Exhaust renewal and what else?

[AngeloEvs]

The complete system is in need of renewal and my local garage owner/mechanic seems to be pretty well convinced that the dreadful state of the securing nuts/bolts to the heads will mean the engine will have to be dropped - he will do his best to heat them and try everything (he is a decent experienced mechanic) but there is very little to grab hold of. I reckon they will shear looking at them - its the original system and 25 years old apart from the silencer.

I am thinking of going with a standard system but who to get one from?

Should I get the type that doesn't have the heat cowling for the induction system (pretty sure I have read that there are two types for a 1.9DG)? SS sytems are nice but expensive and I would imagine a standard set up will last me pretty well.

What else is worth doing mechanically while its out - the van and this engine has done around100K miles from new. It drives fine, no gear cruunching etc or over heating problems.

[Cruz]

Engine mounts?

You can get a vw speedshop stainless for about £450 which is not much more than a chinese cheese standard

[AngeloEvs]

That looks a nice SS exhaust from VW speedshop, trouble is I am confused now!

My current exhaust has the airfilter 'take off' fitting but all the lists I see suggest that this was on pre '85 models. The exhausts for post '85 seem to be the same for both 1.9DG and 2.1 engines and look completely different (and don't have the air filter take off)- my current exhaust looks like the pre '85 type. My vans a 87/LPG (with a Pierburg 2E3 so a DG) so which system should it have?

[jamesandtheopenroad]

I've got a 1.9 dg with a single solex carb converted to LPG, finished off with a VWspeedshop SS exhaust. The VWSS exhausts are early wbx (dh?) but fit the lates.

Has a lovely sound.

[Ian Hulley]

The DG doesn't need the heat take-off in our climate, save the money.

Other jobs ... clutch, spigot bearing, starter bush, oil pump (?), engine bay, coolant swap, any drippy pipes hoses ? rad flush ? electrical connections, push rod tube covers ? Thermostat housing bolts and sensor clips/seals ?

Ian

[AngeloEvs]

looking at the prices, the VW speedshop SS unit looks to be a good deal and cheaper than the JK mild steel one. Thanks for the heads up on that and advice regards any other jobs. Just out of curiosity, are there any performance differences between the early and late systems and why was the design changed in 1985?

[Ian Hulley]

The breathing of the engine is supposed to be improved on the later system ... allegedly ? Pass, never had an early system so .....

Ian

[fairwynds]

AngeloEvs
hi.... I have an early DG set up, and have previously had to sort my exhaust out, in much the same way as yourself. With thanks to the advice on here I dropped my engine in order to access and remove the old mild steel system. I too had a list of things to do whilst engine was out. I used a digital camera and took loads of pictures as I dismantled, to assist the rebuild. I have a copy of all the pictures, which I have previously sent to others on 80-90 to help them too. If you need them, let me know. A precis version of what I did included:-

*** get some compression checks done before you take it apart....

engine and gearbox removed and given a major degrease and clean

exhaust removed (studs likely to shear, I snapped 5!) Heads susequently removed and sent to engineers for stud extraction and valve replacement

New clutch kit

Cylinders honed and new piston rings fitted

All new gaskets and seals

Engine mountings (this is important for when you fit your new exhaust - because together with your newly tuned and decoked engine, this will save you shaking your exhaust to pieces afterwards. Weak engine mounts are a major cause of exhaust fractures/failures)

Pushrod tubes and seals

Thermostat

Oil pressure sender

etc etc etc.....

IF you only want to do the bare minimum, then sort exhaust (and therefore the heads, which a decent engineers could do in situ/on workbench) and sort those engine mounts.

I did my rebuild in 2007 - I spared little and overall it cost me £900 and 3 months of evenings! Not sure I would do it all again, but hopefully will never have to! I didnt think I could streatch to a stainless exhaust system at the time of the rebuild, so put on a brand new mild steel standard system from JK. Have since changed it to the VW Speedshop system, as the mild one only lasted 3 years!

All that said, I learnt tons about the workings, and can thoroughly recommend it

Wishing you good luck with it.....

FW

[fairwynds]

Addition......

it doesnt matter if you have an early or late DG coded engine, as far as exhaust are concerned.
The difference is - the early ones had no exhaust 'hangars' (the two straps and brackets which support the silencer and are easily visible up under the rear of your van) - the later ones did have them.

The majority of the after market stainless steel exhausts are designed for the later set up, with the brackets.
The VW Speedshop system is for the early (ie: no brackets) engine.
The brackets were put on the later ones to iron out a design fault, in as much as the early exhausts literally 'hang' off their respective cylinder heads (and these exhaust are not lighthweight!).

But.... (and it took me an age to find this out, and by then Id gone for the VW Speedshop type, which I must say is great)....you can easily retro fit a pair of exhaust hangar brackets onto an early engine support bar. The brackets do come up on here for sale every now and again, or try a specialist breakers.

if you fit some brackets, then you will have a far bigger choice of systems to choose from. Best bit is, the lovely Brickwerks system will then fit your van.....

...hope this helps matey

[AngeloEvs]

Thanks for the info (especially regards the rear brackets) and offer of pics if needed, mine has the hangers to support the rear silencer so it must be a late type exhaust.

[jeffdub]

i know how you feel my tailpipe fell off mine last night time for a new exhaust methinks