I have got a couple of replies regading my  avian domicile infestation and
just want to clarify things.  My van has spent the last couple of years
stored in a barn, and it is actually a real bird nest in the air filter,
including a few baked feathers, but luckily (especially for the bird)
nothing more.  I have no idea why a bird would choose an air filter to nest
in, considering it would have to squeeze into the engine compartment and up
the air filter hoses to build the nest.

Anyway, I think I know why the van had such a strange odour when I bought it!

Here is my original post

>What would be the effect on performance if the regular air filter in a 73
>Westy was supplemented by an additional  "medium sized bird nest including
>a few baked feathers" filter, underneath the pleated paper filter.
>
>Was this a factory option, or was it more likely to have been installed by
>the dealer?   Can I still get parts (twigs, wool) or will I have to replace
>the entire "bird nest" as an assembly?

And some answers

It was installed by your VW dealer.  The "bird nest" is part of the
California emissions equipment.  You must have this part on the car
(working or not) in order to pass the Calif smog check.

Since you're not in Calif, I'd just remove it.

Jack
'73 Westy      stafford@zenith.dnet.hac.com          :-) :-) :-)

You're lucky this is a'73. On later models these were replaced with a
computerised tangle of wires and diodes.

Comment - Poor Bird, desn't sound very comfy for raising a family

 It doesn't do a significantly
better job of bunging up the filter, but it is a sealed-for-life unit, costs
a king's ransom (only available from authorised dealers), has umpteen
mystifying connectors and is guaranteed to fail with annoying regularity.

Andy E.

A.C.Erskine@lut.ac.uk

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Peter  Williams
CANMET
work       (613) 996-9760
home    (613) 237-0717
fax           (613) 996-9416
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