In a message dated 09/08/2005 3:22:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

This is  a false statement and especially so with the Grade 409 SS which is
used in  the Stebro.  Generally speaking, one of the desirable qualities  of
stainless steel is that it is tough and, however measured, toughness in  a
material
is the exact opposite of brittleness.  Grade 409 SS cannot  be hardened by a
normal thermal process, so what is it more brittle  than?  I would think that
409
is used so extensively in exhaust  systems especially because it does not,
with heat cycling, become brittle  and crack.

From what I have seen of the flaccid mounting brackets on  the Stebro, the
problem appears to be more with the design than with the  material.  The
poorly
executed bracketry is just not rigid  enough.

Also, the fiber gaskets which are used to make up the  connections to the
Stebro are for spherical joints, not flared  joints.  If a fiber ring is used
in
place of a double-bevel steel ring  in a flared exhaust joint, the fiber ring
will quickly erode and the joint  will leak.  Does that sound familiar?

Beyond anything else, as  mufflers go, the Stebro is a bump ugly fabrication
which appears to have  been designed more to accommodate the limitations of
the
vendor's tooling  than to improve upon what is already available elsewhere.

All this talk  about Stebro might be pointless because rumor has it that
Hormel just  started making mufflers.

George your comments have been forwarded to Dan at  STEBRO.  Maybe he will
offer you a position with the company !

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