Heat Exchanger Removal/Re-attachment

[1981Sedona]

I have an '81 air cooled vanagon with rusted heat exchangers. I am hoping to replace them. Is it possible to remove/reattach them without dropping the engine out? I think I will be able to remove them fine, but I am worried about the reattachment. It looks like there is minimal clearance to tighten the bolt/nut to reattach.

Has anybody ever done this before and have any advice?

Cheers!

[MarkWard]

You should be able to remove the entire exhaust with the engine installed. Be careful not to snap an exhaust port stud on the head.
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[Wildthings]

It comes down to how rusty they are and how deformed by the heat. Ideally you just remove a few nuts and bolts and lower the exhaust system down with a jack, but realistically you are going to be dealing with a lot of stuff that may put up quite a fight.

[4Gears4Tires]

Is the air cooled motor hard to remove? What's attached to the van? A few electrical lines, fuel, the air skirt, and the cv axles? It honestly might be faster to drop the motor. You break one stud and you'll most likely need to drop it anyway. Having the space to be more careful could save you some real headaches.

If it looks that bad in terms of rust, soak everything 2x a day with PB blaster for a few days.
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'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition

[MarkWard]

Unlike the WBX, the air cooled exhaust ports come out the bottom of the engine. So, if the engine is out of the van, you'll need a way to lift it and get it into an engine stand, and then flip it upside down.

So, my advice would be to drop the exhaust with the engine installed, but be careful with the exhaust studs.
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[wbailey2112]

Went though this with our air cooled '83 earlier this year in order to replace all of the rear heating and exhaust components. We soaked the nuts with penetrating oil. We bought a MAPP torch and heated the nuts. We Rounded off the nuts and bought a set of rounded nut sockets. We snapped off a couple of exhaust studs at the nuts so we bought a set of stud removers. We were eventually able to remove the heater boxes but decided not to completely break off the remainder of the broken studs so we took it to a professional shop where it could be put on a lift and repaired more easily than us laying on the ground. In the end all of the exhaust studs were replaced with new studs (and yes they are step studs from the factory - 8mm on one end and 9mm on the other). The bottom line is that even with the right tools and know how this is not an easy job and the odds of your success if you are a driveway mechanic are very low.
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'74 Thing
'83 Westfalia

[Wildthings]

[1981Sedona]

I am hoping to save on labour costs and do the work myself. However, I dont have the proper tools or space to drop the engine out.

For the stud bolts, mine dont appear to be too rusted but it is hard to tell for sure. My plan was to remove the heat exchangers/exhaust as one piece and replace them. I was going to just spray the nuts at the heads with PB blaster and hope for the best.

[MarkWard]

[Wildthings]

[1981Sedona]

[Wildthings]

[MarkWard]

Harbor Freight and Home Depot down here sell a nice portable acetylene torch set. Snap one stud, and this torch set would have paid for itself. Plus you can cut steel, weld and braze with them. Comes in handy.
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