Brian, I believe that's the head itself....the intake are metal pipe...with
a tin can assembly in the middle..!  I doubt you will want to take that off.
If it's a 1.9 water boxer.. .gives me the shivers just thinking about
it...!!  Do whatever you can or have to.... unless you have a water leak or
something to do with the head... don't even do that.  You might remove the
A/C compressor from it's mount, lay it aside.. do not take the refegirant
lines loose, then take that big thick bracket that holds the A/C
compressor... off, lay it aside, it has a lot of ground wires hooked to it.
Then you can see what you are thinking about doing... .brrrr don't do it..!
Lyle Lathem
1985 Vanagon GL