99 Street

[jfoo13]

Its not much of a build but I plan on expanding soon. Just fitted new suspension and added wheels and tires. Way to much tire for the car but I'm having fun (dunlop direzzas) and the wheel offset is nice and aggressive. Next on the list is the wilwood brake upgrade and fix the oil and radiator leaks. Its been fitted with a newer five speed trans to the B motor and I think thats where its leaking - does anyone know if they match up correctly? or where to get gaskets?

[Geoff]

Sweet ride! Did I see it at Swedish Car Day?

The 5spd trans and the B motor should mate up with no issues. Are you leaking oil from the trans or the engine? The gasket that goes between the engine and the trans is a metal gasket that can be re-used. Just clean and smear with Loctite 518. B engines are also known to be a little more leaky than newer SAAB engines.

To put the 5spd into the 99 and use the 99 motor mount you need to use a 99 front transmission cover from 1980 or newer OR weld a little bung near the bottom of the transmission. There is a half-moon shaped piece at the bottom front of 5spd transmissions and if that isn't covered (either with a later 99 front cover, a welded on bung, etc) you'll leek oil out.

[jfoo13]

Thanks - and yes I was at the Swedish car day - too bad the weather was awful or I would have stayed longer. I would have loved to talk to some saab people but I brought the misses and didn't want to make her wait - this year it will be sans girlfriend.
Its funny you mention the transmission cover - its missing the plastic cover and exposing the clutch/throwout bearing - which squeaks occasionally. Does oil really leak from this point if its exposed? Will a 900 plastic shroud fit? I have yet to visit the boneyard for parts but its on the list as soon as I get back from china. Front 86 turbo hubs and a decent 99 radiator are in demand.

[Crazyswede]

Thanks - and yes I was at the Swedish car day - too bad the weather was awful or I would have stayed longer. I would have loved to talk to some saab people but I brought the misses and didn't want to make her wait - this year it will be sans girlfriend.
Its funny you mention the transmission cover - its missing the plastic cover and exposing the clutch/throwout bearing - which squeaks occasionally. Does oil really leak from this point if its exposed? Will a 900 plastic shroud fit? I have yet to visit the boneyard for parts but its on the list as soon as I get back from china. Front 86 turbo hubs and a decent 99 radiator are in demand.

That not the same cover that Geoff is referring to. The cover that Geoff is talking about is the one that bolts to the front of the transmission and has the motor mount cast into it. The one on the old 99's is different then the one on the 1980 and later 99's. not sure if this helps but its the cover that sits on this gasket labeled #24:

[jfoo13]

Well this thing is starting to leak so much I think its getting an oil change every couple months. The transmission cover does leak a little where it has been welded (thanks for pointing out where that is) but the main leak is at this picture below. Is it safe to say that this is the rear main crank seal leaking behind the fly wheel? I hope so as I just got one in the mail from SAS. This thing is an environmental disaster right now I have to fix it soon.

[squaab99t]

Well this thing is starting to leak so much I think its getting an oil change every couple months. The transmission cover does leak a little where it has been welded (thanks for pointing out where that is) but the main leak is at this picture below. Is it safe to say that this is the rear main crank seal leaking behind the fly wheel? I hope so as I just got one in the mail from SAS. This thing is an environmental disaster right now I have to fix it soon.

That would be my assessment. I have heard the reason that hole is there is so that "well" does not fill up with oil from the rear main and render the clutch friction material useless.
The tricky part is pressing in the new one with the crank and primary casing in place. Saab of course makes a special tool.
I've seen were you can use a steel water pipe transition that matches the rear main seal dia, and tapers to a smaller dia so you can use a drift punch to walk her in. I think the drift has to reach through the input shaft hole, and you whack were the rad would be. I'm sure a second set of hands would be useful. Maybe some else has a better way?
good luck

[DeLorean]

Well... Maybe not better, however if you have to do or suspect you will have to a headgasket, you can pull off the front cover, install the main seal with a block of wood, and re-seal it when installing it while the head is off. Without the special tool, this might be the easiest way of doing this...

[Geoff]

I made a special tool out of a 1qt paint can lid that pressed on the seal using the ridge in the lid. I drilled holes in the lid and used the flywheel bolts to press the tool against the seal. It took two tries to get it right because the paint can lid was too flexible. I might try that again if I were to weld a plate of steel on the outside of the lid that presses on the outer lip so it doesn't flex the lid. Either that or make my own tool using a similar shape built out of a thick chunk of steel.

[jfoo13]

Do I really need a slide hammer to get the clutch shaft out or can I manage with some "swedish massaging" as you guys call it? I think I remember using a serpentine belt to depress the clutch fingers with to get the clutch out on my old 900 - does this sound right?

[SwedeSport]

Screw a bolt into the shaft, and carefully use a prybar to remove it. Use the top of the transmission case as the fulcrum. Don't break the plastic cross (oil thrower). The bolt goes in that hole after the plastic thing comes out.

[Crazyswede]

As said: Unthread the plastic cross oil thrower and set it aside. The bolts that hold the pressure plate on are the correct size. Just thread one in and use a long prybar. Give the end of the prybar a quick bump towards the engine and it should pop free.

[SwedeSport]

If you own (or borrow) the clutch removal tools. There is a provision for this on the arm of the tool. It looks like a keyhole on an old trunk (like a skeleton keyhole). Use the pressure plate bolt in the shaft and the tool the same way you would with the prybar.

Any more pics of that 99 floating around? I really dig that color combo.

[jfoo13]

Here is one from this morning - just put on the air dam. Looks good for now (I'm a designer its all I care about). This car is so fun to drive but my to-do list keeps growing. Small leak from the trans cover, small leak from the water pump near the head occasionally, and the big leak - the rear main. Also my left turns are starting to grumble a little - think its the right hand CV but not sure which one.

I'll have to do the same clutch job as another poster was talking about. Do I compress the clutch and put a belt in the fingers before I do the job? I can't quite remember they way I did it on my 900 and I don't have a compression tool. I don't have any Saab tools for that matter. Can't wait!

[Crazyswede]

What I do is I compress the clutch pedal and hold it in place with either a pipe or a long breaker bar braced against the seat. Then you put whatever you are using for a spacer tool into the pressure plate to hold the fingers.

[Hans]

Are those Rota RBs? 16x7? Offset?