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Muffler support???
Does anyone think I need to drill and tap a bracket to the unsupported end of my new DA-50 JTEC Pitts muffler? I have seen the recomendation to support the opposing end to the engine box stopping vibration induced fatigue to the muffler. I am using standard DA 3" mounts for this set up.
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RE: Muffler support???
Do not drill out the end of your muffler. Any modification will void the warrenty.
Make sure the mounting bolts are cleaned and use loctite to secure them in place. Do not use a gasket. We suggest a very thin layer of hi temp silicon for the gasket. MAKE SURE YOU KEEP EVERY THING BALANCED AT ALL TIMES!!! Check you muffler bolt as you would your prop bolts. Remember you are using steel bolts in an aluminum head. They expand and contract at different rates. This difference in cofficent of expansion can cause different materials to loosen. If you notice all the bolts on the DA are Aluminum to reduce the effect. As with any aspect of flying you need to do (PM) preventive maintenance prior to flying. You charge your batteries so check your prop for tightness and balance and any bolt on accessory which includes the muffler. Al Young JTEC |
RE: Muffler support???
Thanks Al and other PMs
Al, I have lots of feedback from others that ALL wrap around Pitts mufflers either come with a mount bracket or are tapped for one from the factory to avoid cracking. This leads me to believe I will be sending this one back to you after it cracks and I really don't want the down time on the airplane. How do you suggest I avoid this??? I have mounted this muffler as per your instructions and always do a through preflight, how long is the warranty? ORIGINAL: al Do not drill out the end of your muffler. Any modification will void the warrenty. Make sure the mounting bolts are cleaned and use loctite to secure them in place. Do not use a gasket. We suggest a very thin layer of hi temp silicon for the gasket. MAKE SURE YOU KEEP EVERY THING BALANCED AT ALL TIMES!!! Check you muffler bolt as you would your prop bolts. Remember you are using steel bolts in an aluminum head. They expand and contract at different rates. This difference in cofficent of expansion can cause different materials to loosen. If you notice all the bolts on the DA are Aluminum to reduce the effect. As with any aspect of flying you need to do (PM) preventive maintenance prior to flying. You charge your batteries so check your prop for tightness and balance and any bolt on accessory which includes the muffler. Al Young JTEC |
RE: Muffler support???
As I am sure you can tell by looking at our wrap around mufflers we build them a little different then the other two major brands. The way we build them and the material we use has allowed us to make the mufflers without a support bracket. Also we are always updating our processes to make sure that we make the best muffler we can. The DA 50 muffler is one of our highest production mufflers and we have been making them since the engine was introduced, actually we also made all the prototype mufflers for DA and we still actually make all the prototype mufflers for DA to this day.
As I said we try to make the highest quality muffler we can so hopefully through the life of the muffler you will not have any problems. However if a problem does come up from worksmanship all we ask is send it to us so we can take a look at it and we will repair it even replace it if need be. The actual warranty on our mufflers I believe is two years but we are very generous when it comes to that. Even if you encounter a situation where you did something that is not covered under warranty we known for being pretty nice and working with you on it. Like my Dad said the best way to ensure the life of your muffler is to check it routinely, personally I would suggest after every weekend of flying. When you mount the muffler use high temp silicone as your gasket material and make sure to clean the bolts with alcohol and then use blue locktite on them when intalling. Make sure you give the locktite at least 24hrs to cure before running the engine. Thanks, Kevin Young |
RE: Muffler support???
Kevin and Al,
Thank you very much for explaining the difference in quality and care tips. I look forward to many hours of flying with this muffler set up. I used silicon and Blue Lock-Tite as well as the included split washers and I am very pleased not to be adding an ugly support to the end.:D If I encounter any structural issues I will be sure and ship the muffler back so you can see exactly what might have occured. Most importantly I will sing praise of your product to others when it meets our expectations. Thank you for your follow through. ORIGINAL: jtec radiowave kid As I am sure you can tell by looking at our wrap around mufflers we build them a little different then the other two major brands. The way we build them and the material we use has allowed us to make the mufflers without a support bracket. Also we are always updating our processes to make sure that we make the best muffler we can. The DA 50 muffler is one of our highest production mufflers and we have been making them since the engine was introduced, actually we also made all the prototype mufflers for DA and we still actually make all the prototype mufflers for DA to this day. As I said we try to make the highest quality muffler we can so hopefully through the life of the muffler you will not have any problems. However if a problem does come up from worksmanship all we ask is send it to us so we can take a look at it and we will repair it even replace it if need be. The actual warranty on our mufflers I believe is two years but we are very generous when it comes to that. Even if you encounter a situation where you did something that is not covered under warranty we known for being pretty nice and working with you on it. Like my Dad said the best way to ensure the life of your muffler is to check it routinely, personally I would suggest after every weekend of flying. When you mount the muffler use high temp silicone as your gasket material and make sure to clean the bolts with alcohol and then use blue locktite on them when intalling. Make sure you give the locktite at least 24hrs to cure before running the engine. Thanks, Kevin Young |
RE: Muffler support???
Kevin/Al,
I did not need the included spacer for my set up. The instruction sheet indicates using the spacer is not a must, do you have any addtional thoughts on using the spacer for strength? Doug |
RE: Muffler support???
The spacer will not have any affect on the strength of the muffler. Some people just prefer it because it centers the exhaust tubes a bit more. As the instructions say some engines will require it but for your DA 50 it is not needed. I do have to say I am very glad to see someone has read the instructions that we put with the mufflers.:D
Thanks, Kevin |
RE: Muffler support???
I have wasted too much good money over the years by not reading the instructions [:@], thanks Kevin.
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RE: Muffler support???
Kevin or Al,
I am using a quality hi temp silicon between the muffler and port but I can't seem to stop it from leaking. Maybe I am applying the silicon wrong, I have tried both methods of putting a light smear and joining the muffler right away and also tried letting it dry before tightening the muffler bolts. Both have leaked on what I call the top side (when engine is mounted inverted), I also added a smear on the outside of the joint for good measure. I have a new exhaust gasket from DA, why should't I use it? Does it compress over time and cause the muffler to loosen? Tonight I will pull the muffler off once again, clean it up and try the silicon again. |
RE: Muffler support???
Try the gasket, make sure all the bolts and threads in the engine are clean of oil and contamination. When installing use a good quality loctite and let it dry.
What happens the gaskets expand and contract, the free play lets the bolts loosen up. Also remember that you have two different metals that expand and contract at different rates. This also allows bolts to loosen. keep an eye on th the bolts and make sure they are tight. don't just set them and forget them. Why you have a leak at the engine could be of several issues. The primary would be that the mating surfaces are not flat. If you overtightened the muffler it is possible that it is bent at the mating surface which would cause the leak. The muffler only need to be tightened until its snug, not to the point that the bolts won't go in any more. Take a square before you mount the muffler and check the mating surface to see if its bent. There should be no visable gap. Let me know. Al |
RE: Muffler support???
:D I just finished cleaning everything up real nice and sealed it with silicone again before reading your reply (figures). I will give my work another shot and if it leaks I will go back and check the muffler surface and use the gasket. I know that I have tightend the bolts beyond what you describe in this post, but only to the tightness I understood from the included instructions. I hope to fly again in a few days and will report back, thanks Al for you reply.
Doug |
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