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Check That Muffler

Steve Pierce

BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
Mailed out an Atlee Dodge Hot Rod Muffler out today to one of our members who could only get 1900 rpm on take-off on a sand bar. Got back to his hanger with a lot of pucker factor and found the flame tube of his muffler blocking the tailpipe. Good idea tolook up the tailpipe every pre-flight and make sure the flame tube is intact and not warped. Also a good idea to weld in the bail so the outlet can't get stopped up. The AD requires a pretty thorough inspection every 100 hrs.on mufflers with less than 1000 hrs and every 50 hrs. after that. Don't want to have to pick up any pieces so I thought I would mention this never ending problem.
 
the bail should be a requirement......

FYI..
if a 185 muffler cone breaks right at base it will partially block outlet also... only found one of those at inspection... many that blown out in pieces
 
I have an Atlee Dodge muffler. I think they are designed where they don't have that problem. I bought it when my old one did have that problem. I would like to get one of those hotrod mufflers.
 
I had a Citabria 7 GCB 0-290 d 2 was flying on floats landed in a small lake went fishing , when we fired it up to leave same thing happend to me no power 1900 rpm then the rpm picked up , when i got home I went over the hole plane and found nothing, called my mechanic and he said the same look up in the exhaust, piece had broken off and was covering 75% of the hole , again I got lucky !!!
 
New mufflers are relatively inexpensive. Why guys fly around with 40-50 year old exhaust parts is a mystery to me. A brand new Atlee HD muffler is $585. Heck, I replaced my entire Cessna exhaust system for right at $2k complete and got a better design with far less leak potential. It was a simple decision.

Stewart
 
I think Atlee's HD muffler has the bail welded into it. The Hot Rod muffler has no baffle and the AD doesn't apply. The muffler that failed was a stockmuffler.
 
Steve, you are right about this being a continuing problem -- not just for Cubs. Please do look up any aircraft tailpipe on preflight -- C206 mufflers especially with the china hat type flame cones, C185, Maules...

Our Tern muffler cones failed this summer, my husband was flying and happened to mention that the engine seemed low on power...

And a customer with a Maule made an off-hand comment this fall about having me check the compression on the engine due to it didn't seem to feel right... I found the cones on one side rattling around and blocking the exhaust exit.

I am a real believer in listening carefully when my friends and customers tell me something doesn't feel right.

Even the newer heavy duty Atlee Dodge muffler cones will fail eventually. Steve's advice to look up the tailpipe is good advice, do it even if you friends laugh at you for practicing aircraft proctology.

Vickie
 
probably worth posting for those who have not seen it,

this is the bail you can buy and have 4 small welds added to your existing muffler (removed,cleaned)

it sticks up out of tail pipe and into muffler can some, so nothing can lay over and block tail pipe hole

look up your tail pipe, if you don't have it, get it(or make it, it's just 3/16 rod I think), it will save you from loosing a bunch of power WHEN your muffler starts coming apart

05-02150.jpg


[SIZE=+2]MUFFLER BAIL U452-093[/SIZE]
Muffler Bail Welded inside muffler out let to guard against Flame Tube failure and obstruction of exhaust outlet.
View more details [SIZE=-2]05-02150[/SIZE][SIZE=-2]MUFFLER BAIL U452-093[/SIZE]$33.70
 
Well I am doing the annual on my Super Cub that I bought in November and got to the exhaust system today. Needless to say I am weighing my options.

Front of the muffler around the tailpipe was cracked.
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Rear as well. Wasn't much holding it together.
20150322_173501.jpg

The flame tube was ready to go.
20150322_173612.jpg

At least the bale would have prevented complete blockage of the tailpipe.
20150322_173535.jpg

I had looked up the tailpipe recently with no abnormality, I guess I should have been looking prior to every flight. Now I am contemplating if the remaining parts of the system are worth putting back into service with a Atlee Dodge Heavy Duty muffler, go with an Atlee Dodge Hot Rod muffler or replace the whole system with a Sutton.
 

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Steve,
Mine hasnt failed but I have been thinking the same thing to remove the 50 hour AD. I am leaning toward the Sutton. Thanks for sharing that.

Eddie
 
I suggest the Sutton. My biggest reason is that the amount of heat against the firewall goes down I am told. In Texas you don't need more heat in the cabin!
 
Bummer... We used to call the early C206/207 mufflers "death cones"....They had little China Hat shaped cones inside that failed and completely blocked the tail pipe....50% power loss in an instant. Killed quite a few people before they changed the design...
 
steve,get the dodge hot rod,slight h.p. gain,done 3 160 h.p., gained at least 90-100 r.p.m on the change,didn't have to cut up a $850.00 bottom cowl either!!!!
don't be a cheap a$$ ;like me.

jr. :smile:
 
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Hot rod is the same as stock, just gutted inside and has a bigger tailpipe. Just the muffler. Quicker and easier to install. Sutton is completely new, and is pictured above. You have to cut a new hole in the cowling.
 
Hot Rod and let the lake pipes roar! And I'm sure Tom would loan you his...
 
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I've heard of a number of power-loss problems due to the flame tubes failing, and the resultant "banana in the tailpipe" (remember Beverly Hills Cop?) Why don't all muffler mfr's go the tubeless route a la the hot rod muffler? Or else go super-heavy-duty on the tube?
 
I got a Hot Rod muffler,like it but, you will need good headsets , and you can forget about sneaking up on your neighbors to do sneak attacks
 
I'd like to hear a before and after report on cabin heat output with the Hot Rod Muffler.....
 
The Hot Rod muffler definitely sounds like a Harley of the sky, has very distinctive sound in the air. Loud even with my Lightspeed Zulu II's, but no AD and slightly better power -at least it sounds like it! Heat is better or no worse than stock. Had mine for a couple of years, I'm probably even now after two annuals. It took hours of labor to do a real inspection on the stock muffler.
 
I put the hot rod muffler on last year. No change in heat output (I do have heat robber also). It is loud, my friends say they can tell my cub just from the sound. I do get a buffet from the exhaust around 2100-2300 rpm. I think it is lighter than a stock one. I wanted it because it is one less thing to go wrong and spoil my day. My flame tube looked like Steve's. Had to trim a bit of the lower lip for it to fit.

DENNY
 
I'd like to hear a before and after report on cabin heat output with the Hot Rod Muffler.....
I didn't notice any difference with an all new installation... I'm in Oklahoma but did fly it in high single digit temps and it worked well.
 
Thanks, that is good to know. I'm getting to where I don't want to fly below single digits...
 
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