Exhaust leaking and rotted through

[ndutton]

I am in a live and learn situation, but it would have been nice if my surveyor had brought some of these things to my attention.

I agree Mary. Now that you know the sort of surveyor you had, everything he reported - or didn't report - is suspect. If he couldn't even get the exhaust system and thru-hulls right, well you know . . . .

[zesterjester]

Hi, you might want to check your batteries, too. Doesn't look like they are fastened down?

[JOHN COOKSON]

OK, I'll bite.
Why not PVC? Because it can't stand the heat?

Side note to Mary:
How about posting a copy of the survey. If the folks in the forum see it they could comment on it's other deficiencies.
I save longer lengths used hoses if they are in good condition. Then if I need a shorter length of hose I already have it. Saves a trip to the store to buy a short length of hose. Hoses degenerate at the ends but not in the middle. This is usually caused by to much clamp pressure.

TRUE GRIT

[mary]

Survey

Thank you all.

This is the survey. I found out that this surveyor had surveyed this same boat a year prior. He even used old photos in this survey and didn't update it to our address.. I think it is the previous owner's address. I chose not to have the boat hauled, so I can't say anything about the bottom, but he absolutely should have pointed out the PVC! He even started the engine and let it run for awhile before I realized he hadn't opened the salt water seacock. I've replaced both water pumps since.

[ndutton]

OK, I'll bite.
Why not PVC? Because it can't stand the heat?

Correct John. With enough heat - and it doesn't take much - extruded PVC pipe gets soft, like to the consistency of spaghetti. No way will it stand up to clamp pressure when a hose is attached and if the exhaust system parts you'll have deadly exhaust fumes inside the boat.

Speaking to the injection molded PVC elbows and fittings, valve body too that Mary mentioned, they are brittle, easily fractured by vibration and impact.

Then there's the whole ABYC/insurance waltz.

[joe_db]

I would - ASAP like today - hire a real surveyor that will find things that can kill you.

[JOHN COOKSON]

I haven't seen many surveys in my life. My take is that there is a lot of description and not a much of real information. For example we know there is a stove but does it actually work. What make and model is it? Is there water in the engine oil? This is a very simple and quick observation.
I'm sure someone that is more familiar with marine surveys will read it and comment further.

TRUE GRIT

[Bratina]

Reading the survey: just wow. And, without making light at all of a terrible situation, this excerpt did make me chuckle a little:

"This does not weak into the deck core, but may cause water steaks on the cabin interior teak"

[ndutton]

Of the two things we know about, the exhaust could have killed you and the seacock could have sunk the boat yet he pontificates right in the survey about ABYC Standards and lists them specifically (pages 4 & 10 of the PDF).

We occasionally get a chuckle out of surveyor stories but this isn't funny. I cringe at the thought of what else he either missed or declared good or serviceable. The question now is do you get another survey or work through it yourself? Only you can answer that. One thing's for sure, no matter what you decide it will be better than surveyor Popeye's professional opinions.

[mary]

Hi, you might want to check your batteries, too. Doesn't look like they are fastened down?

They are fastened down. Doesn't look like it though!

[mary]

In case anyone is interested:

With a vise, pipe wrench, and some PB Blaster, I was able to free the exhaust flange from the pipe. No such luck with the water injection part. Has anyone successfully used a standard pipe fitting for this? I don't have room for a significant rise in the pipe between the exhaust manifold and the water injection.. I'm wondering if a wye would be sufficient or if the $47 moyer marine part is necessary.

I'm going to replace all the wet exhaust pvc with proper exhaust hose.

I ordered some seacocks to replace the PVC valves being used as seacocks for the cockpit drains. To do it properly, I will have to wait till we haul the boat but I'm hoping that in the meantime I can remove the pvc valve (tapered thread) from the through hull (straight thread) and replace it with a proper seacock (straight thread) and re-use the seacock to install it properly later.

I met a dockmate that had the same PVC valves installed instead of seacocks. (***) He showed me how the boatyard had repaired it. One was replaced with a proper seacock and backing plate etc.. but one was replaced with a bronze valve. I assume that is tapered thread on the valve to straight thread on the through hull. Is this something done regularly? All the other "seacocks" on my boat are a through hull to a 90 degree bronze fitting etc. I know this is off topic for an engine forum...

Thanks to everyone for your input. It is very valuable and helpful!

[Peter]

Mary,

I have never used a standard "Y" so will leave others to comment on that.

When I re-did my exhaust, I had to have the shop cut some custom lengths of black iron pipe and I asked them to remove the flange and the injection fitting from the old system. They used a welding torch to heat it all up and they had pipe wrenches/vises considerably larger than mine. Took maybe 10 minutes?

I do not think they charged me much for this.

Peter

[Tim]

If you use a bronze valve with tapered threads, here is what it will look like in a couple of years:

[Tim]

And here is what it will look like after you replace the bronze valve with a proper seacock:

[JOHN COOKSON]

Mary
You will be ahead of the game if a black iron wye will work.
When you mix iron pipe and and a brass or bronze injection fitting there are two dissimilar metals in a marine or conducting environment. The iron is the sacrificial metal.

TRUE GRIT