What did you say?

[TCdave]

So I've had my sporty since last August and I love it? Recently I have been towing my 11 year old daughter for hours at a time as she is preparing for an upcoming regional swivel ski competition. She likes to be pulled at 13.873452 MPH and the drone of the exhaust is deafening at that speed and duration. I'm also having a hard time hearing what her coach is telling me. I'm wondering which approach I should take for the most cost-effective solution.

Which of the following does the crew recommend. Should I consider a combination of A or B plus C? Please note that I don't want anything that would alter the boats wake.

A. http://www.skidim.com/prodinfo.asp?number=288-3535

B. http://www.hardin-marine.com/p-12630-full-time-inline-silencers-3-12quot.aspx

C. http://www.bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=756

Thanks for any input.

[Woodski]

@TCDave: I have the 4" slip in silencers, 3rd one's down in the slip in group from the Hardin site with angle cut ss tips. I also added rubber baffles similar to the stock type and that is my complete muffling system. It is a home made 4" diameter system. Works well and no neighbor complaints with early/late slalom runs. What mufflers do you currently have? some of the noise may simply be engine noise resonating from the engine box, adding insulation may help that a lot, I see several people like doing that, I have not done it to my vessel. You may also want to wrap insulation around the pipes as your comments imply it is cabin noise that is annoying and that all may be coming from under the engine box which is acting like a bass speaker.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Woodski

[GreenMan]

I was surprised how much difference it made to cabin noise when I insulated the engine cover on my RLXI. I figured all that fibreglass and upholstery would pretty much kill all the engine noise but when I added the insulation it made a significant difference. Was well worth the effort.

Edited June 18, 2015 by GreenMan

[TCdave]

Thanks for the replies.

I insulated the engine cover in the winter and it did make a big difference. this boat does not have any sort of mufflers it is only straight exhaust hose all the way to the flappers. I like the idea of the slide-in silencers.

[elDax]

I run "A" on my old '86. They work well, but I have no direct comparison to the other choices.

[Wayne]

Option "A" will make the biggest difference but is 2x the price of option "B".

If you just want to knock the edge off I would do "B" as they are easier to install than "C" but similar cost.

[Woodski]

@TCDave: adding the slip in silencers to an unmuffled setup will reduce noise significantly. They silence pretty much the same level as (A) or to the same level as any ski boat that has standard mufflers (not the silent rider version which is much quieter).

[itznowonder]

I used to have a supra Ts6m and put the A type version on... WOW what a difference. I have a silent muffler still new in the box. Let me get pictures and numbers. If it would work for you, You can have it

[footndale]

http://www.headzone.com/

Great for all types of coaching.

Good luck at Regionals and hope to see you at Nationals.

Edited June 18, 2015 by footndale

[FastFreddy]

FAE might also be an option for you. It makes the boat whisper quiet! It is mostly used for surfing but it works at higher speeds and doesn't affect the wake.

[GreenMan]

@TCDave: adding the slip in silencers to an unmuffled setup will reduce noise significantly. They silence pretty much the same level as (A) or to the same level as any ski boat that has standard mufflers (not the silent rider version which is much quieter).

My previous boat had no mufflers and always thought I liked the raw V8 noise. Moved the the RLXI with Silent Riders - much better!

[itznowonder]

TCdave.. .sent you a pm with info on the muffler

[RedOwl]

I used to have a supra Ts6m and put the A type version on... WOW what a difference. I have a silent muffler still new in the box. Let me get pictures and numbers. If it would work for you, You can have it

Generous gesture - very nice!

[TCdave]

Ok, so I went with the Hardin Marine full time silencers. I called them first to explain my situation. The gentlemen I spoke with said " They won't be as quiet as the long fiberglass mufflers but these would knock the noise down a bit". He went on to say that these are built with performance being the main criteria. With this info I decided to order them especially since the were pretty inexpensive by comparison.

The install was very easy and took less than 2 hours. I went ahead and greased the rudder while I had the back open.

The result was about a 3.5 db drop @ 1800 RPM measured from the spotter's seat. Not huge but noticeable. The exhaust sound is different, less annoying now. The only way I can describe it is that has less of a "slap" and more of a pleasing "rumble" quality now. No noticeable change in performance.

I would recommend these for anyone looking for sound reduction on a budget. I may still add STE turndowns at some point.

[Woodski]

@TCDave: Looks very nice. You can purchase the inner portion of that silencer as a separate unit (to your original post) and if needed could install a couple more at the transom as they are a simple bolt in item to a 4" tube. One thing that would accomplish is to capture some water between the two silencers (which is a muffling device and basically what the fiberglass mufflers do) and would drop the noise level a bit more. Turn downs will also help if needed. I concur on your assessment as they have worked for me also. What tips do you have, do you have rubber flappers on them, that helps a lot.

Edited January 22, 2016 by Woodski

[TCdave]

What tips do you have, do you have rubber flappers on them, that helps a lot.

Thanks Woodski. I have the stock flappers.