Well I suppose every noobie learns some things the hard way. I'm not sure WHERE the derned thing fell off, but it did. And while I'm always happy for another excuse to take a ride, the 7 inches of snow that fell followed by an armada of snowplows made the idea unappealing if not impossible.
So I started reading up on solutions for a missing end cap online. I gotta say, people are more ingenious than we give em credit for most days.
I tried a Red Bull can, but it looked like garbage on the outside and crappy on the inside too. (Worked good though..)
Then I happened upon a thread that showed how to make an end cap for $3 with a fender washer. I ran out and bought a fender washer, a spring washer and a locking nut. When I got home, I realized that the mounting stud (the big threaded rod coming out of the end of the muffler) was off center and that the fender washer would need to be drilled out to fit.
That's when I realized that I didn't have any metal bits that weren't dull. I wouldn't be able to use the fender washer anyway! Dag-nabit! I was kinda bummed. Decided to make myself some lunch and let it stew for a bit.
It was when I opened a can of Cream of Chicken soup that I realized I had a solution! Here's what I did:
1. I took the soup can lid and flattened it out real nice. Then I place it at the end of the stud and tried to center it on the muffler hole by eye. Once I felt it was going to cover the entire muffler hole, I hit the soup can lid with a hammer (right on top of the stud) to mark the spot where the stud would go through.
2. Now there should be a mark on the can lid where the stud dented it. You cant punch through that spot with a punch, or drill through it with a drill, or carefully work your way through it with a nail. Make the hole wide enough to go over the stud and sit down flush against the muffler rim.
3. Now, take a large-holed washer to act as a spacer and put it over the stud and on top of the can lid. Then take a spring (lock) washer and put it over the stud and on top of the spacer washer. Finally screw a locking nut down on the stud to tighten everything down.
4. Tighten the locking nut down until the soup can lid is secure and flush with the muffler end. Make sure the entire muffler hole is covered by the soup can lid.
5. Take a pair of scissors and trim off any soup can lid that sticks out past the edge of the muffler. Use the outside of the muffler as a guide. When you are done cutting, the soup can lid should be a circle that is as big around as the muffler.
6. Remove the locking nut and washers and remove the soup can lid. Carefully mark your exhaust hole on the lid and cut it out with scissors. I made a semi circle, because it seemed the easiest. Make sure to trim off any sharp corners so you don't stab yourself while working!
7. Put the soup can lid, washers and locking nut in place and tighten them down, making sure the soup can lid completely covers the muffler end (except for the exhaust hole.)
8. Carefully us a butter knife, nail, standard screwdriver or similar object to press the soup can lid down inside the muffler rim. I made mine flush with the rim. When you're done, the soup can lid should be inside the muffler along the edges.
9. Using a hacksaw blade ($2.49 for 2 at the hardware store) or grinder, trim off the stud so that it doesn't stick out past the locking nut when everything is tightened down.
10. REmove the plastic coating from the soup can lid. Burning works great. (Stove, torch, lighter.) Clean any ash or residue off.
11. Spray paint with high temperature black paint to create the illusion of an open exhaust.
12. Enjoy! I packed mine with fiberglass screen before sealing it up.
Here's the finished muffler:
Ride fast, ride hard and get home safe,
daf
So I started reading up on solutions for a missing end cap online. I gotta say, people are more ingenious than we give em credit for most days.
I tried a Red Bull can, but it looked like garbage on the outside and crappy on the inside too. (Worked good though..)
Then I happened upon a thread that showed how to make an end cap for $3 with a fender washer. I ran out and bought a fender washer, a spring washer and a locking nut. When I got home, I realized that the mounting stud (the big threaded rod coming out of the end of the muffler) was off center and that the fender washer would need to be drilled out to fit.
That's when I realized that I didn't have any metal bits that weren't dull. I wouldn't be able to use the fender washer anyway! Dag-nabit! I was kinda bummed. Decided to make myself some lunch and let it stew for a bit.
It was when I opened a can of Cream of Chicken soup that I realized I had a solution! Here's what I did:
1. I took the soup can lid and flattened it out real nice. Then I place it at the end of the stud and tried to center it on the muffler hole by eye. Once I felt it was going to cover the entire muffler hole, I hit the soup can lid with a hammer (right on top of the stud) to mark the spot where the stud would go through.
2. Now there should be a mark on the can lid where the stud dented it. You cant punch through that spot with a punch, or drill through it with a drill, or carefully work your way through it with a nail. Make the hole wide enough to go over the stud and sit down flush against the muffler rim.
3. Now, take a large-holed washer to act as a spacer and put it over the stud and on top of the can lid. Then take a spring (lock) washer and put it over the stud and on top of the spacer washer. Finally screw a locking nut down on the stud to tighten everything down.
4. Tighten the locking nut down until the soup can lid is secure and flush with the muffler end. Make sure the entire muffler hole is covered by the soup can lid.
5. Take a pair of scissors and trim off any soup can lid that sticks out past the edge of the muffler. Use the outside of the muffler as a guide. When you are done cutting, the soup can lid should be a circle that is as big around as the muffler.
6. Remove the locking nut and washers and remove the soup can lid. Carefully mark your exhaust hole on the lid and cut it out with scissors. I made a semi circle, because it seemed the easiest. Make sure to trim off any sharp corners so you don't stab yourself while working!
7. Put the soup can lid, washers and locking nut in place and tighten them down, making sure the soup can lid completely covers the muffler end (except for the exhaust hole.)
8. Carefully us a butter knife, nail, standard screwdriver or similar object to press the soup can lid down inside the muffler rim. I made mine flush with the rim. When you're done, the soup can lid should be inside the muffler along the edges.
9. Using a hacksaw blade ($2.49 for 2 at the hardware store) or grinder, trim off the stud so that it doesn't stick out past the locking nut when everything is tightened down.
10. REmove the plastic coating from the soup can lid. Burning works great. (Stove, torch, lighter.) Clean any ash or residue off.
11. Spray paint with high temperature black paint to create the illusion of an open exhaust.
12. Enjoy! I packed mine with fiberglass screen before sealing it up.
Here's the finished muffler:
Ride fast, ride hard and get home safe,
daf
