You'll find undoing the engine bar mounting bolts on either chassis rails will allow you to lower the engine and gearbox as a unit a fair bit, still connected at the front.
That would have given you a lot more access.
Oh well. 
It will run a lot better with a good exhaust system - the WBX likes a good, correctly sealed system on it very much.
You're just lucky that you weren't taking off the exhaust at the manifolds. Those M8 nuts will be wasted away and the studs will probably shear and they're in a nice soft alloy head, which you do NOT want to take off!
Check the condition of the petrol pipes under the van and make sure they're good. Losing the whole van to a fire would not be a good look and for the cost of a few hoses/bit of hardline it's a safety measure worth taking.
Having a camper is f*cking great. We're desparate to get another one when funds allow.
Damn it!... I did actually wonder if it was possible to lower the engine without too much hassle but assumed it would have been a ball ache, with hindsight it would have been nothing in comparison to what I ended up going through. Runs so much better now I'm confident the exhaust system is tight. (still not quite running as it should though)
I already noticed that the manifold nuts/studs don't look too pretty but thankfully all of the pipework looks pretty healthy, hopefully not something I will have to worry about in the near future, I'd like to think it would last the engines remaining lifespan.
Thankfully the van benefits from a brand new fuel tank, lines, and filter. However, I have recently noticed that when the tank is brimmed I can smell vapour when driving for the first quarter of the tank it consumes.
After that its fine, I have checked everything I can see, lines, filler neck etc, any ideas? Decent powder fire extinguisher installed.
Yes they are great, even this old heap, starting to think I won't be able to live without one now.
Also check the water pipes that run underneath and that your temperature guage works. The last thing you want to do is overheat one of these as you're into head off territory and as Tom has said above you DO NOT want to be going there.
Nick
Water pipes have been replaced with plastic ones, common mod I believe, temp gauge is working perfectly, thankfully.
As with anything, I did do some research before viewing/purchasing albeit a little rushed (there's some great websites out there). Thank you both for your pointers though as my knowledge on these is nowhere near what I have on the golf.
I take it head work is a bi*ch on these then.
Will put a little list together in a bit with the good and bad bad points of this vehicle that I have discovered so far.
