Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 08:02:35 -0300
Reply-To: "Giasson, Pascal (DNR/MRN)" <Pascal.Giasson@GNB.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Giasson, Pascal (DNR/MRN)" <Pascal.Giasson@GNB.CA>
Subject: Re: Broken Stebro Muffler Bracket / Malcolm's trip + FIBER
EXHAUST GASKET WARNING
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I have not installed my Stembro yet on my '84 Westy but all this talk
about gaskets got me thinking why do you not use a stock OE gasket
upstream of the cat instead of a "donut" gasket?
Pascal
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of tabe johnson
Sent: August 10, 2005 12:14 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Broken Stebro Muffler Bracket / Malcolm's trip + FIBER
EXHAUST GASKET WARNING
> From: Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
> Subject: Re: Broken Stebro Muffler Bracket / Malcolm's trip
>
> In a message dated 08/08/2005 3:47:32 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>
> Tabe & Malcolm, the STEBRO muffler brackets have now been modified
> and new ones are being sent out to customers who have broken ones.
> However, it has been our conclusion that there is some fault with the
> vehicle that these mufflers are installed on that is causing the
cracking.
Interesting, VW designed muffler brackets that don't crack regardless of
the vehicle they are installed on. (I admit, the Stebro ones would be
more elegant... if they worked!)
> I personally
> have the fibre gaskets on both my '87 Westy and 90 CARAT with that
> STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel Muffler and both gaskets have been
> there for well over a year now.
Frank, I have an email of yours from last year where you say you have to
change the gaskets every six months. SIX MONTHS! That's more often
than I change my oil.
- Has anything changed that you can go a year now? I'd like to know how
to double my gasket lifetime.
- Roughly how many KMs do your vanagons see between gaskets?
Another fun afternoon I had earlier this year: When I went to replace
one of the leaking exhaust gaskets, I found the nylon in some of the
1/2" locknuts supplied with the Stebro installation kit had welded
themselves to the bolts.
I had to break them to get them off. I have replaced the bolts at my
cost and inconvenience with M8 all metal locknuts and bolts.
Also, at some point one of my gaskets upstream of the cat self
destructed, and pieces got stuck in the cat where I didn't see them for
months. They sat there and gradually abraded a small chunk of the
ceramic away. Not cool - imagine what would have happened if I hadn't
looked in the cat!
Pictures? We got pictures.
http://www3.telus.net/public/tabe/vanagon/brokenbolt.jpg
Check out the threads on the bolts that didn't break and the condition
of what's left of the gasket.
http://www3.telus.net/public/tabe/vanagon/gasketincat.jpg
Yup, That's a piece of gasket. I don't know exactly how long it was in
there but I'd estimate around 10,000 km.
tabe johnson/87 westy/xtabe@yahoo.com
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