Neil   try one without the flex section.  I've been told that is the way to
go.  Mine cracked so I had a "splint" welded to bridge my bellows flex
joint...."temporarily" about 30k miles ago...no further cracks have
showed.  If I were a welder I'd cut out my flex joint altogether but I
don't weld nor do I have cash to pay for one....so mine is a little noisy
and the O2 sensor isn't probably working 100%....I still making over 23mpg
most tankfulls...so "later" when carpenter's wages catch back up with �EO
compensation.
On Feb 7, 2014 10:43 AM, "Neil N" <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Dennis. This exhaust is on a Jetta 2.0 mounted at 15� with KEP
> adaptor and parts I fabricated. Exhaust (muffler) is mounted to engine
> via diesel Vanagon type brackets I made. Each set uses 2 diesel
> Vanagon Bosal isolators similar to the OEM diesel Vanagon driver side
> bracket. Images:
>
>
> https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bDtROeOoKMA/UO-vpmh_jxI/AAAAAAAAGi0/96axhi3D9pQ/s640/Fabricate.jpg
>
>
> https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Xbvt0RxXI-I/Ubu5njRjtzI/AAAAAAAAHvQ/70LDMGc-QtI/s600/Exhaust%2520v3%25201.jpg
>
> 1/3 of braided metal weave on ID was gone (Crap. Now I wonder where it
> went! In my cat??). With the braid gone, my guess is that the metal
> sleeve was damaged by heat over time then the final small impact
> caused the crack. Or, opened up an existing crack further.
>
> Ok, I wondered about the location of the flex bushing. I had one
> mounted in the fore/aft position at one point but that was on a
> different design of exhaust. The turn from downpipe to fore/aft pipe
> was a bit tricky to make. IIRC, the bushing may have been offset on
> the parallel.
>
> The issue with running the cat in line with the muffler was that even
> when it and muffler were supported, the cat inlet, or muffler inlet
> would crack (exhaust mounted off engine using Diesel Vanagon
> isolators). This happened on each different exhaust design.
>
> I could have built a 3rd arm off the engine I guess.
>
>
>
> On 2/6/14, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Did it fail due to heat damage or did the impact cause it to shear and
> the
> > leakage caused it burn up? That part is mostly designed to take some
> angular
> > miss alignment. It is too short to tolerate any parallel miss alignment
> or
> > any side loading from impact. If the muffler is completely supported off
> the
> > engine as done with the factory Waterboxers that flex connection should
> not
> > be needed for vibration. Having the cat in that location probably is not
> the
> > best place due to expansion putting a side load on that part. I would
> > suggest welding that part on the pipe in line with the cat, not the down
> > pipe. Then it can take the vibration and also the expansion-contraction
> of
> > the cat in the direction it will work with.
> >
> > Dennis
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of
> > Neil N
> > Sent: Thursday, February 6, 2014 6:20 PM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: Exhaust Bushing Inner Weave Premature Failure
> >
> >.....I installed this bushing:   .....  on my engine swap. (image of it
> installed):
> >
> >
> https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ozMqBRgLXD8/Ubu5n5CAFoI/AAAAAAAAHvU/P9YKIPdcSMI/s500/Exhaust%2520v3%25203.jpg
>
>
> --
> Neil n
>
> Blog: tubaneil.blogspot.ca
>
> '88 Westy http://tinyurl.com/c8rlw6p
>
> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"  http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> Vanagon VAG *Gas* inline-VR Engine Swap Group:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/d7gd5ej
>