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Date:         Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:21:45 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      Exhaust system help
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

Hey Neil, Glad to hear your van is operational..On my 84 with its' 50degree Golf motor, I used 2 muffler hangers with those rubber straps to support the end of my system over where it exits at the passenger side, just ahead of the bumper. Muffler shops will have these part. I can send you some pics direct, if you need them, but I think I can explain well enough to give you the idea. I took the main 'collector' pipe and welded a right angle bend just after the flange that bolts onto the stock exhaust header casting. Turns the pipe from "down" to back. I ran the exhaust back along side the motor and turned it 90degs again at the rear of the block. There, just after the turn (the exhaust is now pointing at the passenger side) I installed an oval stainless Magnaflow muffler (about 21" long, with inlet and outlet offset to the same side) "ahead" of the muffler, I have one rubber hanger. After the muffler, another hanger. For the hanger after the muffler, we found a convenient bolt in the frame rail, the other one I think we tack welded the body end on somewhere. This system has stood the test of about 50k hard miles so far no problems and a very nice sound. Kinda "quiet, industrial", the sound. The PO had a 12" round glass pack sticking straight back..Man, was that one obnoxious, like many of the 'kid-cars" with the 4" outlet that you see and hear... The oval muffler (about 5" x 12" x 21") just fits into the space between the rear of the motor and the body, at a slight tilt, and gives better than stock ground clearance. I chose the largest SS muffler that would fit into that space. My only issue is my "temporary" cross engine brace, built by a tire shop in Borrego Springs last winter, needs to be better engineered. I found the PO, who did my conversion, left that brace right off, and I almost "lost" my whole motor without it when the long engine mount broke as a result of the missing brace. Or I need a stock diesel cross engine mount bar, which seem to be out of production and a bit rare. I went to my FLMS (friendly local muffler shop) with my muffler in hand (internet ordered) and we had the whole deal done in about 20mins with their lift and all the right stuff right there. $35 labor charge.

Don Hanson


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