Has Fresh Air Exhaust (FAE) changed your wake?

[trayson]

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.


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.





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).


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...

[trayson]

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

[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

[Woody929]

You can kind of see what I'm talking about if you look at the last picture I posted on the TX Jam thread

[trayson]

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!

[parrothd]

Nope, it doesn't change it one bit

[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.

[tgoody14]

Nope, it doesn't change it one bit

x2... I never noticed a difference

[moombadaze]

no change that im aware of

[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.