I am going through this same thing on a larger scale (10 inch diameter) and both engines. Some years ago someone did an improper installation / fix which resulted in very slowly crushing both glass flanges via over tightened T- Clamps and a bad glass job. Very gradual water leaks resulted recently which we finally tracked down. Longer story than that, but no matter. The mufflers were still in very good shape. We have cut the flanges off all together and got properly fabricated new tubes which will be glassed into place. Inside each tube at the hose end, we are inserting and resining in stainless steel "crush tubes" which we actually bought from Hatteras( the boat is near their plant), who uses these now in new construction and was nice enough to sell them to us direct (the guy supervising this job worked there for many years). Overall my install will be the current state of the art. This is just too critical a system to go half-baked.
You absolutely must use the proper resin. This stuff is hard to come by. Hatteras wanted $600 for a five gallon pail of what they use, eventually we found another local boat builder who got it for us cheaper. We only need a couple of gallons, but it only comes in 5 gallons. So we will try and sell it off to one of the locals. Nice to be in a boat-building area. It is a very hazardous cargo to ship, which was another problem. Anyway, you want someone to do this job who has a lot of references or specializes in exhaust work. My boat is testimony to what happens when you don't, but fortunately we caught it in time. You can burn up your boat or sink it. Or just have to do this again in the future.
If I can get around to it I will upload some pix. I am going to be doing a little thread on the project on the Hatteras Owner's Forum.
You absolutely must use the proper resin. This stuff is hard to come by. Hatteras wanted $600 for a five gallon pail of what they use, eventually we found another local boat builder who got it for us cheaper. We only need a couple of gallons, but it only comes in 5 gallons. So we will try and sell it off to one of the locals. Nice to be in a boat-building area. It is a very hazardous cargo to ship, which was another problem. Anyway, you want someone to do this job who has a lot of references or specializes in exhaust work. My boat is testimony to what happens when you don't, but fortunately we caught it in time. You can burn up your boat or sink it. Or just have to do this again in the future.
If I can get around to it I will upload some pix. I am going to be doing a little thread on the project on the Hatteras Owner's Forum.
