Vetus Watertrap Longevity?

[CaptainBob]

I'm not sure but I have a feeling my engine noise has increased during my ownership of my boat. I wonder if, during a very very slight overheat (blocked water intake) the baffles in the vetus watertrap got damaged or have worn over time? It's the only form of silencing I have in the exhaust line.

I don't actually know what it does other than silencing?

 

[earlybird]

AFAIK, there are no internal baffles, as such, in the water-trap, it is basically a shaped, hollow, plastic moulding.
Any heat damage or distortion should be visible from an external inspection.

 

[VicS]

A water lock ( or water trap ) is there to safely hold all the water left in the exhaust system when the engines is turned off ( and it should be large enogh to do that)
Fairly effective as a silencer and probably with a smallish yacht engine all that is needed if the rubber hoses are not sufficient themselves.

There are no baffles as such but the thing is deigned so that all the gases and the water pass under a sort of upside down weir before exiting

Diagrams in the Vetus catalog at http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/dde28f6a#/dde28f6a/68

Any damage caused by overheating should quite obvious from signs of external deformation.

 

[CaptainBob]

Thank you Vic and Earlybird. Thorough check of the trap shows no deformation at all. Engine noise increase must be another case of engine paranoia.

 

[vyv_cox]

Is it exhaust noise? Noise can be (1)transmitted or (2)radiated. These could increase, for example as (1)engine mountings deteriorate, cutless bearing wears, or (2)engine becomes more noisy (tappets, timing chain, piston slap etc.) sound deadening falls off, gets wet, etc.

Not trying to get you worried, just suggestions.

 

[CaptainBob]

Too late!



Cutless bearing was a bit slack so have just had that replaced, but could that have caused much noise? When in 'drive' I figured it would work like a water journal bearing, despite the ~1.5mm of play top to bottom.

 

[vyv_cox]

Cutless bearing was a bit slack so have just had that replaced, but could that have caused much noise? When in 'drive' I figured it would work like a water journal bearing, despite the ~1.5mm of play top to bottom.

Mine was very noisy at specific revs. It reduced a lttle after changing the cutless bearing but it wasn't until I changed the shaft, which was only a lttle worn, that it quietened right down. It was perfectly straight.