Has Fresh Air Exhaust (FAE) changed your wake?

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07-01-2014, 01:15 PM
trayson

Has Fresh Air Exhaust (FAE) changed your wake?

So, I'd like to hear some feedback from people that have installed FAE and I'd like to know if it's changed your wake.

I did a prototype unit on my boat and I found that it acted like a huge trim tab. It really flattened my surf wake. I know that I did some things with mine where I can most certainly improve (make it higher up and closer in to the boat, change the downspout length and location). But before I put a lot of work into a version 2 for mine, or even before I give up on my own and buy the real one, I want to get feedback from people that have used the real FAE and whether it adversely affected your wake in any way (at ski, wakeboard, and surf speeds).

I know with my prototype, it made my wake at 20+ mph look like I was driving an I/O. The sound improvements were spectacular, but I was pretty disappointed in how it affected behind my boat.

This was at about 20mph if I remember right and it looks like crap. The rooster tail didn't reach far enough back to really affect a wakeboarder, but yuck.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t...625_111514.jpg

As you can see, I came pretty much straight out from my exhaust ports, with just a smidge of an upward slope. And I made them long enough that it would clear the END of my wakeplate. So there's most certainly room for the FAE to be put higher and closer into the boat.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X...624_182833.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-P...624_182736.jpg

Also, to shape the downspout, I heated the PVC and made the bottom of the downspout more oval rather than round. I think the pre-heating combined with the heat of the exhaust proved too much for the downspout and it deformed pretty bad (which likey contributed to the bad rooster tail).
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-j...625_173726.jpg

So, I'd like to hear about good wake experiences with FAE's, because if it's that much of a tradeoff, it might not be worth it...
07-01-2014, 01:19 PM
trayson

This is how my wakeboard wake looks normally, without a FAE:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Z.../IMG952348.jpg
07-01-2014, 02:00 PM
Woody929

Has Fresh Air Exhaust (FAE) changed your wake?

Mine looks like your without picture. Also, the down pipe on the FAE has somewhat of a rounded wedge shape to it. I'll see if I can find a picture
07-01-2014, 02:02 PM
Woody929

Has Fresh Air Exhaust (FAE) changed your wake?

You can kind of see what I'm talking about if you look at the last picture I posted on the TX Jam thread
07-01-2014, 02:03 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woody929

Mine looks like your without picture. Also, the down pipe on the FAE has somewhat of a rounded wedge shape to it. I'll see if I can find a picture

Good there's hope! haha.

Yeah, I just heated up my down pipe (PVC) with a heat gun and used a clamp to make it kinda oval rather than round. Obviously it wasn't the optimal design/technique/material. :-)

But hey, I'm only $20 into materials and I'm learning a lot along the way!
07-01-2014, 02:08 PM
parrothd

Re: Has Fresh Air Exhaust (FAE) changed your wake?

Nope, it doesn't change it one bit
07-01-2014, 03:08 PM
kaneboats

Glad you are doing this. I want to try one too of the "quick remove" variety so I can get it into the garage.
07-01-2014, 04:09 PM
tgoody14

Has Fresh Air Exhaust (FAE) changed your wake?

Quote:

Originally Posted by parrothd

Nope, it doesn't change it one bit

x2... I never noticed a difference
07-01-2014, 07:50 PM
moombadaze

no change that im aware of
07-01-2014, 09:20 PM
maxpower220

Is that schedule 40? I hope that your prototype is to fab up some different type of material. Exhaust is hot, just like your heat gun.

Second, I would (at a minimum) change the name you refer to this device as. There are some copyright laws that apply. I know that you probably aren't intending to do anything but personal use. Doubt that I would post evidence on the internet about it.
07-02-2014, 09:35 AM
kaneboats

Yea, the thought police are going to come and lock you up for thinking you can do something yourself that has already been done.
07-02-2014, 10:51 AM
Ian Brantford

The factory FAE does not make a significant change at the surface for me. The hydrofoilers notice the submarine disturbance if they ride directly behind the boat.
07-02-2014, 12:14 PM
mmandley

Trayson looking at your setup I think the reason you see an effect on the wake and surf is because when your device it too close to the bottom of your hull, the water coming off your boat is fitting it directly.

Also if you notice the FAE actually sits above my wake plate, not behind it. This way water trailing off the wake plate is still passing under my FAE. Also the entire FAE is above the wake plate. Your exhaust pipe outlets are set wider then your FAE and thus causing drag.

http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/u...psfcpnjzrh.jpg

http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/u...psbaev72z4.jpg
07-02-2014, 12:26 PM
trayson

I agree Mike. It's acting like a huge trim tab!!!!!!!!

I certainly can't change the location of my exhaust ports. I *thought* it'd be okay since the real FAE has basically the same setup on an older sunsport like mine. This is a picture of a real FAE install on a boat even older than mine:
http://www.freshairexhaust.com/wp-co...t-a.jpg?6513c6

But again, if I focus on bringing my piping UP and in, I think it'll be better for version two...
I also need to do better measurement for the downspout and make it more streamlined and robust.

Thanks for the insight everyone.
07-02-2014, 01:54 PM
mmandley

You notice they extended the width of the trim tab with the blue sections? That it protecting the FAE from water coming off the bottom of the boat.
07-02-2014, 02:09 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmandley

You notice they extended the width of the trim tab with the blue sections? That it protecting the FAE from water coming off the bottom of the boat.

I didn't see that! interesting for sure.

here's another supra install:
http://photos.wakeboarder.com/data/3...cture_0031.jpg
07-02-2014, 02:14 PM
mmandley

Quote:

Originally Posted by trayson

I didn't see that! interesting for sure.

here's another supra install:
http://photos.wakeboarder.com/data/3...cture_0031.jpg

Downspout is backwards lol.

IDK I'm thinking its your height like your thinking as well, wouldn't hurt to try adding side tabs to the water coming off the bottom has a smooth surface to flow off of.
07-02-2014, 02:22 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmandley

Downspout is backwards lol.

IDK I'm thinking its your height like your thinking as well, wouldn't hurt to try adding side tabs to the water coming off the bottom has a smooth surface to flow off of.

Yeah, they fixed the downspout after that pic was taken! LOL.

My hull is curved upwards though after the wakeplate so it'd be kinda tricky.

I'd imagine that for V2, I'd focus on the up/in and correct downspout length and if I was satisfied--then leave it. Fabbing trim tab extensions seems like a bit of a pain.
07-02-2014, 02:28 PM
mmandley

Quote:

Originally Posted by trayson

Fabbing trim tab extensions seems like a bit of a pain.

WHAT?!!!! This coming from the guy who made his own Flow? BWAHAHA
07-02-2014, 02:47 PM
moombadaze

Trayson, maybe try lifting the whole assemble up closer to your platform and lengthen the down pipe the same amount, that may get it out of the water
07-02-2014, 02:47 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmandley

WHAT?!!!! This coming from the guy who made his own Flow? BWAHAHA

Touche!!!!!!!!
07-02-2014, 02:48 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by moombadaze

Trayson, maybe try lifting the whole assemble up closer to your platform and lengthen the down pipe the same amount, that may get it out of the water

Right. I'm thinking along those lines.
07-02-2014, 02:58 PM
slipperyrockTKE300

I had it on my 2003 Outback and it performed exactly as advertised.

Definitely quiet, but the exhaust tube kept bending backwards. Could never stop that from happening.
07-02-2014, 03:03 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by slipperyrockTKE300

I had it on my 2003 Outback and it performed exactly as advertised.

Definitely quiet, but the exhaust tube kept bending backwards. Could never stop that from happening.

I could see that happening with their version that uses couplers to attach the Tee... the whole Tee would be able to rotate. Thanks for the heads up on that issue. maybe it's something I can tackle as well in my next revision.
07-02-2014, 03:37 PM
slipperyrockTKE300

Yea, could never get those hose clamps tight enough to stop the tilt. a run at 36 mph would move it backwards at a 30 degree angle.
07-02-2014, 03:42 PM
moombadaze

think FAE says to add two set screws to keep the down pipe from twisting
07-02-2014, 03:42 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by slipperyrockTKE300

Yea, could never get those hose clamps tight enough to stop the tilt. a run at 36 mph would move it backwards at a 30 degree angle.

I didn't use hose clamps to attach my Tee to the horizontal pipes. Mine was made of PVC and glued. I've also seen other systems that were welded. I fgure if it's an issue I might as well be thinking about it now...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7...13eb4864_c.jpg
07-02-2014, 03:45 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by moombadaze

think FAE says to add two set screws to keep the down pipe from twisting

Makes sense. I know another guy that made his own and used rivets... (not that I'm saying I'll follow this example, just showing that people have come up with different ideas...)
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/03/haremeju.jpg
06-20-2017, 02:31 AM
gravity

Did you ever make a new one?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
06-20-2017, 01:21 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by gravity

Did you ever make a new one?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Yep. I'm out of town this week on the lake, so pics later. It came out pretty slick. Got it up behind and above the wake plate. Got the z measurement right. There's a visible rooster with the new one, but nothing that reaches far enough back to affect Wakeboard wake.
06-20-2017, 01:59 PM
sivs1

That's what I noticed when I made one for my LSV, the rooster tail. Other than that it worked great and did not notice any impact. Will be buying a an official one for the Supra, i think!
06-25-2017, 01:16 AM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by trayson

Yep. I'm out of town this week on the lake, so pics later. It came out pretty slick. Got it up behind and above the wake plate. Got the z measurement right. There's a visible rooster with the new one, but nothing that reaches far enough back to affect Wakeboard wake.

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2oi1ywcp.jpg

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...psgmeaihx8.jpg
06-25-2017, 10:51 AM
twkoehn

Great job on that Trayson, looks fantastic. Thanks for posting pictures of it. I am going to try that on my LSV. One question - how far down below the wake plate does that extend???
06-25-2017, 01:04 PM
gravity

Thanks. For the pics. Do you have any of the wake now. Looks great!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
06-25-2017, 08:03 PM
twkoehn

One more question tryson, I see the bar you attached to your platform brackets. Did you attach your "FAE" to that bar to keep it in place??? If so, how did you attach it???
06-25-2017, 11:51 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by gravity

Thanks. For the pics. Do you have any of the wake now. Looks great!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Best pic I have of the wake. I'm pretty sure this was taken after install. You can barely see a bulge behind the boat, but no impact on wakeboard wake.
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...psdqp6skvu.jpg
06-26-2017, 12:02 AM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by twkoehn

One more question tryson, I see the bar you attached to your platform brackets. Did you attach your "FAE" to that bar to keep it in place??? If so, how did you attach it???

This is the bar made from aluminum angle bar.
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...psff36ysfj.jpg

Since it makes a nice 90 degree angle, I ran it so that it could mate with the outer edge of the tubing that's running parallel to the bar. Then I attached the tubing to the bar with 8 stainless steel hose clamps wrapped around the tube and the bar.

If you look closely, the hose clamps are on the wider parts of the cleanout tee and the 90 degree elbow. They aren't holding the plastic together, as that is done with ABS cement. The hose clamps are actually going around the pipe and holding the pipe against the bar.

That said, I did have some trouble this last week with the rubber coupler pulling off the plastic output flange on the exhaust. The exhaust flange only has a 1" lip and It was doing great as I'd put some SS screws into it to give the coupler extra to 'bite' on. However, when I was driving to the lake, I went over some speed bumps and I think it caused the platform to move enough to yank the couplers off the exhaust flange. I'm thinking about either sourcing a different output flange, or getting something made that makes the lip longer than 1"... Not sure.
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...pskqur5mkb.jpg

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4fy0h8dj.jpg
06-26-2017, 09:55 AM
5:00

Exhaust looks good! You need an aluminum insert ring for that lip. It will give something for the screws to bite into and will keep that 1" ring from getting crushed.
06-26-2017, 11:52 PM
trayson

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5:00

Exhaust looks good! You need an aluminum insert ring for that lip. It will give something for the screws to bite into and will keep that 1" ring from getting crushed.

Brilliant.

Went by the local exhaust shop and had this made from stainless.
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...psk98wr4qc.jpg

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...psc7fkmbp9.jpg

Will have screws through plastic and stainless, and then another hose clamp on the extension.
06-27-2017, 01:37 AM
trayson

Extension with screws in it.
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...pswxu7y12w.jpg

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7pbfoiek.jpg

I ran a 2nd piece of aluminum angle bar so that the top tube would be cradled between the two 90's and couldn't rotate.
http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...pstwbc5zqv.jpg

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