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Replacing the Standard SAAB 96 V4 Exhaust with a JETEX System

This article was written by Alec.


JETEX system Parts Box The JETEX (or SIMONS) system for the V4 comes in 6 pieces and must be fitted as a complete system. The front 'canisters' which cause so much of the back pressure in the standard system are replaced by a 'Y' pipe. The whole design is based on the SAAB Sport and Rally system that was available from SAAB as an accessory in the 1970's.

When my parts arrived I gave them an extra coat of heat-resistant paint as further protection against corrosion.


Left Manifold Right Manifold First job is to remove the old system. I started by loosening the 2 manifold pipes from the head. I found it easier to leave them connected and hanging until a later stage but just very loose.


Front Joint Next job was to work my way down the system undoing the clamps and trying to separate the system parts. I was trying to save some parts of my old system for a  friend - I wish I hadn't promised this to him as this turned out to be the hardest part. You could just take a hacksaw to the system to remove it though.


Removed sections I did manage to get mine off in sections although as you can see from this picture the result was a bit messy. You will find that removing the front section is particularly awkward. Ensure that you get the car well supported and as high as you can on axle stands as you need room to move around. One trick some people use is to remove the starter motor as this gives more room to drop the manifold pipes although I did not find I needed to do this.

 


Centre Bolts You will find 2 nuts under the rear carpet that hold the 'cotton-reel' hangers in the centre of the car. Note: When fitting the new system the hangers are larger than standard ones, so you may need to open these holes out slightly for the larger bolt size.

 


New front section With the old system removed, work starts fiotting the new pieces. I found the best route was to work from the front backwards but only fit everything loosely at this stage. The manifold pipes are a larger diameter so the nuts are quite difficult to get onto although not impossible. Other points are that different years of cars had 2 different methods of hanging the rear box. If you have 2 rubber loops hanging it you need to remove the bolt on piece that this hanger is made from so that you can use 2 more 'cotton-reel' hangers at the back (supplied). The tailpipe I also found to be very close to the bottom of the rear wing, you may need to gently bend the wing very slightly away from it. .


Rear Box When all sections are connected and hanging correctly I would suggest that you put the car temporarily back onto its wheels to ensure nothing is rubbing on bodywork. I found that the rear box was rubbing on the tyre! Then tighten up all bolts and clamps.

Start up and check for leaks at all joints. You will also need to check bolts after a few miles and then again in a hundred miles to ensure all is still OK.

I have found even with my completely standard carb and engine that the car feels more responsive and sounds lovely.

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