The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I need to replace my exhaust system--declared unrepairable. I've read all the posts in this forum and suffered through the old Yahoo site. What it sounds to me is this:

There are several exhaust shops out there, with many recommending Knisley Exhaust in Loomis, CA. They will build a system using the round Hanlon-Wilson mufflers (which are better than pancake mufflers). The other choice is to go with Bartone or Benham exhaust pipes that extend back to exit at the lip or stay with the original fangs.

Any other comments before I go spend a lot of money?? ( I hate to say it, but I spent nearly $1700 2 1/2 years ago to rebuild the exhaust system which is not unrepairable--I'll never use that shop again)

Thanks

Bill, the Bartone and Benham mods are the tailpipes only, not the exhaust system. All those mods do is get rid of the "fangs" and close the lower cowl holes they pass thru. If your standard tailpipes are still useable, you might want to save a little and hold off on that part. My 2 cents.

Bill,just who sez that your exhaust system is unrepairable? I assume that you're running the pancake mufflers,a lot of outfits won't touch them. I see that WagAero lists pancake muffler repair --$399 per side according to their latest catalog. You might talk to them about it. I checked into buying a new Hanlon-Wilson system 3 or 4 years ago. Aircraft Exhaust Systems in West Virginia offered to sell me one for about $1325. I'm sure the price has gone way up since then.
Is your ragwing the yellow one that was on the cover of the 170 News a couple years ago? I saw it on the ramp at the Anacortes, Washington airport with a for sale sign on it about 4 years ago--the previous owners were on a cross-country trip with it,I guess. A very nice airplane.
Your old pal Ken is involved with the antique aero museum thats getting established here at Port Townsend. He's still flying that new-fangled 150,we need to do something about that.......

Eric

Eric,
Every year I've had to put money into repairs on the mufflers, so I'm ready to replace them. I'm just not happy with the exhaust repair shop taking lots of my money and now declaring them unrepairable (rather, cost prohibitive??). I'm checking all possibilities.
Yes, I think you did see my plane 4 years ago. The owners twice before me wrote up a trip from Colorado back to New York in the 170 News quarterly and I think took a trip to the Northwest. Tell Ken hello and encourage him to really learn to fly--tell him the difference is like doing a submarine landing without a tug (or maybe only one) vs three! Much more satisfying and requires greater skill (and rudder).

Bill Venohr wrote:Eric,
--tell him the difference is like doing a submarine landing without a tug (or maybe only one) vs three! Much more satisfying and requires greater skill (and rudder).

Hey, Bill! What do JayHawks know about real boats? (subs)

George--believe it or not, a guy from the middle of the country spent most of his Navy career on submarines. I served on 4 different boats as well as a submarine squadron staff. As a reward, they sent me to Kansas University for the Naval ROTC program, and I retired a couple years ago. Can't convince my family to move to a more reasonable climate (can't take the heat).

Bill Venohr wrote:George--believe it or not, a guy from the middle of the country spent most of his Navy career on submarines. I served on 4 different boats as well as a submarine squadron staff. As a reward, they sent me to Kansas University for the Naval ROTC program, and I retired a couple years ago. Can't convince my family to move to a more reasonable climate (can't take the heat).

What HEAT, thought you were in Kansas

Joe--I admit it--I'm a wimp in the heat and humidity. Although unusual, I think our summer has been worse than yours. I would love to come down and visit sometime, but not in the summer!!!

Bill, the heat here in North Texas isn't really as bad as it gets in Kansas, Indiana, Arkansas, etc. The humidity is fairly low and 100 degrees here is not near as bad as 90 degrees in other places. I was just teasing you.
Pick the weather and time of year you like and come on down. There are more fun places to fly to than you can shake a stick at. Just last Sunday a fellow pilot who I will not name, just in case he gets embarrassed easily, and I flew the 170 to Lancaster for a great breakfast. Then, we flew over to O'Brien, a private strip on a ranch with good fuel price. We found the largest, meanest looking, deadliest, awful, HUGE spider on a web behind the pump. A few minutes later Wayne had his back to the pump and I made up the little story that the spider was right behind him. Well, he thought that he had gotten in to the web, and the moves he made trying to evacuate the area still have me laughing hard days later. I don't know what the purpose of some of those moves were, maybe to shake the web off, or drag it off, but I have to tell you, if that spider would have been right behind him there is no way it could have kept up with him. HA.