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Exhausts

mike newall

mike newall

Well Known Member
Sponsor
Anyone got any thoughts between Vetterman and AWI ?

Thinking of a 4 into 1 system on our 8 with a parallel valve motor.

Seen AWI at the show and they seem very good.
 
I have the 4 in to 1 AWI on for 4.5 years, works well, there maybe an issue with the clearance as the collecter gets a little close to the lower cowl as it exits out the the bottom, but they may have made some changes since.
 
Just recieved my AWI 4 into 1 a few weeks ago, not installed yet but i already love it! Great people to work with too.

-david
 
I like Vetterman's Exhaust

I have been doing some Dyno pulls on a Lycoming O-360-A4A with Larry Vetterman?s exhaust systems. Larry?s exhaust have produced more FT-LBS of torq and HP through 2300 ? 2900 RPM range than any other system that I have ran on this engine. From stock Piper exhaust to my own base line test header (2 into one, left & right). Perfect fit every time, and what a work of art on those welds. P.S. My G3i engine Dyno is just outside of Denver, standard day is 5400ft MSL.
 
Larry Vetterman is a all-around good guy, has been supporting RVers since the stone ages and pretty much gives a lifetime guarantee on his exhausts which are a work of art. Why go elsewhere?
 
I just started running Vetterman's Exhaust (1992), but "so-far-so-good!")
 
Exhaust

Keep in mind that this is not scientific. However, I put Vetterman's 4 exhaust system on my RV-4 and I believe that I got back the power that I had lost when I put the intake air filter on. I have the original cowl which makes things a bit tight. I made a slight blister in the lower right cowl as the heat muff was barely contacting that area. I simply put a slight piece of foam over the area and then glassed it. Finished it and wa la. Looks like it was meant to be. I can't speak highly enough about Larry and his products.
 
DanH said:
Because every time I look at the crimped tubes in the Brand V tailpipe mount system I cringe. Flattened-then-bent tube ends in structure are an insult to God and nature.
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I can't disagree...made my own that were much better.
 
DanH said:
Because every time I look at the crimped tubes in the Brand V tailpipe mount system I cringe. Flattened-then-bent tube ends in structure are an insult to God and nature.
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If I remember correctly, that mount system was designed by Van's Aircraft, not Vetterman.
 
Mel said:
It sounds like you are condemning Larry's system for something that Van's aircraft did.
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Exhaust mounting is not even mentioned in my original RV-6x intruction manual/plans.

Are you sure it was Vans design?

The Tolle/Harmon exhaust systems were earlier than Vetterman's - what hangers did they use?
 
On my Tolle 4into2 pipes, I simply used two soft steel bars, 1/2 wide and 3/16 thick and about 18 inches long with a hole for a bolt fastend to the rear bottom flange of the sump. The other end was bent to align with the exhaust pipe near the bottom of the cowl exit. The pipe is fastened to the bar with a stainless hose clamp. This configuration on my -4 has worked well for 23 years and over 2000hrs. The exhaust pipe exit and engine are connected via these bars and engine vibration and motion is maintained independent of the airframe which is probably why this setup has worked very well.
 
I sold my original exhaust off the RV-6 after it was wrecked at SNF, so no photos. For the rebuild I bought another exhaust from Larry, a four-pipe to fit around the M1B sump.

Early on (first 200 hours) I had chronic problems of breaking the flattened tubes particularly the two that join the pipes together at the outlet, and occasionally had the other two break a couple of times (the ones that attach to the engine mount.).

What I did was simple. I used a 3/4"x1/4" bar of aluminum, about 6" long, to join the two sets of pipes together, bolted to the exhaust clamps Larry provides. Then I fabricated the vertical pieces with bandsawed conveyor belt material 3/4" wide, 1/8" thick, with stainless sheet RTVed to the ends then holes drilled thru them for the AN3 bolts. Those were used as straps attached to heavy adel clamps to the mount, and to the Larry-supplied clamps on the exhausts. Never had a single problem after that.
 
While the cowl was off last week for an oil change, I rearranged the exhaust hanger clamps, etc so all the hangers would be straight with no bends needed. I also replaced the steel tubing with solid rod but retained the original rubber hoses as shock mounts. I suspect this mod will work for many years.

I've only had to replace two or three of the flattened/bent tubes over the past 13 years. Yep, they are kinda inelegant but have worked quite well. I always carried a length of 3/8" steel brake line in the plane's kit in case a hangar needed to be fabricated on the road. Never needed it, however.

The hangars have been a source of considerable discussion and modification in the RV community over the years because nobody seems to have found the final solution. But the quality of the exhaust system itself is above reproach and has flown on thousands of RVs.
 
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