Mufflers / Straight Pipes

No, I have not tried it, but it would definately only harm the noise level exiting the pipes. Just recently (two years ago?!) my original mufflers starting leaking at the hose connection due to old cracked fiberglass. I removed both mufflers and replaced with similiar mufflers that I bought from SKIDIM. The main difference was that the new mufflers had an elbow at one end that pointed toward the exhaust manifold. This wonderful little feature eliminated the sharp bends in the exhaust hose and thereby enabled the use of smooth hose (not corrugated flexible hose). The sound attenuation was vastly improved and I believe performance. Incidently, my old mufflers had a few broken baffles.

Jameski:

Believe me, you will not get rid of the hotrod sound...just a bit quieter. My friend who has a mid 80's 2001 loves the sound of my '77 Martinique with the new mufflers. He is going to change his out this spring.

No, you do not have to pull up any carpet. the mufflers are in line with the exhaust manifolds and exhaust outlet pipes. You do have to remove the rear floor center section which is not a difficult job. Once the rear floor is unscrewed and removed the mufflers are exposed. You do have to position the new mufflers slightly forward to allow the turned up end of the muffler to clear the floor board. This requires that the short piece of rubber exhaust hose between the existing muffler and outlet pipe be changed (lengthened). Other than that, a relatively easier project and a vast improvement in performance and sound quality.

FWIW, I like the quiet sound of the newer boats with the invertiflow (sp?) single outlet exhaust...you can converse with others better while underway.

Ha ha ha...I think it is funny how everyone can have different preferences for almost everything. I can understand how you would perfer the louder rumble over the quieter boats. Heck, I think I did to in my younger days. Just seems that I use my boat(s) more for casual cruises than skiing, boarding, etc now-a-days and maybe that is forcing my tastes to change!

But, back to the original post. New mufflers designed to replace the original long pipes will keep the rumble, but give it a more tidy sound if that makes sense. Again, my friend thought my boat sounded great compared to his mid '80's 2001.

Does anyone have ONE original muffler they would like to sell? My preference would be to change the bad one and keep the good one as-is.

Where do I get these mufflers for an 80's naut

Who is you and what business are you?

Be nice 80nauts. That is probably Woody the parts guru at Southeastern Correct Craft in Orlando. Super fellow who can help anyone who needs advice. I've ordered several items from them including the bumper tubing that slides over the guide posts on the trailer. I've had several boat owners ask where I got them. my .02 worth.

opps.... I forget to log in as well.... any rate, you've got one of the best built, most expenisive ski boats on the planet, dont "cheese up" and use "Decent" mufflers, spend a few x-tra $$ for a pair of good mufflers, If yours are orginal on your '78, then maybe you'll get 27 years out the next ones too!

I will say it again, SKIDIM has a great set of pipes with one end angled up toward the exhaust riser. This elbow eliminates the severe bending of the exhaust hose Consequently, you will NOT need to use corrogated hose. IMHO the smooth hose lasts longer. I think the pipes sound just as good or the same as the originals. On a '78, you will have to position the pipes a bit closer to the engine so the elbow will clear the floor panel. This will require that that short piece of rubber hose between the original pipes and the outlets be lengthened. So make sure you purchase enough exhaust hose to take care of this. All-in-all, the pipes with the elbows are a much cleaner installation.

They are of a composite construction or at least some sort of plastic. Very nice indeed and the internal construction is almost identical to the mufflers that came out of my '77 Martinique (alternating top and bottom baffles).

Yes, my failed original were light blue. When I restored the boat back in '89, I simply repaired the cracked ends with fiberglass cloth and polyester resin. They ultimately failed againa and started leaking. So, I saw the pipes at SKIDIM with the elbow and ordered not knowing they were for Mastercrafts. They are the same length as the originals except for the elbows. No modification to the boat was necessary, I just had to position them further forward which was no problem.