Thru hull exhaust conversion
 

My boat doesn't even begin to compete with the boats on this forum but it is what I can afford at this point in my life. I am running an 89 Wellcraft Eclipse 216 with a small block 305 that sat in a climate controlled storage facility for 13 of its 22 years. The interior is all new and the gel looks like new as well. So at least it isn't falling apart!
I am hoping to convert to a thru hull exhaust system next season and was wondering if anyone has any idea what the cost of materials would be for the conversion. A "captains call" or "silent choice" option would be welcomed I am sure by my wife as she does not seem to share in the enthuthiasm that I do of the glorious sound of a performance boat.

The cheapest route would be to just buy a set of tips, exhaust hose, and something to cap off your Y pipe.

Any of the silent choice options will really increase your budget unless you can find some used parts.

How is the local law enforcement in your area about noise?

You're probably going to need 3-4' of marine exhaust hose which will run roughly $100-150, 8-16 hose clamps at $5 a piece, exhaust tips for $150-200, $110 or so for Y pipe caps if you decide to not do a switchable exhaust plus another $20 or so for gaskets and hardware. I'd throw in some more fudge money to cover for tools, sealer etc to get the job done.

Depending on where the exhaust can exit it may involve some additional pipes for turn downs etc.

Check your PMs.

If your motors are atleast somewhat stock, I would definitley utilize the Y pipe in your thru-hull project. I think it will have a better sound, especially with small blocks. It will be a little quieter, but will also sound deeper at idle. I just went back to a Y pipe after years of tinkering with tips and mufflers and I finally got the sound I wanted. You can buy just the diverter pipes w/o the valve and its pretty cheap (see Dennis Moore, I think he's on this forum) then you just control your sound (db's) through restriction in your tips...alot of the Corsa tips are made with some restriction in them, forcing some of the noise back through the Y pipe. Good Luck!

Great advice guys. So it seems that i should be able to get this project accomoplished for under a grand in parts. Gonna have a marine mechanic buddy of mine do the work for me.

Hey liquidlounge.... what type of boat did you convert and was the end result worth the time and money?

Heres a pic of my little dingy....

http://www.slednh.com/forums/index.p...__1#entry71580

http://www.mooreperformance.info/Tri...austPipes.html

Here's a link to what I was talking about. You could always upgrade to a silent choice type system later if you wanted and you would just be out the $175.00. Yes, I would say it was worth it. I had to pull my motor to re-install the Y pipe which took some time, but the boat has never sounded better even with the silent choice open, which is what yours would be. Regardless of what you decide, I would leave the Y pipe.

Post a pic of the transom. If it has a "cut out" in the middle where the drive is, it might complicate the project.

Pretty clean looking 1989

Hmmm... interesting. Does this system allow you to route the exhaust through the hub when my wife has had enough of the noise or is it stricly thru hull?

It routes the exhaust through both at the same time with no provision to route it strictly through the prop. You would have to install slip in silencers in the exhaust tips or in line mufflers if you wanted to quiet it down any which is the premiss of using that particular setup.

Slip in silencers run about $80 on the low side. Mufflers are several hundred. I knew that was your next question.:p