Date:         Mon, 19 Jun 2000 22:54:06 -0500
Reply-To:     Joel Walker <jwalker17@earthlink.net>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <jwalker17@earthlink.net>
Organization: not likely
Subject:      Re: Seeking comments on Muffler Replacement
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> The SA mufflers are exactly the same size as the stock muffler and
will fit
> the same. They differ from the original only in that they have a
heat
> shield, which has spaces in it to allow the use of the stock muffler
> hangers.  The length is the same, the flanges are in the same place,
etc.
> There is absolutely no reason why they would fit any differently
from a
> stock muffler.

except that it won't fit with brand new vw backets and hold-down
straps. period. the heat shield prevents the left/driver side bracket
from even beginning to fit. to fit the dansk muffler into the space
available, the left/driver side bracket has to be left off. the
muffler may be stock somewhere else, where only one bracket is used to
hold up the muffler. but on my 87 camper and my 88 bus, it simply will
NOT fit with the two brackets that came standard on those buses and
that are pictured on the parts microfiche.

> everything from the heads back, including all mounts, etc.  I always
get a
> kick out of people who put one new exhaust component onto a system
> consisting of six old, worn parts, and when the new part does not
slide on
> like a glove, they immediately blame the new part, saying that it
must be
> out of spec.  No, it couldn't possibly be that one of the other
half-dozen
> old, crusty exhaust parts that they are mating it to has gone
slightly out
> of spec in the five years that it was bouncing around under their
van; it
> must be the brand new part that is the culprit. :-)

perhaps so. but when someone replaces ALL the parts with new parts,
and the dansk muffler STILL won't go into the space available at all,
then i have to suspect that perhaps it's the greater diameter of the
heat-shielded muffler that is causing the problem. and even with one
bracket left off, the dansk muffler appears to be still greater
diameter than the orginial vw muffler, causing the hold-down strap to
NOT fit into place at the tightening bolt on the rear side: the tab
through which the tightening bolt fits is off-centered and the strap
is tight against the surface of the muffler about 1/4 inch before the
strap meets the bracket. this is not the way the original mufflers
fitted.

on my buses, in my experience, the dansk muffler simply is bigger in
diameter and does NOT fit with the standard vw parts (meaning the
brackets and the hold-down straps). your experience may vary, but
after six hours of trying to make the mutha fit, i gave up and left
the other bracket off.

> Of course, it's your hard earned money and your perogative to waste
it. :-)

and it's my time, and my perogative to save it by buying parts that
fit without such time-consuming efforts. it may be a good muffler, and
it may fit other folks' buses. but it doesn't fit mine.

unca joel