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Regarding Magmans response to checking for exhaust leaks in the thread below;
I can testify to that! My annual expired the end of May. I was trying to get it done so I could go to the Taylorcraft fly-in in Turlock, CA this year. I hooked up a shop vac to the exhaust pipe with duct tape and sprayed soapy water from a squirt bottle. Don Ho's "Tiny Bubbles" came to mind. Tried to weld it up on the plane, but ended up chasing the leak around the pipe to a point where I couldn't get to it. Removed engine, removed exhaust, STILL had a heck of a time stopping the leak. And I am a pretty good welder. The problem was, the wall of the pipe had deteriorated to where it was paper thin. I put a big patch on it and made it by THIS year. I intend to fabricate Luscombe style exhaust from stainless before next annual. I think it is just ridiculous to have to remove the engine just to repair the exhaust.
On a side note; while I had the exhaust opened up to put the patch on, I could look inside the cross tube and see the upper end of the tube that goes out the bottom of the cowl. Where it connects to the cross tube they just ran it up into the crosstube about a half an inch and welded it. It is very poor design from a flow standpoint. I suspect that there is some horsepower gain to be had from a freer flowing exhaust.
I can testify to that! My annual expired the end of May. I was trying to get it done so I could go to the Taylorcraft fly-in in Turlock, CA this year. I hooked up a shop vac to the exhaust pipe with duct tape and sprayed soapy water from a squirt bottle. Don Ho's "Tiny Bubbles" came to mind. Tried to weld it up on the plane, but ended up chasing the leak around the pipe to a point where I couldn't get to it. Removed engine, removed exhaust, STILL had a heck of a time stopping the leak. And I am a pretty good welder. The problem was, the wall of the pipe had deteriorated to where it was paper thin. I put a big patch on it and made it by THIS year. I intend to fabricate Luscombe style exhaust from stainless before next annual. I think it is just ridiculous to have to remove the engine just to repair the exhaust.
On a side note; while I had the exhaust opened up to put the patch on, I could look inside the cross tube and see the upper end of the tube that goes out the bottom of the cowl. Where it connects to the cross tube they just ran it up into the crosstube about a half an inch and welded it. It is very poor design from a flow standpoint. I suspect that there is some horsepower gain to be had from a freer flowing exhaust.