Fresh air exhaust interfering with floating wedge

[Jordan22]

I have a fresh air exhaust that tends to get in the way of the floating wedge being raised or lowered. Right now, I have to push forward the exhaust pipe in order to barely get enough clearance for the wedge to move up/down. If I had just an extra half inch of clearance, it wouldn't be an issue at all and the wedge would be able to move freely without every clipping the end of the exhaust that is pointing down into the water.

Anyone experienced similar challenges? The most seemingly obvious solution would be to somehow trim away a bit of the metal on the tip of the exhaust pipe to create more clearance. I'm not quite sure how I would do this though or if it could potentially created other issues.

Appreciate any ideas/solutions.

Thanks,

Jordan

[bbrett]

I had the same issue with my boat, after talking with FAE you have to raise your swim step and re-align your exhaust so it doesn't interfere with the wedge. I had an old FAE with an older style bracket that bolts the the swim step, my new one attaches to the wedge bracket. 

[Jordan22]

4 hours ago, bbrett said:

I had the same issue with my boat, after talking with FAE you have to raise your swim step and re-align your exhaust so it doesn't interfere with the wedge. I had an old FAE with an older style bracket that bolts the the swim step, my new one attaches to the wedge bracket. 

I'm not quite sure I follow how the swim platform is part of the equation (if needed your issues was the same as mine).

I forgot to take a picture but I found this photo of a very similar setup (linked here if not displayed in post).

Basically, when the wedge is lowered, it can have a tendency to catch/rub on the pointed end of the exhaust (in red circle). To get to to slide past that, I also have to push inward on the exhaust pretty hard which will BARELY allow the wedge to slide underneath (which is a total pain). Honestly, I probably just need a centimeter more of clearance to avoid this issue. Again, my instinct is to just cut/trim the edge of the exhaust circled in red but I'm not sure if that creates another issue and I imagine it would be pretty sharp so I would need to smooth it to avoid a foot/hand getting cut when in the water.

[justgary]

You can't loosen the band clamps, push the exhaust tube up, and tighten the clamps?

[Jordan22]

8 minutes ago, justgary said:

You can't loosen the band clamps, push the exhaust tube up, and tighten the clamps?

A bit, yes which can solve the problem temporarily. But once the boat is on the water, the drag in the water ends up pushing it back/aft just enough to create the issue again. 

[Jordan22]

Giving this thread one more bump before I proceed to trim this fresh air exhaust. Can anyone think of a possible concern if I were to just hack an inch off? It should still be about a foot below the waterline which is all that matters, right?

Here is a pic where you can see the wedge isn't able to pass underneath...

[cowwboy]

I'd just throw a flapper pad on a grinder and gently remove material till it doesn't have a clearance issue. 

[justgary]

49 minutes ago, cowwboy said:

I'd just throw a flapper pad on a grinder and gently remove material till it doesn't have a clearance issue. 

That's a great idea.  I always forget about flapper wheels, but they are great for things like this.

[BlindSquirrel]

13 hours ago, Jordan22 said:

Giving this thread one more bump before I proceed to trim this fresh air exhaust. Can anyone think of a possible concern if I were to just hack an inch off? It should still be about a foot below the waterline which is all that matters, right?

Here is a pic where you can see the wedge isn't able to pass underneath...

I don't know... You might give FAE a call first before you grind. That seems like it's the wrong piece or something isn't installed correctly looking at the amount you'll need to remove from the photo. Mine is 5 inches from below the bottom of the boat to the tip, to give you an idea. They have really good customer service. If I were to grind, I would do it on the other side of the pipe though. That finished end is shaped like that for a reason I reckon. 

Edited June 11 by BlindSquirrel