Good show pressing on disirregardlessly!

Thanks for the story. Sounds like you'll be in pretty good shape for next time since you know what the fuel issue is.

--Andrew
with many XR4Tis in the woods

---

Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

Well, plans for the future are first, clean the tank out, replace both fuel pumps and clean out the carbs.

Next is to visit a friend in Ft Worth who may be able to tune the engine on his friend's dyno.

After that, get the intercom and rally computer setup. We may forgo the Terratrip 404 I bought for a truly vintage computer and clock.

We also plan on adding reinforcements between the front suspension towers and the rollcage to help with the shifting problems. I forgot to mention that the freewheel failed and we had to lock it to get it to go into gear. We're looking for another transmission, axles and disc brakes from a late 96. If the brakes turn out to be problematic we'll swap out the master cylinder with another from a VW and re-plumb it with easier to find fittings.

---

Jason McDaniel

modernbeat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, plans for the future are first, clean the
> tank out, replace both fuel pumps and clean out
> the carbs.
>
> Next is to visit a friend in Ft Worth who may be
> able to tune the engine on his friend's dyno.
>
> After that, get the intercom and rally computer
> setup. We may forgo the Terratrip 404 I bought for
> a truly vintage computer and clock.

Now bear in mind I've only built like 600+700 of these trannies between 1980 and last year and only worked about an average of 12 hours a day on the 96 between 1984 and 1999 so these are only opinions OK......
>
> We also plan on adding reinforcements between the
> front suspension towers and the rollcage to help
> with the shifting problems.

The shifting problem under normal circumstances is cure in 99% of the time by selecting say 3rd and then moving the whole steering column in and out until the play in the end of the gearlever is around 1/4"---or whatever it says in the book.

It helps if the double u-joint is in good shape. The shift shaft is good old 5/8" so a couple of new u-joints and a bit of 5/8" tube and a few holes for the tapered pins and Bob's your uncle.

If you are encountering hard shifting under load like hard axx (giving it the wellie) it is caused by the engine shifting its position. Stink about it: when you wiggle the lever--when everything is where its supposed to be---you are moving the rod and the finger inside the box. When the engine/box moves and the shift shaft sits still its kinda the same thing.
The engine/box must sit still.
Look and confirm the engine mounts aren't loose.(seen that on 2 taktare)
Confirm the rear trannie mount hasn't failed, go thru the hole in the middle of the firewall low down with a 9/16 socket amd confirm the gawddamm bolt hasn't simply fallen out. Confirm the big formed washer is in place against the rubber of the trans mount.
Do you have any sort of stay from block or head to the inner fenderwell?
You should to help on rocking.


I forgot to mention
> that the freewheel failed and we had to lock it to
> get it to go into gear.

Two common problems with the freewheels are a) they collect disgusting mungified sploodge and the poor widdle spings can't push the rollers out.
If you have a 6 roller one, takew it apart and clean it till its spotless.
You can do it.
If you have the dreaded 10 roller one, rotsa ruck. 10 rollers, 20 springs, 20 brass pins and even with the factory service tool I usually get pissed and shove a 6 roller in after wasting too much time.

The other problem is KEEPING the things locked up and the nasty culprit is often just the plastic cam lever thing the pull rod operates which moves the "freewheel clutch" forward to engage the freewheel hub, when those develop slop the slider clutch thing doesn't stay locked and the fucker jumps out just when you need it.
The final fault is the toothies on the slider clutch and freewheel hub getting beat to death.



We're looking for another
> transmission, axles and disc brakes from a late
> 96.

Any luck?

If the brakes turn out to be problematic we'll
> swap out the master cylinder with another from a
> VW and re-plumb it with easier to find fittings.

It would be incredibly easy to convert the car to dual master cylinders. All the common ones use UNF threads the same as the Saab is plumbed with and your clutch master is dimensionally the same as the dual Tiltons or Willwoods, or Girling or AP.

It is the German metric bubble flares tube nuts and stuff which is harder to find.

Speaking of brakes what wheel cylinders do you have in the back.

Finally, seriously, PLEASE! Paint your wheels something other than black or some other dark color.
Black tires in a dark wheelarch and black hubs with black wheels is too much black.
Krylon's Dull Aluminum is an excellent, durable paint that is nearly indistinguishable from Saab silver.
White would be good too.
SOMETHING!

By the way I have 5 good "wide" steelies which are 4.5" wide. If you can't find skinny--light--tires, these might be something for you.
RARE!!!!
And they're already Krylon-ized
>
> Jason McDaniel

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

john vanlandingham Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> The shifting problem under normal circumstances is
> cure in 99% of the time by selecting say 3rd and
> then moving the whole steering column in and out
> until the play in the end of the gearlever is
> around 1/4"---or whatever it says in the book.
>
> It helps if the double u-joint is in good shape.
> The shift shaft is good old 5/8" so a couple of
> new u-joints and a bit of 5/8" tube and a few
> holes for the tapered pins and Bob's your uncle.

The shifter components in the column are all new-ish and the column is nice and tight. The components on the transmission are old and worn out. Thanks for the advice (for the second time). We'll do it.

> If you are encountering hard shifting under load
> like hard axx (giving it the wellie) it is caused
> by the engine shifting its position. Stink about
> it: when you wiggle the lever--when everything is
> where its supposed to be---you are moving the rod
> and the finger inside the box. When the engine/box
> moves and the shift shaft sits still its kinda the
> same thing.

The symptom was not hard shifting, but we'd shift into gear, but it would be in neutral. Shifting more forcefully or further didn't help. Adjusting the column helped, then it would go out of adjustment again.

> The engine/box must sit still.
> Look and confirm the engine mounts aren't
> loose.(seen that on 2 taktare)
> Confirm the rear trannie mount hasn't failed, go
> thru the hole in the middle of the firewall low
> down with a 9/16 socket amd confirm the gawddamm
> bolt hasn't simply fallen out. Confirm the big
> formed washer is in place against the rubber of
> the trans mount.

All the mounts are new "motorsports" parts from Sweden. The rear mount has the bolt/washer in it tight. Haven't checked the fronts to see if they loosened up or tore.

> Do you have any sort of stay from block or head to
> the inner fenderwell?
> You should to help on rocking.

We have the stock 1963 twig-like stay, with new rubber, from the head to the left fender.

>
> I forgot to mention
> > that the freewheel failed and we had to lock
> it to
> > get it to go into gear.
>
> Two common problems with the freewheels are a)
> they collect disgusting mungified sploodge and the
> poor widdle spings can't push the rollers out.
> If you have a 6 roller one, takew it apart and
> clean it till its spotless.
> You can do it.
> If you have the dreaded 10 roller one, rotsa ruck.
> 10 rollers, 20 springs, 20 brass pins and even
> with the factory service tool I usually get pissed
> and shove a 6 roller in after wasting too much
> time.
>
> The other problem is KEEPING the things locked up
> and the nasty culprit is often just the plastic
> cam lever thing the pull rod operates which moves
> the "freewheel clutch" forward to engage the
> freewheel hub, when those develop slop the slider
> clutch thing doesn't stay locked and the fucker
> jumps out just when you need it.
> The final fault is the toothies on the slider
> clutch and freewheel hub getting beat to death.

Thanks for the advice. The next one will get cleaned before it goes in.

>
> We're looking for another
> > transmission, axles and disc brakes from a
> late
> > 96.
>
> Any luck?

Not yet, but we're burned out a little. We'll be back on it after Christmas. If anyone knows of one that's available, let us know. Our current outer CV joints aren't long for this world.

>
> If the brakes turn out to be problematic we'll
> > swap out the master cylinder with another
> from a
> > VW and re-plumb it with easier to find
> fittings.
>
> It would be incredibly easy to convert the car to
> dual master cylinders. All the common ones use UNF
> threads the same as the Saab is plumbed with and
> your clutch master is dimensionally the same as
> the dual Tiltons or Willwoods, or Girling or AP.

I looks like inexpensive NEAL dunebuggy pedals and decent (Tilton) cylinders would be an easy adaption (that's what I would do), but I know Jeff will want to keep as many OEM parts as he can.

> It is the German metric bubble flares tube nuts
> and stuff which is harder to find.

HA! Decades of air cooled VWs have prepared us for that.

> Speaking of brakes what wheel cylinders do you
> have in the back.

Rebuilt the stock 1963 cylinders with a decent kit from, you guessed it, Sweden.

>
> Finally, seriously, PLEASE! Paint your wheels
> something other than black or some other dark
> color.
> Black tires in a dark wheelarch and black hubs
> with black wheels is too much black.
> Krylon's Dull Aluminum is an excellent, durable
> paint that is nearly indistinguishable from Saab
> silver.
> White would be good too.
> SOMETHING!

If we had a nice red car, green car, or even some oddball blue color, I'd agree on silver wheels. But Jeff and I both like dark wheels on white vintage cars. I asked him not to sticker it up, but you see how that went.


>
> By the way I have 5 good "wide" steelies which are
> 4.5" wide. If you can't find skinny--light--tires,
> these might be something for you.
> RARE!!!!
> And they're already Krylon-ized
>

That might be worth running silver wheels for ;-)

Thanks for all the advice. The event showed us where we skimped and where we weren't prepared. We'll be better prepped for the next one. The goal is to finish all the stages.

---

Jason McDaniel

Keep the stock pedal just add the tube for the beaing on the balance bar.

There IS a drain in the tank, crawl under and look. 5/8 wrench. DRAIN that thang.
I can look and see what I have for drive axles, outer CVS etc.
The T on the end of the normal 96 half shaft thangs are too often chewed up these days and the poor needle bearings under the caps can't really do their job when the surface they ride on is chewed up.

Beat drive axles can be rebuilt.
The pin which the needles ride on is pressed into the drive axle. I seem to recall its 9/16 or 5/8 but whatever its a coomon ich dimesnsion and you can get ground rod, cut it and press them in.
I have new caps and needles.
I also have wheelbrearings front.

The hardest thing is getting the bearing retaining ring loose.
Heat and a chisel....

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

JVAB, in an early 96, the pedals are bottom hindge/floor mounted (versus hanging pedals '65 on, it is same as Sonett) and the brake master cylinder is 3 bolt mounting flange until '64 ('64 is the same barke master as Sonett), clutch is cable operated. Also the transmission rear is mounted to firewall ( again same as Sonett), there is not a hole for rear transmission mount bolt like '65 and later cars that have transmission rear mounted to a brace...

---

As always IMHO

SEAN TENNIS KF7JJR
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
SAAB 99, SAAB 850
SAAB V4, SAAB 99T

modernbeat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The late engine is a bit longer that the early
> Bullnose engine. The waterpump stick out into the
> grille. We had to cut away part of the window
> shade box and bend the distributor shield as far
> forward as it would go.
>
> The water pump pulley is about 1.5 inches behind
> the grille. I hope we don't bump into anything...
>
> Jason McDaniel
It's longer because the water pump on the "overhead fanshaft" engine was on the back of the generator ,not on the front of the block.

---

Bruce Beauvais
Too many SAABs to count

modernbeat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> john vanlandingham Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
>
> > Do you have any sort of stay from block or
> head to
> > the inner fenderwell?
> > You should to help on rocking.
>
> We have the stock 1963 twig-like stay, with new
> rubber, from the head to the left fender.
> SAAB Sport & Rally offered a mount/stay/reinforcement that was basically a piece of right angle steel bolted vertically to the bolts between the trans and the bellhousing. At the top ran another twig-like stay to the inner fender.
>
> > By the way I have 5 good "wide" steelies
> which are
> > 4.5" wide. If you can't find
> skinny--light--tires,
> > these might be something for you.
> > RARE!!!!
Not so rare- if you own(ed) a Sonnett V-4 or early Sonnett III. Monte Carlo/SAAB Sport wheels are likely rarer.
> >
> ;-)
>
>

---

Bruce Beauvais
Too many SAABs to count

It's been a long time since the last update. Between Paris 2008 and Paris 2009 we fixed all the issues that plagued us at the first event.

Really cleaned out the gas tank.
Ran all new metal and flexible fuel lines.
Replaced both fuel pumps.
Replaced the vintage pyrometer and probe with a modern one we trust is working correctly.
Raised the driver's seat some more and re-routed the belts for better fit.
Rebuilt and reinforced the wipers and linkage.
Replaced the transmission with a ribbed case 4-speed using the stock '66 R&P gears and a completely rebuilt freewheel.
Did something with the shifter linkage to make it bomb proof, but can't remember what we did.
Replaced the rear shocks.
Installed our circa 1973 Terra Trip and dual sensors.
Installed the Viet Nam era Heuey helicopter map lights.
Made custom air filters to fit a factory motorsports air filter housing.
Installed a replica factory motorsports expansion chamber exhaust in lieu of the muffler.

We also found that the car was best started by a fiddley procedure using two sets of spark plugs, lots of choke, and some judicious zapping of the throttle.

During tuning about a week before the 2009 event, a brass air correction jet backed out of it's holder in the carb and was ingested by the engine. It did some damage to one of the custom Venolia pistons. Luckily, we were able to fix some of the issues with a file, and other issues by spinning the piston around 180 degrees and reinstalling it with the undamaged skirt facing the ports. We used lightweight locktite on all the interior jets and butterfly screws to solve that problem.

After this, the engine ran GREAT! It was amazing what 75-ish horsepower does when the car weighs less than a ton. We also found that the performance brake shoe linings from Porterfield needed a lot more heat that we originally thought, but once hot, also worked great.

So, we began the 2009 Paris Rally with high hopes. Unfortunately, after a medium length transit and halfway through the first stage the throttle stuck wide open, and then shortly after died. We jumped out of the car to throw out a triangle (amazing that someone was started AFTER us) and went to work on the engine. The linkage was OK, the plugs were OK, the fuel was OK, but when I pulled off the aircleaner, we found that one of the air correction towers, a piece of the carb casting, had broken off and fallen down into the engine and chewed up ANOTHER piston! That was it for us. Our crew pulled us back to service on a strap and we were spectators for the rest of the event.

Since then we've replaced both damaged pistons and had Bud go through the engine again. We've rebuilt the carbs with an eye towards cracks and other damage.

We've also purchased a fuel cell so we can run the car at 100AW. The stock tank combined with the stage-3 engine doesn't have the range for that event. We've also just picked up a SAAB Sonnett parts car from longtime SAAB racer, Tom French. We mainly bought it for the brakes, but will be keeping the axles, suspension components and steering rack as spares. Along with the new brakes, we'll be installing aftermarket master cylinders and brake pedal.

Is there anything else we should consider keeping or upgrading to from the Sonnett? The AC, V4 engine, soccer ball wheels, and body parts will all be sold to other SAAB perverts.

---

Jason McDaniel

Could you please post the part numbers for your Porterfield brake shoes?

I am looking for a Sonnet tank to increase the range on my 96.

Lets seem some more pictures!

---

Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

Rallymech Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Could you please post the part numbers for your
> Porterfield brake shoes?
>
> I am looking for a Sonnet tank to increase the
> range on my 96.
>
> Lets seem some more pictures!
>
> Robert.
> "You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy."
> Eddie Fiorelli.



I think you have to send cores down.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

We had to send in cores for the shoes.

The Sonnett tank is smaller and is configured completely different from the 96 tank. And, it's illegal for Rally America use, which requires the stock tank, or a FIA approved fuel cell.

---

Jason McDaniel

modernbeat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We had to send in cores for the shoes.
>
> The Sonnett tank is smaller and is configured
> completely different from the 96 tank. And, it's
> illegal for Rally America use, which requires the
> stock tank, or a FIA approved fuel cell.
>
> Jason McDaniel


I believe NASA is the same way. I don't think any US sanctioning bodies will let you run whatever you want for a fuel cell, whether or not it was run before.

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

modernbeat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We had to send in cores for the shoes.
>
> The Sonnett tank is smaller and is configured
> completely different from the 96 tank. And, it's
> illegal for Rally America use, which requires the
> stock tank, or a FIA approved fuel cell.

The Sonett TANK is a stock alternate tank in a V4, I have the part number, and photo in the parts catalog.

But of course nobody knows if logic, reality, precedent of anything means diddlysquat to RallyAmerica.

In any case who knows how much longer Rally America might be around.
>
> Jason McDaniel

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

It's great yuo don't give up!
- DC3 "Wasp" engine plugs fit to SAAB and work best! You only have to use aircraft type wire ends to the plugs. They got 4 tips and last longer than rest of the car And never fouls.

---

- RWD rocks -