TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:05 pm

I just bought an 84 Westy and it had cracked #2/#4 exhaust pipe and sounded pretty rough...I ordered the replacement pipe and gaskets and am ready to swap. I read the Bentley which doesn't tell me alot up front...my biggest question is do I have to drop the motor at all to get the pipe out from the engine mounting brace? Or can I swing the old one out and the new one in? This is my first job on a watercooled Westy...all of mine are air-cooled oldies...

Thanks!!

Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:33 pm

I think you can do all the exhaust work from underneigh. The main concern I always have is broken or rusted tight fastners. I urge you to soak everything real good with penetrating oil. Let it soak a couple of days and keep applying it. Then before you do much, clean the threads with a wire brush. At the heads tighten the nuts a bit, spray and loosen a bit, tighten a bit and keep cleaning and spraying. It is the biggest pain if you break a head stud off.

At the big unions under the engine, you have choices. I just assume cut the rusted tight bolts off and replace with new. Or follow the tighten, loosen, clean, spray, etc routine.

Do not for get to use new Copper plated exhaust nuts and use anti-sieze.

Whatever you do, do NOT break a head stud.

Heat from a torch seems to help a lot too.

Sat Jul 23, 2005 5:09 pm

Thanks for responding! I sprayed all of the bolts and had a torch to heat any stubborn ones. They all broke loose without incident, thankfully, which is a first on an exhaust job...the pipe doesn't want to exit the engine compartment so easily so does jacking up the van and having more room to swing down work? The muffler and cat are still there...

Sat Jul 23, 2005 6:04 pm

I do most of that sort of stuff on a hoist. I suppose it would help. Dunno. Good you got all the bolts loose. That, to me, *IS* the repair job! Don't forget to use antisieze on the fastners when reinstalling. I can't imagine you not having the back of the van up to do this considering you had a torch. Lift it, I betcha it makes it all easier. Youi should then see what will make the job easier for you.

Oh ya, I think you have to take the splash covers off, too.

Sat Jul 23, 2005 10:06 pm

It's been years since i;ve done exhaust only. I always jacked up the rear as high as my floor jack would go. I always removed the cat and muffler for that type of work. It seemed like I did remove the rear heat shield to. It takes some funky swinging and contorting to get the #4 pipe around the engine carrier.

Want more work? You're that far, you could remove the pulley and replace the water pump. A few more bolts and you've got the oil pump out. Oh sorry, the Sierra Nevada is starting to type again.

Sat Jul 23, 2005 10:30 pm

Good info: :idea:
I had a stuck header bolt years ago and tried about five automotive solvents, none worked.
A friend told me about a product called Croil, comes in an orange can, busted it loose over night, good stuff.
Big B

Sat Jul 23, 2005 11:51 pm

Big B wrote: Good info: :idea:
Croil, comes in an orange can, busted it loose over night, good stuff.
Big B
I've heard that was good stuff as well. I can't remember the spelling though.

Thu Jul 28, 2005 6:32 pm

Thanks for the help guys! I ended up taking the cat/muffler off (this one has been modified somewhat :x ) I removed the quarter splash guard for the drivers side and fed the #4 end through first and it rolled right into place! All is well except the new pipe is an inch longer at the collector than the older 1/3 pipe...Doh! #-o ...this leads me to believe that I'm not the first one to discover this since the prior 2/4 pipe was cracked in 2 places it shouldn't have been. So, I'll order another 1/3 pipe in hopes that it matches with the new 2/4 and then head for a muffler shop to have the "mods" removed. Since there is no smog insp here, I may have a small replacement pipe made to bolt on in its place...

Good thing I didn't park my daily driver right away...maiden camping trip is canx too...maybe next week...

Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:24 am

walrus wrote: Big B wrote: Good info: :idea:
Croil, comes in an orange can, busted it loose over night, good stuff.
Big B
I've heard that was good stuff as well. I can't remember the spelling though.

kroil
http://www.wicksaircraft.com/catalog/product_cat.php/subid=770/index.html

Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 am

I'll mark this one as complete. Thanks for all the responses and suggestions. The 1/3 pipe went in almost effortlessly, matched up to the collector just like the new 2/4 pipe and I'm officially on the road now.

So, my lessons learned for those who read this later, halfway into an exhaust job, consider buying your pipes as a pair...it would have saved me at least a week in downtime.

Thanks again!