79 bus exhaust refresh

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airkooledchris
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79 bus exhaust refresh

Post by airkooledchris » Sun May 22, 2011 9:43 pm

Im doing a little exhaust refresh on the 79 bus currently. I pulled off all of the 79 CA specific stuff from the drivers side and swapped in a federal heater box. The stock bits were a hodge podge of original bits re-welded into place here and there. A lot of it was welded into one big piece, but some bits could still be unbolted and saved. I was wondering what condition the CAT was in as it has current stock VW part numbers stamped on it. One thing is for sure it wasn't clogged!


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I guess people just buy the stock units and then cut them open to tear out the guts? Anyway, it was surprising to see the VW/Auto Union logo's and part numbers and then just a hollowed out core.

This bus passed smog like this, and the 79 CA setup doesn't run an EGR filter. It's no big shock that the O2 sensor (when connected) makes it run crazy lean.


With the extractor exhaust in place, the O2 sensor disconnected and a factory NOS AFM (no changes have been made) - this motor is the happiest it's ever been. It's now probably the most powerful feeling engine ive ever used in a bus and my head temps are finally in check. I was pushing it uphill at 60 mph and on the flat (ish) part it was ran at 70-75 no problem. the highest temp I could reach was 418 on a long slow incline.

next id like to run it for an hour or more and see if it can maintain those numbers, and maybe hit some higher ambient temps to see how that effects it.
1979 California Transporter

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Bleyseng
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Re: 79 bus exhaust refresh

Post by Bleyseng » Mon May 23, 2011 7:40 am

In the 70's and early 80's we used to knock the insides out of em after 50,000 miles as they would start to clog up and we didn't want to replace em. Guess you found one of them!
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
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ruckman101
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Re: 79 bus exhaust refresh

Post by ruckman101 » Thu May 26, 2011 4:45 pm

That's what I ended up doing with the cat that was on the Jetta (Joan). Sucker plugged up tight and brought me to a stop. I took a large screwdriver and poked at the insides until it all fell out.


neal
The slipper has no teeth.

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