Be Sure the Exhaust System is on Your Spring Launch Checklist to Avoid Problems This Season
Apr 6, 2016
Salt deposits (left) and discoloration (right) are two signs of potential exhaust system problems that should be addressed before launching your boat this spring.
Most boat owners have a checklist of maintenance items to be performed before spring launch.
Leading exhaust systems manufacturer Centek Industries suggests the following items be included on checklists to avoid exhaust system problems during the boating season.
• Inspect your exhaust system for cracks or other signs of physical damage.
• If you see salt deposits, your muffler is leaking water. If you see any discolouration, your muffler has experienced overheating, damage has occurred and may potentially leak. Before considering a repair or replacement, determine why the leak occurred. Almost 100% of the time, this type of leak indicates that the muffler experienced overheating due to a loss of cooling water in the exhaust stream. If the cause of overheating is not corrected, any repair to your muffler will be a short term solution.
• Inspect and replace hoses that are worn, dry rotted, damaged or cracked.
• Tighten all hose connections. Ideally, hoses should be double-clamped.
• Add sound dampening material on the base of the muffler to reduce noise through the hull and on deck.
• To reduce noise from overboard cooling water discharge, consider adding a Gen-Sep to separate the cooling water from the exhaust gasses. The exhaust gas is then discharged to the atmosphere and the cooling water is discharged below the water line, which will eliminate the splash you hear when the gen-set is running.
• If you’ve repowered, you may also need to replace your exhaust system. To get the most from your new engine or gen-set, it is important to make sure that the exhaust system is properly sized. A properly sized exhaust system provides the best sound attenuation and stays within the backpressure limits set by the engine manufacturer.
