Planning a few upgrades or at least repairs in the near future and looking for some opinions.

First, I want to change the exhaust system but I do not want it to sound ricey or loud. A little deeper or throaty is what I am looking for, any suggestions?

Second, the struts are worn out, I wouldn't mind lowering the car some, but I have looked through the forums and the swap guide, but came across a post about some rubbing if you have people in the back seat. I use this car to travel, mostly to pick my kids up in Alabama for the summers, but also to travel with friends. In the near future me and 3 friends are going to Vegas in it. I don't want any rubbing so should I just stick to stock to avoid this, I am running 215/45R17 tires.

Last, I think I need to clean out the EGR system. I get an occasion EGR low flow code (don't know the number but pull it with a Modis scanner). The car burns some oil so I imagine it is full of carbon. Any tips to get the carbon out of the passage in the head?

One more thing, what is a good source for aftermarket engine parts if there is one?

Thank you,
Travis

 

Planning a few upgrades or at least repairs in the near future and looking for some opinions.

First, I want to change the exhaust system but I do not want it to sound ricey or loud. A little deeper or throaty is what I am looking for, any suggestions?
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You asked for opinions, so this is mine. Modifications cost money. The question becomes are they worth it.
I can not think of a part on your car that costs more money than an exhaust system to get less for the expense.
On a 1.9L engine there is nothing throaty about one, they are raspy. So it becomes a matter of degree. And expense.
So the question actually becomes do you need an exhaust system and if so why? If you live in an area where the exhaust sytem gets eaten up by the weather than the expense is going to have to be made and what ever it is you purchase will be eaten up again.
I live in an area where exhaust systems last almost for ever.
My 94 Saturn still has the factory exhaust on it and it works just fine. Well not really I had to replace the catalytic converter and used a generic high flow catalytic converter, everything else is as made.

Now I have other cars, some stock some not and i am building one where I will have duals, and X cross over and a pair of high quality mufflers installed to get the sound i want. But when done? It will last forever and at the moment it has nothing.
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Second, the struts are worn out, I wouldn't mind lowering the car some, but I have looked through the forums and the swap guide, but came across a post about some rubbing if you have people in the back seat. I use this car to travel, mostly to pick my kids up in Alabama for the summers, but also to travel with friends. In the near future me and 3 friends are going to Vegas in it. I don't want any rubbing so should I just stick to stock to avoid this, I am running 215/45R17 tires.
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Saturn's start out low and you can make them lower. But when done they may be afraid of speed bumps and parking lot entrances. I like low too. It's gonna cost you to get there and if you over do it, it is going to cost you again to get higher.
Why bother. It is not the strut that lowers, it is the spring that does it.
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Last, I think I need to clean out the EGR system. I get an occasion EGR low flow code (don't know the number but pull it with a Modis scanner). The car burns some oil so I imagine it is full of carbon. Any tips to get the carbon out of the passage in the head?
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This is usually done by partial diss-assembly as this is required to get at passages and such and is probably needed. As to the oil consumption use a heavier weight oil, not one of the new high mileage light weight oil, but a true heavier weight oil. A 10W40 will work almost anywhere in the US as a year around single oil. If live where winter is accompanied by months of zero weather us a 10W30 during the winter. Other wise stay with a 10W40. Where I live it is not winter. it is 61 degrees and chilly. I use 20W50 year around.
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One more thing, what is a good source for aftermarket engine parts if there is one?
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The answer to this depends on who you talk to. And what is defined as aftermarket.
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Pretty much there is nothing available for performance upgrades. If there was I would like to have a set of cams for my SC2 and to the best of my knowledge no one makes them or regrinds the existing ones.
If you are talking rebuild parts as far as I am concerned major national autoparts stores are quite adequate.
I use CarQuest and Napa.
There are few parts due to the limited production of Saturns in the first place and the demise to the company in the second that are only available from GM to insure that a proper and correct operating part is purchased. And some GM dealerships have a direct access to Saturn parts, maybe all but around here only a few actually make it known.

 

Nothing looks more foolish than a Saturn "bottomed-out" on a raised railroad crossing ...

 

I think you are right to be concerned about lowering it, but a suspension mod or two are in order due to the tires you have on it. In addition to being 1.2" wider, they are also 1.2" taller so they are already filling your wheel wells a little better.

But because of their lower profile, the have less roll under when cornering. The current suspension has a little more body roll, so when the car is in a corner, the body roll increases the outboard tires neg camber and the inside tires pos camber to compensate for the OEM tire roll under. With your tires, you should look at reducing body roll in corners.

The best way to do this would be to just replace the sway bar rubber bushings with harder urethane bushings. This will effectively stiffen the sway bar and reduce body roll. If you need new struts, check out the all in one KTB struts available at AutoZone or autopartswarehouse.com. The new springs will help stiffen the suspension as well.

New struts and urethane bushings should provide enough roll control to keep the tires flat to the road in corners. Don't go too far with roll control or you will have the inside treads lifting from the road in corners. A lot of people do not understand this and end up with a hard ride and less traction, not more.

The only problem I have had with my EGR is that the EGR valve did not detect fully closed at times. It took me two times but I finally got the valve clean enough to close fully.

As for the exhaust tone, have you considered an amplifier, external speakers and a recording of a 427 vette engine?

 

Thank you for the replies, I have decided against lowering it, just gonna replace the struts and springs with a set of quick struts, I have an account with Orielly thru my business, anyone have any experience with the Monroe sensa-trac struts.

As for the exhaust, for now I will probably just replace the cat. I don't really want the sound of a 427 Corvette, I have my Late model circle track car for that sound. We used a Flowmaster on my sisters mini-stock with a 2.3 ford engine and it had a pretty nice sound but wasn't sure if it would sound as good on one of these.

I will take the egr valve off tomorrow and clean it and what I can get to as far as the passages in the head and see how that works.

The question regarding the aftermarket parts was in reference to performance type parts, so that answers my question, thank you.
Travis

 

re: exhaust-- PM Octavious on the board -- I know he has aftermarket exhaust on his S car maybe he can send you a sound file

 

better yet, I can send you to the video.
Mines the DOHC, but has a flowmaster super 40 muffler, 22" magnaflow resonator, hi flo cat, and OBX Header - 2" all the way, In the video it sounds alittle ricy (im not sure honestly haha, the engine has been out of it for the past 7 months) But to get around the rice I suggest use a long resonator

I also have lowered my car. I used the standard KYB KG-2 struts all around with H+R Sport springs. Lowered it around 1.4~1.6 inches. Does rub with passengers in the back and front rubs on hard bumps - Im running 215/55/R16s.

Aftermarket is kinda dead, you can find the headers on ebay, and tirerack.com still has the struts and springs - or for the expensive approach coil springs (and strut bars) are available still. It appears dealers are starting to not carry parts for this car so start collecting parts lol.
Anything radio is pretty easy most things install behind the panels and its easy to run wire inside the car under the trim

Also! Try removing the egr and starting the car, it should rev up to the limiter (4k), blowing all of the carbon out of the channel. Put a bent piece of exhaust tubing over the holes to steer it away from the car and to keep it from getting all over the engine. It should only take about 5-6 seconds of running. Thats how i cleaned out mine

 

Thank you for the reply, I found your video in the forums and I have decided to try the flow master, not sure what series the one I have is, but it is going on there once I get the time.

Same for the EGR, I will try that hopefully this weekend. Again thank you for the reply.