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Hi, Alahn
I was just writing about vacuum leaks the other day... let me paraphrase a little:
Something I highly recommend you buy or borrow is a handheld vacuum pump tester. You can find them at places like Pep Boys or NAPA, and maybe even department stores like WalMart or K-Mart. The one I have is called a Silverline MityVac, and I got it years ago from a J. C. Whitney catalog. They run around $25 to $35, but I have seen cheap ones for under $20. Cheaper ones are made out of plastic, whereas the more expensive ones are metal. They work equally well, but the metal ones are sturdier and may last longer.
The device is basically a little hand pump you can squeeze, and it has a gauge on top with a little release valve. What you can do with it is hook it up to each of the vacuum lines coming out of your intake manifold, and then pump vacuum onto the lines one at a time and see if any of them leak. They should all hold vacuum. If you find one that doesn't, you need to find out why... usually it's a split or disconnected hose, but it can also be that the device on the end is faulty, such as a ruptured diaphram in a hooter valve or charcoal cannister. In that case, you need to buy a new part. This is the fastest, simplest way I know to find vacuum problems. (By the way, it's great for testing the cruise control line, too.)
I honestly think those little MityVac pumps are an essential part of any Saab Do-It-Yourselfer's toolbox.
As for silicone vacuum hose (SVH), I just bought enough to do my whole car, and it cost me around $45 including shipping. Visit http://www.hosetechniques.com and see what they have. You will need 15 feet of the 3.5mm hose and 10 feet of the 6mm hose. Or, you can go to one of the other TSN sponsors and they sell a kit with the SVH in it for around $60. It is definitely worth the cost, as it's the last vacuum hose you'll ever need. It won't get brittle, rot out, or need replacing in a few years like rubber hose does.
Good luck!
- = M = -
'87 900T 175K
posted by 208.63.21...
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