Gowesty stainless exhaust reviews

[T3 Pilot]

I have installed two of the gw exhaust systems, 18 months ago

I substituted wire mesh seals for the solid donuts, easier to seal.


The steel is not supposed to stay shiney:
http://www.gowesty.com/tech-article-details.php?id=156

Excellent product.

Farhrvergnügen.
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1988 Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[Merian]

RMW has an SS exhaust too ya know
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[Dana Champion]

I recently installed the GoWesty SS muffler, SS brackets, and tail pipe, as well as the 339918 Magnaflow CAT(CA approved), using my original "headers". 1988 stock 2.1

I purchased the CAT separately, and purchased the CAT bolt/ gasket kit from VanCafe, as well as the GoWesty complete SS exhaust hardware kit, for their SS pipes conversion.

If you are using the existing factory pipes, the bolts that hold the muffler hangers, provided in GoWesty's kit, are not long enough on one bracket. Their SS pipes eliminated the joint in the exhaust pipe that run parrallel with the muffler. The factory setup has a bracket that holds the joint to the drivers side muffler bracket. Luckily I had purchased longer bolts.

I have to say, it wasn't the easiest swap out, getting everything to line up correctly. The GoWesty video is well done, but seeing a video with the engine installed would help.

The muffler is noticeably throatier than stock. I'm happy with the end result, so far.

Install before fire up

After running the motor. Took the van for smog check. Passed !

Original old muffler

I give it a thumbs up ! I'm glad that I did it myself.

[bluebus86]

[DanHoug]

just want to post a happy user report on the GoWesty stainless exhaust (bought thru Van-Cafe). put it on my new engine build, it was my indulgence to my self as i probably had enough rusty exhaust parts to make a complete system. added a Walker cat.

fit was good, not perfect but it is an exhaust system and it is always amazing to me how accurately so many bends can be made. i'd bought a pack of copper-coated nuts from Autohausaz so i used those throughout along with antiseize. as much as i hate exhaust work, it was a pleasure to work with everything new.

runs with no rattles and is throaty in tone. at idle, it pushes leaves away on the ground and has kind of a whooshing sound. driving it, i can hear it as a very low thrum, not obnoxious but present. while a straight thru muffler, it doesn't 'rack' when at full throttle like the old Thrush muffler of my youth. it remains a pleasant thrum.

having spent for one, i wouldn't do a new motor without one. it just finishes off the project so nicely. while spendy, it is just a few dollars more than the crappy Dansk that lasts me about 3 years in Minnesota salt mines. lifetime warranty, take THAT crappy Dansk.

-dan

[SSWesty]

I put one of these on a couple years back. I've had 3 issues and one dislike.

1. The header for cylinders 1 & 3 was too tight, I had to auger out the holes on that flanges a tad to get it to mount up to the heads. It only took between a 1/32" or 1/16" of auguring to get it to go.

2. The muffler had a weld that looked like it was a little hot and developed a hole where the material was thin. Gowesty sent me a new muffler but I had to pay shipping.

3. For the life of me I can't get the muffler clocked around that will allow the tailpipe to point straight back. The tailpipe points down at a 45 degree angle and kicks up a lot of dust anywhere it's dusty. At our last group campout we looked like pig-pen from Charlie Brown when we pulled in with a cloud of dust around us.

Dislike - The muffler is louder than what I would care to have. It adds a bit of noise to cruising down the highway.

The build quality looks good other than the issue with the first muffler, I think my set may have just wiggled a little in the jig when it was going together.

[benandmj]

I’m replacing a blown header gasket (cylinder 3) and I was able to drop the blown gasket and slide in a new one without loosening cylinder 1 bolts. Unfortunately I can’t get the bolts back in even when disconnecting at 1 and at the collector. The flanges are just not lining back up/ too close together.

Anyone removed the 1/3 header on a Syncro without pulling the engine protection bars?
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85 Westfalia Weekender
91 Syncro Westy

[McVanagon]

After owning Vanagons for 25 years, I finally gave up and bought a stainless system about a year and a half ago. I chose GW because it was cheaper than the RMW version.

I bought the whole system (sans cat).

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'69 Mike
'85 GL
'87 Wolfsburg Hardtop

[desert westy]

Service your transmission before you install this exhaust. The pipe closest to the transmission blocks the drain plug. Had to customize a 17mm hex bit with a grinder to loosen the plug. I would think that GW would consider this when designing their exhaust. Not the end of the world, but a complete hassle when draining the old gear oil.

[B.O.B.Wanders]

+1 on that. It would still have been OK with an improvised tool except that the drain plug was really stuck in there.

If you do have to remove the cross pipe, it is a PITA to refit. It's like it shrinks a little once disconnected and the holes don't want to line up again for love nor money. I ended up removing the J-pipe and collector to get it sorted out. I replaced the nuts/bolts, doughnuts, and flange gaskets while I had them off so it wasn't a total waste of time.

I've had the GW SS exhaust system (end to end) for three and a half years on a 1.9L with no issues at all with the system itself. Very happy with it. I did not have to grind the T-stat or anything else to fit it on, but I remember it was a little tricky to get everything lined up correctly.

My poorly engineered initial support solution, however, failed big time, but that is on me and not the system. 1.9L converts will need to be a little inventive unless you can source the proper 2.1L support pieces. My original support 1.9 struts were shot (rust) so I can't offer any insight in whether they would fit the 2.1 system.
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83.5 WBX 2WD Assuan Brown Westy, B.O.B.

"It feels good to be lost in the right direction” - unknown

[benandmj]

[shagginwagon83]

For my drain nut with a GoWesty exhaust, I used a nut and a wrench. luckily mine came out with little effort.
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Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[otiswesty]

[jberger]

[regis101]

So, with the GW system, the only real "support" are the two muffler saddles?

What are the thoughts of their Elbow vs the stock Elbow. ?

The exhaust on our 1.9 is cracking up. Will be looking for remedies.

Thanks
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Peace, Regis

[benandmj]

[otiswesty]

Yes, you may need to replace the J pipe as well


Two important points with the stainless exhaust systems.

1) Use hardened rather than stainless bolts. Stainless bolts will both stretch and gall. So you have to cut them off anyways. I like to use old case bolts if you have some extras laying around. The hardened bolts will come off intact 5 years later, not the stainless. Some copper paste on the threads wont hurt either.

2) The 2 ->1 manifold is cast iron as a stock part. It will outlast a welded stainless replacement by a generation. Remember that stainless is a soft metal that fatigues with vibration even if it is corrosion resistant. I had mine ceramic coated to keep it looking nice.

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1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab

Just a regular guy

[regis101]

Thanks for the pic's. A coupla posts back I asked about the factory elbow.

It seems like it would flow better than the stainless version. I was thinking of using the stainless header pipes, factory elbow 2>1 manifold, stainless j-pipe and mate that up to my cat-muffler-tail pipe assembly, for a fairly light weight upgrade for our '85.

I wouldn't mind using just the 2-1 pipe as shown in this link vs the factory elbow with adjoining j-pipe.
http://shop.vintagespeed.com.tw/s.nl/it.A/id.698/.f

Pricy, but.....

I'm drifting a bit , sorry
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Peace, Regis

[benandmj]

Thanks for the link regis, that pipe looks cool and not any more expensive than the GoWesty.
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85 Westfalia Weekender
91 Syncro Westy

[VdubVanner]