So i just sold my 1999 Saab 9-3 SE HOT that was in an accident. I liked the car alot and found another 1999 9-3 that is stage 4 with a upgraded td04 turbo. Unfortunately it needs a rebuild. Is it worth it to rebuild or or try and find a replacement? Anyone on here have experience rebuilding them or know of a reputable shop that could do the work? Im still pretty new with turbo’s so i dont quite have the confidence to do it myself yet and know its worth it to have it done right. If anyone else has saab experience or tuning with t5suite let me know, because thats the next order of business. I have a CAN-USB port in the car with innovative wideband so i can throw the maps up on my laptop and tune it right in the car. Soon after ill take it down to the Speed shop and see what kind of #'s it can throw down.
if anyone would know if you be Darryl and the guys at Albany speed shop…
please elaborate what “stage 4” is…my old car used to have a TD04 and it was literally the size of my fist
TD04’s are very small turbos. If your looking to power in the future, upgrade that bitch. If you are just looking to keep it stock, check out A.S.S
Stage 4 includes:
3" downpipe
TD04 Viggen turbo (came 15t, upgraded to 16t)
3" exhaust
Open air intake
Stage 4 tune
Upgraded front mount intercooler
I know the tdo4 is a tiny turbo. The cars may daily driver and im out at school for most of the year. On a good tune you can reach 300 but anything above that, the engine needs to be built. Something im not ready for yet, but maybe in the future. Everything else on the car is built to handle the additional power, so hopefully next summer after graduating ill tackle the engine.
I think I talked to you shortly there at the show last weekend about your car on the rollers. Remember me asking you what the compressor specs were on the “upgraded” turbo? 
Just find a larger hot&cold side turbo the same flange type and bolt it on and tune it from there.
or, Albany Speed and I could make you a manifold and mod the down pipe to to mount a T3 frame on it. I am sure someone would chime in here too, but a GT28RS or 2871 would be a nice turbo on that motor and could be found cheap lightly used.
Are the stock turbos coolant and oil cooled?
haha i dont think that was me. I hear what your saying but im worried about what kind of power the stock engine can take. Ive heard anything over 300 is too much. The problem with saabs is the turbo is a t25 flange, which is a pain in the ass to find. How much are we talking to build a new manifold and modify the downpipe? Im pretty sure the car has a walbro 255 in it and stock injectors. How much power can the walbro 255 keep up with? If it did put a bigger turbo in i think the only other thing i would need is bigger injectors? The tranny has a stage 2 clutch and viggen pressure plate so it should hold the power.
The walbro 255 will pump more than you are shooting for.
what CC are the stock injectors? What Bar is the stock FPR?
I am not a saab speciallist but I know guys that are. I will talk to Darryl tonight and shoot the shit about your car and see what he thinks. PM, FastTwins on here, thats darryl owner of Albany Speed Shop. To talk prices on the manifold and down pipe.
If the manifold is anything like the stock one I just coated for someone, there is enough realstate on that flange surface to cut it off and convert it to a t3 I think. Or the cheaper route, but would still work just fine, would be we make a T25 to T3 adapter flange. Put studs in the stock manifold, and tap the T3 flange on the adapter. make it easy to install, might raise the turbine off the manifold 1.5" or 2", so the down pipe would only need a small section welded back in place and a new flange welded on to mate to the bew turbo.
Making an entire manifold would be the best solution, turbo placement would be right were you need it to mate to the DP, flow the best and fit the best… and of course cost the most.
If the stock bottom end can take 300whp, wick the boost down on the new turbo and tune it for that. Whats the weak points on the motor?? rods? ringlands? crank? Keeping timing safe, and running just enough boost with the proper AFR to get you around 275-280whp would be easy on a 28RS, and give you head room when you build the bottom end.
That turbo on 1.8t VW’s, what I pretend to know the most about :tongue, make solid 260-320whp with less displacemnt. and see spool times around what you saab guys see now… but they can still pump air up top where the little stock saab turbos fall off.
you can get a t25 flanged 28rs, 2871r,3071r, 3076r
My friend popped his 99 9-3 by running 87 octane, a boost controller, and an eBay “gas mileage chip” LOL. Honestly, it took quite a while for it to happen. I bet that bottom end would be alright with like 350whp.
Get 800+ cc injectors, Walbro 255, a 2871r, a proper downpipe and run e85.
I remember meeting a kid around here who had a saab with 370whp last I knew he works at the saab dealership on 9J in renns. Anybody know this guy? If hes on here he may be able to help you.
Ohh reallly! peet your the man, thanks for the info.
OP, I spoke to darryl last night… he said the bottom ends can hold some decent power, it’s a 2.3 right? 300whp would be fine with it he thinks. Of course that’s never a guarantee as with anything car related, just saying he is confident in those motors holding good power.
What kind of software do you have? What ECU? If you can source out a 28RS on a T25 flange your golden. Bolt it right on, and mod the charge pipes if needed and the downpipe. Then fuel it and tune it.
God damnit KK, my advice was sound already. He has t5suite if I read correctly… I did some research on it, I am confident that I can tune that bitch.
Its a 2.0, the 2.3 came in the viggen version. Regardless, im pretty sure both motors can hold similar power. I have t5suite, its a free software program that saab users set up. Its pretty nice, you can download your cars stock map, add your upgrades and tune from there. i also have a port under the dash that plugs into my laptop that can be tuned in car. The ECU is a t5 that came in the 94-99 9-3’s. Would it be better to rebuild the td04 and get ~290whp or take that money and try and find at gt28rs and tune it down to ~300whp. Anyone know where i could find a gt28 in a t25 flange? ALso, do i need to upgrade injectors or is the walbro enough?
Thanks for all the responses!
:hug any time. lol Vote JD for tooner of the year!
hopefully they just bump the displacemtn and didnt just install forged pistons or rods in the viggen and put cast dumpers in the normal 2.0. that would decide what power handling difference there would be.
ecu is a go then it sounds.
the injectors &/or fuel pressure regulator are piece A and the pump is piece B in the puzzle. A walbro 255 (make sure ist a 255 not the 150lph) supports plenty fo flow for your goals. the injectors should be at min 440cc @ 3bar. if you bumped the FPR up to 3.5 bar or 4 they would give you 500cc or so. I am basing my figures off the 1.8t’s K03 eliminator kits that are 440 cc, @ 3 bar GT28RS kits. they run around 20-26psi make around 300whp and dont really max the injectors. If the price difference itsnt major, jump to a 550 or 630cc injector and run them at 3 bar. the ecu will dial down injector duty cycle to feed the motor correctly and just give it more head room. spray patterns and what not arnt that big a deal to worry about between the 440 and 630’s.
As for prices, get on google and find out. A turbo rebuild, dont right is usually 200-600 depending on what needs to be replaced, and how easy the parts can be sourced. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Garrett-GT2860RS-GT28RS-Disco-Potato-Ball-Bearing-Turbo-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3ef7e3a67fQQitemZ270446863999QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
1200 brand new T25 flange, internally gated… which you might not want, I dont know how the saab boost controll is set up, but I am sure they are acutaited… just dont know how universal they are and how they would work with the internal gateed garrett.
They are internally gated and they also have a BPC too.
i knew they were gated internally, but didnt know if the actuator stroke would work for the lil flap inthe garret, I am sure it cant be too off, if any at all to stop it from functioning correctly.
Op this job is starting to sound like a very nice swap! Lets DO WORK!
My GT28RS came gated already directly from precision.
Are these injectors enough? I think they should do the trick.
Then i guess its time to find a gt28rs… So much for a budget build haha if anyone knows of one for sale let me know
Also, what would be a reasonable price to pay for a true garrett gt28rs? Is it better to go new or used? I know these are ball bearings which cant be rebuilt so i want to make sure i get soemthing i can use.
440’s would flow what your looking to do, and you could always bump the fpr a little if needed later on. but you have to match the impedance of the injector to what the ecu calls for. find out if what you have now are low imp or high imp.
new those garret turbo’s are $1200 shipped or so. BB’ centers can be rebuilt bu the parts are half the cost of the turbo. about $600. You can find ones used, make sure the blades arnt nicked, and the shaft play isnt out fo spec and you will be alright.