[V8] Where's the Belt/Synthetic oil....

[toml99 at todomundo.com]

Hey, just had to gloat over this as It's my redemption back into  
"saabdom"....I'm fixing this up for my girlfriend's daughter who will  
start driving this summer.  I've owned saabs since the early 90's,  
and gave away all the saabs when I was given my V8.  I've always said  
they were the best designed/built cars ever built(until 87 when GM  
started getting their hooks in, and now own the whole  
thing......never owned anything newer than an 86....till this 87 was  
given to me a few months ago...had a head gasket problem @208K 
(normal).....the previous owner(1) had used synthetic oil since day  
1......Machinest friend said everything(valves/cams/bearings) showed  
almost no appreciable wear/seals were toast.   3 of the plastic oil  
rail fittings has cracks(most notably the #1 where the gasket  
failed)....The Saab heads out there, now recommend using a blue/red  
type coolant as the aluminum head is notorious for corrosion  
problems, and many out there just don't change it.......The cylinder  
bores spec'd out perfect, and there was only a minor ridge at the  
top.  The CHAIN, is original, and it's tensioner is only about 1/3  
out, and that's quite awsome for 208K!....Bottom line is even though  
it's a lot more oil, I think I'm switching to synthetic for the V8 
(and the truck).  I never actually thought it would make much  
difference, but now I'm sold.  He said it's one of the cleanest heads  
he's seen with that mileage(even cleaner after a bath in his new  
ultrasonic unit....).   So, I'm sorry this wasn't much of a V8 post,  
as it was a post on Synthetic oil......Hope all's well....Tomhttp:// 
i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc268/blackmouth_photos/ 
87saabheadinstall.jpg