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Turbocharger upgrade on a 1996 Saab 900. The stock Garrett T25 turbo is
being replaced with a Mitsubishi TD04 turbo found on Aero and Viggen models.
The procedure will be more or less similar for all Saabs using the B204-B235
engine family. This article describes the installation only, for turbo
removal instructions and more information refer to
this document.
If you're impatient, here's the answer everyone keeps asking about:
YOU DO NOT NEED NEW OIL OR COOLANT LINES!
That's right, you can reuse your existing oil and coolant lines as long
as they are in a good condition: not plugged, bent or cracked.
If your replacement turbo comes with new lines - good for you.
If not, don't bother
trying to source OEM lines or waste the money on the custom ones. All
you need is two M12 banjos and four copper washers with a ½"
inner diameter hole.
If you want details, here's a more detailed explanation on oil and coolant line
compatibility.
There are four
lines between the engine and the turbo -- two oil and two coolant passages.
- The oil feed line goes from the oil filter housing to the top of the
turbo. The banjo bolts have an M14 thread on the engine side and M12 thread
on the turbo. Ideally, you should use a new line when installing a turbo,
or at least clean the old one from sludge and deposits.
- The silicone oil return hose goes from the bottom of the turbo to the
oil pan. Both turbo and the engine side ports are noticeably narrower on the
TD04/GT17 compared to T25, and the T25 pipe doesn't bolt onto the TD04.
However, if you're upgrading to TD04, it's possible to find a smaller-sized
hose that would fit tightly on the thicker stock oil pan port and hold onto
the smaller pipe coming out of the TD04 with a help of a good clamp. A
stock hose that comes with TD04 is stretchy enough to fit on the thicker
pipe on B204L.
- The lower coolant line goes from the front of the turbo to the water
pump, except for B204L where it's connected to a port under the 4th cylinder.
The former version uses a banjo with an M12 thread on the engine side, the
latter has M14. The turbos are an ever bigger mess: the TD04 has an M12
thread, the T25/GT17 have M14, and the older T25 from the 1990-1993 9000s
have an odd thread of M16.
- The upper coolant line goes from the rear of the turbo to the upper
left side of the engine, near the upper radiator hose. The banjo
bolts have an M14 thead on the engine, M14 thread on T25/GT17, and M12
on TD04. If you're upgrading to TD04 and don't have matching lines, you can
use your stock lines with a 14 mm hole, just find a pair of wider copper
washers and put them on 12 mm banjo bolts that go into TD04.
Once again, a summary on the lines. If you're upgrading to TD04 from a T25 or GT17,
your life will be easier if you get two M12 banjo bolts and proper coolant
lines with 12 mm holes on the turbo side. These parts exist for B205/B235
(upper #9182460, lower #9174947), but with B204L you're out of luck, because
you need a lower line that goes to the port under the fourth cylinder, and a
version of such line with a 12 mm hole does not exist. Either way, if you
find yourself missing the lines, use your old ones with wider washers on M12
banjos, just tighten them well. The oil feed line will fit as is (although
it's often recommended to use a new one). The silicone oil return line from
GT17 fits fine, a car with T25 will need a narrower hose to replace the
stock one.
When upgrading from T25, you also need a new turbo inlet pipe and a manifold
stay. On a Trionic7 car with a GT17, the stock inlet pipe will fit, but the
car would still benefit from an upgraded high flow pipe.
Tools and supplies:
- 13 mm wrench and socket (downpipe and turbo nuts);
- 12 mm wrench and socket (banjo bolts);
- Torx T30 socket (turbo inlet pipe);
- 8 mm socket (shield screws);
- 7 mm socket (hose clamps), or flat screwdriver;
- large pliers (oil return hose clamps);
- torque wrench;
- ratchet handle;
- ramps or jacks and stands;
- new copper washers for all banjo bolts;
- new turbo to manifold gasket;
- turbo inlet pipe (when upgrading from a T25);
- inlet pipe clamp (when upgrading from a T25);
- manifold stay (when upgrading from a T25);
- thinner oil return hose (when upgrading from a T25);
- four ½" copper washers (if using T25/GT17 lines);
- two M12 banjo bolts;
- fresh oil and coolant.
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