[Public-List] A-4 muffler

[gordon white]

     I would recommend  having a muffler made of a good stainless alloy, 
designed to resist corrosion under conditions of heat and salt water - a 
tough combination. Certainly not black iron. Use galvanized if you must, 
but bronze if you can.

     I had a situation about ten years ago, well out on the Bay off 
Solomons,. in a flat calm, when the gooseneck (black iron pipe fitting) 
rusted through and broke, leaving the cooling water and the exhaust 
pouring into the boat when using the engine.

     I was able to get a hose rigged up to get the water overboard, but 
the exhaust, with a certain amount of diesel soot in it, permeated the 
boat. The cleanup job afterwards was immense.

     Got into Solomons and got some pipe welded up well enough to get 
home (to Fishing Bay) and put in a bronze fitting with the water 
injection fitting.

     With the age of the Albergs, many exhaust systems may be on the 
cusp of corroding to the point of breakage. Imagine losing your exhaust 
far from port, or at night. I shudder to contemplate.

     At some point the exhaust and water may be cool enough to use a  
high-temperature plastic - I think some mufflers are reinforced plastic 
that does not rust, but I would not use black iron in an exhaust system.

Gordon White, /Brigadoon II/

 1319757612.0