Albin 28TE Exhaust noise

[trawlerdeejay]

Relatively new to the group and haven't done a posting before, but here goes.......

Last year, I bought a 1996 Alben 28TE with a Cummins engine. The engine and exhaust are extremely noisy- so much so that normal conversation at running speed is impossible.

I recently recovered the engine box and other hatches with 2" of Sounddown soundproofing (has lead in center). This has quieted the engine noise, and now the lodest noise is from the exhaust.

I'm wondering how to eliminate the exhaust noise. Most of th time when running the exhaust opening is above the waterline- and the entire area around the exhaust is covered in soot. Am wondering if I could have a fibreglass extension custom made for the boat- this extension would fasten over the exhaust opening and would point downwards- under the water. While it might create a little "drag" through the water, I'd gladly live with that to run without the exhaust noise.

Any thoughts?

Ward Bechtel
Riviera Beach, MD

[DougSea]

Hi Ward,

Have you considered the muffler / silencer inside the boat? Perhaps the one fitted to your boat is damaged (or at least ineffective). I was intrigued by your reference to the Soundown material and, when I looked at their site, I noticed that they also make a line of exhaust silencers:

http://www.soundown.com/ES.htm

Something to look at before I'd make an exterior alteration!

Best of luck!

Doug

[jcollins]

Ward,
I'm assuming that your exhaust is on the side, correct? I agree with Doug that the "inside" fix may be a good course of action. If you have a transom exhaust, take a look at Almar's project in the pictures section.

I am curious about the soundproofing material you added. I had an issue with hard starting when hot. I also learned that it's not just my boat. Another user here had the same problem. With the extra 2" did you notice any increase in engine temp or hard starting when hot?

[trawlerdeejay]

Thanks John and Doug for response. I will explore replacement of existing muffler. Does anyone else have/had a noise problem???? Can you carry on a conversation in a normal voice while underway in your Albin??

Since I have never been on another Albin 28, could you all advise me as to whether or not the exhaust on your boat is quiet. (To buy the Albin, I downsized from a 38' trawler with twin Perkins turbos & I could barely hear the engines/exhaust while underway). Standing in the rear of the cockpit on the Albin, the exhaust noise at the side outlet is VERY loud.

To answer you guys, yest the exhaust is on the port side.

I have not noticed any temp change or hard starting from the 2" Sounddown- but then I only recently installed it.

Ward

[Tuxedo]

John - The starting issues were limited to Penisular engines with the glow plug sensor too close to the hot engine.

Trawlerdeejay - What engine, and for that matter what boat? Always curious whether it was one I sold initially. Reason for the engine question is the 315 Cummins had quite a bit of turbo whine, which could be solved with a Walker Air Sep or by moving the air cleaner away from the turbo using some reinforced exhaust host. This was not a problem with the 250 Cummins.

And John - re: Almar's exhaust project - did it work? Terry Compton told me some dealer on the West Coast was doing that to quiet the exhaust, but I never got any details. My boat has a Soundown pad under the carpet in the pilothouse that quiets the engine, but the exhaust is noisy. I was glad to see the Soundown link as the last time I looked they only had one type of muffler that was way too big to fit in my boat.

Boat's going on the hill in a few weeks, and I might look into the exhaust issue when it does.

[jcollins]

Ward,
I started to reply last night but got tired. <smile>
Up to around 1700 RPM we can carry on a normal conversation. After that YOUR RIGHT, YOU HAVE TO RAISE YOUR VOICE. I have spent some time on a friends trawler. (President?) I was impressed at how quiet it was. Could barely hear the engines when up on the bridge. But, we never got over 10 knots either. So, I guess it's a trade off. I'm used to it since I've never owned a trawler. I've owned outboards, inboard/outboards, and now inboard. I like the idea of the Soundown mufflers. I may look into it next year.

Tuexedo - You mentioned a kit for the glow plug sensor in another post. Did you get that directly from Peninsular? Do you remember the price range?

Thanks,

[Tuxedo]

Directly from Peninsular. It was free at the time since engines were under warranty.

[chiefrcd]

Maybe it's one of the advantages of having a Yanmar, but unless I raise my engine box, its a pretty quite engine and exhaust.....normal conversation is easy up to about 3600 rpms. From there up to WOT she's cranking out pretty loud. I do have lots of sound deading material around the engine and on the bottom sides of all my deck hatches. My past experience with limited Cummins exposure were that they were pretty loud as far as engine noise goes.....however they were large Cummins and older models.

[Mariner]

Our engine is located out back under the cockpit so inside the cabing it's fine with the door closed. But out back in the cockpit, yes, it's quite noisy. There is some noise deadening under the hatch, but it's pretty wimpy. Nothing like what was on our Camano. On the whole, I don't think Albin ever bothered much with the sound deadening. At least that's how it looks to me.

I think what you're probably mostly adjusting to is just the fact that you're located so much closer to the exhaust in the Albin than you were in your President. I can't imagine those twins were very quiet either.

If you suspect something is wrong with the silencer, replace it. Another posibility would be to route the exhaust out the stern. I'm not sure why some engines have it out the side and some out the stern, but there's no doubt that it's less noisy when it's routed out the stern. This, however, is not a minor modification.

[trawlerdeejay]

Tuxedo,

I have 1996 28TE with 315 Cummins. Bought it in FLA from original owner's estate.

Ward

Based on some of your ideas we need to hear from Almar- and his rear exit exhaust. Almar, you out there???

Ward B.

[AlMar]

Ya, here I am. We have been doing Many renovations/repair/improvements, and are REALLY close to testing our extention. Most likely, weather permiting, this weekend. will give a report, as soon as we have one to give.
AlMar

[jgolm]

I have a 2005 TE with the 315 Yanmar. It is noisy but the real problem is the high pitch whine from the turbine. Is that normal?

Jgolm

[jcollins]

JGolm,
Turbo whine is normal. I had a Mitsubishi turbo in the late 80s. I got used to it but passengers would turn around and look behind us thinking it was a police siren. Since your's is a 2005 perhaps you could discuss with your dealer mechanic. If it hasn't gotten louder over time I would think it is just the nature of the beast.

[chiefrcd]

I have a slight whine, but I'm old and maybe I can't hear anything that high pitched very well. Also have a Yanmar 6lp.