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Smoke In The Cockpit...

Plumbmaster

Plumbmaster

Active Member
I recently installed a smoke system I'm my RV6A which has an 160 hp, O320 CS. It has a Vettermans exhaust system. Recently when draining the oil out of the smoke system through the exhaust, I noticed smoke oil running out of the ball joint in the exhaust system. Me thinks that this is the source of my smoke in the cockpit issue.
Does this ball joint seal up when the exhaust gets hot? do I need a new exhaust system-big bucks- or can a welder weld up a ball joint? I doubt that because it seems that would defeat the purpose of the ball joint.
If anyone has experience with the ball joint issue, perhaps you could send me a response.

Stubbs
 
Plumbmaster said:
I recently installed a smoke system I'm my RV6A which has an 160 hp, O320 CS. It has a Vettermans exhaust system. Recently when draining the oil out of the smoke system through the exhaust, I noticed smoke oil running out of the ball joint in the exhaust system. Me thinks that this is the source of my smoke in the cockpit issue.
Does this ball joint seal up when the exhaust gets hot? do I need a new exhaust system-big bucks- or can a welder weld up a ball joint? I doubt that because it seems that would defeat the purpose of the ball joint.
If anyone has experience with the ball joint issue, perhaps you could send me a response.

Stubbs
Click to expand...

I would think that in flight by the time oil smoke gets there it should be fully burned smoke and the exhaust air flow would make it go through the path of less resistance out of the bottom and not try to get through that joint. Could it be you're putting too much oil for the exhaust's temp and air flow so it's not burning completely and oil is getting out through the joint and burning on the outside of the exhaust? It wouldn't cost anything to close the oil valve a little more so it pumps less oil to the exhaust and see if that helps.
 
Move the injector

You can put the smoke oil injector downstream from the ball joint. I have had injectors as close as six inches from the end of the exhaust and it puts out great smoke.
 
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