Hi Wouter,

  Helmut says the new South African van gear boxes have improved torque 
handling to reliably accept the higher 5 cylinder motor loads.  Are these 
improved torque rated SA Kombi boxes available with 5 speeds?  I can 
imagine an unhappy situation in which only the four speed like your 
father's received the redesign impovement funds, leaving the 5 speed 
unimproved and safely applicable only to the 2.1L gas motor.  Could you 
check into this?
  I'd prefer a 5 speed because long high speed travel in the US is 
common. The federal high speed divided 4 lane or better highway system 
runs all over the US.  It's called the Interstate Highway System, or the 
Interstate for short.  If you had sufficient fuel and a portable toilet, 
by switching drivers at speed, two could drive 2000 miles at 70 mph 
without stopping, but you'd be passed a lot if you only drove 70.  A tall 
geared 5 speed is what I want since the Audi six speed would spin 
backwards.

  Your description of the exhaust system was really interesting and bears 
directly on an issue that's been raised concerning installing 5 cylinder 
motors into American Westie campers.  These have their kitchen and 
propane tank mounted on the left side.  I don't know if this descriptive 
standard is also used in SA, but here, vehicle left and right terms 
always assume a view from the driver's seat.
  You said, "(Of course the sliding door is on the left hand side of the 
vehicle.)"  "Of course" to you perhaps, but not so "of course" to 
American readers.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that drivers 
travel on the left side in SA, whereas they travel on the right side in 
the US.  So VW, following the prudent practice of selling vans in local 
markets with their side sliding door on the curb (kerb) side, would have 
placed it on the left side in the SA market and on the right side in the 
American market, just as they did.  Naturally, the propane tank, which is 
close under the floor board under the kitchen in the American camper is 
placed right where your SA style exhaust system's box changes flow 
direction.  The comment was made that US Westie owners should forget 
about running the 5 cylinder conversion because this exhaust 
configuration would run too close to the propane tank.  So I'd thought 
I'd just relocate the propane tank, but now your description changes 
that.  I'd definately prefer to run the exhaust to the curb side and keep 
the two plastic water drains and the under-kitchen propane tank just as 
they are.  Your excellent description was most illuminating.  Does it 
sound to you as though I've made any bad logical connections in this?

  You said "The (standard audi looking) manifold feeds two downpipes, 
which then goes to the rear of the audi, or the front of the kombi. 
Everything looks stock up to the point where these two pipes feed into 
the Y."  It surely does sound like Audi/VW decided not to spend any 
research money on developing another set of exhaust manifolds for these 
installations.  But then, perhaps it was decided that having the exhaust 
exit the manifolds at the rear would obstruct rear motor service access 
and still not provide enough room.  The naturally aspirated gas motor's 
plumbing is messy enough.  Contemplating the addition of a turbo and 
inner cooler really brings visions of a plumbers' convention.

  Thanks for all your help,
  John Wakefield

 After that a single pipe runs to the front of the kombi and> does a U 
turn into a box hanging approx. under the sliding door. (Of course> the 
sliding door is on the left hand side of the vehicle) From the box the> 
return pipe runs parallel to the feed pipe, to a second box next to the> 
engine, and out via the cutout in the rear panel. Looks pretty easy to 
weld> up, and I would assume that the boxes are chosen for fit, i.e. 
eyeball the> space, select a box from the shelf.
> 
> CU
> 
> W
> --
> Wouter de Waal        Phone : +27 21 683 5490
> Development Engineer  Fax   : +27 21 683 5435
> CCII Systems
> Kenilworth, South Africa