In a message dated 28/07/2008 1:24:18 P.M. Central Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

        Cheap exhaust system are  just that CHEAP !  AND, you will keep on
replacing them - FOREVER !   So, you get your little calculator out there and
start calculating the cost of  the parts and labour over just a 10 year period.
Some of us like myself  have owned the van going on 17 years.  So the moral
of this story is  an advertisement for my _Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust
Systems_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/exhaust.htm)  !

    AND, by the way, just in case you've never had the  great opportunity to
change the entire exhaust system on a waterboxer engine let  me tell you the
cost of the labour is intensive.  If all eight of those  lovely head bolts,
nuts, whatever, break off and you need to drill and tap each  and every one of
them, then you will be cursing and paying a large bill !   I just did one here
last week and I spent over eight hours getting the headers  off and repairing
the head ports to be able to bolt on the new headers !   It was one of the most
aggravating jobs I've ever done !

Being a  stubborn Scotsman, and very good with a wrench, I have never let
anybody else  touch my Beastie. My costs have all been for materials / parts. The
last  complete system I installed was only the three head-pipes, and an
after-market  muffler I welded suitable mating flanges to. That cost was $475 US. I
have  heard of folks walking out of muffler/mechanic shops with bills of more
than  $1200 US for a new system on their van. And that is not the "high-end"
of the  parts or the costs!

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy & Lionel Trains (_Collection for sale_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
- Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust  Systems_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/exhaust.htm)
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 12 ~ 15,  2008