Muffler repair

[Htmlkid]

I developed a small crack in my muffler... is this something that can be repaired/welded?

[N201MKTurbo]

Sure, if you can find someone to do it. There is a whole chapter in 43-13.1B

[buddy]

Check with Plane Exhaust Corp. located at KFXE…right down the rode from you, phone number 954-735-4412. They did some work for me a few years ago.

[A64Pilot]

Many shops will “repair” exhaust systems, in truth if it’s bad you get a new system, but as they don’t have PMA they have to call it a repair. Sometimes when a part like a muffler cracks it’s due to the material getting thin and just welding the crack won’t last, but of course that’s not always the case.

[glenn reynolds]

I’d be pretty careful about spending money on this repair. In my experience airplane mufflers are built with thin gauge metal to save weight. So it would be a shame to have this welded up and then find next year you have another leak and so on   It might make sense to remove the entire exhaust system and have it inspected by acorn or Knisley or one of the other big name shops that specialize in exhaust systems. Piping which is worn too thin and about to fail is not what you want inside a tightly cowled mooney. A damaged cowling will be very expensive. A leak might have been caused by a backfire in which case there could much more internal damage. Again an excellent reason for a full inspection. I have also found that having the flanges checked for warpage and new exhaust manifold nuts and gaskets are bonus improvements that happen when you pull the exhaust system. It took me about a day to pull mine. I did need to call a couple of shops to get a reasonable turn around time.  All the large aviation exhaust shops have patterns and jigs so they can repair any bad sections. I have a list of all the shops I called if you need it. 

[StevenL757]

@Htmlkid, get ahold of these guys…ask for Robin. He’ll either guide you appropriately or have you engage with one of his colleagues.  Either way, they’ll take exceptional care of you.  They’ve done two full exhaust systems for me over the last 7 years, and various parts of others.  All extremely high quality work.  No “thin” metal or shoddy assembly practices.  I wouldn’t go back to Dawley unless it was the only choice.

https://www.acornwelding.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/acorn/pdf/Mooney/Mooney M-20E_F_J.pdf

[1980Mooney]

14 hours ago, StevenL757 said:

@Htmlkid, get ahold of these guys…ask for Robin. He’ll either guide you appropriately or have you engage with one of his colleagues.  Either way, they’ll take exceptional care of you.  They’ve done two full exhaust systems for me over the last 7 years, and various parts of others.  All extremely high quality work.  No “thin” metal or shoddy assembly practices.  I wouldn’t go back to Dawley unless it was the only choice.

https://www.acornwelding.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/acorn/pdf/Mooney/Mooney M-20E_F_J.pdf

A lot has changed in the last 7 years.  Hartzell  bought AWI in Jan 2020 (AWI had already bought Kosola and Associates in Albany, GA back in 2013).  In Jan 2021, Hartzell bought Dawley - they shut Dawley down, laid everyone off, moved equipment and consolidated in AWI Minneapolis.  In July 2022, they acquired Acorn Welding in Canada. 
 

And late last year the venture capital, Arcline Investment Management, bought Hartzell. They have been raising prices across the entire Hartzell product line to get a return for their investors ( including Janitrol Aero, Fuelcraft, Plane-Power, Powerup ignition, Kelly Aero, Sky-Tec and AeroForce Turbocharger Systems- and they just bought Cleveland Wheel and Brake a couple months ago)There is a lot less competition now. It’s all just Hartzell Aerospace Welding now in reality. The notion that they compete against one another is a joke.

https://hartzellaerospacewelding.com

[StevenL757]

17 minutes ago, 1980Mooney said:

A lot has changed in the last 7 years.  Hartzell  bought AWI in Jan 2020 (AWI had already bought Kosola and Associates in Albany, GA back in 2013).  In Jan 2021, Hartzell bought Dawley - they shut Dawley down, laid everyone off, moved equipment and consolidated in AWI Minneapolis.  In July 2022, they acquired Acorn Welding in Canada. 
 

And late last year the venture capital, Arcline Investment Management, bought Hartzell. They have been raising prices across the entire Hartzell product line to get a return for their investors ( including Janitrol Aero, Fuelcraft, Plane-Power, Powerup ignition, Kelly Aero, Sky-Tec and AeroForce Turbocharger Systems- and they just bought Cleveland Wheel and Brake a couple months ago)There is a lot less competition now. It’s all just Hartzell Aerospace Welding now in reality. The notion that they compete against one another is a joke.

https://hartzellaerospacewelding.com

Oh.

Well...thanks for the clarity.  I must have dealt with Acorn immediately before they changed hands in 6/2022 then.  I guess you'll be calling Hartzell A.W. then...if not already.

[1980Mooney]

1 minute ago, StevenL757 said:

Oh.

Well...thanks for the clarity.  I must have dealt with Acorn immediately before they changed hands in 6/2022 then.  I guess you'll be calling Hartzell A.W. then...if not already.

Knisley Welding is family owned since 1974 and remains independent (for now). I suspect that they are on Arcline’s/Hartzell’s shopping list - just waiting for an heir that wants to cash out.  

https://knisleyexhaust.com

[Htmlkid]

Thanks for all the suggestions, it was just sent off to Plane Exhaust to see what the can do, if not I have a line on a used muffer.

[William Munney]

Aerospace Welding in the Twin Cities area.