Is this stainless exhaust system available for the air-cooled vanagons?
David Higginbotham
82 Westfalia
Silk Hope, NC

>
Date:    Mon, 5 Feb 2001 09:16:57 -0500
From:    The Bus Depot <busdepot@EMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Exhaust system question (89 vanagon gl)

> I have been having some trouble with my exhaust system.  First, I was
> told, at the parts shop that I usually go to, that I can get the
> muffler, tail pipe and the cat converter from them.  But the pipes from
> the engine to the cat converter are dealer only.  I called a Volks
> dealer and was told that the parts alone would cost me about $1800.00.
> Is there somewhere else I can go....thats totally out of my price range.
>
> And second,  the same parts place (my usual one) also told me that to
> replace the whole system I would have to pull the engine?????  Is this
> true??

You need a different parts place. First of all you absolutely do not have to
remove the engine to install the exhaust system.  In fact, nothing has to
come off but the exhaust parts. Secondly, the whole system, from the heads
right back to the tailpipe, is only $541 from me. And this is with a
stainless steel bodied muffler.  In fact for about $200 more you could have
all stainless steel pipes as well, which would mean you should not have to
do this job again for a very long time.  Regarding the advisability of
replacing all at once, it depends on condition, but stress cracks are a
common problem with these.  If your setup is starting to crack, and all
pipes look to be about the same age, while you could get away with just
replacing the bad one(s) you might avoid future problems by just doing it
all at once and getting it over with.

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