Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 11:16:28 -0700
Reply-To: Vince S <gipsyflies@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Vince S <gipsyflies@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Exhaust Pipe Question
In-Reply-To: <15c.3f043dab.2e7c6877@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I am glad someone points out the important of the fit of the pipes to
the engine. Unlike the American cast iron V8 you can fit black pipe used
for household plumbing and it wouldn't care or crack, you don't want to
put some cheap ass after market pipe on these engines. It is extremely
frustrating to deal with pipes that don't align to each other and you
can spend a lot of time fixing it.
With all the discussion of the potential superiority of high performance
exhaust and significant room for improvement, unless you have the
patience and time, means and access to very good custom work your best
bet is OE pipes. You don't run to risk of the flanges a 1/4" off or
co-planarity problem of the flanges WRT the two exhaust port of the two
adjacent heads.
- Vince
http://gipsyflies.home.comcast.net
1989 Vanagon GL Camper
1993 Mazda Miata (for sale)
1996 Land Rover Discovery
2005 Mini Cooper S
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of George Goff
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 9:19 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Exhaust Pipe Question
In a message dated 9/17/04 10:47:49 AM, vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM writes:
<< These Danish made pipes are direct
copies of the originals and have the same fit and quality as what the
dealer sells, but for much less money. >>
Stop propagating this hogwash because it is simply not true. The Dansk
pipes may be copies of the OE VW pipes, but, just like Pat Boone's
version of Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti", they are poor copies. The
fit of the Dansk pipes is atrocious, the welds are poor and the bracket
lugs hardly last long enough to justify their existence. Whoever doubts
my words, just do a side by side comparison of the two. For example,
compare the welding at the crotch of a 1.9L Y-pipe on a factory pipe to
the poorly wrought example that Dansk has to offer. Even a dilettante
can see the difference. Also, the factory pipes are made from a cast
iron alloy, not some run-of-the-mill mild steel tubing, which is
probably why they last so long.
I'm on my 4th van. Each one was bought used and each had at least one
stripped exhaust stud tapping when I went to do exhaust work. The worst
even had an exhaust stud boss broken out of the head. I have little
doubt that all this carnage was caused by mechanics forcing ill-fitting
aftermarket headers into place.
I've used both factory and aftermarket and the aftermarket pipes can't
even smell what VW sells. Sure the VW pipes cost more. But then, you
only get what you pay for.
George