REFLECTOR: Franklin, exhaust leaks and gaskets

[wurzel at alumni.caltech.edu]

Continuing the Annual, the IA noticed soot on the inside of my
cowl and suggested the exhaust was leaking.  So, we pulled
both exhaust stacks off all the way up at the cylinders.

The question is, is there supposed to be a gasket where
the short exhaust header meets the cylinder?

I looked at both an older Franklin parts manual as well as
the PZL-supplied manual, and both show just the exhaust header
and some clamps going to the cylinder... no gasket.

However, some of my cylinders definitely had the remains
of what look like copper AN900-22 gaskets between the header
and the cylinder.

Since both cylinders that were leaking the worst
did have gaskets, I'm inclined to put the whole thing
back together without gaskets as shown in the manual and
see how well it seals... however, if anyone with lots
of Franklin knowledge knows if it is common practice to
use these gaskets for some reason (better seal? to adjust
mating distance?) I'd love to hear about it.

                         Many thanks again,
                              -wurzel