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This is to completement the excellent posts that came before on this subject. Like others, my exhaust developed a leak in the intermediate pipe. It has gradually become too loud. You do not notice it. It is only until you switch cars that the loudness of it become apparent. I noticed that noise was coming from the steel meshing -- right about in the center of the car. When I put my hand under it, I can feel a lot of air blowing from there. See the black spot and worn out mesh on the picture. Under the mesh, the steel has just rusted through and developed cracks.
I used the original SAAB part (4750741). The label said "Made in United Kingdom". As you can see from the picture, the size was exactly the same as the one it came to replace. I did not have the 1 inch gap that others have encounted with Starla. The fit was perfect. I did not have to pull anything, and there is no tension in the system.
As for the brackets, I used the original ones. They close almost completely around the joints, with maybe a 1 mm gap on one side.
A year ago I used the Copper Hight Termparature Gasket Maker on one of the joints. It worked very well. When I undid the joint, the selant was solid, flexible and had a consistency and feel of rubber. It also clung very well to the metal it was on. I had to scrape really hard with a wire brush to remove its remains from the flanges.
This was far better than the Qualco "Exhaust System Joint and Crack Sealer" that I had tried once before. That one dried up in about 1 month, then cracked, and then crumbled away, and was basically gone 2 months after the application.
The other end of the flex pipe was done several years ago professionally --at the dealer. They also used some kind of sealant on the flanges. I do not know what it is. It was black, and very sticky. It has the consistency of very firm rubber (but did not crumble). So that stuff (if we can figure out what it is) works too.
I would also highly recommend the Copper Locktite Anti-Seize (hi temp) for the bolts. I used it a year ago, and now had no problems undoing the bolts. Before that, the bolts on the exhaust brackets would always break off, and I always had to buy new brackets. The silver locktite does not work. It either burns up or evaporates under high temperature.
One thing that I would *not recommend* is paiting the exhaust components.
I made that mistake. I used the "Hi Temp" spray that was meant for grills and another one that was meant for brake callipers. Both of them burnt away during the first 2 days of driving (with smoke and really bad smell).
I guess there is nothing that would stop the exhaust look disgustingly rusty.
Just my 2 cents.
-- Nick
posted by 72.200.155...
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