R&R'ed water pump and everything went to hell! - Saab Forums

01-14-2016, 11:54 AM

#1

Komet

Junior Member

Thread Starter

Join Date: Sep 2014

Posts: 1

R&R'ed water pump and everything went to hell!

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 carbefore.

Regards,
Tom

NB: Am posting verbatim inother SAAB forums. Just a fair-useannouncement!

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

History:

Temp gage NEVER (previously)left the blue at the very bottom.
Water pump began aprogressively worsening leak.
Temp gage then rocksteady at midpoint all the time now. I’dadd water as needed.
Leak got worse (pumpstill fine, no noise). Engine tempspiked 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 felthot to touch. Added water and on my way,suspicious about temp gage (although last temp spike did prompt engine-checklight).
Oil started slowlydisappearing. I blamed the broken andloose oil dipstick cap, but some leakage noted from valve cover gasket and onblock. Didn’t seem fresh though.

Repair:

R&R’ed water pumpwith full kit from SAAB Central. Drainedoil.
Never removed intakemanifold
Replaced, filled withwater for a leak test. Completed oilchange with new filter. Double-checkedall connections. PCV valve was noted tobe disconnected AND broken (blew both ways). Replaced with new. Replaceddipstick and cap with new.
Go to start, and car*very* sluggish to start (a minute of cranking but catching)
Runs fine… but like a steamlocomotive! Copious clouds of steam(condensed on hand, no oil smell, on rainbow in pail to collect exhaust) out ofexhaust, never abated. Water evendripping from exhaust. Shut down.
Pull DIC. Water is pooled around well of twoplugs. Plugs seem only finger tight inthe holes. Remove plugs. All wet (water, not gas). All clean, except #1 (leftmost/passenger side)fairly sooty and burnt. Two cylindersfull of water. All cylinders are shinyand cleaned. You know, like they’ve beenscrubbed with water!
Thin film of oil notedon interior walls of valley, from the gasket.
Crank and it’s like thedancing-water-jets show at Disney. Use WD-40,crank to dry out cylinders, fill cylinders with oil, replace plugs.
Drain entire coolantsystem (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 whistleduring run. Couldn’t locate. Probably expansion tank, because….
Coolant system became *very*pressurized very quickly. Water—still cold—expelledfrom expansion tank upon loosening cap with big whoosh of air.
No apparent leaks fromany hoses/items touched during water pump replacement.
No codes.
Turbo boost gage seemedto be working in its usual correlation to throttle input but perhaps a littleflaky in the first 20 seconds or so.
No smoke or steam whatsoeverbefore water pump R&R.

Confusion about:

A simple R&R of a water somehowCAUSED(!?) what looks like a VERY blown head gasket, intake manifold problem,turbo failure, or who knows what else.
Water getting into oil but notvice-versa
Water in exhaust, but no oil in exhaust.
Plugs loosening, and their EXTERNALwells filled with water. Water beingpushed OUT of cylinders by compression?
Water disappearing. Oil disappearing. Faith disappearing.
Car ran fine once started. No banging, vibration, or unusualnoises. 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 thehead and the block. Retorque the headbolts.
Inspect the turbo housing,shaft, seal.
Drink more Laphroaig.

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