Exhaust leak

Noah · February 24, 2024, 11:56:26 AM

Toss the 10-year-old West System 105 and hardener. I would clean and grind prep surface, then use the 6/10 thickened epoxy (unless it is old) PLUS cover seam with (new) 105 epoxy and 205 hardener— with some fiberglass cloth/cloth tape over seam. If 6/10 is old, toss it too and use some West 406 filler into crack instead,then go over with cloth and 105 epoxy.

Stu Jackson · February 25, 2024, 08:28:56 AM

Quote from: junaido on February 24, 2024, 11:13:35 AMMuffler is finally out. It felt like midwifing a Great Dane puppy out of a Dachshund, but it did come out the aft berth after executing a 90 degree clockwise turn. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Junaid,

Of course it was a PITA doing it that way. Posts #1 and 65-70 discussed this. I'm happy that you got it out, but am amazed that you bothered to do it the hard way after all the input you received. How are you planning to put it back?

Rant: Many of us have spent many years with our boats and have built up a reasonable level of experience. Some of us have actually documented that experience by writing detailed photographic essays of the work they have accomplished. In addition, many of us follow this forum and are willing to reiterate that experience and help others to the source of that documentation. In this case, I provided you with my writeup in the very first post in your thread here, and we discussed it further in posts #65-70, and I even went the further mile and copied the removal part of my tech note for you. I also provided lots of information with sketches, Catalina Yacht documents and photographs in this very thread. We are trying to have you avoid reinventing the bloody wheel, which is what this website is all about. I'm not your mother and I'm not mad at you for not taking my advice, but it sure galls me when we've made some serious experienced recommendations that appear to have gone completely by you, because you say "It felt like midwifing a Great Dane puppy out of a Dachshund...", which is a really great line BTW!

I tried to help you avoid this entirely. I'm sorry you didn't bother. I'll suggest to you to re-read my recommendations, because when you put it back through the head door you'll wonder why you did it the hard way to get it out. [Rant over]

I'm the guy who came up with the phrase "Your boat, your choice" but in this case, you just chose the harder option. Good luck with the rest of the work.

IIRC, Ken Kloeber offered great information on fixing your muffler in post #49, as did Noah just above.

junaido · February 25, 2024, 09:48:27 AM

Stu,
I did try the sink route but couldn't even get the sink hoses off. After spending considerable time trying to do laparoscopic surgery through the head sink door, this was the path of least resistance for me. I guess I will reevaluate the options when the time comes to put the muffler back.

Stu Jackson · February 25, 2024, 10:55:59 AM

Quote from: junaido on February 25, 2024, 09:48:27 AMStu,
I did try the sink route but couldn't even get the sink hoses off. After spending considerable time trying to do laparoscopic surgery through the head sink door, this was the path of least resistance for me. I guess I will reevaluate the options when the time comes to put the muffler back.

That's helpful info, and the kind that you may have asked first to avoid your Dauschund fun & games. I understand, but then again I don't. In post #40 I posted a photo of under the head sink (photo courtesy of Ron). What part of the sink hose could you not get off? All I had to do was remove the two hose clamps below the white blob thingies, nothing more was needed for access to the muffler (in my case for replacement but what I recommended for removal, too). Am I missing something?

junaido · February 25, 2024, 11:36:29 AM

Quote from: Stu Jackson on February 25, 2024, 10:55:59 AMWhat part of the sink hose could you not get off? All I had to do was remove the two hose clamps below the white blob thingies, nothing more was needed for access to the muffler (in my case for replacement but what I recommended for removal, too). Am I missing something?

I undid the hose clamp on the sink hose, but despite all tugging and yanking the hose did not come off the faucet barb (is that what you are calling the "white blob thingy"?). Maybe I suck at getting hoses off, but this dissuaded me from exploring that route any further. I think I mentioned the large glass-bowl fuel filter that is also mounted under the sink. I suspect it will block the muffler coming out that route as well even if I manage to get the sink hoses off. There are very few one-size-fits-all solutions in these boats.

Noah · February 25, 2024, 11:50:15 AM

Tip: use a heat gun or hair dryer on vinyl hoses to facilitate easier on/off.

Stu Jackson · February 25, 2024, 12:00:28 PM

Quote from: junaido on February 25, 2024, 11:36:29 AMI undid the hose clamp on the sink hose, but despite all tugging and yanking the hose did not come off the faucet barb (is that what you are calling the "white blob thingy"?). Maybe I suck at getting hoses off, but this dissuaded me from exploring that route any further. I think I mentioned the large glass-bowl fuel filter that is also mounted under the sink. I suspect it will block the muffler coming out that route as well even if I manage to get the sink hoses off. There are very few one-size-fits-all solutions in these boats.

Tugging and yanking on a hose on a barb will NEVER do anything. That's why the barb is there: in case the clamp fails the hose stays there.

In addition to Noah's ideas, what I do is simply slice a bit of the hose and it will come right off. Unless you have absolutely NO extra hose, cutting 1/2" to 1" off a hose is not a big deal.

I also suggest asking before, unless you were at the boat for the "Dachshund removal day."

Phil Spicer · February 25, 2024, 01:34:28 PM

Removed the muffler this winter on our 1988 c34. The inlet hose would not come off so I started cutting it with an oscillator tool. The vibration broke the tube loose before I cut through. To remove the outlet hose I used large channel locks to GENTLY grab and twist the hose and break it loose. Since the engine is out so I could get the transmission rebuilt, all the wires and hoses were loose and the muffler slid inboard without much trouble. (Pulled it from the aft cabin) If the wires and hoses had been connected to the engine there wouldn't have been enough slack to clear the inlet/outlet tubes on the top of the muffler. Things are tight back there.
Since some have had the fiberglass inlet tube break, and I have everything apart, I pulled the muffler to add a fillet to the inlet & outlet tubes. Now it's time to get a warm day and start putting everything back together.
Ron, thank you for your knowledge, yes, the engine had to be pulled to remove the transmission. With the engine in the galley everything came apart quick and easy.

1) Early boats have no room to pull the transmission back from the engine. (It might work if you cut a lot of fiberglass)
2) The transmission is bolted to the bellhousing from the inside. A lot to undo on this job.

Ron Hill · February 25, 2024, 03:09:36 PM

juna : I've found that a Heat Gun onboard is a great tool or as Stu mentioned (if you have some extra hose length) just take a utility knife and make a 1/2" cut and a twist to get a barbed hose off.

Phyl : Not too sure what Universal was thinking?? when they made the attaching bolts from the bell housing to the transmission from the INSIDE!! A least the M25 XPB and the M35 BC engines that bolt is accessible from the Outside!!

A few thoughts