Instructions On Replacing A Tubo On A Saab 1999 9-5 V6

This will take you about 4 hours if you are good, and longer if you have not done much mechanics. 

The trick is to find a reasonably priced turbo, check ebay. There is a dude on there that just does rebuilt turbos. Very good, got mine for $

I have been reading up on turbo replacement procedure and I have found this list: First, there are a couple of questions that I have about the list:

2 air openings, pretty easy to figure out
2 exhaust openings, pretty easy to figure out
3 round openings in the center, all banjo bolts?
1 round / two bolt opening in the center.
1 Hose fitting off of the waste-gate
1 Hose fitting off of the air side of the turbo.

STEP 1: Open the expansion tank cap to release the system pressure.
STEP 2: Raise the car & Remove the lower front cover under the car
STEP 3: Drain off the coolant & Remove the turbo brackets
STEP 4: Loosen the return fitting and the pipe from the turbo to the block
STEP 5: Loosen the oil pipe between the filter adapter and the turbo
STEP 6: Lower the car to the floor & Remove the bypass valve & Unplug the connector from the control valve
STEP 7: Disconnect the mass air flow sensor connector & Loosen the hoses to the turbo
STEP 8: Remove the crankcase banjo bolt from the intake manifold and unscrew the bolt from the cam cover
STEP 9: Move the pipe and wiring aside & Remove the engine lifting eye
STEP 10: Remove the mass air flow sensor and air hose
STEP 11: Remove the exhaust manifold heat shield by removing the nut and two clips from underneath
STEP 12: Undo the intake manifold clamp at the turbo & remove the intake
STEP 13: Disconnect the hose clip on the hose between the intercooler & turbo & plug it to keep something from falling in it
STEP 14: Loosen the front exhaust system from the turbo & lower the front exhaust system away from the turbo (DO NOT BEND -THE FLEX HOSE)
STEP 15: Remove the oil pipe from the oil filter adapter & grab the copper washers
STEP 16 Loosen the coolant pipe by the turbo & grab the copper washers & loosen the coolant pipe bolt
STEP 17: Remove the coolant return pipe from the cylinder head & pressure sensor bracket. Once again, Grab the copper washers
STEP 18: Undo the coolant return pipe bolt by the turbo
STEP 19: Undo the nuts securing the turbo to the exhaust manifold. (spray the nuts with WD40)
STEP 20: Install in Reverse


Just did this for the first time. Here are a few hints that may help others.

1) PB BLASTER is your friend. Remove the exhaust top front heat shield and hit exhaust nuts with PB Blaster as soon as you start the job, or night before.

2) Make sure that you have 12mm closed end wrench with AND without ratchet. Also a 1/2 size 12mm socket if you can find / make. These will help.

3) You don't have to remove the oil filter, but there one bolt that it would be nice for. I did not and did manage to get the job done.

4) Take you time. More of finding the right tool combination for each bolt.

5) Two banjo bolts on the turbo were really on there. Needed to use a mini-acetylene torch to eat up.

6) Have extracting sockets and bits ready just in case there are issues getting bolts / nuts off.

Turbo had quite a bit of end-play, but spun fine. Classic symptoms, blue smoke at start up and from time to time when driving. It was also making a bit of noise at idle.