My mechanic and I have been trying to locate a hard-to-find exhaust manifold for a 79 California Bus, part number 039-251-551. It's shown as part "I" in the Bus-Boys diagram shown on:
Robert Winters
My mechanic and I have been trying to locate a hard-to-find exhaust manifold for a 79 California Bus, part number 039-251-551. It's shown as part "I" in the Bus-Boys diagram shown on:
Robert Winters
Maybe I'm missing something, but why would you search for such a hard-to-find item when you obviously are not in CA and obviously don't need it? Is it simply a desire to keep everything stock, as in totally stock? Maybe you'll luck out and find one, but I considered myself extremely lucky when I found a set of non-CA '79 bus heat exchangers that weren't burned out! I searched for about 5 years before I found them. That left side CA H.E. must be one of the toughest parts in the entire ACVW world to find (in usable condition!)
Why not "un-CA" it and go for the almost-as-tough-to-find non CA heat exchangers for '79? You can still run a cat if you need to. Do you have all the EGR components in good working order? Considering that the '79 bus exhaust parts were single year and then paring that down to the CA-only parts - Good Luck! I was almost to the point of switching to earlier model heads so I could run the heat exchangers that are actually available - even new! I suppose a person could modify a set of Vanagon exchangers if they were really creative.
Let us know how the search goes... -Bah
Correction: I spoke with my mechanic today. He says the part we still need is the "junction elbow from the (left) heater box to the control valve". In the diagram in the link below, it's what fits on top of part K at the far left in the diagram. Apparently, this is specific to the 79 California Bus.
Robert Winters
You're right about the wisdom of transforming the California Bus into a "Federal" Bus or, better yet, replacing the heads with ones compatible with the more widely available components. My old 79 Bus was from the other 49 states and, though it wasn't easy to rehab, it sure was a lot easier than this.
By the way, it turns out that we actually have the part that I mentioned. What's missing now is the junction elbow that connects the (left) heater box up to the control valve.
The diagram:
Is that part of the heating system? As opposed to something exhaust gas actually goes thru. Looks like part of the heat exchanger sheet metal. Consider making the part.
Speedy Jim
He needs #2 in this pic:
to the end of 79.
[part # 021 256 051C fits 75 to end of 78]BTW, that 071 256 051 pipe also fits 80-83.5 Vanagon! 49 state Fed version
80-83.5 Cal pipe is 071 256 051A
to the end of 79.
Can't source one? Conduit bender and hacksaw. Jim
Probably more appropriate a piece of exhaust flex-pipe of close to proper diameter would work to make one
Ooooooooh! I like that one!
Speedy Jim
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