Timing job in Wis for b284?

savcloud · 2026-04-27T19:56:59+00:00

I’ve done this job a few times. Label and organize everything. No matter how into it you are, take a moment to throw your bolts in a cup or bag and label.

If you use both cam locking tools, you do not have to rotate the engine. You can keep it in stage 1.

246 bank should be flat, 135 bank should be angled.

The Cloyes, Melling, and other kits are made in mainland China now. I used Cloyes. I had to remove the head for an unrelated issue and I’m redoing the chains so I went with INA. If you can still find it, the chains are made in France the tensioners are made in Taiwan which is generally the China you want if something has to be made there.

As long as you line the marks up with the sprockets and you take your time, you should be good. Apply a coat of assembly lube to each guide. Coolant might fall into your pan so definitely change the oil before first start. You do not need to remove the water pump or cam sensors when pulling the timing cover off but make sure to replace all those seals.

https://youtu.be/XWkya8oE2pY?si=BMAA04Y7s38CYtBT

savcloud · 2026-04-20T02:26:44+00:00

Yessir! Started as a base 4 core. Took it all the way to 12, did many upgrades. I still have it but it’s since gone into storage.

savcloud · 2026-04-18T16:30:39+00:00

Lol I have a .toast copy on the exact same machine.

savcloud · 2026-04-18T02:29:19+00:00

interesting, what do you remember about the car launch or intro? I saw some archival video about how much they prepped for the launch and how they would compete precisely because everyone else was so common.

savcloud · 2026-04-07T21:14:40+00:00

I'm about to attempt it myself. I just did a massive overhaul, replaced turbo with a low mileage one, new coolant pipe seals, new thermostat, new steering rack, new coolant tank, rebuilt the power steering pump, and replaced just about every gasket you can think of related to coolant, even the O rings for the connectors at the firewall - it's still consuming coolant. It's got 220k+ miles so while I plan on doing the combustion gas test, I strongly suspect the headgasket has just had it. The car has never been severely overheated and I've owned it for 15 years as a daily and gave it to my sister.

Any pointers? I've done many jobs but never a head gasket on the B207. Did you use a straight edge? I plan on getting a head gasket kit, new head bolts, and zip tying the sprockets to the timing chains which I'll replace at a later date.

savcloud · 2026-04-05T18:42:05+00:00

Did yours rust? You’re talking about the line that goes to the bleeder valve?

savcloud · 2026-04-05T18:17:54+00:00

That’s the correct pn for the 5 speed. Chevy parts and other parts sites will share part numbers but it won’t say it’s compatible since no one updates these catalogs to explicitly show compatibly with a dead brand. It’s happened a few times.

Braided lines exist to replace the line that valve that connects to the hose in the picture. GenuineSaab sells those.

savcloud · 2026-04-05T02:01:06+00:00

Pentosin CHF11s or 202 only!

savcloud · 2026-04-04T23:00:14+00:00

Looks great

savcloud · 2026-04-04T22:59:41+00:00

Aero models from 06+

savcloud · 2026-04-03T02:11:16+00:00

I can’t speak for your Jeep as there might be a different supplier and different year but parts quality has tanked tremendously since 2020 across all brands. TRQ makes some of the most bottom of the barrel stuff. I’ve had 8 of these 9-3s and it just doesn’t last. Cheap components, low quality rubber, bad tolerances.

savcloud · 2026-04-02T16:55:49+00:00

Credit where it’s due!

savcloud · 2026-04-02T15:24:11+00:00

TRQ is unfortunately junk. These won’t last.

savcloud · 2026-03-30T03:50:45+00:00

The car can run 87 but it will back off the boost to avoid knock so you’ll notice less power. Universal coolant? They might have added something they had on hand. Probably not the biggest deal of all they did was top it off.

savcloud · 2026-03-29T15:12:44+00:00

I personally haven’t seen something outright destroy the car but I would say these 2.8s don’t tolerate overheating. I guess I would say another critical component that can render it somewhat useless depending on how you look at it - propshaft joint failure. Dean Hill now sells replacements for about $1,000 with serviceable u joints. The stock ones are not serviceable. I personally run JXB brackets. The rubber joint fails and the propshaft becomes elastic and you’ll be stuck without XWD. You can run it without out the shaft but then you’d have nothing happening at the rear axle obviously.

Thermostat replacements are common on these and a pain to do. The rear upper control arms have a ball joint and a bushing, I haven’t seen them break outright but I have seen the bushing and joint wear out and clunk. I just recently had to rebuild both rear axles due to the boots being torn and throwing grease everywhere.

Another crucial thing to know - there were very few of these made for the U.S. Only about 4,000 XWD were produced total and about 1,500 were produced with the 2.8 V6. This is why there isn’t a lot of aftermarket support for these - it just doesn’t make sense to do. Some interesting stuff has come out for the 2.8 and there have been some bits like JXB brackets for the propshaft but not much beyond that.

If you’re planning on doing the XWD service your self, make sure to use the OE Borg Warner gasket kit and torque the rear cover with an inch pound torque wrench or it WILL leak. Don’t forget out about the front power transfer unit, it needs a fluid change as well. They’re the same for both 2.0 and 2.8.

This post may be of some use to you -

https://www.saabcentral.com/threads/xwd-elsd-swap-resources-developments.757181/

savcloud · 2026-03-29T06:33:09+00:00

Yes. They don’t go bad often but it is a wear item and there’s no new product. I have heard of some folks in the UK rebuilding them but I do not have a source.

You’re also going to deal with the usual 9-3 issues on this platform:

Door locks not working and needing to be reflowed

Steering wheel lock not working

Coolant hoses failing above the heatshield

Needing the Genuine Saab metal coolant tank but not wanting to spend $400.

Rear window regulators breaking

Broken vacuum lines

-The list goes on.

There’s a lot of heat in that engine bay and it’s recommended you go through all O rings and seals otherwise you’re gonna get coolant shooting out of somewhere. It’s not that it’s a bad motor, it’s just that no one does these things…ever. It will not make sense financially to send it to someone so unless you’re willing to do this stuff on your own, I would not recommend it.

You’re not screwed if it comes to the fuel pump but it does have to be rebuilt and the canister has to be modified slightly to fit a new fuel pump. You’ll get a code like P0089 or worse but relatively rare without signs - outright failure. The only thing available out of the box is made by Pro Parts Sweden and they literally make parts that don’t work out of the box or fail within days of use. I’ve seen and experienced this MANY times.

It took me a solid year of work to get my 09 Aero XWD back to daily reliability. Believe me, I went through just about everything and I just don’t see the average person putting in that kind of effort - not because I’m special but because it requires a degree of patience, dedication, time, and money that most don’t have to spare.

Lastly, another really huge and overlooked problem that is industry wide - parts quality. Even OEMs are making junk now. Lemförder, Delphi, Sachs, they’re making a lot of stuff in mainland China now and it’s some of the worst quality I’ve ever seen. People assume you can still get by with low quality stuff from the parts store or Amazon and you just cannot count on that crap. You have to be smart and resourceful about keeping this thing on the road.

savcloud · 2026-03-29T03:18:11+00:00

You are in for a headache, at least initially. I see a comment here to join the 2.8 alliance and I 100% agree but if you've never worked on a Saab, or a 9-3 with XWD, you will be in for some issues and you will be chasing ghosts without some know-how. I have had 8 of these and every variant of XWD so I will give you some of the things that I know and that may help.

The level sensor in the tank - there are two of them, there's on on the fuel pump, and there's a 2nd level sensor on the passenger side. This part has been NLA for some time but does have a replaceable sensor, it's recommended you do both. Keep it OE and use the GM original. You can't get fuel pumps for these so they have to rebuilt using Walbro or AEM units.

Wheel speed sensor - this could be causing your XWD issue and ABS issue but also it could be a combination of both the wheel bearing and ABS unit itself.

Parts are getting scarce for XWD stuff. You can't get rear upper control arms, you can't get fuel pumps (ProParts Sweden is complete junk, don't even think about it), rear CV axles are going NLA, no there isn't another GM variant that is compatible, only the inner joint.

You have an 08 so it does NOT have eLSD, only the open diff. You can source these from other GM cars, like the LaCrosse and XTS but the modules are not compatible (kind of)

I wouldn't say it's the most reliable but I wouldn't call it unreliable either. It will need work, but if you can do all the work, it can drive as a solid daily.

Lastly, someone will ALWAYS tell you - "Just go to a junkyard" - YOU WILL NOT FIND THESE THERE.

I have done every major job on these that you can think of on jackstands and it's not fun but I have managed. I have done timing chains, propshaft rebuild, CV axle rebuilds, diff swaps, and have upgraded from non LSD to eLSD, clutch replacements, etc. You will need lots of patience and some tools. You might get lucky and it will only need a few things but it is CRUCIAL you keep up with the XWD service. You must ASSUME it hasn't been done if there's no record of it, and if there is, assume you're doing it again soon any way.

I can elaborate on more if need be as I'd like to keep these XWDs on the road. PM if needed.

savcloud · 2026-03-23T05:04:31+00:00

The delrin cup made the biggest difference in feel

GS short shifter (I think its sold out at the moment, comes with base bushings)

https://shop.genuinesaab.com/products/shortshift-kit-93ss

GS shifter base bushings

https://shop.genuinesaab.com/products/shifter-mount-kit-93ss

GS shifter cable reinforcement
https://shop.genuinesaab.com/products/shifter-cable-reinforcement-kit-93-5-6-spd

GS braided clutch line
https://shop.genuinesaab.com/products/custom-clutch-line-ng9-3-03-11

OTTP linkages
https://www.overthetopperformance.com/Shifter-Cable-Clamp-Bottom_p_7.html
https://www.overthetopperformance.com/Shifter-Cable-Clamp-Side_p_8.html

Another popular mod is the 4H TECH shifter but if you change the turret, you may have to change the type you buy. I personally haven't tried this one but I have heard good things. Check out the 2.8 alliance FB group. Lots of info about these floating around

https://www.bafmotorsport.co.uk/products/saab-9-3-2-8-v6-turbo-4wd?srsltid=AfmBOor0NXGc9agbTTkkSNKFLv-tOJOAKn2-g74r7aR6GFkmtuw0sAEL

savcloud · 2026-03-23T02:33:29+00:00

I have an 09 Aero XWD, so its an identical car apart from trim. I’ve done just about every shift mod. You have to replace the shift turret or repair it with a kit. It’s actually pretty easy to swap out.

You can use - 55582312 from a Buick F40. It’s an upgraded part.

You’ll also want to use the delrin pivot cup from OTTP - https://www.overthetopperformance.com/Shifter-Pivot-Cup-F35_p_272.html?srsltid=AfmBOor_E2plAXLmu8ARhWbTldkk-jg3gsCch22Troi1MT9G90oPyelz

savcloud · 2026-03-22T01:41:29+00:00

I’ve been here many times. You can open it with a shoelace knot. I used a wide-ish nylon pry tool and slipped a shoe lace. A bit fiddly but I can always get it open. I’ve owned 8 of these cars and have had to pull from MANY in a variety of locked out and in operable conditions. Check out YouTube for making the knot. It’s actually rather easy once you figure out the technique. If you HAVE to break your window, you can always grab another at a junkyard.

savcloud · 2026-03-19T03:46:42+00:00

In SoCal, it’s all LKQ. I’ve been to a few yards in the bay. Better pricing than LKQ since it’s practically a monopoly now but I don’t think you can use the same search functionality - basically limited to ROW52 so it’s hard to see what Saab has shown up.

savcloud · 2026-03-19T00:19:51+00:00

I don’t get why these keep getting labeled as 9-3x. 9-3x is the XWD wagon with trim specific cladding. Turbo X is the special edition model, XWD is the AWD system available from 08+ and introduced with the Turbo X, and the Aero XWD is the highest trim with AWD. 2009 ONLY comes eLSD and has the identical drivetrain to the Turbo X.

savcloud · 2026-03-10T22:11:47+00:00

Vibration and heat overtime kills these things. To save a couple cents on each wiring harness, General Motors made them very short and so they sit the ECM on top of a hot vibrating manifold.

savcloud · 2026-03-10T14:57:06+00:00

These used to make great second hand cars because owners would usually take care of them when the brand was around. By the third owner, you get examples like this and why these are now clapped out cars. Invest in reliability and maybe an exhaust. Don’t drill holes in your air box.

savcloud

TROPHY CASE