Exhaust leak

[Noah]

https://www.catalinadirect.com/shop-by-boat/catalina-350/engine/exhaust-system/high-temp-anti-seize-compound/?SearchResults=1
This is what I used.

[Ron Hill]

Guys : I went to Noah's site and saw the price of a stainless riser and almost fainted!!  Inflation  WOW!!!

A thought

[junaido]

Guys : I went to Noah's site and saw the price of a stainless riser and almost fainted!!  Inflation  WOW!!!

Yeah, $600 for a stainless pipe is too rich for my taste. Compared to $60 for black iron at the plumbing store. The original lasted 40 years.

[junaido]

After putting in the new exhaust riser I have run into a new issue. The muffler appears to be leaking from the bottom.  While replacing the old inlet hose with the hump hose, I noticed the muffler seemed full of water all the way to the top of inlet hose barb.  However, after starting the engine I noticed no water out of exhaust and a ton of water/exhaust coming from under the muffler. It is possible that the guy helping put the hump hose put so much force that he damaged the muffler.

Is it possible to rebuild this muffler should I start shopping for a replacement? Can one just connect the inlet and outlet hoses together and just bypass the muffler? Maybe put a valve or a rise in the junction to prevent backflow into engine?

Video of the current situation. Notice the new orange hump hose with gorilla tape padding for clamps. The Westerbeke water injection nipple is also visible. https://youtube.com/shorts/E_RPegUhlkY?si=dlSuN-VMDn5m-X-j

Leak appears to be coming from the aft side of muffler. https://youtube.com/shorts/hhm_ImLz6BY?si=pUoLya4ZAzleliVL

[KWKloeber]

The oem aqualift was not constructed to today's standard and is notorious for:
   - Crushed inlet and outlet tubes
   - Leaks developing in the seam where the bottom is afixed to the top.

I "fixed" mine 2x (seam) before replacing it with a stainless can muffler.

Had I completely separated the two halves I'm confident I could have permanently fixed the seam.   I had reinforced a partially crushed inlet with a piece of aluminum tubing that I had hanging around that was a press-fit into the tube.  Not great using aluminum but I would have eventually replaced it with s/s tubing.

There's an article I posted on the TechWiki showing a C30 owner who repaired his aqualift. 

The new muffler from CD is a quality item, built by Centek.

No, you can't simply hook the hoses together - you need a waterLIFT muffler.

[junaido]

I "fixed" mine 2x (seam) before replacing it with a stainless can muffler.

Where did you find the stainless can muffler? Thanks.

[KWKloeber]

I "fixed" mine 2x (seam) before replacing it with a stainless can muffler.

Where did you find the stainless can muffler? Thanks.

It was a salvage from another boat - a marina I was visiting at the time had it in its yard. Probably was a CS-36 which used that particular 6" muffler on a Westerbeke W30.  The volume is considerably less but it has worked fine for my setup.
I think the C34 has a considerable vertical distance on the exhaust hose so IIWMB, I'd hesitate using one that small.  Other than than backflow volume it would work identically to the oem muffler.

See the wiki Engine>Exhaust for Bill Shreeves' article and his Centek 8x8 muffler that AFAIK still works fine. 
The new Aqualift replacement is probably the best choice but is available only through CD. $$$$    2x what it should cost.
You could ask Centek for a quote on a custom size but it would need to be different enough from the CD version otherwise they'll just tell you contact CD.

[Ron Hill]

Jun : You own the leaking muffler, I'd try to patch it before buying a new one!!

A thought

[junaido]

Jun : You own the leaking muffler, I'd try to patch it before buying a new one!!

I am definitely in favor of repairing the one I have. Getting that thing out from under the sink is going to be tough...

[KWKloeber]

Jun : You own the leaking muffler, I'd try to patch it before buying a new one!!

I am definitely in favor of repairing the one I have. Getting that thing out from under the sink is going to be tough...

I know there's post about getting it out - not as difficult as it appears but then it's not my fingers, knuckles, bandages, and Neosporin.

I'm thinking that I'd start with a Dremel and cutoff wheel to cut through the seam.

[Ron Hill]

juna : I took my muffler out thru the aft cabin!! Just disconnect the in/out hoses and remove the 4 lag bolts. Then remove the muffler off the wooden pedestal and lift it out!!  Simple as that!!

A thought

[junaido]

There is a new aqualift top-out, side-in cylindrical muffler for sale near me for cheap. It is 2" vs 1-5/8" hose dia, and the height is 11", diameter is 10".  The volume of this muffler is about the same as the old rectangular muffler (12"x12"x6.75") and somewhat less than the volume of the new CD cylindrical  muffler (14" dia, 7.5" high, $900).  Can I just replace the old rectangular top-in, top-out with this guy and use some kind of step-down fitting on the hoses?

[KWKloeber]

Centek makes nice fiberglass adapters. 

I don't know the particulars of a C34, but if I recall correctly from Bill's project wouldn't there be a height limitation?

Wouldn't getting an adapter plus the injection wye plus hump hose to fit be an issue?

Is it a Centek brand waterlift?

[junaido]

Centek makes nice fiberglass adapters. 

I don't know the particulars of a C34, but if I recall correctly from Bill's project wouldn't there be a height limitation?

Wouldn't getting an adapter plus the injection wye plus hump hose to fit be an issue?

Is it a Centek brand waterlift?

It's Aqualift brand. The inlet is on the side so hopefully there would be enough room to connect the inlet to the water injection Y. Not sure about the outlet clearance on the top .

[KWKloeber]

Aqualift is no longer made.  If it's "new" and round you're looking at Northern Lights or Centek.