Citabria Exhaust

[Gilbert Pierce]

In the upper right corner type Leading edge exhaust or LEE exhaust in the SEARCH box.
see post 8 for lots of pictures. https://www.shortwingpipers.org/foru...hlight=exhaust. There is wealth of information on here concerning this exhaust; pros and cons.

You need to research the information on this site concerning the Leading Edge Exhaust and decide if it’s right for you.

[Steve Pierce]

But the product was very nice and it give my pal's plane a good boost, and weighs a few pounds less.

It actually weighs quite a bit more than the stock system in my experience.
I serach via Google my search words adding "site:shortwingpipers.org"
The Leading Edge Exhaust thread is long but informative in more ways than one can imagine.
https://www.shortwingpipers.org/foru...g-Edge-Exhaust

[Subsonic]

Thanks for pointing to the strings Gilbert and Steve. Long but very informative. I called F. Atlee Dodge to see if anyone recently tried to install the PA18 hot-rod muffler on a PA22-150 and get it approved. I'm interested because it would REMOVE the AD requirement for the 100/50 hour internal baffle inspection. The person I spoke with said it wouldn't work because the exhaust pipe isn't removable. He said it would work with their STC'd PA12/14 hot-rod-muffler however, and said he knew of someone who was currently trying to get an FA, "but was having some trouble getting it approved". That figures...Here's a link to that muffler - http://www.fadodge.com/pa-12-hot-rod-muffler/

[Steve Pierce]

The original PA12 muffler is the same part number as the PA20 and 22 muffler. I was at Atlee Dodge with general manager Steve Kracke along with owners Steve and Jim Dyer who also own Univair. Tried to get them to add the PA20 and 22 to the PA12 STC for the Hot Rod muffler via it is the same part number but they said they would have to test each hp variant engine. Not sure that would be the case but it sure would eliminate a lot of issues for Short Wing owners.

[Paul Watts]

I would like to deviate slightly from topic and ask how often everyone feels it is necessary (for safety, not for compliance with AD's or FAR's) to inspect their mufflers - exhaust systems?

I have never felt a 100 hr inspection was particularly over cautious; however I never fly 100 hrs a year, so maybe I would feel differently if I had to perform the inspection several times a year (pretty sure I WOULD feel differently). I have been doing the AD every year since it came out, and have never found any cracks in any baffle. I have found cracks in the outer shell several times. But from reports, and from forums like this, I do know the mufflers give serious problems that can be very dangerous.

My headache is not with how often I am required to inspect the muffler, but rather how difficult it is to actually perform the inspection, which is why during my restoration I was determined to "change systems".

The Leading Edge system certainly would be the easy answer, but in looking at it (informally), it seemed to be the same configuration as the OEM, and therefore it would likely be just as difficult to inspect. Maybe someone who owns one could let us (me) know how hard it is to get the muffler out for inspecting?

[Subsonic]

The original PA12 muffler is the same part number as the PA20 and 22 muffler. I was at Atlee Dodge with general manager Steve Kracke along with owners Steve and Jim Dyer who also own Univair. Tried to get them to add the PA20 and 22 to the PA12 STC for the Hot Rod muffler via it is the same part number but they said they would have to test each hp variant engine. Not sure that would be the case but it sure would eliminate a lot of issues for Short Wing owners.

I wonder what kind of tests would be required? Sound level at some distance?

[Gilbert Pierce]

This issue highlights the lack of consistency in the FAA bureaucracy. The Sutton exhaust has no internal muffler baffles, is STC’d for the PA18 and is easy to obtain a field approval for the PA16, PA22, and PA22/20.

The PA12 hot rod muffler has n o internal baffle, is STC’d for the PA12 but evidently the FAA won’t entertain a Field Approval for PA16,20,22 even though the Piper part number is the same. Has anyone tried to get a Field Approval?

Makes no sense.

[andya]

A friend in Colorado Springs developed a product for C-421 - C-340. Couple years ago someone flying a piper Cheyennes needed his cessna product (strakes on aft fuselage)
installed on their Cheyenne. Not sure which model it was but he got the use of doing the flight test on a Cheyenne 400 ( last model built and set some speed records). By doing the Cheyenne, the flight test counted to list at least most if not all the previous Cheyenne models to the STC. Maybe that would apply here but could be worth looking into.

[Steve Pierce]

This issue highlights the lack of consistency in the FAA bureaucracy. The Sutton exhaust has no internal muffler baffles, is STC’d for the PA18 and is easy to obtain a field approval for the PA16, PA22, and PA22/20.

The PA12 hot rod muffler has n o internal baffle, is STC’d for the PA12 but evidently the FAA won’t entertain a Field Approval for PA16,20,22 even though the Piper part number is the same. Has anyone tried to get a Field Approval?

Makes no sense.

I bet you can get a field approval but last I heard the FAA wouldn't issue an AMOC on the AD like they did on the PA18. At least you wouldn't have to remove it to inspect internally.

[Subsonic]

I bet you can get a field approval but last I heard the FAA wouldn't issue an AMOC on the AD like they did on the PA18. At least you wouldn't have to remove it to inspect internally.

Did the FAA give a reason for not issuing an AMOC?