I don't seem to be able to walk into a VW dealer and buy a fuel filter for
my 81 vanagon. Not a diesel.

I went in today, and asked for one for my model, and he bought out this
giant canister-looking thing, that is not even close. We looked over the
drawings in the EXTA program, and the filter I have does not appear on any
of the docs.

The one I need is a grey colored cube, about two inches on a side, and it
installs just ahead of the T split for the gas furnace. I am thinking the
existence of the furnace makes it a unique filter? <shrug>

There is a part number on the filter, but it means nothing to the parts
guys at the dealer.

The crappy part is that the input line is smaller than the output, so I
cannot easily grab a generic filter and install it, as there is little
hose on either end to mess with adapters, and the output side is much
bigger than any of the lines on the filters hanging on the rack at
AutoZone, etc.

Does anyone know what I am talking about? I am wondering why I have
something on my van that does not appear on any documentation, and why I
don't have what appears to be a standard VW fuel filter. I seem to recall
buying them years ago when I first got the van, but I long ago  turned
that stuff over to my mechanic once a year when he does the
inspection/emissions dance with it. He just keeps putting the same kind
in, year after year.

For anyone with an auxiliary furnace, the filter is up inside the cover
for the furnace, just under the sliding door.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated. My fuel pump is singing
pretty good, so I want to replace the filter before it starves any more.

Thanks very much,

John