Tony01
Well-Known Member
How to make a DIY muffler if you're a schmuck with a water heater pipe straight pipe on your 4-stroke.
Bike was running great but SUPER FREAKIN LOUD!!! Family told me it needs to be quieter...
Step 0: You're a schmuck with a water heater straight pipe, and you want to put a muffler on it but are too lazy to drive anywhere and/or would rather spend the $7 on beer, so you decide to make your own can muffler.. cause you're a schmuck. Also, being a schmuck, you don't have any right tools for the job, such as a drill press, welder, and you deal with what you have.
Step 1: find a suitable can. Anything will do, mine was holding some PVC primer untouched for years.. BINGO!
Step 2: Measure can length and mark on pipe with a sharpie. Also mark half the length. This is where your plug will go.
Step 3: Find area required for holes. My exhaust ID was .670", which translates to .352 square inch, so I need around 25 .140" diameter holes on both sides of the plug to equal this area.
Step 4: Drill holes. Since this is a round surface and you're a schmuck without a drill press, not to mention you're too lazy in your schmuckiness to even remove the freakin pipe from the engine, you will need a SHORT, STUBBY DRILL to "spot" the holes before going in with your longer drill. Spot, then drill.
Step 5: Drill a bigger hole in the center, and plug it. Best is to use a round metal plug. I found a 1/2" round piece that was already the right length. If it is round, insert it and form the pipe around it with vice grips. Then JB weld is so there is no way gasses could pass through that section of pipe, without going out the holes.
Step 6: Cut, not drill, a large hole in the bottom of your can. You won't be able to drill it with the thin metal. If the other size of your can has a small enough cap, you can get away with not even using the cap, and just cutting the threads and forming them around your pipe.
Step 7: JB weld the heck out of the can and pipe, and let sit overnight.
Results: 30 miles of testing have shown this muffler sucks. It robs the engine of a significant amount of power compared to the straight pipe. I should have put more holes and/or used a bigger can. But I didn't wanna buy a coke for $.75 just to throw it away for the can. However, it does its job. My family did not even notice that it was my bike and not a lawnmower, and I rode by two cops who didn't so much as LOOK at me.
Conclusion: This thing works and will never fall off. So until I figure out exactly what I need to do to get the most out of my engine with the exhaust, this will do. Trying to find information on a multi-stage header and performance silencer for my Briggs 3.5hp.
Bike was running great but SUPER FREAKIN LOUD!!! Family told me it needs to be quieter...
Step 0: You're a schmuck with a water heater straight pipe, and you want to put a muffler on it but are too lazy to drive anywhere and/or would rather spend the $7 on beer, so you decide to make your own can muffler.. cause you're a schmuck. Also, being a schmuck, you don't have any right tools for the job, such as a drill press, welder, and you deal with what you have.
Step 1: find a suitable can. Anything will do, mine was holding some PVC primer untouched for years.. BINGO!
Step 2: Measure can length and mark on pipe with a sharpie. Also mark half the length. This is where your plug will go.
Step 3: Find area required for holes. My exhaust ID was .670", which translates to .352 square inch, so I need around 25 .140" diameter holes on both sides of the plug to equal this area.
Step 4: Drill holes. Since this is a round surface and you're a schmuck without a drill press, not to mention you're too lazy in your schmuckiness to even remove the freakin pipe from the engine, you will need a SHORT, STUBBY DRILL to "spot" the holes before going in with your longer drill. Spot, then drill.
Step 5: Drill a bigger hole in the center, and plug it. Best is to use a round metal plug. I found a 1/2" round piece that was already the right length. If it is round, insert it and form the pipe around it with vice grips. Then JB weld is so there is no way gasses could pass through that section of pipe, without going out the holes.
Step 6: Cut, not drill, a large hole in the bottom of your can. You won't be able to drill it with the thin metal. If the other size of your can has a small enough cap, you can get away with not even using the cap, and just cutting the threads and forming them around your pipe.
Step 7: JB weld the heck out of the can and pipe, and let sit overnight.
Results: 30 miles of testing have shown this muffler sucks. It robs the engine of a significant amount of power compared to the straight pipe. I should have put more holes and/or used a bigger can. But I didn't wanna buy a coke for $.75 just to throw it away for the can. However, it does its job. My family did not even notice that it was my bike and not a lawnmower, and I rode by two cops who didn't so much as LOOK at me.
Conclusion: This thing works and will never fall off. So until I figure out exactly what I need to do to get the most out of my engine with the exhaust, this will do. Trying to find information on a multi-stage header and performance silencer for my Briggs 3.5hp.
