www.iFourWinns.com

Hi! I have an '86 261 Liberator with twin 260hp Mercs. I got stopped a couple of days ago by our local water patrol Sheriff and testing for noise levels. Wisconsin has an 86db noise level ordinance. The crazy thing is, I was tested about a year and a half ago and passed. This time I am 2 db over! Of course they don't keep records of who they test or what the result was and they won't give you anything in writing after passing because they can't be sure you won't go out and modify the boat after testing. Has anyone dealt with these issues and tried anything that works. I have 4" thru-transom exhaust and I don't want to put mufflers on if I can help it (too expensive, time consuming, don't know what the result will be anyway). If anyone can help, I would appreciate it!

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Birchfir
'86 261 Liberator
'05 Land Rover LR3
'06 300 SRT8
'67 Ford TBird
Madison, WI

Howdy,


Just about all the states are enacting or have enacted noise restrictions. Some states will "Grandfather" some boats built before a certain date & others will not.

There was a Corsa Capts Call system on my Liberator when I got it and when I replaced the engine I did not re-install it.

I think your only choices are to either put mufflers on it (yes they're pretty expensive) Or put Y-pipes on those engines and go to thru-prop exhaust. You just don't get much performance increase with thru hull exhaust unless you're running a tricked big-block.

My 460 did not run any different when going from thru-prop to the thru hull.

It did make a LOT of noise and everyone on the boat would scream at me "TURN IT OFF TURN IT OFF!!!"


I see those Y-pipes on ebay all the time but you'd have to pull both engines to install them. and you might need different risers to use them. So that wouldn't be all that cheap either.

In anycase you'll have to satisfy the boat cops where you boat.


Regards,



Rick

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1987 Four Winns Liberator 211, formerly OMC 460 King Kobra powered, replaced in 2006 by a 1997 Mercruiser 454/Bravo III

Thanks for the reply. I guess you're right. I have seen some inline mufflers that may fit between the risers and the pipes. That might be less expensive than pulling the engines. I was hoping there might be another way!

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Birchfir
'86 261 Liberator
'05 Land Rover LR3
'06 300 SRT8
'67 Ford TBird
Madison, WI

I would leave the damn things alone. I think about 75% of the boats on our lakes have either open exhaust or captains call and for those who have the ladder such as myself always have them open. There are probably about 20 or so boats I see around here that have twin big blocks with super chargers on them and let me tell you they make a crap load of noise and drive right by the cops here with nothing said at all. Cops are pricks around here, but never mess with anyone for exhaust noise. Did they give you a warning or ticket? What lake do you boat on? Mendota or Manona?

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1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

I wish I could leave them alone. You are absolutely right that most of the open exhaust boats are still running with a "boat-load" of noise but it is a function of who gets caught! I run mostly on Monona. He is issuing a citation that he will make "disappear" if I call him to have another test run after corrections have been made and it passes. It is definitely a "revenue enhancer" for the county/state. What can you do?

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Birchfir
'86 261 Liberator
'05 Land Rover LR3
'06 300 SRT8
'67 Ford TBird
Madison, WI

Stuff steel wool in the tubes to take the test. It should knock it down just enough to make it. Pull it back out when your done. Cut some steel screen to hold it in there up against where it meets the elbow flange and tell him you inserted augers in the tube to bring it down. Worst case he tells you to try again.

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1992 Baja 38 Special Twin 502 Mags

03 Stingray 3.0
88 261 Liberator 460 King Cobras
95 Bayliner 1850 3.0
77 Fiber Form 20ft 350/385hp
70 Wescraft 1800 SS 455 Jet

Lead, Follow, or get the Hell out of the Way!

Oh, and you can not leave it in there as the water will make it rust really bad after one use, so make sure you pull it out.
Total cost should be less then 25 bucks.

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1992 Baja 38 Special Twin 502 Mags

03 Stingray 3.0
88 261 Liberator 460 King Cobras
95 Bayliner 1850 3.0
77 Fiber Form 20ft 350/385hp
70 Wescraft 1800 SS 455 Jet

Lead, Follow, or get the Hell out of the Way!

I don't know if we have noise regs here but there are just a few go-fasts every now and then that you hear...the sound just echoes across the water and some days we can hear it in our house (only 300 ft to the water)....I love the sound of a big block but that would get old fast....sounds like some kind of mufflers would be the best solution....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Some good ideas. I may have to try the steel wool trick! I hear boats a lot louder than mine everyday. I guess it doesn't matter about the other guy when you are the one they they caught!

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Birchfir
'86 261 Liberator
'05 Land Rover LR3
'06 300 SRT8
'67 Ford TBird
Madison, WI

Since you have Small Block Chevy's, there are a few more tricks you can play with to pass that test as well.
You can play with your timing and/or valve adjustment that will not be as loud coming out because you temp. cut the performance. You would have to play with it a bit so you know what you would have for the test.

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1992 Baja 38 Special Twin 502 Mags

03 Stingray 3.0
88 261 Liberator 460 King Cobras
95 Bayliner 1850 3.0
77 Fiber Form 20ft 350/385hp
70 Wescraft 1800 SS 455 Jet

Lead, Follow, or get the Hell out of the Way!

Good idea. I reduced the idle down and it seemed to lower the sound level as well. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a sound meter to know if I am in the ball park.

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Birchfir
'86 261 Liberator
'05 Land Rover LR3
'06 300 SRT8
'67 Ford TBird
Madison, WI

Well,
considering what a ticket costs, you might drop on over to RS and get yourself one...




They're only $49 and might save you a little money in the future.

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1987 Four Winns Liberator 211, formerly OMC 460 King Kobra powered, replaced in 2006 by a 1997 Mercruiser 454/Bravo III

WOW! I didn't know they were so cheap and accessible. I may just do that. Thanks!

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Birchfir
'86 261 Liberator
'05 Land Rover LR3
'06 300 SRT8
'67 Ford TBird
Madison, WI

Picked up a noise meter. They are pretty slick for the price. I am going to see if reducing the idle will make any difference. I also talked with Gil Marine. They are owned by Corsa Performance Exhaust and they have some options for a crossover setup with the hoses coming out of the risers to the pipes. Hopefully, I won't be sidelined too much longer.

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Birchfir
'86 261 Liberator
'05 Land Rover LR3
'06 300 SRT8
'67 Ford TBird
Madison, WI

HAHAAHAHaaa......

We used to do this with our Hot Rods, way back in the '70s, if The Man was giving us a problem on sound.

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner