7B•4 Automatic transmission
Chapter 2B, release the transmission from the
mounting at the subframe by slackening and
withdrawing the through-bolt; recover the
dished washer, noting its orientation.
31 Position a lifting beam across the engine
bay, locating the support legs securely in the
sills at either side, in line with the strut top
mountings. Hook the jib onto the engine lifting
eyelet and raise it, so that the weight of the
engine is taken off the transmission mounting.
Most people won't have access to an engine
lifting beam, but it may be possible to hire one.
Alternatively, an engine hoist may be used to
support the engine, but when using this
method, bear in mind that if the vehicle is
lowered on its axle stands to adjust the
working height, for example, then the hoist will
have to be lowered accordingly, to avoid
straining the engine mountings.
32 To allow the transmission to be lowered
out of the engine bay, the left-hand section of
the front subframe must be partially unbolted
and lowered; the following paragraphs
describe this procedure.
33 At the front crossmember underneath the
radiator, slacken the pivot link through-bolt,
then remove the two link retaining bolts (refer
to Chapter 7A, illustration 8.27).
34 At the front left-hand corner of the
subframe, remove the two retaining bolts (refer
to Chapter 7A, illustration 8.27).
35 Slacken the through-bolt at the pivot link
in the rear crossmember, below the steering
rack, then remove the two retaining bolts; one
of these bolts also retains the steering rack.
Note the orientation and order of assembly of
all washers removed (refer to Chapter 7A,
illustration 8.27).
36 At the rear left-hand corner of the
subframe, remove the four retaining bolts that
pass through the mounting bracket for the
suspension lower arm rear bearing. Recover
the bearing plate beneath the mounting
bracket, noting its orientation (refer to Chap-
ter 7A, illustration 8.27). As the lower arm
bearing is released, tie the rear of the
suspension arm to the vacated bolt hole in the
subframe, using a cable-tie - this will prevent
the front bearing from being strained.
37 Support the subframe as the last retaining
bolt is removed, and allow it to pivot
downwards to the end of its travel. Withdraw
the front and rear pivot bolts, and remove the
left-hand side of the subframe from the
vehicle.
38 With reference to Chapter 8, separate the
left-hand driveshaft from the transmission, at
the inboard universal joint.
39 Work around the circumference of the
transmission-to-engine mating surface, and
remove all but the uppermost retaining bolt.
40 Position a jack underneath the
transmission, and raise it to take the weight of
the unit. Check that nothing remains
connected to the transmission before
attempting to separate it from the engine.
41 Remove the last retaining bolt from the
mating surface, and pull the transmission
away from the engine. This involves
simultaneously pulling the transmission away
from the engine block locating dowels, whilst
disconnecting the intermediate driveshaft from
the differential - a task which should only be
attempted with the help of an assistant. If
difficulty is experienced at this stage, refer to
Chapter 8 and remove the intermediate
driveshaft and bearing bracket from the engine
as an assembly, before progressing any
further.
Warning: Maintain firm support of
the transmission, to ensure that it
remains steady on the jack head.
42 When all the locating dowels are clear of
their mounting holes, lower the transmission
out of the engine bay using the jack.
Refitting
43 Refit the transmission by following the
removal procedure in reverse, noting the
following points:
a) When refitting the torque converter-to-
flywheel bolts, coat the threads with
thread-locking compound, and then
tighten them to the specified torque.
b) When securing the transmission at its
mounting on the subframe, ensure that the
dished washer is fitted the correct way
around - convex side facing outwards,
with the tang seated in the slot at the top
of the mounting bracket.
c) Observe the specified torque wrench
settings (where applicable) when
tightening all nuts and bolts after refitting.
d) Adjust the selector and kickdown cables,
as described in Sections 3 and 4 of this
Chapter.
e) On completion, refill the transmission with
the specified type and quantity of fluid, as
described in Chapter 1.
In the event of a fault occurring, it will be
necessary to establish whether the fault is
electrical, mechanical or hydraulic in nature,
before repair work can be contemplated.
Diagnosis requires detailed knowledge of the
transmission's operation and construction, as
well as access to specialised test equipment,
and so is deemed to be beyond the scope of
this manual. It is therefore essential that
problems with the automatic transmission are
referred to a Saab dealer for assessment.
Note that a faulty transmission should not
be removed before the vehicle has been
assessed by a dealer, as fault diagnosis is
carried out with the transmission in situ.