About had it with my FAE

Love the noise reduction and the reported safety of decreasing CO of the FAE.

I have fixed it once where it came loose from the boat exhaust port. Appears that the screws came loose. The result was bent supports. I was able to easily repair and there was no damage to the boat or to the FAE. I made sure that all the clamps and screws were tightened down.

Very next outing the damn thing came apart where the rubber meets the pieces that attach to the boats exhaust. This again resulted in no damage to the boat or the FAE. Basically bent the support bars that go down to the FAE.

In both cases it doesn't appear that the FAE hit anything. The FAE or my rudder and prop appear to have no damage like you would expect if I hit something.

So now I am thinking of removing it. I am mainly concerned about possible damage to my boat should it rip the screws out of the exhaust port leaving me with stripped holes for mounting anything. Secondly I am not fond of having to repair it which means unscrewing my platform each time.

Anyone experienced similar issues? What did you do? I have a MC 2008 X15. I don't really want to go back to the MC flappers as they are loud as he!!. I saw somewhere on the forums where someone took the Malibu downturn exhaust tips and installed them on their MC. Any thoughts on this approach rather than the FAE.

Again like the results of the FAE. They seem to have missed a bit on the construction execution.

I suspect your hose clamps were loose. Every hose clamp needs to be super tight.

Without seeing pictures its kind of hard to give you any ideas of how to fix. I have had my FAE for almost three years and have never had an issue with it minus tightening the clamps once in a while. Mine is mounted right through the back of my boat, not of the swim platform.

Again pictures would allow us to give you some ideas.

I got some 4" tips from CP Performance I think they have 3" 1/2 turn downs. I have a few friends that have FAE. They have all had the same problem. They just tighten everything before they go out every time. Kind of a pain in the a$$. I know that they have tried all kinds of clamps and over time the same things happen. It seems like nice product but with how they are constructed and were they have to be placed there is a lot of force on them.

Based on your description, I dont see where the FAE failed, just where the installer attached it to the boat and the clamps that need secured.

Sounds like the 2nd incident was loose clamps and the 1st sounds like the screws that secure the FAE flange to the exhaust port may have been over tightened during installation, which is easy to do. Did you reapply some 3M 5200 to the threads when the FAE was originally installed?

Ian, the screws coming out are an installation problem. They should be held in with silicone or a waterproof adhesive and would not normally ever come out. The loads on the FAE are not enough to strip the screws from the fiberglass if they're put in correctly.
The hose clamps are not a problem that I've had in the three season my FAE has been on but others have had the problem occasionally. Mine is braced on my teak platform and spends most of the time in the water, not getting trailered. Properly tightened the hoses should just get better over time.

Down pipes make a bit of difference, mostly when at very slow speeds. At higher speeds there is not much difference from the flapper.

Mine came off one exhaust pipe the first time I used it, but it was probably because I did some very tight turns (not powerturning... just playing with the new boat). I haven't done any turns like that since, and it's been fine.

Ian, Have you contacted Larry Mann at FAE? I have been having some issues with mine coming off and Larry said that they accidently sent out the wrong center pipe. Not the ones that hook to the exhaust ports but the center piece with the down pipe. Check with him and see if he can help you out. I was very frustrated at first also but they are working to make it right. I am going to give the new pipe he send me a try this weekend. I will post back and let you know if it fixes my problem.

I had my fae since 2005, and never had one issue other then the coating coming off.

Same boat same problems! I replace the clamps with better ones the ones that attach to the exhaust and now I am thinking about doing them all! My boat sits on a lift so it's a pain to have to tighten them everytime

I am going to contact FAE and see what they can do for me. I'll keep you posted.

I ran into the same problem.

FAE came off the first two times I used it. It would disconnect at the tips for the muffler and just hang on the bolts connected to the swim platform.

After the first time I went back and tightened everything. Second time I knew I had a problem and had to change something. Emailed Larry and he suggested shortening the bolts connecting the FAE to the platform. I did this and still managed to get the FAE connected however now there is a slight upward slope where the FAE meets the muffler tip.

I also changed the clamps where the FAE connects to the exhaust tips for two which looks like this:



Larry did not suggest using this pipe coupler - that was my decision.

After shortening the bolts and putting on the new pipe couplers I have not had any problems. This summer I have put about 90 hours on the boat with the FAE attached.

(Message edited by dsw on September 24, 2009)

I wonder if the angel could be an issue.
On my boat, the pipe comes up about 15 degrees as it needs to clear my trim plate. This put the cross pipe about 4” above the water while under way. On the boats where the pipe is coming off, does it come straight out the transom, which might put the cross pipe in the water while driving?

Here are the difrent pics.

My powder coating is flaking also! Pretty cheesy.....

Where did you get your clamps Dion?

^^^^Those are "no hub bands" used in drains in plumbing. Should be able to get them at any plumbing supply or online.

Home Depot

I've been running the FAE on my boat for three seasons now, and after some initial problems, it's been great! My boat is a CC with dual exhaust and a big block, so the down pipe on mine is a 4" dia. pipe which puts a big load on the FAE system. I put three screws into the exhaust outlet so that the hose clamps had something to grip against to hold the 90 degree elbows to the transom (Larry's suggestion). I then spent some time making sure the 90's were as parallel to the water as I could, this helped make sure the down pipe was as close to zero, or perpendicular to the water. TIGHTEN the hose clamps (use 5/16" socket), Larry suggested about 10 to 15 degree angle back on my down pipe, and it's been good ever since.
I've had my boat going ~52mph, and the FAE didn't come loose.

Seems to me that I've been seeing many FAE threads pop up on the different forums lately. I was considering it.....now I'm not so keen on the idea. Now I'm just irritated with MC for screwing up their exhaust system somewhere between 2007 and present.

Jerry - I know many guys (me included) that have FAEs and we have not had any problems. I would definitely would get one on my next boat.

jerry- you think MC exhaust has gotten louder since then?

Dan - there was a huge difference between the 07 model year and 08. So bad in fact, that when the club took delivery of the 08 TT boat, there was concern about the neighbors. It was all over the forums just how much louder the 08's were. MC was providing mufflers to certain boats upon request. Then the baffles had to be cut out of the tips. Then there was the Okeeheelee-Schnitz TT 197 tournament conspiracy. Where Schnitz started shooting Db levels on the okeeheelee boats. It deteriorated from there, with concerns that once mufflers were added, the USAwaterski certification was no longer valid.....that was all cleared up.

From 06 to 07 I didnt see much difference in my 197's. I guess MC did have some issues with the welds breaking in some 07' exhaust tips. Then suddenly in 08' we had the noise disaster everyone whined about. Some liked it, but most of us hated it. ZO and noisy exhaust, a match made in hell. You could not only feel the ZO pull hitting you, you could hear it too!

It got better in 09', but I still think the 07 and prior boats were quieter.

(Message edited by witness140 on September 27, 2009)

4 years here since the original installation, zero problems and not touched since then!.

Jerry- Yeah, i had heard of rumors of that and we even heard about a local guy who argued about it so much that MC sent him a 'new' set. From my understanding MC didn't change mfg's or anything and had the same exhaust components, but then everyone started complaining so I wonder if MC was hiding something, or if the mfg just had a defective batch/tried something new.

They changed exhaust tips in 2008, that much cannot be disputed. Plain as day. That was the problem.

2007 exhaust tips were SS and extended back, with pointy tips. 2008 went back to flappers covering the tip embedded in the flange. Some early 2008 boats still had the 07' tips. 2009 is another variation of that - quieter than the 08's, but not as quiet as the 07's.

The two TT 197's that I know got mufflers in 2008 had them provided at no cost by MC.

(Message edited by witness140 on September 29, 2009)

had mine since 2005. zero issues, make sure you connections are tight

READ INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS!
"For the first hour or two do not go above surf speed (10 to 12) as to get the rubber parts hot and create a bond to the pipe" (from memory)

My FAE my be the best thing I ever did to my boat and i have done a bunch!!!
They claim a 50% reduction in noise! HA! Reduced mine about 80 or 90% (22v Tige)

sounds like a faulty install. hose clamps do not usually loosen. Have had mine installed (did it myself) for 3 years and have not had a single screw or clamp come loose ever.Best money i have ever spent on my boat.

slipped the hoses back into the rubber tube that attaches to the exhaust outlets, replaced the bent support rods that attach to the inside of the elbow joints that attach to the cross bar support, tightened all the hose clamps. I repositioned the down pipe/tpipe so that it is at a slight angle away from the boat, not at 90 degrees. Ran the boat this weekend and no problems yet. Only thing I can think of is was different was the angle of the down pipe. I has adjusted so that it was at 90 degrees straight up and down. Perhaps getting the boat on plane or something cause to much pressure against? I don't know. Anyway that was the last outing of the season for me. It looks like it is back in working order for now.

I'm glad it worked Ian. Next season the rubber should be pretty solid on the pipes. Just check the clamps before the first time out and you should be great.

Mine is as solid as the day I installed it, never re-tightened anything. As a matter of fact I could only get one of the two suggested bands to clamp down on the exhaust tips. Happy my boat has a center platform support that allows the FAE to be very firmly attached.