A single pipe/part replacement can be done. The front pipe long life version
is still available at the dealer (at a very high cost). It is a thicker tube
with thicker flanges. 

Dennis  

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Stephen Grisanti
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 11:28 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Inspection time again - exhaust system blues

August is inspection month for the '87 Westy and I just fired it up after
several weeks of inactivity (motorcycle accident had me driving an automatic
for a month or so) to hear an exhaust leak, and not just a
hole-in-the-muffler sound, but something more profound, expensive and
troublesome.� Could not pinpoint it yet but it sounds like it's coming from
the driver's side front.� Everything under there is rusted and nasty-looking
so I guess I'll be getting a full system, everything upstream of the cat,
rather than try to disassemble it and replace only the bad part.� Looks like
I'll finally get to experience the joys of head studs and fine German rust.

Of course, I'm also in the process of re-roofing my house right now so the
Westy work takes a back seat timewise until the roof is done.� We're hoping
to take a (cheap) little camping vacation to the southern Appalachians when
finished with the roof but that might not be as soon as we planned.

Warnings, helpful hints and dire predictions will be gratefully accepted.�
I'm breaking out the PB Blaster as I write this for the first of many
ceremonial pre-soaks.

Stephen