Date:         Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:26:07 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Re: exhaust system options for 2.1 '91 vanagon.
In-Reply-To:  <49FF1C0C-24C9-464E-8A0C-BB66C70074D5@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

> I know there are stainless steel exhaust systems available
> but am wondering if anyone has tried Ceramic coated headers
> instead of a stainless set.  One VW-mechanic has told me that
> there is a power gain (10% was quoted) by using ceramic headers!


S&S used to offer their header system wirth a ceramic coated option.  Alas
they went belly-up earlier this year.  While we did offer it, I can't say
that it personally blew me away. The fit and quality were not up to OEM
standards, in my opinion, the coating made it expensive, and while S&S
claimed a performance improvement, I can't say I noticed it in a real-world
setting.  Some people liked it but I always preferred the stock setup (as
did the vast majority of my customers).

Your best options in my opinion are either my complete stock OEM replacement
system ($499 for 2.1L; $379 for 1.9L; plus $99 for the CAT) or the stainless
equivalent ($1550-$1750 from Frank).  It's your call whether the stainless
is worth the price difference.  It is certainly better, but may or may not
be a better value. The first question is HOW the exhaust component will
fail, when it does fail. Rust is not the only failure point, but it is the
only one that is addressed by stainless steel or ceramic coating. Two other
common failure scenarios are internal baffle deterioration and stress
cracks. The muffler (or CAT) has the same internal baffling whether it's
stainless steel on the outside or not. Anyone who's had to replace a CAT -
which, like our $99 one, generally have stainless steel bodies - knows
firsthand that they can fail functionally long before they rust out, proving
that stainless steel is not a miracle cure.  As for stress cracks, this is
common on Vanagon exhaust, due in part to the system's compact and complex
design which lends itself to transferance of engine vibration. Again,
neither the OEM sytem nor a stainless system is immune to this, and there
have been reports on this List of stress cracks in both stainless and
non-stainless exhausts.

Let's use an example. Here on the East Coast, with typical road salt and
snow, I get maybe 7-8 years on my stock setup with year-round driving,
before some part of it rusts out. In a more temperate climate (or if not
driven regularly in severe weather) it would probably last longer; if
frequently driven in harsher weather probably shorter.  At that point I
replace either part of the system that rusted, or perhaps even the whole
thing. In the process, since I've actually replaced the component(s), I've
also started the clock over again regarding welds, metal stress, wear and
tear, baffles, etc. By comparison, because of its much higher initial cost,
a stainless system must go at least 15-20 years completely trouble-free just
to "break even" with the stock setup (even with the lack of reinstallation
hassle/cost factored in). That is, it must last 2-3 times as long as the
stock system without any baffle deterioration, stress cracks, or any other
failure besides rust, just to catch up with the stock setup's much lower
initial cost.   Will it last that much longer?  (And willl you still own the
same Vanagon in 20 years?)  I wouldn't claim there's a clear winner here,
it's pretty much up to you to weigh the options.

Links to stock exhaust components and systems:

http://busdepot.com/details/exhaust19.jsp  (1.9 liter)

http://busdepot.com/details/exhaust21.jsp  (2.1 liter & Syncro)

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  www.busdepot.com
  (215)  234-VWVW

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