tuned exhaust for a Lycoming 0320

Stuart & Kathryn Fields · 2008-05-22T23:45:05+00:00

I'm just having more fun than should be legal and it probably isn't if Ilook far enough into the County, State and Federal statues, but I am never-the-less. I have pretty much followed the Cafe numbers for header length and the 4-into-one collector. Keeping in mind friendship to my neighbors, I also included a muffler. I purchased the collector and muffler from Barnes Stainless and will be purchasing the header tubing, 321SS from the same source in all likelyhood. A/C Spruce has the tubing listed at $8.75/ft. I've made up some PVC headers complete with flanges glued on and am heating the PVC with a heat gun and bending them until I get the pipes where I want them. The plan then is to take the bent up PVC to a muffler shop that has a mandrel tube bender and have them bend up the expensive 321 SS tubing. I plan on welding in some of the 3-bolt ball fittings to both ease the stresses and make installation and removal easier.My plan is to install the stock exhaust, do a hover and check the MP and then quickly change exhaust systems and repeat. I'm hoping to see a MP improvement. I've had this plan in my "Round Toit" list every since I read the Cafe study. Dang I sure do like the experimental category. No bureacrats in the way. Stu Well the heating of the PVC wasn't working as well as I hoped so I changed to using PVC elbows. I modified some 45° elbows by cutting out a wedge fron the outside of the elbow and reduced the angle to 30°. I had todrill a couple of holes and use some safety wire to hold the elbow to the 30°. I also turned the PVC pipe ends in the lathe to make them turn a bit easier in the elbows. Needless to say it is a projet in progress. StuWell PVC elbows weren't working to well either. Couldn't get equal lengthpipes to end up in an equal place. Next tried 3/4" steel flex conduit. OKit proves that you can get 4 equal length pipes to end up at the mouth ofthe 4-into-1 collector. It does prove that the required bends are notsimple. ...

May 22, 2008 20 Replies

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Jon Elson 18 years ago

Well, my guess is it takes special inks, and maybe some special gear to align the screen to the work. If they are used to screening inch-high letters on Tee shirts, putting .050" high lettering on a PC board WOULD look like something done in another universe to them. PC boards use epoxy inks to stick to the epoxy surface of the board. And, the screens are insanely fine to properly image tiny letters. They probably had no experience in doing fine-line stuff.

Jon

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