Brief Description: Vetterman 4-into-4 Exhaust System - Part 1
HOBBS Meter: 1585 Hours
Now that the engine is mounted, it was time to install the exhaust system. A while back I had talked with Larry Vetterman about options for the RV-8/IO-390. He said that he had just finished a new 4-into-4 system that added a little horsepower over the traditional 2-into-1 system and sounded pretty cool too. "Sign me up," I told him. The system arrived about a month later and so I dug the box out of storage and started trial fitting it to the engine. Basically, the system fit perfectly right out of the box. The hardware kit was complete and makes for a very secure installation. Perhaps the only complaint I would have at this point is that at the sump, the pipes on the left are a little lower than the ones on the right. When you align them at the exhaust ramp, they take a slightly different angle back. Not a big deal, but it kind of bugged me.
Here's another tip for the Quick Builders. BE SURE TO RIVET THE Exhaust Ramp BEFORE you mount the exhaust. You will be tempted to back rivet and it absolution doesn't work. I don't know why the Quick Builders didn't fully rivet the ramp (Van's doesn't either!?), so just do it right away.
Over all, I'm VERY pleased with the exhaust system. It looks really sharp. Hopefully it will sound as sharp!
Vetterman 4-into-4 Exhaust - Ready For Installation
