Titanium Tail Pipes
 

I would like to know if anyone has considered using titanium instead of stainless tail pipes.

The weight savings should be significant...Other than price,I wonder what disadvantage there may be ?

If the savings was 15-40 lbs per tail pipe, how much would you pay?

With a Wt. saving of 40# x 4 tails, that would cause one to seriously listen to your proposal !

We would like to know what you are thinking .

Do you have aluminum blocks yet? They would be cheaper and save more weight.

CcanDo,
A weight savings of 140#, at the height and aft position of your tails would have a positive effect on the CG and longitudinal center of balance.

Bob

No, we don't have aluminum blocks . Aluminum blocks for the marine application makes me a little nervous. Corrosion,oxidation,thermal shock and align bore would be the primary concerns.Internal coating would address some concern.

In fact, the graphite/carbon steel block casting is said to weigh somewhere between aluminum and cast iron,plus includes other benifits.

Titanium tail pipes may not be feasible. However,on boats with limited bilge length,overhung load of mufflers, heavier drives, added stand off boxes,transom reinforcement and etc.,
CG becomes a problem. Therefore ,while total weight is an issue it is more manageable than CG in some situations. Further,if one could effect both CG and Wt. by simply changing tail pipe material it may be feasible. An example would be the boat that doesn't quite go on plane because the transom/boat gained Wt..Now what do we do ? If the option were available to bolt on a 160# of Wt. saving while shifting the CG it may be worth considering,especialy for some boats.

It has been said Russia has an an abundance of raw Titanium. Therefore, as globalization evolves, perhaps someone here has access to commodity pricing for Titanium tube.

Then, after sticker shock, the theory of Titanium would have to be tested and proven. However,if the pipes were without turns or bends it should be somewhat straight forward.

What is your response to that ? Is there a need ? People commit a lot of resources to gain speed and handling that 160# Wt. savings would provide.

A practical alternative, used a the highest level of motorsport including F-1, is thinwall Inconel alloy. The weight savings are significant and the material is proven and durable. The big plus with Inconel is the people, materials, and development are already in place to make this happen.

Attached is a photo of a set I have from the Honda F-1 program.

rmbuilder

Good hearing from you !

Have we worked together since the crank to rod ratio thread ? That was fun and now more people are talking about idle torque,dock manners,durability and generally having more fun. Your articulate information made a significant contribution. Also,I see people throwing Gold Stars for other things you have been doing for them.

As for the influence Titanium may have,it sounds like you and I are on the same page. Do you have time to expound ? Please !

rmbuilder

Sorry, you were posting while I was in a meeting...then the "go button" was punched....You had already posted.

Do you have anything with Wt. factors for the various materials ?

For asthetics, is there a way of creating a little more Bling on Inconel ?

Also, should the muffler be designed for attachment to the header collector,then attach the tail pipe to the muffler ? The purpose of that method would be to better offer protection for the transom,header stress,CG and etc.

CMI might be a good source of info on lighter metals for marine tail pipes. The water jacketed design could be a challenge for some welded metals.