Modifying Muffler
Now the exhaust manifolds are in place. (On these engines, the exhaust manifolds are also called "heat exchangers" - aircooled cars, because they have no antifreeze or heater cores, heat the cabin with air heated up by the exhaust. The shiny covering in the center is a little air chamber where fresh air can be blown around the hot metal of the exhaust pipes. This now-warm air is then blown up to the passenger compartment to provide (minimal) heat.)

It's time to see how the Bursch muffler will fit:

Unfortunately, due to the stroke and deck-height of this motor, the heads are a little bit further apart from each other than on a stock build (remember those spacers under the cylinders?) It looks like the spacing of the muffler is about 1/2" too short:

I don't feel that "flexing" the exhaust pipes to fit is the right solution, so I cut the muffler:

And with everything set up the way I wanted it, I welded patches over the openings:

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