Saab H engine
The Saab H engine is a redesign of the Saab B engine. Despite the name it is not an H engine, but a slanted inline-4. The H engine was introduced in 1981 in the Saab 900 and was also used in the Saab 99 from 1982 onwards and the Saab 90. It continued in use in the 900/9-3, 9000, and 9-5. The 2003 GM Epsilon-based 9-3 switched to the GM Ecotec base, leaving the 9-5 as the sole user of the H engine. The last model year for this family of engines was 2009. The tooling and know-how was sold to BAIC.
All versions feature a grey cast iron block and an aluminum head with a single or double overhead chain driven camshafts. SOHC engines use two valves per cylinder and DOHC versions use four valves per cylinder with a pentroof chamber, the valve angle being 22 degrees from vertical. All engines use flat inverted bucket type valve lifters, hydraulic in the case of DOHC engines.
The engines were given numbers, for instance B201 is a 2.0 litre (20) engine.
B201
B201 is the original H engine with two valves per cylinder and a single overhead camshaft. It was introduced in 1981 and unlike the B engine it did not have the central shaft which used to power the distributor, oil- and coolant pump. Instead the distributor is directly driven by the camshaft on the flywheel side, while the integrated waterpump was made as a belt driven separate unit.
It was available with 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp) at 5200 rpm using a single carburettor, 108 PS (79 kW; 107 hp) at 5200 rpm using a dual carburettor, 118 PS (87 kW; 116 hp) at 5500 rpm using Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and a turbocharged, fuel injected version with 145 PS (107 kW; 143 hp) at 5000 rpm. In 1986 an intercooled version of the turbo engine also became available, it produced 155 PS (114 kW; 153 hp) at 5500 rpm.
B202 & B212
In 1984, Saab added a 16 valve cylinder head with double overhead camshafts. They retroactively renamed the 8-valve version the B201 and used B202 as the name of the new multi-valve unit. Another notable addition to the B202 was hydraulic valve lifters and Ecopower ("ep" in Italy, "(900)S" elsewhere), with a pre-heated catalytic converter for reduced emissions.
In 1991, Saab introduced a 140 bhp 2.1 litre normally-aspirated 16 valve engine, with an increased displacement of (2119 cc/129 in³). The intake manifold was enlarged and redesigned for better and greater flow.
The intake manifold and the head from the 2.1 liter constitute a well-known replacement for 1985-1993 16 valve 2.0 liter turbo cars. Power increase is modest at stock boost but becomes much more evident at higher boost levels.
B204 & B234
A major redesign of the H engine came in 1990 in the form of the new B234 for the Saab 9000. The B234 featured an increase in stroke from 78 mm (3.1 in) to 90 mm (3.5 in), increasing the displacement to 2.3 liters. With this increased stroke also came a new engine block with increased deck height to make sufficient room for the increased stroke length without being forced to use shorter connecting rods, and in-block counter-rotating balance shafts for reduced vibration (NVH). Unlike the previous B202, the block was no longer angled, but straight, something that made it unsuitable for the 900 model with its gearbox under the engine, built into the engine oil sump. The longer stroke B234 was last produced in 1998, that being the last year for the 9000 model. The B234 was selected as one of Ward's 10 Best Engines for 1995 and 1996.
The B202 was still being produced in 1993, but for the new generation Saab 900 being released in 1994 a new 2.0L engine was required. This new engine, the B204, was based on the 9000's B234, but in order to make the engine fit in the 900 the engine had to be shortened. This meant that a new chain drive for the camshafts was required to reduce the length of the engine. The B204 engine was available with natural aspiration in 900, 9000 and 9-3 in the form of 2.0i (B204i), with a low pressure turbo in the form of 9000 and 9-3 2.0t (B204E) or Saab 900 and 9-3 2.0T (B204L). B204R was briefly available in the 1999 9-3 Aero (U.S. market 'SE') model. B204 was in production in the Saab 9-3 until 2000, when it was replaced by B205.
With the introduction of the OBDII compliant B204 (also coincidental with the introduction of Trionic T5.5) Saab embarked on a new concept they termed as "EcoPower" where engines were designed for high power output while also delivering exceptional economy and low environmental impact. [1]
Turbocharged engines used Garrett T25/GT17 turbochargers and the B234R (9000 Aero) used a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries TD04HL-15T-6.
The B204 and B234 are regarded by engine tuners as the preferable engine for performance tuning over the later B205 and B235 engines as the internals are of a higher strength. The later models had lightened internal components to improve efficiency and fuel economy but limit the total power output when the engine's software is revised to increase the boost pressures and specific power output.
| Engine | Torque | Power | Compression ratio | Boost pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B204i: | 177 N⋅m (131 lb⋅ft) @ 4300 rpm | 130 hp (97 kW) @ 5500 rpm | 10.1:1 | - |
| B204E: | 219 N⋅m (162 lb⋅ft) @ 3600 rpm | 154 hp (115 kW) @ 5500 rpm | 9.2:1 | 0.40 bar (5.8 psi) |
| B204L: | 263 N⋅m (194 lb⋅ft) @ 2100 rpm | 185 hp (138 kW) @ 5500 rpm | 9.2:1 | 0.73 bar (10.6 psi) |
| B204R: | 280 N⋅m (210 lb⋅ft) @ 2200 rpm | 200 hp (150 kW) @ 5500 rpm | 9.2:1 | 1.00 bar (14.5 psi) |
| B234i: | 210 N⋅m (150 lb⋅ft) @ 4300 rpm | 150 hp (110 kW) @ 5600 rpm | 10.0:1 | - |
| B234i: | 210 N⋅m (150 lb⋅ft) @ 4300 rpm | 150 hp (110 kW) @ 5600 rpm | 10.5:1 | - |
| B234E: | 260 N⋅m (190 lb⋅ft) @ 2100 rpm | 170 hp (130 kW) @ 5700 rpm | 9.25:1 | 0.55 bar (8.0 psi) |
| B234L: | 294 N⋅m (217 lb⋅ft) @ 1800 rpm | 200 hp (150 kW) @ 5500 rpm | 9.25:1 | 0.81 bar (11.7 psi) |
| B234R: | 342 N⋅m (252 lb⋅ft) @ 1950 rpm | 225 hp (168 kW) @ 5500 rpm | 9.25:1 | 1.08 bar (15.7 psi) |
Note: The primary difference between the B204L and the B204R is with the intercooler and the wastegate base boost setting.
B206
The B206 is a version of B204 but without the double balance shafts. It was only offered as a naturally aspirated engine B206I producing 133 hp (99 kW), seemingly a Europe-only option in 1994-1996 non turbo 900 NGs. This engine is popular among Saab tuners in Sweden (e.g. Trollspeed) due to the lack of balance shafts but with presumably equal strength as the turbo blocks with balance shafts.
B205 & B235
The B205 and B235 engines are an evolution of the B204 and B234 engines. They were introduced in 1998 with Saab 9-5 and offered extensive modifications aimed at reducing fuel consumption, improve emission control and reduce NVH. The changes included lightweight internal components (lighter valves, softer springs, longer conrods with lighter pistons and balance shafts), lighter block and cover, heavier flywheel and more. Another important development was the introduction of the Trionic 7 torque demand type engine management system. Trionic 7 equipped engine have the black direct ignition cassette on top of the engine rather than the red one on the Trionic 5
 | This section possibly contains original research. (December 2008) |
The B205 and B235 is considered to be less strong than its predecessor, and could be less suitable for performance tuning applications due to its lighter weight and weaker pistons, softer valvesprings and milder valve timing.
In 2005, it was announced that 1998-2003 B205 and B235 engines suffered from oil sludge-related failures. The failures are a result of a revised piston ring setup that was intended to reduce friction but caused excessive blow-by into the crankcase - as well as by a new positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system used on these models that was not capable of handling this excessive blow-by. Due to the poor crankcase ventilation, combustion by-products contaminate the oil, causing its additives to break down prematurely. Especially in the case of short trips, the engine oil does not reach full operating temperature for a sustained amount of time. When this occurs, these contaminates (mostly water, various unburned hydrocarbons, and acids formed by nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides and water) aren't readily able to evaporate, making the situation even worse. Where the blow-by gases settle directly on the metal surfaces of the engine, a build up of "varnish" results.
The inadequate crankcase ventilation allows the PCV system components themselves to fall victim, as the poor ventilation of the blow-by gases allows them to condense into an acidic soup that attacks and dissolves the PCV hose rubber. This further compromises the effectiveness of the system and introduces fragments of hose rubber into the crankcase. Once the inadequately-vented combustion products have depleted the motor oil additives, the oil will start to oxidize rapidly and form a soft sludge material. The oxidized oil is also much more susceptible to thermal breakdown when circulating through the turbocharger. This breakdown leads to the formation of hard carbon particles, in a process known as turbo coking.
As a result, the aforementioned oxidation byproducts (soft sludge, harder carbon deposits, and hose rubber fragments) will then start to agglomerate. If not caught in time, the agglomerate can clog the extremely fine wire mesh at the end of the oil pump pickup tube, resulting in a loss of oil pressure. This resulted in several cases of rod bearing failure, premature turbocharger failure, as well as other lubrication-related failures. The sludge problems can be repaired under a special extended warranty for 8 years and unlimited miles. However, in order to take advantage of this warranty, SAAB requires their oil change intervals to be met and receipts presented to verify this.
A BioPower flexible-fuel variant capable of running on gasohol mixtures containing as much as 85% ethanol (E85) became available in 2006. Coupled with a turbocharger, the engine can take advantage of the higher octane rating of ethanol and boost power. A 9-5 with a 2.0t BioPower engine produces 150 PS (110 kW) on gasoline and 185 PS (136 kW) on E85. [2]
B235R engines with manual transmissions also have an overboost function, providing 370 N⋅m (270 lb⋅ft) for up to 20 seconds. In 2002 B235R was uprated to 250 PS (184 kW; 247 hp), but since the engine already produced 250 hp (190 kW) during overboost in 2001 it had no effect on performance. The 2000 model was slightly less powerful, producing about 240 hp (180 kW) during overboost. In 2006 the B235R was uprated once again, this time also adding some new hardware, a new air inlet to the turbocharger and associating compressor housing, this increased the output to 260 hp (190 kW). From 2008 all U.S. market 9-5 models are powered by this 260 hp (190 kW) B235R engine.
At the 2006 Los Angeles International Auto Show, Saab showed off a variant of the 9-5 SportCombi equipped with an ethanol fueled BioPower version of the 2.3 litre engine, producing 310 horsepower (230 kW) and 440 N·m (325 lbf·ft) of torque.
The base version was used on the first generation Saab 9-3 and Saab 9-5, with power output varying across the models and markets.
The B205E/L and the B235E use Garrett GT1752S turbochargers, while the B205R and B235L/R use Mitsubishi Heavy Industries TD04HL-15T-5.
| Engine | Torque | Power |
|---|---|---|
| B205E: | 240 N⋅m (180 lb⋅ft) @ 1800 rpm | 150 hp (110 kW) @ 5500 rpm |
| B205L: | 280 N⋅m (210 lb⋅ft) @ 1800 rpm | 185 hp (138 kW) @ 5500 rpm |
| B205R: | 280 N⋅m (210 lb⋅ft) @ 1800 rpm | 205 hp (153 kW) @ 5500 rpm |
| B235E: | 280 N⋅m (210 lb⋅ft) @ 1800 rpm | 170 hp (130 kW) @ 5500 rpm |
| (2001-) | 280 N⋅m (210 lb⋅ft) @ 1800 rpm | 185 hp (138 kW) @ 5500 rpm |
| B235L: | 310 N⋅m (230 lb⋅ft) @ 2500 rpm | 220 hp (160 kW) @ 5500 rpm |
| B235R: (2000–2002) | 350 N⋅m (260 lb⋅ft) @ 1900 rpm | 230 hp (170 kW) @ 5500 rpm |
| (2003–2005) | 350 N⋅m (260 lb⋅ft) @ 1900 rpm | 250 hp (190 kW) @ 5300 rpm |
| (2006-) | 350 N⋅m (260 lb⋅ft) @ 1900 rpm | 260 hp (190 kW) @ 5300 rpm |
Successor to the Saab H-Engine
The H-engine ended production with the 1st Generation Saab 9-5 in 2009 when the intellectual property was transfered to BAIC. Starting in 2003 with the 9-3 Sport Sedan, Saab began utilizing the General Motors Ecotec. Beginning in 2010 with the 2nd generation 9-5, all Saabs utilized the Ecotec. There were some technologies carried over into the Ecotec line from the Saab H-engine, but for the most part there is very little similarity between the two engine familes. Saab continues to use it's Trionic engine management system with the Ecotec.
See also
References
- ^ Matthew Phenix. Liquor Does It Quicker. Popular Science, July 2005.
- "Saab 900 model year changes". SaabMuseum.com. Retrieved July 10, 2005.