Project Dumpster Fire - 10 day marathon

"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
10/23/2018 at 11:25 • Filed to: Project Dumpster Fire

As fun as it sounds to start work on the new project, the annual gathering of Saab weirdos in southern Oklahoma is in exactly 10 days and Project Dumpster Fire needs some love. Here is an accounting of everything I need and want to do to it. Think I can make it in time?

Needs

Ok the only problem that really needs to be worked through is the Saab’s lack of heat. Specifically, the heater control valve is currently bypassed. This is because Pro Parts Sweden apparently can’t make one to save their lives had a year long production quality problem, causing my two replacement valves to start leaking shortly after install.

The problem here is I waited too long to return my 2nd failed valve, and it is no longer under warranty. I could prevail upon the vendor to cut me some slack, and they... might, but then I would be rolling the dice on another PPS valve. Allegedly all the quality issues have been resolved.

The alternative is to swap in my spare valve, which was leaking from an unspecified place. I “rebuilt” is myself and it appears not to be leaking, but then I’m putting in an untested valve and hoping for the best.

Either way, the heater valve needs to be replaced, which involves partially disassembling the interior which will also give me a chance to:

Adjust the brake light switch

Lube the brake pedal return (it squeaks)

Reset the O2 sensor light

Clean up my extra gauge wiring

The other big “need” is the gas tank. It leaks. Oh my god does it leak. The last time I drove it I filled up. About halfway home I noticed the freeway was moving the wrong direction and that seemed... pretty groovy. Like... this is fun...

So I drove the rest of the way with all the windows down and didn’t die... which is... :looks up in manual: Good.

Plan is to try the smoke test thingy on the tank and see if I can identify the leak. my guess is a loose hose clamp or perished gasket. Hopefully whatever it is I can fix it without dropping the tank.

Other than that, the battery needs a new tie down (or... one at all really) and I need to see about servicing the distributor to clean all the oil out of it.

Nice to have

Right now the interior of the Saab is a damn mess. Shop rags, garbage, parts and tools litter the floor boards. The trunk is even worse thanks to frequent fuel pump problems. To add insult to injury some asshole (this asshole, to be specific) has been getting in the car with greasy pants and hands, therefore there are tiny spots of grease on almost every fabric. The plan is to tidy the interior and then hit it with the carpet cleaner this weekend.

The rear speakers are cutting in and out, so I need to figure out what electrical madness that is. Also the radio face-plate is having... issues, unrelated. It is a good radio, but I am tempted to buy something cooler and less sensible and throw it in there. Probably not...

Social Stuff

As detailed last year, this drive was a lot of fun due in no small part to the great group of people that attended the event and helped the ailing Dumpster Fire.

To commemorate this, I am wanting to make a series of give away stuff for people. Mostly I’m thinking Project Dumpster Fire stickers and flasks. My plan is/was to make a logo for this, with a cheerful cartoon dumpster fire, but my artist fell through and, so far, I couldn’t be bothered. I’ll get something out though, even if it is just text based.

Update: Since I wrote this I managed to bang something out. I don’t love it, but I also don’t hate it.

Tick Tock

So yeah... not a huge list for 10 days, though Halloween and contractors (still) working on the bathroom is going to make this more interesting.

Leak test and repair gas tank

Replace Heater Control Valve and associated madness

Clean interior

Fix radio

Make flasks, etc

Should be manageable . Maybe I’ll get to sneak some work on the Honda in there...

DISCUSSION (11)

Urambo Tauro > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/23/2018 at 11:47

Plastic tank, right? Impact damage, I’m guessing?

And how did your original heater valve fail? We never saw any leaks the handful of times that we ran the engine on my brother’s car, but I did notice that the control knob for the valve is kinda stiff. Early warning sign?

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Urambo Tauro
10/23/2018 at 11:57

Gas tank has a bunch of emissions and control stuff on the top, so that’d be my guess. I’ve plugged a couple leaks, but there are clearly others. I guess I should clarify it is leaking fumes, not gas.

Stiff probably just means either the control gears are a little unhappy or the aluminum plates inside got a little corroded. Not a big deal. My first valve didn’t show external signs of a leak, but I kept losing coolant. I replaced it and I stopped losing coolant. Second one failed immediately , pouring coolant into the driver’s side foot-well . The third one failed after a couple months, but same thing, poured coolant into the foot-well.

Urambo Tauro > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/23/2018 at 12:20

Oh, emissions stuff. Got it.

Friggin’ ProParts... I’ve been harsh towards Professional Parts Sweden after a bad fuel pump experience, but I’ve been noticing that there are “PPS” parts, and there are “PPS OES” parts. eEuro likes to list the PPS OES stuff as being OEM quality, as opposed to regular PPS parts, which are labelled “quality: aftermarket”. Are the OES ones any good? Which “grade” were your new valves supposed to be?

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Urambo Tauro
10/23/2018 at 12:35

My valves we’re supposed to be Saab NOS but eeuro quietly subbed them with PPS. They refunded me but... Here we are.

To their credit eeuro has been pretty active in the Saab groups on the control valve failures and claims they haven't had problems with the new batch.

Urambo Tauro > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/23/2018 at 12:46

That’s good to hear.

I just checked their site, and it looks like they offer PPS OES and URO Premuim replacements. I don’t have much experience with URO, but it’s listed as “quality: aftermarket”, which isn’t very confidence-inspiring against the PPS OES “quality: OEM” listing.

But regardless of how it’s listed on the site, what matters is the actual product itself. If they really did identify and resolve the problem, then t hat’s the important thing.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Urambo Tauro
10/23/2018 at 12:53

Yeah I saw the Uro branded control valves added recently and I’m not sure how I feel about that. But yeah, I do wish they’d be more forthcoming about the issues in the first place, but it’s cool that they’ve fixed it.

MM54 > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/23/2018 at 14:57

Have fun, and good luck!

someassemblyrequired > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/23/2018 at 15:26

Sometimes there’s rubber pipes to the filler neck that let go or fall off or rubber fuel line hoses that can go bad after a while. I don’t have much Saab experience, but can vouch for a messed up rubber hose producing a mind-altering level of hydrocarbon fumes.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > someassemblyrequired
10/23/2018 at 15:33

True story. In the Saab’s case most of that is rigid, which presents its own problem. I had to replace one of them last year because it split at the seams and was leaking gas into the trunk. Hopefully whatever it is the smoke tester will find it.

someassemblyrequired > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/23/2018 at 15:45

Yeah that should catch it - hopefully it’s an easy fix.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/31/2018 at 22:58

That looks like something that could be made to not leak.

Flasks?