Saabs are notorious for their transmissions crapping out. Love that your trying to bring the Saab back to life. I’ve owned several myself, my 1987 we had to replace the transmission.
The odd "failure" makes us all realize your stuff is REAL. So tired of the nonsense on network TV. We all love and appreciate the grit of real hands on work. Win or loose...
The relationship between you are your father is wonderful to watch. You both bring things to the table but value your dad's advise and knowledge that comes with age and experience. You are a smart fellow to gleen his wisdom and keep a good report with your dad. So few have what you have. It's no small thing. God bless you both. Some day when he's gone you will treasure all this time with him. Grandma mary
Absolutely. I love unique cars. I know it takes a bit more to get parts and they're unfamiliar but that's what makes the videos so interesting. Please do more with this Saab.
I owned one similar.. except that it was the "Monte Carlo" edition with the original Saab two strokes engine, three carburettors.. ;-) much more fun. Saab made two strokes engine cars for over two decades, then they put these V4 Ford engines for a couple of years and then got that famous Triumph 4 slanted cylinders block in their new "99 model" wich was in fact the same car (the 96 model) but made wider and more modern looking. Then they added the turbo to it.. and the rest is history.. I still drive a 9-5 model Saab that drives and looks like new after its 14 years of use. Bravo Saab.. By the way, if you look on the net, you'll sure find Saab 96 models racing in rallies and winning.. they were fun cars. Sylvain Giguere Québec Can.
Really love this! I'm from Sweden, born in '72 and I was close to being born in a Saab V4. During my childhood my dad ran through 3 of them and knew them inside out. Thank you for doing this!
HEY! I hope you see this comment but the freewheeling clutch means you can not pull/pushstart it! The clutch engages slowly when the engine revs to a certain rpm, ~1500-2000. The freewheel clutch operates EXACTLY like a chainsaw, kicks in with rpm. Identical operation in bigger scale. You can put the car in gear without pressing the clutch when taking off. The 96 had the freewheel clutch because this body style saabs used to have 2-stroke engine which seized; didn't get lubrication if let to engine brake but Saab decided to continue using the freewheel with these German Ford V4 engines. These cars were built where I live, were very common back in the day.
So wrong! You can change gear without using the clutch when at some speed 'driving' and the freewheel is engaged. Starting from a standstill without using the clutch would be 'impressive' and harm the gearbox bigtime, next to impossible! Drive it like a manual! How I know? Currently have four of these SAAB's as in two of the 96 model and two 95's thats the estate or 'wagon' version. Oh and you cant reach any part of the crank from outside, needs front cover of engine taking off for that. Trying to hard to turn it over when stuck as bad as this one can harm or ruin the costly cam gears made of 'fibre'. SAAB Club of Sweden can sell you most of the parts needed, and yes they happily ship parts worldwide. Otherwise try Tom Donney in the USA. He even remanufacture some gearbox parts for these.
@@thatdudeinorange2297 I agree on the taking off part. But he was right about the short-nose body style, and early long nose body style, was 2-stroke, and the reason for the freewheeling! But the freewheeling was because of lubrication, IIRC?
I'm currently rebuilding a spare motor for my Saab and had to do the same as you guys to get it unstuck. I hope you know that the oil pump is driven off the distributor, so having that removed and cranking the starter means that there is no oil circulating round the bottom end. Also you spotted that this is an open deck design of block with wet liners. This design was only used for the first couple of years of the V4, meaning that this is an early V4 motor. later ones were a closed deck design. Spares and gasket sets are reasonably available for these motors, so you shouldn't have much problem with that. The rings on mine were stuck that bad that most of them got broken during removal, I had to chisel them out of the ring grooves!
hey guys.... short term cross two batteries to 24v to get her to spin like hell... leave the ignition sytem on 12v.. of course the starter will only last so long BUT i bet youll get her to bust off... dont ask me how i know!
Had five H1 Hummers where I worked. Diesel engines with 24 volt system. We had a d8 battery on a handcart we we would put in series with the two batteries in the H1. Of course the fact it was every bit of zero degrees out when we were trying to start..
I bought a new light blue V4 Saab 1968 96 in the beginning of 1969. Loved the car and the mileage (32 mpg over 3 years) and the ease of driving it Good luck with it. But I'm fairly sure I started mine by locking out the freewheel (pull out the T handle to the right of the accelerator), rolling it down a slight hill, then popping the clutch. Once it was started you could go back to freewheel by simply pushing in the handle with the toe of you right foot (but it needed to be stopped to lock out the freewheel). You didn't need to use the clutch changing gears, but you did when you came to a stop. Good luck with it; it was a wonderful car!
There is something I’ve always loved about this car. It’s a great body style. I watched the video of you guys getting it out. You are way more determined than I am. And you have great friends to show up and help you out.
Being a former SAAB owner, I was really rooting for you guys to get her running an maybe sell it to someone who wanted to restore it. But you can’t win them all. Valiant effort guys!
I had a couple more modern SAABs, but this little 96 is really cool. Would love to see it fully restored, but I know that would be a difficult journey. Good work, guys.
I loved my 96, which was a '71, and its Ford Industrial V-4. It was great fun to drive, and an excellent car. GM bought out SAAB and promptly ran the company into the ground. That's GM for you. They even put SAAB badges on Subarus. It was good to have two competing car makers in Sweden. Now China owns Volvo. Phooey.
@@volvobrynk GM spent a ton of money on SAAB as did the Swedish government before them as the company had not made any money forever, you rag on GM but if it wasn't for them wasting all that money they would have went under years ago. As mechanic I can tell you no tears shed here.
@@jimhaines8370 Do you know why GM put money into Saab? Because they made them money, or do you think GM runs a car-charity? They pretty much "cooked the books" when it came to sales to be able to do tax-write offs. For instance the US-sales wasn't included under the Saab name so in Sweden it looked like they were loosing money when they in fact was self sufficient. More can be read by KPMGs report that they made on order from the Swedish government.
@@jimhaines8370 I had a 1991 900i, my dad had 1990 900 and now owns a 1992 900 aero/spg. They are some very well enginered cars, and i will really miss them! The 900 was the second best car I ever owned. They way that handles in snow, I second to none! So i don’t buy that GM was of no fault, there was more things to it then that. I agree l, GM send a lot of money that way, and kept them a float, yes. But also tried to “normalizing” an very unique car!
I just found the two videos for this car. I LOVE unique cars and Saabs are definitely unique. I'm also third generation Norwegian-American and I would love to see any built in Scandinavia car working. Even if it is a Swedish car.😉
Put 2 batteries in series on it and feed it 24 volts... she will turn over then fast...lol... Id seperate the starter batteries from the ignition system but what do you have to lose ?...if it starts it might reseat the rings ....if the starter burns up then you are not really any further back!...good luck
YOU CAN BAND-AID the head gasket with rtv or flex-seal. while the head is off heat up the pistons with a torch and cool them down with your favorite cutting oil
Just had a idea when knocking the pistons loose if you got a rubber mallet take the rubber head off and use that with the wood instead of hammer n wood might help
Hello guys. Exciting rescue mission. I'm not a SAAB guy, but I know old SAABs were equipped with freewheels. This may explain why the transmission feels a bit slippery and messy. It's a leftover from the era of the two-stroke engine. Tip, take a quick look at wikipedia on SAAB 96, to understand what kind of car you are dealing with. It is a good and iconic car. (SAAB 96 were popular as rally cars here in Sweden and Finland) Regards Christer
"Karlsson pa taket" et.al. made these little cars famous with the Scandinavian flick. Which you had to do due to FWD but it later transferred to 4WD as well since they also understeer. They also pioneered left foot braking so they kept the throttle down in the turns.
Bad luck boys, perhaps contact the Saab club in Texas and they might be able to assist as it doesn't seem too far from firing. Ultimately it may require a complete engine and gearbox teardown, assessment and rebuild. Come back later and have another go, there's nothing quite like a Saab. All the best.
it is a ford v4 engine you can still find plenty of parts for it , at least here in europe, because those engines were used until the 2000s , if we have the problem of low compression after sitting for a long time we put 2-stroke oil in the gas to fix it temporarily and keep it going longer than putting some oil in the cylinder all the time , the clutch of the saab 96 has a freewheel to ensure that the old two-stroke continued to get oil when you went downhill with your throttle off , and that clutch is also placed on the v4 , that a pull start is not going to work
Such a cool little car! I thought it was a lost cause, but once you got it spinning with the starter I was really hoping! The car is so unique It might be worth ordering some parts enough to get it running, rings, gaskets, run a hone down the cylinders, etc. I think taking a pressure washer to it inside and out and getting the engine to run would set it up to sell pretty quick even if the transmission has an issue. I'd love to see it cleaned up and the engine running, some of the big dents pushed out, etc. I love your channel!
Back in late 60,s I worked in a mopar/autolite ( motorcraft) parts store ( pueblo, colo) and we got saab parts and motors for a guy called Peter Rabbit who had a commune called Drop City in Trinidad Colo. He built domes out of car hoods . I went there a couple of times was a trippy place lol. He would not drive anything else.. Cool vid which stirred my memory Thanks .👍🏻
Guys, that was a valiant effort to get that old Saab running! I hope to see you guys come back around and revisit this one as I'm quite interested in hearing that little v4 bark to life! Awesome video as always and I can't wait for the next one!
Sure was great to see that engine bay again, really takes me back! Might just be the free-wheel that’s making it seem like the tranny is bad, that feature disconnects the wheels from the engine unless you give it some RPMs. When ours was going down a hill that V-4 would literally be idling.
I've been a viewer "Subscriber" of your channel for about a year now. I must say, out of all the collection of car restoration channels, Yours is my favorite. You and your father are Real people and Real mechanics. You work hard to recover the cars and trucks from where they ""Died"" pretty much,, some from 50+ years ago... You break the motors down to the bare bolts, clean out rats nests, get stung by bees etc. You don't edit your videos with nonsense. I miss working on cars with my father, he's been gone since Feb 2010... I enjoy watching the miracles you perform on some of these vehicles that have been left and forgotten about. You give a lot of them a 2nd life for people to enjoy... Keep up the good work and I'll keep watching... You two are the best.
OMgee, I'm watching this in the Spring of 2023 and your dedication to this job is crazy amazing. You're out there in freezing temps, it's snowing all the while you're still pounding away on those pistons. That's dedication!
Hay guys, My Name is Kevin Tatro from Burrillville Rhode Island. I have been working on cars trucks and everything in between since i was 14 years old. Im now 52 and have learned a lot an still learning but Id like to share a little secret with you i learned thoughout the years. Used Brake Fluid is the best rust penetrant on the planet. Just don't get any on paint you care about because it will be gone right to bare metal by the next morning. I figure you can break a few engines free using this method. I kept a large bottle of dot 3 and stuck a squirter in it from a bottle of some chemical I had emptied and what I do is bleed brakes directly into this bottle as it slowly refills it always having the best rust penetrant on the planet. Hope this helps. Good luck and keep up the good work. Someone is learning something somewhere watching you. God Bless. From Kevin T. in Burrillville R.I.
My buddy in college had a Saab. As I recall he said it was a Ford industrial V4. Great car he drove from Iowa to Fairbanks Alaska and we got around in it just fine. Those are good safe well built cars. The interior/ dash looks good. Is there a spare in the trunk? Keep at it.
The V4 was a German made unit, fitted to European Taurus, the UK had the Kent in-line OHC 4. Had one of these about 25 yrs ago, damn good cars, not mega powerful
As others said, this is the Ford Taunus V4. However when you run into them in the US, they were Ford Industrial engines. Same engine, just different use. We had a Portable air compressor powered by a Ford Industrial V4 at one of the placed I worked.
I rebuilt one of those German Taunus V-4s. Inside the car, underneath the lowest heater tube, you'll find a T handle, the Freewheel handle. When pulled out (toward rear) the clutch acts as normal. Push it in (forward) and the clutch acts like a centrifugal clutch. In that position, you could be going 60, let off the gas completely and the engine will go to idle as you sail along. It's great for when, say, the hydraulic clutch goes out. Push in the Freewheel lever and you can start it no problem, even in gear, then increase the RPMs, the clutch engages and you're off. Ease back throttle and shift gently. Basically, the freewheel control shuts off engine braking; maybe to avoid loading the trans on a long downhill. That engine includes a counter-balancing shaft driven by a large, compressed-fiber gear. In my case, the rattle was the 2 bearings on that shaft that had worn out pretty severely. The 4-speed trans in the Saab 96 was somewhat of a miracle in design, very short gearbox but fairly reliable, and took a well-experienced trans-chanic to rebuild. Reverse = pull shift handle outward, back & down. Otherwise it's the standard H pattern when looking at the steering column from the right. Those cars were used in European, dirt-road rallies for quite a few years. From the 3-cyl, 2-stroke models (850cc) to the 4-stroke V4 (1183 to 1699cc - through 4 models). Smallest was 40 bhp. The front grill comes off by removing 6 small bolts. Wiki - "The V4 was later expanded into the Ford Cologne V6 engine that was used in the Ford Capri, Ford Taunus, Ford Cortina, Ford Consul, Ford Granada, Ford Sierra, Ford Scorpio, Ford Ranger, Ford Explorer, Ford Mustang, Mercury Capri, and many other cars." Good luck guys! You'll have earned it.
Good job fellas! Getting her unstuck was a big hurdle and I’m hoping to hear this little car running soon. Thank you very much for sharing and God bless!
Even though it was being attacked by huge trees for 2years plus uropean cars are very tough .it's not dead yet.i like the way there doing things on yhe engine there not forceing nothing there takeing it apart getting it unseized first once its free again then reassemble it that's the best way some of those Saab.s realy haul my buddy has a 68 Saab pretty zippy
Questions for you Lance and Wyatt. If you went as far as pulling the engine, then why not drop the oil pan and pistons to loosen those rings? I know it's more work for the possibility of stuck rings, but would it be worth it in the end? Could that be done without destroying the rings? I know you are on a schedule to get the vehicle running and rolling, but your viewers hopefully would understand when you encounter a sieged engine. Great vid guys. Keep up the good work!
I had some similar thoughts. When the Motor was out, why not disassembling it just for a clean up and an little lubricating (pistons, rings, rods, etc.)? I think it would take a similar amount of time, like trying around and sticking in the bush.
I would really like for you all to come back later, see about getting some head and intake gaskets and try it again . There is something about this little car that I like and would love to see it running again. You all gave it a good try . Maybe go ahead and tear the motor on down and take the pistons out . I will see you all on another one, so be careful and stay safe . As always, Jeffrey !!!! 🤗👍
For the love of SAAB! Having cut my teeth as a young mechanic, especially on this model SAAB, my heart sunk further and further as I watched both videos about this car. Your approach to the goal, get it running, was way off. First, the engine and trans should be removed as one unit. Second, a frozen engine, sometimes can be broken loose with the crank bolt, otherwise is a candidate for a teardown and inspection. At the least, a leakdown test would indicate the most likely issue after rotation is confirmed. Forgot to mention that I held the world record (and maybe still do) for SAAB V4 engine and transmission removal at 19 minutes, while it was still hot from driving! You have received a lot of support for the videos posted about this car. Trained and somewhat partial to a method or approach of "restoration" I do appreciate the effort and time. Good luck with that car because done right will be a fun way to learn about an older vehicle and how it drives, Born from Jets.
Is nice to see you try to get this old Swedish classic car to run. Hope you guy’s will make it run later this engine sounds awesome! Also I am happy to see that you found the Saab specifics there with the hood opening forward and they have small button that you have to press/hold in order to set the gearbox in reverse and there is one more Saab specific thing from this time aera of the 1960-70s Saabs that it has to be set in reverse gear in order for the ignition key to be taken out.
If you really think it is bad head gasket compression loss, a trick I used when we needed to trouble shoot and find a problem as you are doing was to use "Copper Coat" gasket rejuvenation. i still use it on lawn mowers when I do not have the right head gaskets in stock. I have about 12 bottles of this coating/sealer in stock. I use the small two ounce bottles as this stuff can harden up once it is open. It will fill any voids in the gaskets with metal (copper of course). I have never had a problem with getting it off. When I have the correct gaskets I use those of course. On some engines with slightly warped block ( not sealing but close and too much warp to machine) I have left it on and it sealed. The customer (who would not pay for a new block or even a used one) was happy and the tracker is still running. I set it up to store for him every year and inspect and recommend maintenance. I have also used it on good gaskets on full size cars and left it on. This stuff works. I also have a thought on the trans/clutch situation, The freewheel on that engine is a centrifugal clutch like on a mini bike or chain saw. The clutch will only engage if the engine side is rotating at a speed high enough to do so. Sooooo, the point, you cannot push or pull start this vehicle.
Couple of thoughts, if you don't already know of them. One, check the timing. Two, remove carb and just spray into the intake. Three, you CAN hook two batteries in series, 24 volts, around the car and JUST to the starter and run it at 24 volts to get a LOT faster cranking (which as you mentioned, you need). This isn't a permanent solution, of course, but just to get it spinning really fast to see if it'll fire and bring the compression on. Lastly, use ONLY spray start/ether vs. gasoline as it'll fire a LOT easier than almost any type of gasoline. I'll be interested if you try any of these suggestions, especially the 24 volts to just the starter and the results. Oh, with carb off, you can also squirt some oil into the intake to lube/increase compression while trying starting fluid and faster cranking.
100% with you on the 24 volts. I used to have ob old ford that had such bad compression I would need to connect a spare battery in series to het it to start from cold. The dash warning lights glowed like lazer beems but didnt blow. After running for 30 seconds or so I could put it back to 12 volts and it qould be fine so long as I started it every 2 hours.
The early 70's Mercury Capri's had small V 4's in them too and went quite well. I know guys that put these engines in Jeeps too. They would rev higher and had a little more horse power too.
Great video as usual. Great job on the editing and telling the story over an hour. It would be good to see this SAAB move under its own power, but if is to much money and time that's understandable. Sometimes you have to cut your losses. It would also be good to see another inventory video. To see what's in the yard and shop atm. Thank you God bless.
The V4 in the Saabs were originally a ford built motor used in generators. They has siamesed exhaust ports. I used to race one of the first 10 prototype Saab 99's. A low slung sporty version that had the original Ford V4 in it. I modified it and had a custom dual weber intake made for it. It also had the "Freewheeling " feature originally used as a economy feature so you coasted when you took your foot off the gas. There was a lever to engage/disengage it. I also had one of the 2 cycle 3 bangers. 4 speed on the column. This brings back a lot of memories.
I owned a '69 and a '73 and worked on a lot of these cars years ago when I started out at an independent shop (goin' on 38 years as a mechanic). They were fantastic vehicles, tough as nails, with some minor issues. That V4 ford engine was virtually bullet proof, (except for the nylon timing gears which was a common problem) was easy to work on, and went 300,000+ miles or more. Also, the free wheel system was a problem with a plastic actuator which always failed eventually and stuck the trans. in permanent free wheel (my '69 did this). The car was comfortable, reliable, and had the best heater system of any old car I've seen, and was as good as any 4x4 in snow (with the right tires). The parts prices were very reasonable for European cars back then as well, compared to today (ridiculous). I loved those old 96's. A vast improvement compared to the 2 stroke 95 (shitbox engine). By the way, if you remove that front radiator support, headlights and all, you have complete access to remove the drivetrain easily.
I share your sentiments! I had at least 4 95/96 cars in the late 70's. I can remember having friends help me with a clutch replacement. They were amazed that 5 minutes into the job that the entire engine compartment was open. Squeeze the hood supports inward and remove the hood. A few screws and a few bolts, two radiator hoses and out with the grille assembly. An hour or so later, hoist the engine and transmission. Clutch replacement done in an afternoon. I would drive that $500 car through anything, and then buy another.
'@@paulrodgers811 Yes Sir, they were some of the best times I had in my youth driving "white Lightnin" (nickname for '69) ant the Blue Bell (my blue '73) so many good memories. When you're young, you don't pay any mind to nostalgia, as a matter of fact, you kinda make fun of the old guys saying "back in my day, blah blah", but seriously, back then people were literally giving cars away or selling them cheap because you could buy a DECENT priced new car and didn't have to sign your life away on a ridiculously priced new vehicle that's either worth nothing or falls apart after 3-5 years. You could get a 3-4-500.00 dollar car with very little repairs to do, register and insure it for next to nothing, and drive it for a few years, then move on. Of course, the days of building a quality, lasting vehicle for the working guy or gal stopped, I'll be generous, say around 1985, and pretty much throw away garbage from then on. Sorry, I'm rambling off topic, but the "old" stuff was the part of the reason I became a mechanic, each brand was easily identifiable, unique, had its own feel and, of course smell. But here's the future. I'm not a mechanic any more.... I"m a "technician". Anyway, I loved my 2 old Saabs, 3 MG's, 1 Opel cadet, 1 Austin Marina, 2 144 series Volvo's, 3 Fiat 128's, 1 Datsun B210 and 1 F-10, 2 Toyota Corolla's, 2 Corona's and 1 Carina, my 4 Subarus, and all the other freebies and cheapo"s I've owned over the years but the old Saabs were my favorite.
All SAAB 96's had freewheeling, even the early SAAB 99's with Triumph 1,7 and 1,85 litre engines had it. Was gone when SAAB built their own 2-litre engine. Fun fact is that this Cologne Ford V4 engine was the only engine found in a SAAB that had pushrods. It has extremly short stroke at 58,86 millimetre/ 2,317" and the bore was 90 millimetres/ 3,52388" so truly an oddball engine.
I own this car when I was 16 years old. However mine with a 3 cylinder, 2 cycle engine. It also has a "free wheeling transmission". The only options it had were heat and an AM radio. It was not a very cool car to drive to high school! LOL!! Drove it for a couple of years until the transmission started making a lot of noise in high gear. Dad made me sell it as it was not worth to cost of repair, even if I did it myself. Glad you guys tried to get it going.
My Dad had a '65 SAAB 96 Monte Carlo, it had the standard "three on the tree" with freewheel. It also had a three cylinder two-stroke engine which sounded like a big ass snowmobile, the engine had a LIFE TIME warranty! You engaged or disengaged the free wheel with a T-shaped handle above the clutch pedal. Mom had a '74 SAAB Sonnet with the 4 cyl., I think that one was 1698 cc's, it had a four on the floor. GOOD LUCK! It's a cool car, and it looks like it's not to far gone. Shift pattern: R 2 1 3
I highly recommend Milwaukee cordless... This rig needs special attention. There are SAAB enthusiast that will pay top dollar for a good condition numbers matching SAABs ... If not, Turbo. Never defeated. This is Gods way of humbling us...He will let you know when its time for the Saabinator to run Watching all these stuck motors...I keep thinking, you need Kroil. Each one of these 'Restored" engines or not, I'm so impressed by the determination you and your Dad have. I hope you have another Revival collaboration with Vice Grip Garage again.
You might have found out by now, but under the distributor there is a square drive which is the oil pump drive and quite often when you pull the distributor out, the shaft comes out and then drops silently into the sump, you know after five min's of running when it Sizes up. !. I once took the Sump off a Ford Consul to change the sump gasket, in the UK, to find three oil pump drives just sat waiting for me to liberate them, :-) yes it is a ford engine, it was used all over the place in the Sixties / seventies in the UK and Europe, in UK it was in the Transit van, Consul, Zephyr, Capri, I have even seen one in a Generator 2lt Square V4. Hope this is helpful, regards Robin.
I love that you are giving that old Scandinavian some love. We had plenty of these old Swedish Saab cars here in Denmark back in the days. That thing is an organic woody!
When you put it in gear to try and break the engine loose, put it in the highest gear (probably 3rd on that one). It'll give you the most gearing advantage against the crankshaft.
That lever you're pushing on in the passenger compartment is the free-wheel lever. When pushed in the transmission is in free-wheel. Pull it out and it will work like a conventional transmission.
I'm a new subscriber, I love how much time you guys put into trying to make it run and I agree if you would of had the right parts or even a spare tire I think you guys could have gotten it started. Keep up the great work guys and God Bless you guys and your families. I can't wait to see the next video. 💯👍👍🙏🙏
Don't give up on this old girl. This is a classic Saab. I had a 72 Saab 96 and I loved it. Had to sell it because I didn't have the money to pay for labor to install a master cylinder. Had the part but not the money for labor. Sold it to a friend that had the wherewithal to do it himself and he drove it for another 7 years before he upgraded. Not sure where she eventually ended up, but I hope she still had a few more years left or was sold to a collector.
I think you need to get this one running again, it's so close. Great effort keep spraying those cylinders, and maybe the rings will get better. Plus use mixed 2 cycle on it, anything helps!
For everybody saying that the Essex and Cologne V4's are the same, no they are not. Colognes used in Saabs were either 1,5 of 1,7 liter, no Essexes were ever used. Parts are not interchangeable.
Need too try filling the cyl's with coke cola and let it sit for a few days. Might have too do it a couple times depending on how bad it is rusted. I have got a lot of engines freed up doing this over the last 40 years.
I really would like to see this one built ,air ride ,interior, maybe even paint would be cool to see on the ground ,looks like a power wash would be a good one on this ole girl,Restored Fan, Minot North Dakota
Guys no defeat, just a setback. With all that you guys toiled to get that car out of that tree graveyard and getting the motor to turn over is just absolutely a win. Keep at it, if anybody can get that car running is the Bush dynamic duo.
Really educated me - don't buy a Saab from a tree row especially if it's part of the tree! Great video love your ingenuity and hard work! Hope this runs as they are great little cars - is that a Ford V4?
I know you don't want to give up on this ole gal. If you come back later, I'll be here to help. Doesn't sound like much but not being a mechanic, being here is about all I got. Kind of a widows mite. Either way, I do enjoy the amazing effort guys !!
Hi Lance....You and your dad put a lot of time in this car... Hope y'all do a little more to it Pls. I have faith in you both. Be safe...See you on the next one! Thank You!
This German Ford V4 was used in the Ford Taunus, Capri and the Transit vans. They came in 1500/1600 and 2000cc. I had a Ford Capri with the 2.0 litre V4 engine at a time. These Saab 96 (both 2-stroke and these V4 versions) were very successful rally cars.
Never heard of a rusted through spin on oil filter before! This would be a popular car for the many SAAB enthusiasts! One guy swears by pouring Acetone into the cylinders to break up ring deposits. Memorable seeing two guys working out in the snow and cold!
What you have in this '68 Saab is a Ford V-4 engine, 4 speed on the column with free wheel clutch. The free wheel clutch is a holdover from the Saab 2 stroke engine as a way to eliminate engine braking which starves the two stroke engine of lubrication. The transmission shift pattern is shown on a sticker on the dashboard. Pulling out on there shift lever allows access to reverse gear. A knob low on the floor is used to lock-out the freewheel. Engine parts are generally available at a Ford Industrial parts dealer or on-line. This engine was used in forklifts and welders in the US. In Europe it was available on many Fords like the US captive import Mercury Capri. The engine timing is a combination of phenolic or steel gears at the front of the engine. The real downfall of the model 96 or most cars of this era is the tin worm. The floor pan and trunk floor are are especially prone to rusting out. Pull up/ peel back the floor carpet and see if this qualifies as Flintstone mobile. As this car appears to have lived in Texas the rust may be minimal. Car also appears to have air conditioning installed and rare for this car. A/C was a dealer installed accessory form a Saab engineered kit. Some A/C was fully aftermarket add-on.
The way you start a no compression old engine that turns feely is to first remove the sparkplugs, spray a lubricant in the holes. It should be a thick one like 80.90W. Block the engine so that it can't turnover in TDC on selected cylinder. Connect compressed air to only that one cylinder. Then you hit the valve stems with a rubber mallet. The grime in the valve seats will come flying out. After doing the same procedeur to all cylinders you put only one sparkplug in for a four cylinder engine, two for a 6 cylinder and 3 for a 8 cylinder. Choose the cylinder with highest compression that you have accieved so far. Using only one plug will make the engine crank very fast. Crank the engine and run it for 5 minutes so it can heat up. It will be noisy and remember to remove spark plug leads so they are not hanging around and create a fire. Then you can ad a plug at a time until it starts with all plugs installed. I have got several engines running from zero compression this way. No warranty though that the oil consumption will be low. Sometimes after a couple of thousand miles the compression rings tend to split in to small pieces if engine overheats.
Love how you all show some love to these cars. This is one of my favorits Fact SAAB cars were built in Sweden 🇸🇪 in 1945 this was the lest model for the SAAB AD in 1968 Can't wait to see more of the car
Just a thought, guys (and gal), your best compression readings come with the throttle blade (and choke) propped wide open. I actually got a flat head straight six to run (very rough and shaky) with 3 of the 6 exhaust valves stuck open by holding it at wide open throttle. If you get time to tinker, Id oil those cylinders again and hold it wide open cranking and see if she pops. Such a rare and cool design! Also, I was always told to push/pull start in the highest forward gear...but that only matters if the clutch is holding. That's the extent of my 2 cents...
i wish i had the time and money to do this stuff i find this fun and soothing i love taking what seems impossible to restore ang making it work again. awesome stuff thanks guys . keep up the good work and videos!
I found this channel thru Vice grip garage.I saw the 9000 mile Lincoln.This Saab is awesome.I would LOVE to see more off beat cars like this.I just subscribed.Being a southern man from Alabama I feel a kindred spirit with ya'll.AWESOME!
The valve seats may be very rusty too, which could cause the low compression. If you can get it to fire even for a a few revolutions the valves might reseat a bit more. Try supplying the ignition coil with it’s own 12V supply. It will give you a fatter spark when you crank it. The ignition timing and points gap OK ?, it’s often overlooked. You might want to advance the timing a little and make sure the points gap is correct.
I personally have always loved Saab. I actually want to own something like this, a Saab with the V4 engine. The real downside with owning these Saabs is that some parts as I know is quite difficult to find. I personally would love seeing this one running again, the engine you can hear wants to starts. It really wants to run, but there are just things hindering it from starting. From knowing about Saab quite a bit they've always had problems with their transmissions, idk about these in the Saab 92, 93, 95 & 96, however most of the transmissions has issues.
God bless y'all for what you do. I'm still watchin....waiting to see what happens. Just a Grandma watchin what do in my recliner with heating pad. Thanks guys for making these great videos! 👍❤
It brings back memories, I used to work on these in 1970-80 I miss those times. I want to see what it looks like when finished. Just wanted to add but some might know it, when I used to change my oil I would put in 1/2 quart of automatic transmission fluid, It would clean and free up hydraulic lifters and rings.
Love this little project. I’ve not seen a 1960ish Saab 96 project before. Very interesting. Hoping you both continue and I will watch for sure! I see the value of these is really increasing.
Hello my brothers in Jesus I enjoy watching you guys working and it is educational to me I really appreciate it you too brothers are hard workers I tell you that God bless you man you and your family both of you and your family and I hope you have a very merry Christmas my name is Juan Fuentes I live in Joplin Missouri and I'm glad to watch your post may God bless you tell your sister I said hi and God bless her also and your entire family you guys a good workers to tell you that God bless you guys have a merry Christmas bye j u a n. F u e n t e s. Later
Watch Us Rescue This Car From The Woods Here: ua-cam.com/video/ilqYDlPsD6g/v-deo.html
I'm watching the guys intently to see the car functioning, I'm actually excited. Keep up.
@@dumisanimashabane3206 .ok
Saabs are notorious for their transmissions crapping out. Love that your trying to bring the Saab back to life. I’ve owned several myself, my 1987 we had to replace the transmission.
Question please : How do you find replacement parts for this old rare Saab ??
Have u heard about youtuber mustie1. The undead master of all engine.
The odd "failure" makes us all realize your stuff is REAL.
So tired of the nonsense on network TV.
We all love and appreciate the grit of real hands on work.
Win or loose...
The relationship between you are your father is wonderful to watch. You both bring things to the table but value your dad's advise and knowledge that comes with age and experience. You are a smart fellow to gleen his wisdom and keep a good report with your dad. So few have what you have. It's no small thing. God bless you both. Some day when he's gone you will treasure all this time with him. Grandma mary
I really want to see more of this car. It’s so unique and I’d like to see a little bit more progress on this one!
Absolutely. I love unique cars. I know it takes a bit more to get parts and they're unfamiliar but that's what makes the videos so interesting. Please do more with this Saab.
I owned one similar.. except that it was the "Monte Carlo" edition with the original Saab two strokes engine, three carburettors.. ;-) much more fun. Saab made two strokes engine cars for over two decades, then they put these V4 Ford engines for a couple of years and then got that famous Triumph 4 slanted cylinders block in their new "99 model" wich was in fact the same car (the 96 model) but made wider and more modern looking. Then they added the turbo to it.. and the rest is history.. I still drive a 9-5 model Saab that drives and looks like new after its 14 years of use. Bravo Saab.. By the way, if you look on the net, you'll sure find Saab 96 models racing in rallies and winning.. they were fun cars. Sylvain Giguere Québec Can.
Yeah, get the parts and rebuild it. You win some and you win some harder. You don't lose some.
Apparently you can do a full turbo race build on these engines!
@@GiguereSylvain Slight correction: the 99 was a completely new model, nothing to do with the 96. The classic 900 was a reworked 99 though.
Really love this! I'm from Sweden, born in '72 and I was close to being born in a Saab V4. During my childhood my dad ran through 3 of them and knew them inside out. Thank you for doing this!
HEY! I hope you see this comment but the freewheeling clutch means you can not pull/pushstart it! The clutch engages slowly when the engine revs to a certain rpm, ~1500-2000. The freewheel clutch operates EXACTLY like a chainsaw, kicks in with rpm. Identical operation in bigger scale. You can put the car in gear without pressing the clutch when taking off. The 96 had the freewheel clutch because this body style saabs used to have 2-stroke engine which seized; didn't get lubrication if let to engine brake but Saab decided to continue using the freewheel with these German Ford V4 engines. These cars were built where I live, were very common back in the day.
I made this comment on another channel. How the FK did it get here???????????????
@@UberLummox where else would that comment be relevant? you sure? :D
The freewheel mechanism can be locked out, just pull the lever.
So wrong! You can change gear without using the clutch when at some speed 'driving' and the freewheel is engaged. Starting from a standstill without using the clutch would be 'impressive' and harm the gearbox bigtime, next to impossible! Drive it like a manual! How I know? Currently have four of these SAAB's as in two of the 96 model and two 95's thats the estate or 'wagon' version. Oh and you cant reach any part of the crank from outside, needs front cover of engine taking off for that. Trying to hard to turn it over when stuck as bad as this one can harm or ruin the costly cam gears made of 'fibre'. SAAB Club of Sweden can sell you most of the parts needed, and yes they happily ship parts worldwide. Otherwise try Tom Donney in the USA. He even remanufacture some gearbox parts for these.
@@thatdudeinorange2297 I agree on the taking off part.
But he was right about the short-nose body style, and early long nose body style, was 2-stroke, and the reason for the freewheeling!
But the freewheeling was because of lubrication, IIRC?
I'm currently rebuilding a spare motor for my Saab and had to do the same as you guys to get it unstuck. I hope you know that the oil pump is driven off the distributor, so having that removed and cranking the starter means that there is no oil circulating round the bottom end. Also you spotted that this is an open deck design of block with wet liners. This design was only used for the first couple of years of the V4, meaning that this is an early V4 motor. later ones were a closed deck design. Spares and gasket sets are reasonably available for these motors, so you shouldn't have much problem with that. The rings on mine were stuck that bad that most of them got broken during removal, I had to chisel them out of the ring grooves!
hey guys.... short term cross two batteries to 24v to get her to spin like hell... leave the ignition sytem on 12v.. of course the starter will only last so long BUT i bet youll get her to bust off... dont ask me how i know!
haha Been there too myself Puddin! sometimes gotta give her all the juice
Had five H1 Hummers where I worked. Diesel engines with 24 volt system. We had a d8 battery on a handcart we we would put in series with the two batteries in the H1. Of course the fact it was every bit of zero degrees out when we were trying to start..
I think puddin needs this to put a Datsun motor in it.😂😂
Hey Puddin, these guys are doing miracles.. did you see that ford?
I just my 36 volt golfcart and connect 3 batteries together (18v) works great
I bought a new light blue V4 Saab 1968 96 in the beginning of 1969. Loved the car and the mileage (32 mpg over 3 years) and the ease of driving it Good luck with it. But I'm fairly sure I started mine by locking out the freewheel (pull out the T handle to the right of the accelerator), rolling it down a slight hill, then popping the clutch. Once it was started you could go back to freewheel by simply pushing in the handle with the toe of you right foot (but it needed to be stopped to lock out the freewheel). You didn't need to use the clutch changing gears, but you did when you came to a stop. Good luck with it; it was a wonderful car!
There is something I’ve always loved about this car. It’s a great body style. I watched the video of you guys getting it out. You are way more determined than I am. And you have great friends to show up and help you out.
Being a former SAAB owner, I was really rooting for you guys to get her running an maybe sell it to someone who wanted to restore it. But you can’t win them all. Valiant effort guys!
Fiquei cansado só de olhar
@@DenisAntonioDenis-sk7izdeu dó... it pains...
You two are tenacious. That was a ton of fun to watch. After over an hour watching, I am hoping you decide to keep on working on it. Truly I do!
I had a couple more modern SAABs, but this little 96 is really cool. Would love to see it fully restored, but I know that would be a difficult journey. Good work, guys.
I loved my 96, which was a '71, and its Ford Industrial V-4. It was great fun to drive, and an excellent car. GM bought out SAAB and promptly ran the company into the ground. That's GM for you. They even put SAAB badges on Subarus. It was good to have two competing car makers in Sweden. Now China owns Volvo. Phooey.
There is Tshirts Available with; Saab born from Jets, ruined by a-holes!
With a Saab logo above and a GM-Logo with a red line over(!) below.
@@volvobrynk GM spent a ton of money on SAAB as did the Swedish government before them as the company had not made any money forever, you rag on GM but if it wasn't for them wasting all that money they would have went under years ago. As mechanic I can tell you no tears shed here.
@@jimhaines8370 Do you know why GM put money into Saab? Because they made them money, or do you think GM runs a car-charity? They pretty much "cooked the books" when it came to sales to be able to do tax-write offs. For instance the US-sales wasn't included under the Saab name so in Sweden it looked like they were loosing money when they in fact was self sufficient.
More can be read by KPMGs report that they made on order from the Swedish government.
@@jimhaines8370 I had a 1991 900i, my dad had 1990 900 and now owns a 1992 900 aero/spg.
They are some very well enginered cars, and i will really miss them!
The 900 was the second best car I ever owned. They way that handles in snow, I second to none! So i don’t buy that GM was of no fault, there was more things to it then that.
I agree l, GM send a lot of money that way, and kept them a float, yes. But also tried to “normalizing” an very unique car!
They all sound like Saab stories to me
I just found the two videos for this car. I LOVE unique cars and Saabs are definitely unique. I'm also third generation Norwegian-American and I would love to see any built in Scandinavia car working. Even if it is a Swedish car.😉
Yeah, cause Norway built… that’s right, NO car 😅🇸🇪
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clean the engine bay out you need a leaf mulcher powerful suction
Put 2 batteries in series on it and feed it 24 volts... she will turn over then fast...lol... Id seperate the starter batteries from the ignition system but what do you have to lose ?...if it starts it might reseat the rings ....if the starter burns up then you are not really any further back!...good luck
YOU CAN BAND-AID the head gasket with rtv or flex-seal. while the head is off heat up the pistons with a torch and cool them down with your favorite cutting oil
Take the flywheel cover off and see if there's grass and stuff inside of it
Just had a idea when knocking the pistons loose if you got a rubber mallet take the rubber head off and use that with the wood instead of hammer n wood might help
Hello guys.
Exciting rescue mission. I'm not a SAAB guy, but I know old SAABs were equipped with freewheels. This may explain why the transmission feels a bit slippery and messy. It's a leftover from the era of the two-stroke engine.
Tip, take a quick look at wikipedia on SAAB 96, to understand what kind of car you are dealing with. It is a good and iconic car.
(SAAB 96 were popular as rally cars here in Sweden and Finland)
Regards
Christer
"Karlsson pa taket" et.al. made these little cars famous with the Scandinavian flick. Which you had to do due to FWD but it later transferred to 4WD as well since they also understeer. They also pioneered left foot braking so they kept the throttle down in the turns.
The freewheel was a leftover from the 2 stroke days. It did have the advantage of not needing the clutch once the car was moving.
@@azynkron the 96 was never transferred to 4x4, where did you hear that?
Bad luck boys, perhaps contact the Saab club in Texas and they might be able to assist as it doesn't seem too far from firing. Ultimately it may require a complete engine and gearbox teardown, assessment and rebuild. Come back later and have another go, there's nothing quite like a Saab.
All the best.
it is a ford v4 engine you can still find plenty of parts for it , at least here in europe, because those engines were used until the 2000s , if we have the problem of low compression after sitting for a long time we put 2-stroke oil in the gas to fix it temporarily and keep it going longer than putting some oil in the cylinder all the time , the clutch of the saab 96 has a freewheel to ensure that the old two-stroke continued to get oil when you went downhill with your throttle off , and that clutch is also placed on the v4 , that a pull start is not going to work
Such a cool little car! I thought it was a lost cause, but once you got it spinning with the starter I was really hoping! The car is so unique It might be worth ordering some parts enough to get it running, rings, gaskets, run a hone down the cylinders, etc. I think taking a pressure washer to it inside and out and getting the engine to run would set it up to sell pretty quick even if the transmission has an issue. I'd love to see it cleaned up and the engine running, some of the big dents pushed out, etc. I love your channel!
This comment needed a heart ❤️, because I totally agree!
It probably is a lost cause.
It would be cool to have it running on the road still with the chunk of wood fused into the front
@@ShadowsOnTheScreen its actually preety easy to make it run...they just skipped all the needed steps unfortunately
Back in late 60,s I worked in a mopar/autolite ( motorcraft) parts store ( pueblo, colo) and we got saab parts and motors for a guy called Peter Rabbit who had a commune called Drop City in Trinidad Colo. He built domes out of car hoods .
I went there a couple of times was a trippy place lol.
He would not drive anything else..
Cool vid which stirred my memory
Thanks .👍🏻
Guys, that was a valiant effort to get that old Saab running! I hope to see you guys come back around and revisit this one as I'm quite interested in hearing that little v4 bark to life! Awesome video as always and I can't wait for the next one!
I'm no mechanice but I enjoyed listening to this whole thing. You guys don't give up easily, a good lesson for anybody to learn.
Sure was great to see that engine bay again, really takes me back! Might just be the free-wheel that’s making it seem like the tranny is bad, that feature disconnects the wheels from the engine unless you give it some RPMs. When ours was going down a hill that V-4 would literally be idling.
I've been a viewer "Subscriber" of your channel for about a year now. I must say, out of all the collection of car restoration channels, Yours is my favorite. You and your father are Real people and Real mechanics. You work hard to recover the cars and trucks from where they ""Died"" pretty much,, some from 50+ years ago... You break the motors down to the bare bolts, clean out rats nests, get stung by bees etc. You don't edit your videos with nonsense. I miss working on cars with my father, he's been gone since Feb 2010... I enjoy watching the miracles you perform on some of these vehicles that have been left and forgotten about. You give a lot of them a 2nd life for people to enjoy... Keep up the good work and I'll keep watching... You two are the best.
Use 2 stroke gas to prime the carb. The added oil in the mix will help with sealing.
The V4 was a Ford engine four strokes, while the Saab 3 cylinder was two strokes ;-)
@@GiguereSylvain Correct, but what we're talking about is using two stroke mix fuel for this four stroke to increase compression for starting.
@@murmenaattori6 I would not have thought of using this trick, but it makes perfect sense. 👍
OMgee, I'm watching this in the Spring of 2023 and your dedication to this job is crazy amazing. You're out there in freezing temps, it's snowing all the while you're still pounding away on those pistons. That's dedication!
I love watching your family interactions and your tenacity is inspiring.
Hay guys, My Name is Kevin Tatro from Burrillville Rhode Island. I have been working on cars trucks and everything in between since i was 14 years old. Im now 52 and have learned a lot an still learning but Id like to share a little secret with you i learned thoughout the years. Used Brake Fluid is the best rust penetrant on the planet. Just don't get any on paint you care about because it will be gone right to bare metal by the next morning. I figure you can break a few engines free using this method. I kept a large bottle of dot 3 and stuck a squirter in it from a bottle of some chemical I had emptied and what I do is bleed brakes directly into this bottle as it slowly refills it always having the best rust penetrant on the planet. Hope this helps. Good luck and keep up the good work. Someone is learning something somewhere watching you. God Bless. From Kevin T. in Burrillville R.I.
My buddy in college had a Saab. As I recall he said it was a Ford industrial V4. Great car he drove from Iowa to Fairbanks Alaska and we got around in it just fine. Those are good safe well built cars. The interior/ dash looks good.
Is there a spare in the trunk? Keep at it.
The V4 was a German made unit, fitted to European Taurus, the UK had the Kent in-line OHC 4.
Had one of these about 25 yrs ago, damn good cars, not mega powerful
You are right, that engine is Ford Germany 1.5l V4 and was also used at Ford Taunus 15M car.
@@mattinieminen9826 that was the car, Ford Cortina sized vehicle, spelt it wrong though 😅
@@johnwynne2179 Not Taurus like Us cars but Taunus is correct, this is mountain in Germany😊
As others said, this is the Ford Taunus V4. However when you run into them in the US, they were Ford Industrial engines. Same engine, just different use. We had a Portable air compressor powered by a Ford Industrial V4 at one of the placed I worked.
I rebuilt one of those German Taunus V-4s. Inside the car, underneath the lowest heater tube, you'll find a T handle, the Freewheel handle. When pulled out (toward rear) the clutch acts as normal. Push it in (forward) and the clutch acts like a centrifugal clutch. In that position, you could be going 60, let off the gas completely and the engine will go to idle as you sail along. It's great for when, say, the hydraulic clutch goes out. Push in the Freewheel lever and you can start it no problem, even in gear, then increase the RPMs, the clutch engages and you're off. Ease back throttle and shift gently. Basically, the freewheel control shuts off engine braking; maybe to avoid loading the trans on a long downhill.
That engine includes a counter-balancing shaft driven by a large, compressed-fiber gear. In my case, the rattle was the 2 bearings on that shaft that had worn out pretty severely. The 4-speed trans in the Saab 96 was somewhat of a miracle in design, very short gearbox but fairly reliable, and took a well-experienced trans-chanic to rebuild. Reverse = pull shift handle outward, back & down. Otherwise it's the standard H pattern when looking at the steering column from the right. Those cars were used in European, dirt-road rallies for quite a few years. From the 3-cyl, 2-stroke models (850cc) to the 4-stroke V4 (1183 to 1699cc - through 4 models). Smallest was 40 bhp.
The front grill comes off by removing 6 small bolts.
Wiki - "The V4 was later expanded into the Ford Cologne V6 engine that was used in the Ford Capri, Ford Taunus, Ford Cortina, Ford Consul, Ford Granada, Ford Sierra, Ford Scorpio, Ford Ranger, Ford Explorer, Ford Mustang, Mercury Capri, and many other cars."
Good luck guys! You'll have earned it.
Good job fellas! Getting her unstuck was a big hurdle and I’m hoping to hear this little car running soon. Thank you very much for sharing and God bless!
Even though it was being attacked by huge trees for 2years plus uropean cars are very tough .it's not dead yet.i like the way there doing things on yhe engine there not forceing nothing there takeing it apart getting it unseized first once its free again then reassemble it that's the best way some of those Saab.s realy haul my buddy has a 68 Saab pretty zippy
For 25 years plus
Questions for you Lance and Wyatt. If you went as far as pulling the engine, then why not drop the oil pan and pistons to loosen those rings? I know it's more work for the possibility of stuck rings, but would it be worth it in the end? Could that be done without destroying the rings?
I know you are on a schedule to get the vehicle running and rolling, but your viewers hopefully would understand when you encounter a sieged engine.
Great vid guys. Keep up the good work!
I had some similar thoughts. When the Motor was out, why not disassembling it just for a clean up and an little lubricating (pistons, rings, rods, etc.)?
I think it would take a similar amount of time, like trying around and sticking in the bush.
I would really like for you all to come back later, see about getting some head and intake gaskets and try it again . There is something about this little car that I like and would love to see it running again. You all gave it a good try . Maybe go ahead and tear the motor on down and take the pistons out . I will see you all on another one, so be careful and stay safe .
As always, Jeffrey !!!! 🤗👍
For the love of SAAB! Having cut my teeth as a young mechanic, especially on this model SAAB, my heart sunk further and further as I watched both videos about this car. Your approach to the goal, get it running, was way off. First, the engine and trans should be removed as one unit. Second, a frozen engine, sometimes can be broken loose with the crank bolt, otherwise is a candidate for a teardown and inspection. At the least, a leakdown test would indicate the most likely issue after rotation is confirmed. Forgot to mention that I held the world record (and maybe still do) for SAAB V4 engine and transmission removal at 19 minutes, while it was still hot from driving!
You have received a lot of support for the videos posted about this car. Trained and somewhat partial to a method or approach of "restoration" I do appreciate the effort and time. Good luck with that car because done right will be a fun way to learn about an older vehicle and how it drives, Born from Jets.
Is nice to see you try to get this old Swedish classic car to run. Hope you guy’s will make it run later this engine sounds awesome! Also I am happy to see that you found the Saab specifics there with the hood opening forward and they have small button that you have to press/hold in order to set the gearbox in reverse and there is one more Saab specific thing from this time aera of the 1960-70s Saabs that it has to be set in reverse gear in order for the ignition key to be taken out.
that rear gear for key removal is true of 900's also. Really rooting for this gem to run and be restored :)
If you really think it is bad head gasket compression loss, a trick I used when we needed to trouble shoot and find a problem as you are doing was to use "Copper Coat" gasket rejuvenation. i still use it on lawn mowers when I do not have the right head gaskets in stock. I have about 12 bottles of this coating/sealer in stock. I use the small two ounce bottles as this stuff can harden up once it is open. It will fill any voids in the gaskets with metal (copper of course). I have never had a problem with getting it off. When I have the correct gaskets I use those of course. On some engines with slightly warped block ( not sealing but close and too much warp to machine) I have left it on and it sealed. The customer (who would not pay for a new block or even a used one) was happy and the tracker is still running. I set it up to store for him every year and inspect and recommend maintenance. I have also used it on good gaskets on full size cars and left it on. This stuff works.
I also have a thought on the trans/clutch situation, The freewheel on that engine is a centrifugal clutch like on a mini bike or chain saw. The clutch will only engage if the engine side is rotating at a speed high enough to do so. Sooooo, the point, you cannot push or pull start this vehicle.
Compression tests should always be done with wide open throttle. Very enjoyable to watch. Thanks Guys and Galls!
Couple of thoughts, if you don't already know of them. One, check the timing. Two, remove carb and just spray into the intake. Three, you CAN hook two batteries in series, 24 volts, around the car and JUST to the starter and run it at 24 volts to get a LOT faster cranking (which as you mentioned, you need). This isn't a permanent solution, of course, but just to get it spinning really fast to see if it'll fire and bring the compression on. Lastly, use ONLY spray start/ether vs. gasoline as it'll fire a LOT easier than almost any type of gasoline. I'll be interested if you try any of these suggestions, especially the 24 volts to just the starter and the results. Oh, with carb off, you can also squirt some oil into the intake to lube/increase compression while trying starting fluid and faster cranking.
100% with you on the 24 volts. I used to have ob old ford that had such bad compression I would need to connect a spare battery in series to het it to start from cold. The dash warning lights glowed like lazer beems but didnt blow. After running for 30 seconds or so I could put it back to 12 volts and it qould be fine so long as I started it every 2 hours.
The early 70's Mercury Capri's had small V 4's in them too and went quite well. I know guys that put these engines in Jeeps too. They would rev higher and had a little more horse power too.
Really nice to see Father and Son working together. Great memories beig built working together. Good example for us all.
Great video as usual. Great job on the editing and telling the story over an hour.
It would be good to see this SAAB move under its own power, but if is to much money and time that's understandable. Sometimes you have to cut your losses. It would also be good to see another inventory video. To see what's in the yard and shop atm.
Thank you
God bless.
The V4 in the Saabs were originally a ford built motor used in generators. They has siamesed exhaust ports. I used to race one of the first 10 prototype Saab 99's. A low slung sporty version that had the original Ford V4 in it. I modified it and had a custom dual weber intake made for it. It also had the "Freewheeling " feature originally used as a economy feature so you coasted when you took your foot off the gas. There was a lever to engage/disengage it. I also had one of the 2 cycle 3 bangers. 4 speed on the column. This brings back a lot of memories.
I owned a '69 and a '73 and worked on a lot of these cars years ago when I started out at an independent shop (goin' on 38 years as a mechanic). They were fantastic vehicles, tough as nails, with some minor issues. That V4 ford engine was virtually bullet proof, (except for the nylon timing gears which was a common problem) was easy to work on, and went 300,000+ miles or more. Also, the free wheel system was a problem with a plastic actuator which always failed eventually and stuck the trans. in permanent free wheel (my '69 did this). The car was comfortable, reliable, and had the best heater system of any old car I've seen, and was as good as any 4x4 in snow (with the right tires). The parts prices were very reasonable for European cars back then as well, compared to today (ridiculous). I loved those old 96's. A vast improvement compared to the 2 stroke 95 (shitbox engine). By the way, if you remove that front radiator support, headlights and all, you have complete access to remove the drivetrain easily.
I share your sentiments! I had at least 4 95/96 cars in the late 70's. I can remember having friends help me with a clutch replacement. They were amazed that 5 minutes into the job that the entire engine compartment was open. Squeeze the hood supports inward and remove the hood. A few screws and a few bolts, two radiator hoses and out with the grille assembly. An hour or so later, hoist the engine and transmission. Clutch replacement done in an afternoon. I would drive that $500 car through anything, and then buy another.
'@@paulrodgers811 Yes Sir, they were some of the best times I had in my youth driving "white Lightnin" (nickname for '69) ant the Blue Bell (my blue '73) so many good memories. When you're young, you don't pay any mind to nostalgia, as a matter of fact, you kinda make fun of the old guys saying "back in my day, blah blah", but seriously, back then people were literally giving cars away or selling them cheap because you could buy a DECENT priced new car and didn't have to sign your life away on a ridiculously priced new vehicle that's either worth nothing or falls apart after 3-5 years. You could get a 3-4-500.00 dollar car with very little repairs to do, register and insure it for next to nothing, and drive it for a few years, then move on. Of course, the days of building a quality, lasting vehicle for the working guy or gal stopped, I'll be generous, say around 1985, and pretty much throw away garbage from then on. Sorry, I'm rambling off topic, but the "old" stuff was the part of the reason I became a mechanic, each brand was easily identifiable, unique, had its own feel and, of course smell. But here's the future. I'm not a mechanic any more.... I"m a "technician". Anyway, I loved my 2 old Saabs, 3 MG's, 1 Opel cadet, 1 Austin Marina, 2 144 series Volvo's, 3 Fiat 128's, 1 Datsun B210 and 1 F-10, 2 Toyota Corolla's, 2 Corona's and 1 Carina, my 4 Subarus, and all the other freebies and cheapo"s I've owned over the years but the old Saabs were my favorite.
Those cars have a one way bearing on the drivewheels.
Nothing wrong with the transmission.
Great video btw.
Wasn't that only on the two stroke variant?
@@KayoMichiels From what I know it was used on the V4's as well. At least the early cars.
All SAAB 96's had freewheeling, even the early SAAB 99's with Triumph 1,7 and 1,85 litre engines had it. Was gone when SAAB built their own 2-litre engine. Fun fact is that this Cologne Ford V4 engine was the only engine found in a SAAB that had pushrods. It has extremly short stroke at 58,86 millimetre/ 2,317" and the bore was 90 millimetres/ 3,52388" so truly an oddball engine.
I own this car when I was 16 years old. However mine with a 3 cylinder, 2 cycle engine. It also has a "free wheeling transmission". The only options it had were heat and an AM radio. It was not a very cool car to drive to high school! LOL!! Drove it for a couple of years until the transmission started making a lot of noise in high gear. Dad made me sell it as it was not worth to cost of repair, even if I did it myself. Glad you guys tried to get it going.
Dont give up guys! It would be awesome to see what that v4 powerhouse can deliver!!
My Dad had a '65 SAAB 96 Monte Carlo, it had the standard "three on the tree" with freewheel. It also had a three cylinder two-stroke engine which sounded like a big ass snowmobile, the engine had a LIFE TIME warranty! You engaged or disengaged the free wheel with a T-shaped handle above the clutch pedal. Mom had a '74 SAAB Sonnet with the 4 cyl., I think that one was 1698 cc's, it had a four on the floor. GOOD LUCK! It's a cool car, and it looks like it's not to far gone.
Shift pattern: R 2
1 3
I'm commenting in advance. I have a 68 Saab just like this. Hope it starts
My condolences..., 😆
I got 5 of these…. Can’t even find the hood open lever
I highly recommend Milwaukee cordless... This rig needs special attention. There are SAAB enthusiast that will pay top dollar for a good condition numbers matching SAABs ... If not, Turbo. Never defeated. This is Gods way of humbling us...He will let you know when its time for the Saabinator to run
Watching all these stuck motors...I keep thinking, you need Kroil. Each one of these 'Restored" engines or not, I'm so impressed by the determination you and your Dad have.
I hope you have another Revival collaboration with Vice Grip Garage again.
Maybe one day in the near future you can get back on it and get it to run and drive. Good luck and I'll be waiting and watching the next episode!!
You might have found out by now, but under the distributor there is a square drive which is the oil pump drive and quite often when you pull the distributor out, the shaft comes out and then drops silently into the sump, you know after five min's of running when it Sizes up. !. I once took the Sump off a Ford Consul to change the sump gasket, in the UK, to find three oil pump drives just sat waiting for me to liberate them, :-) yes it is a ford engine, it was used all over the place in the Sixties / seventies in the UK and Europe, in UK it was in the Transit van, Consul, Zephyr, Capri, I have even seen one in a Generator 2lt Square V4. Hope this is helpful, regards Robin.
Binged all past episodes this week and subbed today!!! Love what yall do ❤
I love that you are giving that old Scandinavian some love. We had plenty of these old Swedish Saab cars here in Denmark back in the days.
That thing is an organic woody!
When you put it in gear to try and break the engine loose, put it in the highest gear (probably 3rd on that one). It'll give you the most gearing advantage against the crankshaft.
That lever you're pushing on in the passenger compartment is the free-wheel lever. When pushed in the transmission is in free-wheel. Pull it out and it will work like a conventional transmission.
It's the trans shifter too.
The transmission shifter is on the column. It's a 4 speed. Free-Wheel lever is below the heater vent.
I'm a new subscriber, I love how much time you guys put into trying to make it run and I agree if you would of had the right parts or even a spare tire I think you guys could have gotten it started. Keep up the great work guys and God Bless you guys and your families. I can't wait to see the next video. 💯👍👍🙏🙏
Don't give up on this old girl. This is a classic Saab. I had a 72 Saab 96 and I loved it. Had to sell it because I didn't have the money to pay for labor to install a master cylinder. Had the part but not the money for labor. Sold it to a friend that had the wherewithal to do it himself and he drove it for another 7 years before he upgraded. Not sure where she eventually ended up, but I hope she still had a few more years left or was sold to a collector.
I think you need to get this one running again, it's so close. Great effort keep spraying those cylinders, and maybe the rings will get better. Plus use mixed 2 cycle on it, anything helps!
For everybody saying that the Essex and Cologne V4's are the same, no they are not. Colognes used in Saabs were either 1,5 of 1,7 liter, no Essexes were ever used. Parts are not interchangeable.
Need too try filling the cyl's with coke cola and let it sit for a few days. Might have too do it a couple times depending on how bad it is rusted. I have got a lot of engines freed up doing this over the last 40 years.
Even though we all wanted to see it run, the journey was still fun to watch. Can't wait for the next video!
I really would like to see this one built ,air ride ,interior, maybe even paint would be cool to see on the ground ,looks like a power wash would be a good one on this ole girl,Restored Fan, Minot North Dakota
Strong work hope part 3!❤
If you hook up some jumper leads from that big red rig you roll around in, do you reckon she'll turn over faster ?
Guys no defeat, just a setback. With all that you guys toiled to get that car out of that tree graveyard and getting the motor to turn over is just absolutely a win. Keep at it, if anybody can get that car running is the Bush dynamic duo.
Maybe it's worth lapping the valves. I think it's a mix of valves, headgasket and rings that results in such a low compression.
Maybe do a leakdown test to see where the compression is going.
You win some and sometimes you lose some.. You both give it your best. On to the next one guy's. Good luck with the next one.
Really educated me - don't buy a Saab from a tree row especially if it's part of the tree! Great video love your ingenuity and hard work! Hope this runs as they are great little cars - is that a Ford V4?
Yes iz is. Iz was usred on many German Ford in 60s
I absolutely love this old Saab. They made some interesting vehicles in their early years
Do you sell these project "save and rescue" cars? FYI: I really love watching you guys. You have a strong family.
I know you don't want to give up on this ole gal. If you come back later, I'll be here to help. Doesn't sound like much but not being a mechanic, being here is about all I got. Kind of a widows mite. Either way, I do enjoy the amazing effort guys !!
Great video. You guys definitely go above and beyond to try and get a car going. Don't give up on this one! Would 24V get it spinning faster? :)
It would burn starter out in no time.
Hi Lance....You and your dad put a lot of time in this car... Hope y'all do a little more to it
Pls. I have faith in you both. Be safe...See you on the next one! Thank You!
Amazing to see what you guys can do. What a cool car. Never even knew they existed.
..not quite nonexistent, but still good to save. 😉
Hope you guys spend more time and get this one going. I would love to see this one get back on the road.
Fun Fact: The first Ford Mustang prototype had a mid-engine V4 in it, same one used by Saab.
I own three Saabs and I'm loving every second of this.
You guys are tough as nails. AND doin' it outside near the noisy highway on the grass. Hard core. Great work!
This German Ford V4 was used in the Ford Taunus, Capri and the Transit vans. They came in 1500/1600 and 2000cc. I had a Ford Capri with the 2.0 litre V4 engine at a time. These Saab 96 (both 2-stroke and these V4 versions) were very successful rally cars.
У нас есть пословица:"Упорство и труд, все перетрут". Вот упорства вам не занимать. Ваше умение бесподобно! У вас золотые руки. Удачи вам!!!
Never heard of a rusted through spin on oil filter before! This would be a popular car for the many SAAB enthusiasts! One guy swears by pouring Acetone into the cylinders to break up ring deposits. Memorable seeing two guys working out in the snow and cold!
Don’t you dare give up on this very unique project!! I’m still rooting for you 👍👍
What you have in this '68 Saab is a Ford V-4 engine, 4 speed on the column with free wheel clutch. The free wheel clutch is a holdover from the Saab 2 stroke engine as a way to eliminate engine braking which starves the two stroke engine of lubrication. The transmission shift pattern is shown on a sticker on the dashboard. Pulling out on there shift lever allows access to reverse gear. A knob low on the floor is used to lock-out the freewheel. Engine parts are generally available at a Ford Industrial parts dealer or on-line. This engine was used in forklifts and welders in the US. In Europe it was available on many Fords like the US captive import Mercury Capri. The engine timing is a combination of phenolic or steel gears at the front of the engine.
The real downfall of the model 96 or most cars of this era is the tin worm. The floor pan and trunk floor are are especially prone to rusting out. Pull up/ peel back the floor carpet and see if this qualifies as Flintstone mobile. As this car appears to have lived in Texas the rust may be minimal. Car also appears to have air conditioning installed and rare for this car. A/C was a dealer installed accessory form a Saab engineered kit. Some A/C was fully aftermarket add-on.
You guys & gal are bound and determined to rescue them cars. God bless you for sharing your projects and faith.
The way you start a no compression old engine that turns feely is to first remove the sparkplugs, spray a lubricant in the holes. It should be a thick one like 80.90W. Block the engine so that it can't turnover in TDC on selected cylinder. Connect compressed air to only that one cylinder. Then you hit the valve stems with a rubber mallet. The grime in the valve seats will come flying out. After doing the same procedeur to all cylinders you put only one sparkplug in for a four cylinder engine, two for a 6 cylinder and 3 for a 8 cylinder. Choose the cylinder with highest compression that you have accieved so far. Using only one plug will make the engine crank very fast. Crank the engine and run it for 5 minutes so it can heat up. It will be noisy and remember to remove spark plug leads so they are not hanging around and create a fire. Then you can ad a plug at a time until it starts with all plugs installed. I have got several engines running from zero compression this way. No warranty though that the oil consumption will be low. Sometimes after a couple of thousand miles the compression rings tend to split in to small pieces if engine overheats.
Love how you all show some love to these cars. This is one of my favorits
Fact SAAB cars were built in Sweden 🇸🇪 in 1945 this was the lest model for the SAAB AD in 1968
Can't wait to see more of the car
Just a thought, guys (and gal), your best compression readings come with the throttle blade (and choke) propped wide open. I actually got a flat head straight six to run (very rough and shaky) with 3 of the 6 exhaust valves stuck open by holding it at wide open throttle. If you get time to tinker, Id oil those cylinders again and hold it wide open cranking and see if she pops. Such a rare and cool design! Also, I was always told to push/pull start in the highest forward gear...but that only matters if the clutch is holding. That's the extent of my 2 cents...
My dad always soaked his engine parts in gasoline. I've used vinegar to soak old rusty tools like new. You guys did a good job unearthing the motor.
The weather there is hilarious, one day sunny, the next snowing. You guys are troopers working out in the snow.
i wish i had the time and money to do this stuff i find this fun and soothing i love taking what seems impossible to restore ang making it work again. awesome stuff thanks guys . keep up the good work and videos!
i want to see more videos of this saab being brought back to life and put back on the road. These are unique cars.
I found this channel thru Vice grip garage.I saw the 9000 mile Lincoln.This Saab is awesome.I would LOVE to see more off beat cars like this.I just subscribed.Being a southern man from Alabama I feel a kindred spirit with ya'll.AWESOME!
The valve seats may be very rusty too, which could cause the low compression. If you can get it to fire even for a a few revolutions the valves might reseat a bit more. Try supplying the ignition coil with it’s own 12V supply. It will give you a fatter spark when you crank it. The ignition timing and points gap OK ?, it’s often overlooked. You might want to advance the timing a little and make sure the points gap is correct.
I personally have always loved Saab. I actually want to own something like this, a Saab with the V4 engine. The real downside with owning these Saabs is that some parts as I know is quite difficult to find. I personally would love seeing this one running again, the engine you can hear wants to starts. It really wants to run, but there are just things hindering it from starting. From knowing about Saab quite a bit they've always had problems with their transmissions, idk about these in the Saab 92, 93, 95 & 96, however most of the transmissions has issues.
I had one 4 years old…. Needed my transmission rebuilt too!💰😭
You win the prize! I would have given up on seeing it stuck in the tree. A for effort!!!
God bless y'all for what you do. I'm still watchin....waiting to see what happens. Just a Grandma watchin what do in my recliner with heating pad. Thanks guys for making these great videos! 👍❤
It brings back memories, I used to work on these in 1970-80 I miss those times. I want to see what it looks like when finished.
Just wanted to add but some might know it, when I used to change my oil I would put in 1/2 quart of automatic transmission fluid, It would clean and free up hydraulic lifters and rings.
you guys love the bad ones , makes watching an adventure all by itself
Love this little project. I’ve not seen a 1960ish Saab 96 project before. Very interesting. Hoping you both continue and I will watch for sure! I see the value of these is really increasing.
Hello my brothers in Jesus I enjoy watching you guys working and it is educational to me I really appreciate it you too brothers are hard workers I tell you that God bless you man you and your family both of you and your family and I hope you have a very merry Christmas my name is Juan Fuentes I live in Joplin Missouri and I'm glad to watch your post may God bless you tell your sister I said hi and God bless her also and your entire family you guys a good workers to tell you that God bless you guys have a merry Christmas bye j u a n. F u e n t e s. Later