Leaking Muffler

Rabe

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May 15, 2019
78
Hunter 33 - Cherubini Port Clinton, OH
Dear Diary: (scroll to TL;DR to skip the story)

I first started the engine (13HP 2GM) once this year, for about 3 seconds, in early August. I decided to start the engine this weekend. I filled up a five gallon bucket with water in the cockpit and ran a hose down to the raw water intake hose and connected with a simple 5/8" hose end.

The engine started after about 2 seconds and started sucking water in good style. I checked the hose connections and then looked outside for exhaust water spitting out. Everything looked great! I am so amazed that the motor started with such ease on both occasions. This '81 Hunter 33 has been on the hard since 10/2019.

Anyway, I let the motor run a while I played around with the controls. More throttle... less throttle... Forward gear, neutral... Reverse gear... neutral...

It was so nice to see something working right after I've been fiberglassing the deck around my port chainplates.

After about 15 minutes, I happened to look in the bilge and woah - there's about 3-4 quarts of water! This is new water! I keep a dry bilge. I looked closer in the engine compartment, no leaks around the raw water intake... No leaks at the mixing elbow.. No leaks on the forward side of the fuel tank.

I crawled back in the quarter berth and could see a little water... I couldn't see under and around a corner, but I'm sure this was the source area. At first I thought it was the hose, that somehow it was leaking. But then I thought about it. It has to be the 40 year old stainless steel muffler that I can't see and is underneath the fuel tank. And now, I know what the black sooty crap is all around the raw water intake.

TL;DR
1981 Hunter 33
What size exhaust hose is the 2GM 13HP model? I think it's 2" ID but could someone confirm?
How hard is it to remove the existing muffler?

Has anyone put in a Vetus Waterlock in their Hunter 33?
Which model did you install?
Where did you mount it?
Do you have pictures?
Would this be a good choice? VETUS HD waterlock / muffler type NLP, 50 mm, 10 litres, black


Best regards!

-Rick
 

Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,419
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
You do need to know that running out of water will ruin the cutless bearing.
 

Rabe

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May 15, 2019
78
Hunter 33 - Cherubini Port Clinton, OH
You do need to know that running out of water will ruin the cutless bearing.
Thanks for the heads up! I only ran in gear enough to see that the three positions worked properly. RPM was as low as could be.
 

Rabe

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May 15, 2019
78
Hunter 33 - Cherubini Port Clinton, OH
Apr 22, 2011
865
Hunter 27 Pecan Grove, Oriental, NC
My 2gm has a 2" id exhaust hose. I replaced the muffler with one of these from Vetus: VETUS plastic muffler - Mufflers - Exhaust systems.

I couldn't figure a way to fit the water lift variety in the H27. Might be more room in your H33.

A friend at the marina said that my boat now sounds like a Harley! It definitely is louder.
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
Mufflers usually have a drain for Winterizing. On my boat I cannot reach the drain so I fill it with pink antifreeze every Fall to keep it from freezing and cracking. Yours might have frozen and cracked.
 

Rabe

.
May 15, 2019
78
Hunter 33 - Cherubini Port Clinton, OH
Mufflers usually have a drain for Winterizing. On my boat I cannot reach the drain so I fill it with pink antifreeze every Fall to keep it from freezing and cracking. Yours might have frozen and cracked.
Thanks Roy! I will figure out someway to check to see if it's the drain plug. Heck, I supposed it could be open.
 

Rabe

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May 15, 2019
78
Hunter 33 - Cherubini Port Clinton, OH
I looked at the muffler for a a drain plug and found the muffler in a pretty bad state of rusting.

From what I understand, if an engine is at or near the waterline the exhaust needs a 'water-lift' type muffler.

The muffler in the picture, which is the original type I think, doesn't give me the impression it's a water-lift type.

I thought that the exhaust hose needed to be looped about 2 feet above the water line. The highest point in my setup is below the cockpit sole. I don't think that's 2 feet above the water line.

And the thru-hull is below the waterline, which is strange to me.

All this, a non water-lift muffler, short loop, and thru-hull below the waterline gives me the impression this setup is just asking for water to back up through the system.
 

Attachments

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
Get rid of that ASAP. Doubtful that is a wet exhaust marine muffler. I have been wrestling with a similar issue in this forum after recently getting water back into my engine from the exhaust. My exhaust is like yours with a below the waterline exit and a hose loop that is about 9" above the waterline. More to follow when I am more certain about what to do with the entire exhaust design on the Cherubini H33.
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
Here is a waterlift muffler that is about the same size as yours. It is made of fiberglass. Centex 1500042.
 
Jan 2, 2008
547
Hunter 33 (Cherubini design Forked River, Barnegat Bay, NJ
My 1983 Hunter 33 had a blue fiberglass water lift "muffler". I don't believe I ever saw a brand name on it. It was tubular and designed to run horizontal. I know the hose between the engine and water lift went in horizontal. Despite the vast amount of time I spent working in there I can not dredge up recollection of how the exhaust exited.. I took pictures of most of the work I did on my 33 and it's possible I have pictures of that. I do have a new, unused Vernalift vertical style that I was probably looking to stuff in there. Best recollection is it would have been a challenge.

If you're still stuck I might be able to find pictures, but I guarantee it would take a while. I believe my 33 was the last one built, hull number 591, which made it the 491st one built. I sold mine to a guy who became a good friend, insists I sail on it with him, so I still have access if something really messy comes up. If you need me, best bet is direct massage, if it still even exists. I'm not great at following here so keep trying.