. The new seal pressed into place pretty easily, and the car is no longer a rolling environmental hazard.

[@kaisertrinityt.m.i.s1607]

I have a suggestion for your channel after your saab is done. how about a repair workshop. cause i am from germany and my english isnt that good and all repair manuals i can find are on english without much pictures...it would be great to see how some problems from a saab that runs over 25 years can be repaired by yourself. like how to replace the dash board or how to fix electric problems. how to change the brake fluoid. stuff like this. i am 21 years old, i have found my love in saab, so i own my own saab 900 (1992) (220 000 km). but the car fears me. i wanna understand the car better and want to learn what it tryes to say to me when my swedish girl has any issiues that needs to be fixed. i want to drive that car as long as possible or even beyond my lifetime

[@LeeKelso]

Welcome to SAAB ownership and congratulations on your do-it-yourself efforts. I'm a self-taught mechanic - which means learning from mistakes at times. Saabnet.com is a great resource for SAAB info, as are the SAAB Facebook groups - a fantastic community of owners willing to help. I found some German language SAAB manuals on eBay, so they're out there but I suspect hard to find. Your English is a heck of a lot better than my German.

[@kaisertrinityt.m.i.s1607]

@@LeeKelso well thanks for your compliment about my english. its simple school or oxford english. also thanks for your efforts to help me. i tryed to find a mechanic book, well i found one in english and bought it. better than nothing in this times. also i am gonna try out you suggestion about SAABnet.com. facebook wont work, cause i dont use it and hate it to use. about that, i am more an oldschooler in someones eyes. but hey, i am different and think like Saab they do in their great times, just like their good motto: Think different, drive different. in october my saab will be fully restored. i am gonna do nearly do the same as you did to your saab, well but with trionic instead of the current ignition system. anyway, i am gonna say "auf wiedersehen und danke für ihre großartige Hilfe. Grüße aus dem aktuell verdammt heißen deutschland."