When OK to use no-wire wet exhaust hose?

[Aquabelle]

When is it OK to use no-wire-helix wet exhaust hose (examples: Shields 200 series; Trident 200/110 series)? Both of these have the same rating, viz: 200F continuous and 250F intermittent; both exceed SAE J2006; and both are type R1.

I'd like to avoid wire if I can, in two separate applications, both requiring 6" i.d. hose. One is a short 4' length from mixer elbow to water lift can; the mixer outlet and the can's fibreglass inlet tube are just slightly out of alignment and bending the not-very-flexible super heavy wall'd wire reinforced stuff is difficult over this short run.

The second application is a long (11') dead-straight run from the water lift can to the torpedo muffler. The 30 year-old heavy-walled wire-reinforced hose has developed a small hole/split just before the clamps where is fastens to the muffler. I could cut this out and splice in a joiner but it would be better to replace the whole run given its age. The rigidity of the wire-reinforced stuff would require major surgery to joiner-work, whereas the non-wire stuff could be slid through, I think.

Engines are Cummins BTA 5.9 370's.

 

[psneeld]

Trident Series 252 Corrugated Marine Wet Exhaust Hose.

Very flexible....if you need flexibility, you often need the wire to keep it from folding and reducing diameter.

 

[gaston]

Id never consider using non wire hose if by chance the hose collapsed there is no way to pull it back into shape unless you remove it .

 

[Keysdisease]

Any exhaust rated hose that meets the standard including the Shields and Trident hoses you mentioned will work. The corrugated psneeld suggested would work well for the run from the mixer to the lift if you need flexibility. Some no-wire hose meets class (Lloyds / ABS) standard, which should put anyone at ease.

I don't like wire hose, seen too many fail from the wire corroding. In an exhaust system there is little chance of collapse unless its from excessive bend, its not like theres suction going on.

 

[psneeld]

Another suggestion made to me would be to use sections of fiberglass tube and hump connectors.

Just another option.

 

[Keysdisease]

Another suggestion made to me would be to use sections of fiberglass tube and hump connectors.

An excellent idea, and maybe less expensive and some brands fiberglass exhaust tube come in 10ft sections, BUT, getting 10 straight ft of anything into most of our boats might be a challenge to say the least.

I see this a lot OEM, but it was installed before the deck was put down

 

[psneeld]

An excellent idea, and maybe less expensive and some brands fiberglass exhaust tube come in 10ft sections, BUT, getting 10 straight ft of anything into most of our boats might be a challenge to say the least.

I see this a lot OEM, but it was installed before the deck was put down

I just did my exhaust system in all corruated hose because of the inaccesible places it had to go....but I did fry a few brain cells trying to figure out getting in those straight runs of tube...

 

[Ski in NC]

You can use softwall hose provided it goes absolutely straight. If it tries to bend at all, it will kink. I prefer using FG tube and just using hose or hump hose to make the joints. But all that depends on being able to access. The corrugated hose is sort of in between hardwall and softwall. I think all the corrugated stuff is wire wound too???

 

[psneeld]

Mine was.....

 

[HopCar]

I understand the desire to use softwall hose. Hardwall always fails sooner. I avoid wire inserted hardwall hose when ever I can.

For straight exhaust runs you can use soft wall hose but as has been suggested, fiberglass tubes are longer lasting. Use short lengths of softwall hose to make the connections.

 

[Aquabelle]

I'd like to use FG tube for the long 11' straight run but I'd be using many short lengths with many hose joiners given the constraints.....& I wouldn't want to do that. I could just cut out the split and use a short FG tube right there but I'm inclined to think the whole run must now be hard & brittle & in need of replacement. Please tell me if I'm being too cautious as a short FG joiner at the split point with everything else left in place & undisturbed would be hugely easier & cheaper. (I've decided for the short run to address the alignment issue so i have a perfectly straight run there with under 4' of hose required. I'm focused on the long run with access issues now.)

 

[Keysdisease]

Cut it where you want to splice it and see what it looks like. If its questionable at all, replace with no-wire exhaust rated hose.
If it looks serviceable, plug in a piece of fiberglass pipe and keep an eye on it.

I would not hesitate to splice a failed spot of hose, but I would consider it temporary until an appropriate time to replace and do it correctly, like the off season or a yard period.

The fewer the joints the better, you add 2 connections and 4 clamps with a splice, even with fiberglass pipe the number of connections doubles. Here in the States marine rated hose often comes in 12.5ft lengths.

 

[Aquabelle]

Strangely, I couldn't find any no-wire exhaust-rated 6" hose locally here in Australia...so I went ahead and ordered a 12' length from the US. I've just cut 24" length off and installed from wet elbow to water lift muffler...I am REALLY impressed with how easy it is to fit this stuff!! On the Port side, it took 3 of us to fit the standard corrugated wired hose which I replaced a couple of months ago -- a real wrestle and part of the motivation for exploring the no-wire soft hose option. On the just-completed Stbd side, it took me alone about 12 minutes to achieve the same thing!