exhaust hose

[rangerscott275]

Just wondering...while I was reading thread on exhaust collectors.....

Has anyone with a 53 or similar layout replaced their exhaust hoses. When I bought my boat and had it surveyed, the surveyor recommended I replace since they were original (thus 36 years old now).

They don't leak or show any real signs of problems...just age and hence a bit of stiffness. Problem is, they run the length of the boat, they are enormous, and I can only imagine what a PITA it is to remove and replace, not to mention pricey.

on another note, I just noticed one of my thru hulls has NO bolts holding it in place (thru hull for one of the toilets). It is held in place exclusively by 5200. I love finding this stuff....of course now I'll be worried about it until I can fix it which won't be anytime soon. I figure it has held this long...should be fine for my trip, and maybe there is some reason (I'm hoping other than sheer carelessness), why PO didn't put (or have put) bolts in when replacing that thru-hull

 

[Paul45c]

Just wondering...while I was reading thread on exhaust collectors.....

Has anyone with a 53 or similar layout replaced their exhaust hoses. When I bought my boat and had it surveyed, the surveyor recommended I replace since they were original (thus 36 years old now).

They don't leak or show any real signs of problems...just age and hence a bit of stiffness. Problem is, they run the length of the boat, they are enormous, and I can only imagine what a PITA it is to remove and replace, not to mention pricey.

This probably isn't the answer you want to hear, but I'd change them. I'd have a hard time trusting hoses that old pretty much ANYWHERE in the boat.

on another note, I just noticed one of my thru hulls has NO bolts holding it in place (thru hull for one of the toilets). It is held in place exclusively by 5200. I love finding this stuff....of course now I'll be worried about it until I can fix it which won't be anytime soon. I figure it has held this long...should be fine for my trip, and maybe there is some reason (I'm hoping other than sheer carelessness), why PO didn't put (or have put) bolts in when replacing that thru-hull

Yikes! 5200 is a tremendous adhesive, obviously, but how could somebody forget something like that?! I can't believe it would have been done intentionally. But, I guess i'd agree it's held this long, so you might as well travel. I guess the worst case scenario is that your thru-hull will twist in the hole. Shouldn't cause a leak.

 

[rangerscott275]

I agree with you about all old hoses....but I feel like the exhaust is a little different since there is never any pressure on the hose....water and air just flow out...no real force on the hosing itself

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Actually---out about a half hour from NOLA I did one of my walk throughs and found a freeing port >gushing< water under my Star engine. To wit: main exhaust hose BLOWIN water at the manifold @1000gph ( at 1500 turns ).After crawlin' my lardass self back in the hole I find 2 busted lower clamps. I loosen 1 top and move it and it busts. Now climb back out and dig up 3 giant clamps. Thanks PO -- there were a dozen in the locker(??) There is MASSIVE VOLUME on them hoses bubba. Read the book for numbers. I will still at least CHECK all mine next week. CLOSE the seacox you absolutely wont need. I also carry a 12v bilge pump and a house type 110 pump with a ton o' hose. Dont forget the bungola bungs. Ya just ever know do ya?? I can be serious when I need to be.
ws

 

[jim rosenthal]

The through-hull has threads to hold it into the sea valve, correct? plus 5200 as well... it is not optimum, but ought to hold. Until you fix it on a haulout. If it's what I think it is, it will stay there.

 

[Avenger]

Jim,

When did you become a "Super Moderator"? Not that we didn't think you were super before.... shouldn't there be a little red S next to it?

 

[rangerscott275]

that's pretty funny! <S>

yeah, i think thru-hull is fine for now but I'll definitely address it next haul out

what do you thinkn about exhaust hoses? is it worth doing over winter? I'm imagining it will run several thousand if I have the yard do it. I understand there is a large quantity of water flowing through it....but not really any pressure on the hosing itself. I guess my question is....if it ain't broke, should I fix it? And secondly, has anyone else done this....what was there experience / cost?

 

[jim rosenthal]

The cost is outrageous. You can do a little better by ordering in bulk, and if you are local I can help you get it a little cheaper, but you are talking about big-diameter hose that cost several bucks a foot, and you will need a lot. And the job is so disagreeable that you want to use the best you can get, which would be Trident, I think 300 series.

An alternative would be to inspect as much of the hose as you can see, and replace ALL the clamps with Awabs, or equivalent. That will be a huge job also, but not as miserable as R&Ring all the exhaust hose.

The problem is that the hose dries out, gets brittle, etc, and it is old. Also the wire helix inside it will sooner or later begin to rust as the rubber layers deteriorate and let the salt water get to it. When you think about how corrosive hot salt water is, it is remarkable that anything in its' path lasts much time at all. We all see what it does to metals.

If your 53MY has fiberglass exhaust pipes in the transom, and most do, I think, the job is even harder. You have to get the old hose out, and then somehow feed the new stuff in. It is probably eight inches in diameter and stiff as hell. Not a job for the faint of heart. Also, the old hose is vulcanized onto the exhaust elbows and also the inside spigot of the transom exhaust pipe.....

If you think I am discouraging you, Scott, you are probably right. You are also right that the hose does not operate under pressure, and that it basically just lays there while the water and exhaust run through it. I would probably inspect as much of it as I could get to, and replace all the clamps. That alone will be a huge job of work. It is easy for the surveyor to recommend that you replace the hose. No doubt if they had to do it, they might make a different suggestion.

Maybe I got a promotion....beats me.

 

[Genesis]

ROFL!

I replaced one side on my boat after an internal inspection (occasioned by the collector being off, giving me access to looking inside) disclosed a nasty internal bubble.

Believe me, it was a beast of a job.The worst part of it was that the fiberglass pipes ended aft of the bulkhead and the hole was not big enough to get fingers in there with gloves on.

It took me a DAY to cut the old hose loose enough to get it off. This also resulted in a LOT of fiberglass rash on my hands.

If you need to do it, then do it. I used the Trident SILICONE blue hose for replacement. The stuff was stupid expensive but this was one job I did NOT want to do twice.

 

[Pascal]

arent' thruhull screwed to the seacock ? no thru bolts afaik. just screws on the inside, on the flange but that's not what's holding it together...

it's a LONG hose run in the 53.... about 20' on each or so... trident blue silicon only come in 12' length at $50 a ft... (WM).. Shields is around $35 a ft...

Jim, same thing happened to me a while back... you can go to your profile and delete Super

 

[GOLE IV]

When the exhaust pipe is in the transom there is really low pressure on he hose and pipe as long as you are moving forward. When you back up it might be a different scenario.

I recently saw a brand new 40 foot boat from XXXX, that after few week in the had of the proud owner, when backing up to the slip the hose came off the pipe because of wrong size clamps used. Lots of water and smoke into the engine room and a big mess to clean.

Think on the risk vs the PITA to replace the hose

 

[Paul45c]

it's a LONG hose run in the 53.... about 20' on each or so... trident blue silicon only come in 12' length at $50 a ft... (WM).. Shields is around $35 a ft...

Two thoughts -- first, how is access to the important beginning and ending parts in a 53? Karl's right that the 45c would be a BEAR, but access is the big deal there.

Second, I guess it wouldn't be such a big deal to stay with the wire-reinforced Shields-type hose since it already has lasted over 30 yrs! Still, that's a heck of a parts bill for just those two hoses.

 

[Liquid Asset]

At the very minimum I would replace the clamps. I did this last summer and inspected the hoses. Mine will need to be replaced when I replace my collectors, but They are fine untill then. I will try to do this in a year. But, I feel much more comfortable with new clamps than the old rusty ones that had been on there since Hatteras built the boat. I double clamped all hoses and made sure that there were not other issues I could find. I would not want to try and replace those hoses without disasembling the exhaust. It would be a pain in the butt!