exhaust leak turning expensive

[RadioRental]

87 2.1 118K no rust underneath, exhaust is moderate condition

So, I failed inspection on a number of things, most notably an exhaust leak. I could feel the exhaust coming out at no.1 cylinder and figured I just needed a new gasket. I've sorted everything else myself but after a week of heating and swearing and pb blaster I decided to bring her in to a shop before I really screwed up the head.

Now, this is a reputable place but I just spoke with them and they told me that they snapped the studs (to be expected - they were bad) and that they have to replace that section of pipe. Its not a gasket, the entire flange is toast. I didnt think it was so bad but if thats the situation, fair enough.

Is $600 parts and labour to drill & hexcoil the passenger side head along with replacement pipe reasonable? I know its a bitch of a job and not a quick one either. I guess I did not want to throw too much money at this engine as I try to save for a zetec and I've got a little sticker shock.

What do you guys think?

[Jonnyvw]

You can get the whole exhaust from Bus Depot for less than 450 and as far as the head studs if you have to tap them and put in bolts it shouldn't coast 600 to do it unless you just don't like working on Vanagon's!!

I did mine just a few weeks ago and I have not had any problems with it just have to have a vice and a drill bit and a tap and it all goes rather smoothly. If you do it with the motor still in the van you just have to take off the side shield and get the rear off the ground a bit but you should be able to do it with the motor in the van. Also a drill with a 90 degree head on it works wonders
_________________
Volkswagen's owned... '75 STD Type 1, '73 Auto Type 2, '78 STD Type 2, '86 Jetta, '86 Westy Weekender, '96 Jetta GL.
Trying to save the world one Volkswagen at a time is going to take a lot of us!!

[RadioRental]

[RCB]

Would it be better to discuss the bill prior to having the work done then trying to discuss the bill after the works been done?? Just a thought

[RadioRental]

[syncrodoka]

If you have a friend with a mig welder it is easy to weld the flange back on and drill and retap for a new stud for a quicky fix. Really for $600 you can buy a welder and do it yourself.

[RadioRental]

[ccisco]

I'm not trying to make you feel better, but, actually 600 dollars for a shop to do anything is rather cheap. Here in my neck of the woods shops charge 60 to over 100 bucks per hour for labor charges, so, with parts, 600 is not that bad... With that said, I would have done it myself...
Good luck
Charles

[Captain Pike]

I paid $600 each for both my Vanagons
_________________
LEARN TO SELF RESCUE
59 Panel bus, 1966 Single cab. 73' 181. 73 Westy. 91' H6 Vanagon 3.3L.
.....................All Current.......................

[danfromsyr]

there's likely a fair amount of differance in a $600 Pennsylvania vanagon vs what ever condition the OP bought in (hoping for trouble free travels)

It is a shocker when people admire our campers @ campgrounds & classic car shows then ask how much
I say from $1200 to $12,000 depending on your mechanical aptitude, luck and desire for shine/cleanliness
they usually
I say usualyl expect a few $k after purchase to fix years of overlooked maintenance and environmental effect..
if it's babied & garaged & maintained it's more $$

[CasaDelSol]

A couple of weeks ago I had to get the snapped studs pulled out of my engine block. It cost $200 cash at a chain muffler store on a slow Saturday. They MIG welded a bolt to the end of each snapped stud to get them out. I had just changed everything on the exhaust except for the header pipes. I wish I had gotten the entire BusDepot package when I bought everything else.

Living and learning...

[westylife]

Don’t worry about the $600.00 man, not a bad deal considering all the variables involved. It would be a bummer to try and do it yourself and miss out on a trip. I did this job a couple years ago when I had a cracked exhaust. After reading which exhaust I should buy, I went with the SS setup (much louder) and the job turned into a huge PITA!! I did not break any studs but the nuts were stuck to the studs and the whole stud came out. I had to replace all the studs and did I mention that I have never done this before??? On a couple of the studs I had to put the exhaust flange on the head and run the studs through the flange into the head. It took about 3 days to do the whole thing but I passed IM and it was a learning experience to say the least. I told myself that I will never do an exhaust job again and will pay whatever they want. Now I'm leaking from #1 and I have an insp due next month I took it to a custom muffler guy in town and he said I might have messed up the flange by over tightening the nuts, and to take it back off and have it checked to make sure it is flat. He said you barely put any torque on them because when the flange gets hot it will expand and seals its self. Makes sense to me. The only other thing I can think that I might have done wrong is not putting gasket sealer on the gaskets?

Like I said don't worry about it, you will forget all about the money when you are on your trip. Plus now you have a warranty!
_________________
1983.5 Westfalia Bostig RG1

[RadioRental]

Thanks westylife, solid advice. Talking to the mechanic, it was a royal PITA to work on. Something that would have taken me more than a week's worth of evenings fighting off mosquitos and cursing broken taps.

That said... just got the van back, sounds good(o; They replaced the manifold and OP sender - parts came to $280
I questioned the fact that the online shops sell them for $115. He said something about the manifold he used is 'as good as stainless'.

Are the vancafe/BD manifolds a 'cheap version'??? Sounds doubtful there's basic and superdooper versions of this crossover pipe.

http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_564_729/exhaust_manifold_for_cylinders_1___3_2.1l.html

http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=025251171AD

If there's just one manufactured part I would definitely want to talk to the shop about that. Thats quite a markup.

That all said, I'm rolling now and even though it cost me - I'm very happy.

Thanks everyone for your advice & help

/Edit

I looked at gowesty. So maybe the ceramic coated version is $180 and BD/VanCafe sell a painted version. Still a hefty markup

[deprivation]

[RadioRental]

[Phishman068]

When I first got my van I took it too a shop I worked at (I worked in sales) for some service, particularly of one leaking exhaust gasket.
The final price to replace that ONE gasket........ $700!!!!!!

The mechanic broke off a stud. No big deal.......
Untill he broke off a drillbit trying to get to the stud......
Then the question of "well how do you drill out a titanium drill bit?" came up.

I demanded that at this point, they needed to take the head off, they never did. They somehow patched it back together and were able to reduce the bill somewhat...... but I had no choice but too pay it, as they were the people writing my pay checks each week. Making $6/hr.......before taxes........ it took me a very long time to start earning money again. Since then I've done all my own work with the help of others sometimes. We've since rebuilt that engine and put a Time-sert in the hole that was once fine.
I've even more recently gone to a zetec and couldn't be happier. All 3 of my exhaust nuts are accessible and the studs can easily be replaced as well : )

I provided the shop with the part. The $2.00 part cost an additional $700 to install.

[RadioRental]

Thanks Phishman, that puts it in to perspective. I guess I was looking at it from the perspective that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys and inversely I expect not to be walking away from a reputable shop with work I didnt want done and still a leaking exhaust.

I should stop complaining and count my blessings he didnt find the leak on the muffler! That's something I can easily work on and save a few $$$ PArts have been ordered from VC.

On the upside he's been working on vw since 1973 and said the van was in very impressive condition for the saltbelt. I think once I get all the niggles worked out I'll have a good rig for the small change I paid.

thanks all!!

[WindAndSea]

I replaced the entire exhaust with the Bus Depot exhaust 2 years ago, and I am very happy, also a new o2 sensor at the same time, the engine ran alot smoother after the replacement.

As far as MA cops and stickers I am good at answering that one. As I wear a badge in MA. If the sticker is rejected for exhaust (black R) and it is not too loud or blowing smoke, it will be good for 60 days. If it is for safety (red R) then the man can cite you for what the safety failure is (ie. brakes, tire tread, windshield, ect.) Plus I will tell you this: there are a lot of glory boys in my profession that will stop you for the rejection sticker (good stop by the way, but still chicken sh#t IMHO) to dig for something else on the driver, and I can imagine a Vanagon will get their attention real quick!

I would just pay a little more money and get it done right so the problems don't add up. You are under there pulling bolts anyways, might as well get it all done while you are down there.
_________________
86' Westy GL (Stanley)
96' Volvo 850 wgn (250k+)
Alva 36" skateboard with Indy 120's
alot of bicycles

[RadioRental]

[WindAndSea]

Carry receiepts and have the inspection report handy, but still be ready to be stopped. =]
_________________
86' Westy GL (Stanley)
96' Volvo 850 wgn (250k+)
Alva 36" skateboard with Indy 120's
alot of bicycles