R&R'ed water pump and now everything's gone to hell!

[Komet]

Oh, dear and wise SAAB warriors. I seek your help, as I am thoroughly stumped and dismayed.

Thanks you, in advance, for any time, attention, consideration, and suggestions. I'm a newbie to SAABs, but have loved this car in the year that I've owned it like no other car before.

Regards,
Tom

NB: Am posting verbatim in other SAAB forums. Just a fair-use announcement!

Type: 2002 9-5 Aero, 92,000 miles

History:

• Temp gage NEVER (previously) left the blue at the very bottom.
• Water pump began a progressively worsening leak.
• Temp gage then rock steady at midpoint all the time now. I’d add water as needed.
• Leak got worse (pump still fine, no noise). Engine temp spiked two or three times (but very quickly). Car in neutral, popped hood for ventilation, turned on interior heat, coasted, got off road, gage already returning to midpoint. Engine (top of crankcase/valve cover) never felt hot to touch. Added water and on my way, suspicious about temp gage (although last temp spike did prompt engine-check light).
• Oil started slowly disappearing. I blamed the broken and loose oil dipstick cap, but some leakage noted from valve cover gasket and on block. Didn’t seem fresh though.

Repair:

• R&R’ed water pump with full kit from SAAB Central. Drained oil.
• Never removed intake manifold
• Replaced, filled with water for a leak test. Completed oil change with new filter. Double-checked all connections. PCV valve was noted to be disconnected AND broken (blew both ways). Replaced with new. Replaced dipstick and cap with new.
• Go to start, and car *very* sluggish to start (a minute of cranking but catching)
• Runs fine… but like a steam locomotive! Copious clouds of steam (condensed on hand, no oil smell, on rainbow in pail to collect exhaust) out of exhaust, never abated. Water even dripping from exhaust. Shut down.
• Pull DIC. Water is pooled around well of two plugs. Plugs seem only finger tight in the holes. Remove plugs. All wet (water, not gas). All clean, except #1 (leftmost/passenger side) fairly sooty and burnt. Two cylinders full of water. All cylinders are shiny and cleaned. You know, like they’ve been scrubbed with water!
• Thin film of oil noted on interior walls of valley, from the gasket.
• Crank and it’s like the dancing-water-jets show at Disney. Use WD-40, crank to dry out cylinders, fill cylinders with oil, replace plugs.
• Drain entire coolant system (was just water for the test run). Clean, cold, clear, and no oil. Not even a sheen.
• Check oil (brand new, car ran for 1 minute). It’s milky.
• Groaned. Drank big glass of Laphroaig.

Stray observations:

• Heard strange whistle during run. Couldn’t locate. Probably expansion tank, because….
• Coolant system became *very* pressurized very quickly. Water—still cold—expelled from expansion tank upon loosening cap with big whoosh of air.
• No apparent leaks from any hoses/items touched during water pump replacement.
• No codes.
• Turbo boost gage seemed to be working in its usual correlation to throttle input but perhaps a little flaky in the first 20 seconds or so.
• No smoke or steam whatsoever before water pump R&R.

Confusion about:

• A simple R&R of a water somehow CAUSED(!?) what looks like a VERY blown head gasket, intake manifold problem, turbo failure, or who knows what else.
• Water getting into oil but not vice-versa
• Water in exhaust, but no oil in exhaust.
• Plugs loosening, and their EXTERNAL wells filled with water. Water being pushed OUT of cylinders by compression?
• Water disappearing. Oil disappearing. Faith disappearing.
• Car ran fine once started. No banging, vibration, or unusual noises. Except that whistle.

Obvious things to do (but I’m really just guessing):

• Check compression.
• Check/retorque intake manifold.
• Replace valve gasket.
• Clean the sides of the head and the block. Retorque the head bolts.
• Inspect the turbo housing, shaft, seal.
• Drink more Laphroaig.

[XLR99]

OK that's weird. I had to google Laphroaig. I'll be right over to help you drink it while we think about this






Seriously, that's an odd set of circumstances. I'm wondering if the temp spikes were enough to get the head to warp, causing the cascade of bizarre stuff going on now? That's the only cause I can think of for oil/water interface along with water getting into cylinders.
I am very curious about what the final answer turns out to be!

[southsaab]

Wow that is one dramatic head gasket issue! Why it suddenly f filled up your cylinders

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[southsaab]

Touched the wrong button. Anyway, the why is a bit mysterious, as according to your statement of facts, the only thing you did was replace the water pump.
In any event, water is in the wrong places, and the only way in cylinders and crankcase is the head gasket.

Of your choices exclusive of trained technicians, retighten the head bolts and hope for the best. And maybe take another sip or two of that single malt beverage.

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