----------
> From: Larry Carter <lcarter@cowichan.com>
> To: vanagon list <vanagon@gerry.sdsc.edu>
> Subject: The F**d muffler fix
> Date: Wednesday, February 25, 1998 9:02 AM
>
> Hello;  I recently had my 87 GL's muffler blow apart at the inside seam.
I
> didn't like the cost of the OEM part so I phoned around finally finding
one
> guy who would put a F**d muffler in there for me in place of the VW part.

> Noe I thought this was a pretty good deal, because he gave me a lifetime
> guarantee on the muffler, and we all know how these vans eat mufflers.
> What he did was cut off the old muffler about 5 inches from the cat
flange,
> and weld the F**d muffler on to the pipe.  He used the original band
clamps
> around the muffler body, and even the bend at the tail pipe looked
> original.
>
> Two weeks later, and I'm climbing Hill 60, a 5 mile hill that gets
steeper
> as you climb, also a hill I can't go around any other way,  when I
realize
> that I can't maintain the speed limit (100kph) no matter how hard I lean
on
> it.  I also notice that the temp guage is rising, another thing the
engine
> makes a different sound as I step on it, not loud but kind of whistling,
or
> chirping.  Now this is the first van I've owned that can climb this hill
> and maintain the limit, especially towards the top, where it gets quite
> steep.  It feels to me that theres something blocking the exhaust, and
not
> allowing me to get the top end power that I need, and so righteously
> deserve.
>
> My theory is that the F**d muffler is somehow causing a restriction in
the
> exhaust flow, now whether the cat is packing up because of the
restriction,
> or the muffler is not designed to handle the extra heat caused by the
short
> distance from the heat source, and has dropped a baffle or diverter
> blocking the flow.  The van is really quiet, and there are no external
> clues.
>
>
> Has anyone else had this problem?  How was it solved?  Larry Carter