In a message dated 08/08/2005 3:47:32 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

Sounds  like you had a fabulous trip!  Interestingly, I also suffered a
broken  Stebro muffler
bracket.  They'll send you a free replacement (same  design, but they say a
tougher alloy)
but you have to pull the muffler and  get it welded locally.  (It cost me $15
for the welds
which is cheap  but pulling the muffler was a major pain)  I've only had to
do that  once.
I've had lots of trouble with the required fiber gaskets though -- do  yours
start to leak (and
then burn up) after a few weeks or  months?

Tabe & Malcolm, the STEBRO muffler brackets  have now been modified and new
ones are being sent out to customers who have  broken ones.  However, it has
been our conclusion that there is some fault  with the vehicle that these
mufflers are installed on that is causing the  cracking.  There are a very high
number of muffler brackets that have gone  for very long times and miles without
cracking.  The number of cracked ones  are low.  We do know that stainless
steel is more brittle and suseptible to  cracking especially when undue stress is
present from improper mounting of the  muffler.  Also, undue vibrations from
improperly running engines and or  worn/broken motor and or transmission
mounts.  Please verify that all of  these conditions have been properly met.  As for
the gasket, if the muffler  to CAT mounting flanges are not tightened
properly (a few heat ~ cool  cycles and tighten again and check for tightness the
first few weeks) then for  sure it's gonna blow out.  It is a fibre gasket and
will compress after the  first few heat ~ cool cycles.  If a leak develops
during that time  then the fibre will burn and tightening it afterwards may stop
the leak but the  gasket life has been compromised.  For that gasket to remain
intact it can  never have any hot exhaust gases leaking by it.  I personally
have the  fibre gaskets on both my '87 Westy and 90 CARAT with that
STEBRO/Vanagon  Stainless Steel Muffler and both gaskets have been there for well over a
year now.  I have begun using the steel doughnut gasket between the CAT and
J-pipe and between the J-pipe and collector with no problems of pipe cracking
near the flanges to date.  It may be OK to use the steel gasket in the
muffler to CAT connection also.  I am beginning to believe it was  unnecessary to
use the fibre gaskets in the first place.  I now have a few  customers using the
steel doughnut gasket between the muffler and CAT with no  signs of problems
thus far.

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy, '90 Carat & Lionel  Trains
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
or http://frankcondelli.com
_STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Mufflers_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 09 ~ 12,  2005