Based on my experience I'd say that the inspectors are mainly looking that
required systems are there and working, not that they are in the original
locations.  It seems like you could put a Federal system in if you
substitute the 1.9l catalytic converter and muffler for original air-cooled
stuff as this would give you the O2 sensor location.  (Having done this,
I'll say that you also have to fab a tailpipe since the orientation of the
air-cooled and water-cooled flange holes are different.)  You'd then have to
also fab a connection to the EGR valve since the placement of the port is
different between Federal and California exhausts.

I have a couple of spare California exhaust parts.  What part(s) does  your
customer need?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Young                       '81 Vanagon
Lafayette, CA 94549         '82 Westfalia
---------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kenneth Wilford" <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2003 8:46 AM
Subject: What do folks do when replacing Calforina Air Cooled Vanagon
Exhaust?

> I had a customer call me who is living in California.  He needs to replace
> the exhaust system on his 2.0l air cooled Vanagon in order to get the van
> through inspection (smog).  We have the parts for the federal air cooled
> exhaust system (which includes a cat and egr valve but no place for an
> oxygen sensor) and many of the parts for the California system are NLA.  I
> thought maybe the guy could put the federal setup on his van and then just
> cut a hole in one of the pipes to put in an oxygen sensor.  He wonders if
> this will fly with the smog referees.  Anyone know how strict they are?
Do
> they actually check your system against a diagram of how it should be, or
do
> they just check to see if all of the components are there (cat, oxygen
> sensor egr valve)?