Date:         Sat, 18 Jul 1998 07:33:13 -0400
Reply-To:     Frank Condelli <ad793@FREENET.CARLETON.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Condelli <ad793@FREENET.CARLETON.CA>
Subject:      Stebro Stainless Exhaust NEWS !
Comments: To: Vanagon@vanagon.com
In-Reply-To:  <199807180039.UAA01699@freenet.carleton.ca> from "Automatic
              digest processor" at Jul 17, 98 05:42:40 pm
Content-Type: text

Well, I got THE FIRST stainless muffler for Vanagons on my '87 Westy !
Nice to be first some times.  So here's the story.  When I got to Stebro
around 2pm I found myself in a very rural setting along the Rideau River
just a few kilometers south of Manotick, On.  In a series of small shops
located behind a house is the operations of Stebro.  Met Dan the owner,
John, in charge of sales, Andy the technician.  Andy was still working on
the one and only muffler for my van.  This muffler was completely hand
built and is now the prototype from which they will make up jigs next week
to start the manufacturing process.  They wanted to fit it to my van to make
sure the mounting and cleareances were right as they were working from
having only a brand new OEM VW Vanagon muffler and mounting brackets.  The
muffler is square or box like in configuration as opposed to the round
shape of the original.  They do this with all their other mufflers also
for ease of manufaturing for them.  The overall dimensions are the same
and when it is installed takes up the same space as the original.  The
mounting brackets for their muffler will be welded to the muffler. They
made these parts up while I was there as they also welded on the input/CAT
connection flange and the tailpipe.  So, the muffler, tailpipe and
mounting brackets will be all one piece.   Connection to the CAT will be
with a doughnut style gasket, not the original flat gasket style.  The
doughnut style offers better sealing and flexability in mounting.  Their
soon to be availble stainless CAT will be made to accept this style of gasket
and for those of you who will mount this muffler to your old CAT as we did
yesterday on mine, the doughnut gasket which will be supplied will need to
be ground flat on one side to seal with the flat surface of the original
CAT output flange.  The muffler is about half the weight of the original
and is of a free flow design so there should be a bit more horsepower from
your motor.  The sound is pretty much like original.  I did notice on the
drive home that the engine seemed to rev a little easier.  The price is
still not fixed and so far I haven't paid anything.  Monday afternoon I'm
to bring back my Westy and leave it for a day or two during which time they
will remove the muffler, check everything, make up jigs for production,
write installation instructions, get pready for production and then a final
price will be announced on their website.  As for the other parts, header
pipes, Y connector, Y connector to CAT pipe, it looks like there will
still be a good deal of time before these will be ready for sale.  They do
have a computerized pipe bender with all the mandrels but it is not
operational yet.  They just got this piece of machinery.  The other exhaust
systems they have made in the past did not require the sophisticated bends
that the Vanagon pipes have.  The joints of these pipes will be of the
doughnut gasket style not the flat gasket style as original.
The muffler will fit all watercooled Vanagon models.  The pipes will be
made in standard and syncro versions.  I did not discuss group purchases or
list discounts with them yet as they are really not ready for this.  I will
try to discuss this with them during my next visit on Monday.  I hope this
will answer most of your questions.  If you have some specific points you
would like to know I will try to answer or find the answer on Monday.
Meanwhile, you will all have to wait a bit longer for your stainless
muffler, a couple of weeks for sure, longer for the pipes and I will spend
the weekend evaluating the prototype on my Westy.

Cheers

Frank


--
              *  Frank Condelli  *  Almonte, Ontario, Canada  *
                      *  ad793@Freenet.carleton.ca  *
                   '87 VW Westy, '69 MGB & Lionel Trains
                http://members.aol.com/RAlanen/index.html