Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 11:42:27 -0800
Reply-To: David Raistrick <keen@LENTI.TYPE2.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Raistrick <keen@LENTI.TYPE2.COM>
Subject: 72-74, 79-83 Exhaust system notes (catless)
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hey folks.
I'm about to have to go banging away at the sheet metal on another of
these mufflers, so i figured i'd let everyone know what i've encountered
with two of them.
Complete Exhaust System, 72-74 Bus (Premium quality OEM style w/muffler,
pipes & install kits. Also fits 79-83 without CAT
159.95 071 251 053EK
The first one I installed was on a 73 that i installed a 1.8 AVP into.
The studs on this muffler were upprotected in shipping, and were slighly
bent, witha few mashed threads. Also, the muffler ships with nuts
already on the studs, apparently put on there .before. the manufacture
dips the exhaust in the grey paint. This locks the nuts to the studs.
Remove the studs with your factory installed stud remover, double nut the
short end of the stud, try to remove nut. May, may not come off easy.
Ok, now remove your double nuts, and put them back on the long end of the
stud. Install stud. Unlock nuts, and try to remove..realize that the
slightly mangled threads doesnt allow easy removeal of the nuts, and back
the stud out again. A few select words, and reinstall stud, carefully
remove nut with needle-nose pliers trying to hold stud in the area that
the heaterbox flange will cover (the original studs .do. have unthreaded
sections in this area).
Ok, all done. while I had the studs out, i smoothed off the flange,
hoping it would leave me with a flat, leakfree surface. (of course i did
the same to the box flange). Now, to install. Slide on, force a bit
around the bent studs, and start to tighten..
OOh. whats this? the passenger side wont go down all the way...Further
inspection shows that the muffler is jammed against the oil filler tube.
Remove muffler, beat area in with hammer. Reinstall. Remove, beat again.
Reinstall. Ok, now it clears.
We had to remove this muffler after about 30-40 minutes of runtime, as we
found a cracked exhuast stud boss on the head. Upon the attempted
removal of the muffler, we broke on stud. Nice, huh? Didnt even try. I
suspect it was one of the bent ones.
So I had to drill out the old, create a tap, and make a stud (I couldnt
find anyone to sell me a metric stud, and i also was lacking the funds to
buy a M8 1.25 tap). Btw, there were signs of exhaust leakage around the
flanges at this point. Upon reinstallation we realized .why. the exhaust
nuts were locked tothe studs.
They are oval. Included with the muffler is the install kit. It had 6
copper (coated, i think) nuts. One end of these nuts is round, the other
oval. Once they go on, they dont want to come off.
Reinstallation used new gaskets, of course (AVP provided). The flanges
still show signs of leakage.
Skip ahead to this month.
Ordered the same muffler from the same vendor, this time for moms 82
vanagon. Also spent 8 bucks on some ceramic based exhaust paint that i
know someone who uses with success. (I also have a new muffler on the
way..well, on the way since Feb24, but that is a UPS issue..for my bus, so
i am going to use this on that as well.)
Muffler arrived via UPS after being sent from PA to GA to MD, back to GA
where it sat for an additional 5 days before showing up at my door. Box
showed tremendous "handling" signs, and appeared to have been taped
together a few times along the way.
the muffler was packed with only some newspaper. Tailpipe and install kit
were missing. (suspected to have been eaten by UPS, vendor provided new
parts.) 5 of 6 studs were bent beyond use, and the 6th had (along with 3
others) .very. bad threads. Vendor would .not. provide new parts.
Attempts to locate metric studs locally were unsucessful, and i did not
feel like ordering them. Got a stick of M8 1.25 threaded rod (9.95, 3
ft..not counting my discount) and cut 6 studs and dressed the ends. Took
about 30 minutes with a chopsaw and grinder.
Waiting for the tailpipe and install kit, i stripped and painted
the muffler. also painted the tailpipe when it arrived.
Before reinstalling the studs, I set about making sure the exhaust flanges
were .flat. not just smooth and clean.
Sure enough, on both the center area was nearly 1/8" (not quite 1/8, but
more then 1/16..) higher then the outside edges! Plus a few unruley welds
that were in the way. Tried to just take it down with files, first, but
ended up using a die grinder to remove most of the excess metal.
Also did the tailpipe flanges, which had some high welds.
Installed and locktited the studs. Took at look at the install kit..and
sure enough, the copper nuts are the same as before. Hope i dont have to
take this thing off anytime soon. (though i suspect these studs are a bit
stronger then the old ones)
Cut the old header off of moms bus, and flattened the flanges. (slightly
high centers, also, but not as bad) Tossed it up for a test fit...annnnd.
So far, the drivers side heater tube will not let that side get closer
then ~1 inch. Great. i get to destroy the work done to the paint. (24hr
drying time before the heat-cure) It looks like the pssenger side will
also require some clearencing, but not as much.
Both of these units were the Dansk ones.
Sure would be nice if they said, particularly for the vanagon, that it
"fits, requires some clearancing", you know?
Well, thats what i know. good luck to you.
....david
--
David Raistrick '66 SO-44 Westy keen@type2.com
in Guyton Ga
