An update on the kits:

I had the shop make several stamped discs in a size of 1.50 inches in copper for the exhaust plate. The 1.50 is slightly larger than the pipe, however, this serves as an advantage when tapping the face of the disc to follow the face of the pipe.

I heated the copper with a propane torch until it turned blue and let it cool. The copper is now very malleable, which is very good because there is not a lot of room to work on the 617. The disc is held against the face of the pipe and tapped lightly on the periphery to get the copper to follow the face. While tapping, the disc is rotated, using one's left hand. After about two minutes, the copper takes on the shape of the pipe with relative ease. This is why the copper is the preferred material choice.

On goes the Permatex copper sealant and the clamp is installed and tightened just snugly. If the clamp is tightened too much, the copper will distort and the leaking problem will rear its ugly head.

Start the 617 to put it in the garage. NO LEAK. So, we are close to a final solution. I would like to test the 617 at high power levels to be sure that the Permatex will stand up.

When the 617 passes the test, we will be good to go!

The 603 is all set. It has no leaks even with the crudely fashioned copper plate made with tin snips.

I will provide the Permatex for those that want it for the additional cost of $5.00. For those that have it, the cost will remain at $25.00 delivered.