The other day going to a Dr. Appointment, a social activity practiced far too often, I took my Saturn. It sits waiting a lot and it was handy so off we went.
And while I recognize a 1994 vehicle is lacking some of the sophistication newer cars have, but once it starts down the road I am reminded once again how much fun it is to drive this little coupe.
I've become a fan of Satellite radio so I know it can be retrofitted and the speakers need replacing again, but that is minor. It has the performance/economy button for the automatic which changes how the transmission works and it rides smooth going down the road. I just balanced the front tires so no vibrations. Until is started home and then a loud KAWAP - Whap-kaWHAP-whap, whap-KaWhapwhap that was very unnerving.
I got it stopped and walked around it and it sort of quit doing the funny noise things. No tires were missing treads so I opened the hood and on top of the engine was bits and pieces of the serpentine belt. And it was still on the thing turning stuff it is supposed to turn.
Which means if it gets home before it quits completely it gets a new belt.
And it did.
So off to O'Reilys and a new belt later I am home. And once again, the design of the car becomes impressive.
The S series Saturn, a one model only offering because all afterword's were some form of a GM badge engineered package has or was designed to be maintained. It is a very compact vehicle and to get to things you must indeed remove parts, but they are easy to remove and once gone access to what must be repaired is excellent, if not small.
To get to the engine front, off comes the passenger side front tire and the plastic inner fender pieces. They come off with out breaking or jamming up against things. Something to be said for a 21 year old car. Replacing the belt requires the use of a 15mm box end wrench. The manual says 9/16 but I think I changed the belt tensioner 10 or 15 years ago and the belt works it way out and the new one back in and again the 15m box wrench, on goes the plastic and tire and it's done.
There is NO flex in the body of the car. Jack up the left front and the left rear comes up with it. This car still after all of these years impresses me as to the design that took place with it.
I frankly think GM really screwed themselves when they did not bother to figure out how to market it. The produced I guess for well over a decade and never really got it in the hands of those who would develop a product loyalty to the brand. And the replacements? Could be purchased from a different brands show room with little changed except the badge that indicated what it was.
I still own it and it drives out nice and runs well. I dunno what if anything will replace the car. I no longer depend on it for daily driving so I can just enjoy it for what it is.
A nice looking little coupe that is fun to drive and could stand another 15hp.

 

Good job on changing the serpentine belt! It's cool to see a car hold up so well over the years... I'm glad I still own a Saturn... They seem way better built than any other domestic product at the time...

Sounds like the engine could stand what some call a "deebs build"... I think it involves using late model rotating assembly with early model valves(increases compression), using two intake side cams, with custom timing to account for sprocket attachment in the "new" cam(slightly bigger than stock exhaust side), gasket matching the intake and exhaust ports, and porting/polishing the intake... Some people have put down as much as 140hp at the wheels, through a manual gearbox... Should equate to an increase of about 25-30 at the crankshaft...

Such a build is mostly useful in certain classes of racing where all parts must be stock... All parts of such a build do have a Saturn part number, so it's legal, and much better than totally stock...

 

I guess there was something to a Deebs built motor, however looking for it any information is long gone and sites referred to are either dead since some where around 1998 or the Bill Deebs site itself is now owned by some one who prints in an oriental language.
But from what I can gather, today building one would cost more the re-engining my "Saturn with a small block Chevy and putting a 4 link rear suspension in with a Ford 9 inch.
I'd be happy to get a new set of cams for the thing but as close as I have been able to tell, now one does them for Saturn any longer.
So I think I will be satisfied with re-painting it due to the fact I screwed up this paint job that is one it.
The other problem with the car is the UV from the sun had not done a whole lot of good to the plastic pieces used in the car. I dread to think of how many parts are now broken and there are no replacements for.
So I will take things just one at a time for awhile

 

I just offered it as an option if you decide to rebuild the engine... Would be as simple as starting with a late model block and using your existing head and valves, and probably get a set of bigger cams... Would be even better than a deebs build...

Didn't SilverCoupeSC2 find a set? Gude performance or something?

 

Still listed on the site

Gude Peformance Leaders Of High Performance Applications

Multiple choices....Which one will you get, Unc? I'm thinkin' street/strip

Nice memory, bones

 

I'm a long way from ever rebuilding that motor, it's been taken care of and is sound and not burning a drop of oil. And in creasing the compression which apparently is part of the Deebs motor is out of the question, the best fuel available in this area is 91 octane premium other than racing gas which is not practical. But dropping in another set of cams is realistic. That web site is good, never saw it before. But as to the cam choice this one would work just about right with a lift of .360 and a duration of 225 on a small 4 cylinder engine should be just about what it needs. I'd have to figure out what lift and duration stock is though before I went that way, but the spec's look good:
PART NO: SACS01

 

Well I got a price on the cams, about $550.00 exchange. They are worth the price, the exchange part is a killer, I think to do the thing I am going to require a pair cams out of a junk yard motor to use as exchange, simply because I am not in the position to pull this engine that far down, Oh Fudge!

 

Will you still pass emissions with these cams?

I'm assuming the fuel consumption rate is increased based on intake valves being open longer to accept more A/F charge, leading to higher emissions--though you'd have to get the injectors to stay open longer per cycle.....which sounds like we're getting into external engine management.....?

 

Ehh, most modern engines can compensate for a slightly bigger cam... And can detect knock way before out ears can, the extra compression from using late pistons/early valves is nothing to worry about, if you're running premium... I think it takes the car from the stock 9.5:1 to around 9.8-9.9:1...

 

good to know. thank you