we have a 73 westfalia nd the left hand heater box lost both studs holding the foward exhast to the head.So of course the sound got terrible loud after checking to see we were not going to lose anything we coninued on living with the noise as we went. We were in rural Newfoundland without a Vw shop to be found and i wouldn't let just anyone work on my VW. Anyway after we got home (back to Halifax Nova Scotia ) i put the van up on ramps and checked out the condition . The lost stud holes will accept new stud and bolt so that it not a problem , however the backpart of the heater box exhast port is cracked where the heater box bends up and goes into the mounting bracket ( with the holes for the bolts to go in) .. so my question is can this be welded /brazed in place or do i have to remove the heater box in order to repair this . Maybe if i remove it should i just replace the heater box ? Is there something other than a heater box that replace the box (like the j tubes on the bug engine) we dont use the heat at all as the PO removed all the stuff foward of the boxes and the van is stored in the winter thanks in advance for all your advice
john harrison
73 westfalia
75 beetle
96/91 jetta