Saab 9-5 oil pan/sump drop to check for sludge

[photousa]

Sounds like a real mess, good that you got to everything when you did. I'm jealous that you live somewhere where you can work on your car this time of year. All I can do here is buy parts and wait for good weather...

[ScientificHeart]

When I dropped the sump I had only two pin holes for oil to go through. It really was no wonder my car was experiencing such a problem. I can't believe it even ran for as long as it did like that.

[Finding41]

When I dropped the sump I had only two pin holes for oil to go through. It really was no wonder my car was experiencing such a problem. I can't believe it even ran for as long as it did like that.

Ouch!
I`d check bearings while you have the pan off. Hopefully there isin`t any scaring on the crank or the bearings. If there is on the bearings and not the crank you can change the bearings. Only about $40 for both sets. Easy to do too.
Good luck. (I hope you don`t have the snow there we have here.)

[Saabster Tale]

Ooooo... wish I'd seen Finding41's suggestions about the bearings. T late for this go-'round. My '02 9-5 Aero wagon is back together. Can't say there's any performance difference. Almost all the PCV hoses were mushy (glad I saved a few extras from the PCV update on my '01 Aero sedan - this kit didn't have all the hoses), the check valve between the small nipple between the cam cover and the throttle body was completely blocked, and the oil pump intake screen was 30% blocked.
Putting everything back together went pretty well,thanks to the many contributers here and elsewhere. I'm REALLY glad I tried to put the alternator in position on its bracket before putting either back in place on the engine. The altrnator would not fit, so I use a c-clamp to squeeze the bushing back into the bracket a bit.
No more rattling noise, no more smoke coming from around the engine, and no more wondering about the condition of the oil pump intake screen.
Now, if only I knew if that smallish hose rising from the top of the transmission was supposed to be attached to something ... After a quick search, I found that it is just a vent hose. Whew!

[Finding41]

Don't touch that hose on the top of the transmission!
It's just a vent hose. It lays toward the back.
I wouldn't worry about the bearings if the pick up screen wasn't more than 50% plugged.
My car had 363000km on it when I did my work. Since I was waiting for parts and I had the time I thought it a good idea to see what things looked like.
I am glad I changed them. They were worn but not too bad.

[ScientificHeart]

Oh we have the snow here. I live in Brockport NY which is pretty close to Rochester, just a more suburban area. The snow and wind has made it very hard to do much to the car. No garage, not many tools, and basically no prior experience to working on cars, and i'm 8 months pregnant. So really, if my bearings need replacing, gonna have to wait. I froze drilling the broken stud bolts out of the block. Finally have the manifold on though, and that it what counts. I will say though, that once she began running horribly, I have driven her very little since. So i'm hoping that I turned the switch off just in time. All of the issues that I began having came from using an oil sludge motor cleaner. Worst mistake ever. It basically Felt like I was driving with the brakes on and off because she was struggling that much, back and forth. I have hope that she will start and run halfway decent again after the rest of the parts at back together, but we'll see. I wish I had someone that knew about cars to help me. They came to look at it, and then just shook their head and said, "I'm not touching that, it's a Saab." Because I had oil in the combustion chamber and white smoking pour in out, they said it was either rings or a blown head. But I have no oil leaking and I believe the white smoke was due to oil being pushed places it normally wouldn't go because of the excessive compression and a clogged intake screen. I have started her after that, and the engine ran quiet and smooth, just as it did before the oil sludge cleaner. It still had white smoke but I think it's because it has yet to be burned off and out of the places it went. When I pressed the gas pedal, she had horsepower. Just wouldn't move because my brakes are seized from sitting. Everyone says to get rid of it and just get a new car, but i'm not giving up until she's on the road again. I can still hear a pulse.

[tannat]

Hi Frank,

I appreciate the detail you put into your sump drop tutorial:
Saab 9-5 oil pan/sump drop to check for sludge

I have a 2006 9-5, and as it has about 32000 recent miles unaccounted by service records (It has 120,000 miles total-I've owned it three months) I plan to drop the sump and have a look at it, especially since I've recently had a flickering oil light at idle.

I plan to have a look at the rod bearings while I am down there, but I don't recognize the bolts securing the rod caps. Do I need torx sockets to take off the caps to examine the bearings?

Thanks for your help,

[toxicavenger]

You have a later model car so you don't need to drop the oil pan. Saab stopped this problem with the 04' and later models.

Hi Frank,

I appreciate the detail you put into your sump drop tutorial:
Saab 9-5 oil pan/sump drop to check for sludge

I have a 2006 9-5, and as it has about 32000 recent miles unaccounted by service records (It has 120,000 miles total-I've owned it three months) I plan to drop the sump and have a look at it, especially since I've recently had a flickering oil light at idle.

I plan to have a look at the rod bearings while I am down there, but I don't recognize the bolts securing the rod caps. Do I need torx sockets to take off the caps to examine the bearings?

Thanks for your help,

[Finding41]

I'd want to check why the oil light is flickering at idol by dropping the pan and changing the oil sensor. My 04 has the update and I still found enough stuff to be concerned when I did my rebuild. Screen was 1/4 plugged with carbon chunks.
The bolts are Torex. They are really tight! You can use a regular 6 sided socket to get them off. I'm not sure the size or if it is metric or imperial.... Just make sure it fits well. I took mine off with a regular socket because I was under the car and had a 1/2" drive impact socket handy that fit. (Just too lazy to get up and go into the garage...)
Good luck. Remember to use the correct gasket sealer stuff. Not silicone.

[tannat]

I'd want to check why the oil light is flickering at idol by dropping the pan and changing the oil sensor. My 04 has the update and I still found enough stuff to be concerned when I did my rebuild. Screen was 1/4 plugged with carbon chunks.
The bolts are Torex. They are really tight! You can use a regular 6 sided socket to get them off. I'm not sure the size or if it is metric or imperial.... Just make sure it fits well. I took mine off with a regular socket because I was under the car and had a 1/2" drive impact socket handy that fit. (Just too lazy to get up and go into the garage...)
Good luck. Remember to use the correct gasket sealer stuff. Not silicone.

Marty-thanks for responding to my question.

I did not want to be under the car, oil pan off, wife away witht he other car only to realize I did not have the right tools (thus necessitating a trip to Harbor Freight).