thanks for posting the Kettering link.
quite a guy.

parts left out also save weight.
Weight itself was not that much a consideration in his era of car design,
and hey ..if you leave on of those left side brackets off, it can't break.

not that I ever leave many parts off...I'm usually putting ones back on that
someone left off..
but that one left long bracket from the middle of the side pipe ..
I've yet to see that it's useful, and no pipes every break on 1.9 wbxr's
that I put together ..so that one ..
it was their first waterboxer engine ..
the engineers were experimenting yet a bit for that design , I think.

the 2.1 entire exhust system is sure a significant upgarde. Fits right on a
1.9 too.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Arnott" <jrasite@EONI.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2010 9:54 AM
Subject: Re: Exhaust system brackets on 84GL 4 speed

> As Charles Kettering* frequently told new engineers, "Parts left out
> cost nothing and have an infinite service life."
>
> If the engineers at VW thought that they could eliminate even one of
> them with no adverse effect, it wouldn't be there.  They're all
> necessary.
>
> Fact.
>
> Jim
>
> * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_F._Kettering
>
> On Sep 19, 2010, at 7:04 AM, william greenamyer wrote:
>
>> Got a couple more questions for those with more knowledge on the van
>> than I
>> have.
>>
>> There are a lot of exhaust system brackets and supports which attach
>> to the
>> engine on this van.  Normally I put them all on.  Many of the
>> mechanics who
>> have worked on the van (including a VW person) usually leave them
>> off.  I
>> see the reasoning for the brackets (keep the exhaust pipes from
>> flexing
>> differently from the engine movement) but how many are really
>> needed?  It
>> looks like most of the brackets actually are to relieve stress
>> (flexing) on
>> the Y-pipe section of the exhaust system.  Is this correct?
>>
>> William