035 – Airplane Exhaust Systems Tell Stories… Are You Listening?

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It’s getting cooler these days!

This ‘ol gravel road is one of my favorite places to take a walk in the morning.

And the last two mornings, it has actually been slightly chilly… today I even wore a jacket.

It’s such a contrast to the recent, normal hot summer weather we’ve been having.

…Which reminds me that in the cold weather season, heat is needed to keep an airplane’s cabin warm.

And one of the most common ways to heat a small airplane cabin is to collect it off the engine’s exhaust system.

So today, we discuss things to be aware of with airplane exhaust systems, and how to keep them in a safe, airworthy condition, especially in relation to heating the airplane cabin.

One danger we face is CO (carbon monoxide) in the cockpit.

Mike Busch wrote an excellent article on the subject that was published in the AOPA blog October 20, 2014.  The title of this article is “Carbon Monoxide, Silent Killer.”

Please, please, read this whole article!

http://blog.aopa.org/opinionleaders/2014/10/20/carbon-monoxide-silent-killer/

The information in this article is so important, it could have the potential to save your life or someone else’s life some day.

There are two printable, high-resolution pages in this article that I would highly recommend you laminate, put in your airplane, and review the information frequently.

Here is a scary looking muffler that was removed from an A36 Bonanza.

The muffler was severely deformed, AND had a large crack in it.

The cover over the muffler was telling a story, saying, “It’s hot!  Really, really hot!”

The heat from the hot exhaust gases was a factor in causing the heat shield band clamp to break.

Listen to today’s episode and hear some ways your airplane exhaust system might be talking to you.

I’ve also put some recommendations in today’s show, that can help make your airplane safer as we approach colder weather, and all the time, really.

Any comments, questions, and feedback on this episode are much appreciated.

And one last request:

Please go to iTunes and leave a rating and review for the podcast… it can help other airplane owners find it, and it’s very helpful to me as well.

Have a great week everyone!

P.S.  One great place to get help with exhaust issues, and to buy exhaust parts is The Parts Exchange.  You can visit their website at AircraftExhaust.com.  They also have some useful inspection tips on that site as well.