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1979 Bus - best options when heat exchangers expire?

I have a 1979 Westfalia Deluxe Bus and my heat exchangers are on their last legs. On my old '79 Bus, when the heat exchangers disintegrated we did a hybrid solution with '82 Vanagon heat exchangers (same heads, apparently) and a '72 Bus muffler. As I recall, the advantage of this was that the '72 Bus muffler was a lot cheaper to replace.

I could also just spring for the $250 per side replacement heat exchangers (assuming I can find them in stock) for the '79 Bus.

Anyone have ony good advice to offer? Any replacement heat exchangers to recommend or to advise against? Best places to buy them? Any other ideas on how to proceed?

I live in the Northeast, so going without heat exchangers is not an option.

Robert Winters Cambridge MA

Reply to
Robert Winters
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What about going with a header exhaust kit (to hell with the heat exchangers) and then using a gas heater add on for heat? Sounds silly, but that is what my local VW shop told me I should do with my bus when I was in the same position. I asked "will I get less heat that way", and the response I got was "did you ever get any before?".

-Ray

Reply to
Ray Dios Haque

Ray Dios Haque wrote: > What about going with a header exhaust kit (to hell with the heat

Actually, the heat in my Bus has been very good until recently and the only reason it has worsened is because the left heat exchanger has a gaping hole in it. I still get some heat in spite of this, probably exclusively from the right side.

As long as the blower is operating and the ductwork is intact, intact heat exchangers provide plenty of heat. Does a gas heater direct warm air to the windshield? That's my first priority.

I think I'd like to stick with the standard heat exchangers. My questions are: Which manufacturer produces the most durable units? Is it better to keep the standard setup or to do a hybrid arrangement that will reduce the cost of replacement mufflers in the future?

For those not in the know, late '78 and '79 Buses are a little different than those that preceded them, and the heat and exhaust systems are more expensive to replace/repair.

Robert Winters

Reply to
Robert Winters

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