Muffler talk - reusing old ones

[simpleton7016]

Is it possible to re-use a 40 year old muffler that was used but has been stitting dry for 30 years? I have salvaged a number of Terra Tiger mufflers that have surface rust, but otherwise appear solid. One had a hornets nest in it (found that out the hard way) and another provided shelter to some nut eating creature. I shook all the nut shells out of it, and it too appears to be solid. The mufflers on these machines (like most machines) is sheltered from the weather. I would prefer NOT to have to shop for the correct "new" muffler, so i was wondering if anyone has any experience with reusing "old" mufflers. Do they rot from the inside out? Or is the condition of the outside fairly indicative of what I can expect on the inside?

Thanks in advance,
Erik

[steveohio]

We have been reusing them if good on outsides. If it louder than normal then you know insides is shot. I've been going to cut one apart to see how the insides look and are made but haven't done yet. I found a place that is making reproduction-new snowmobile mufflers and may send one to him for a quote. But I know it will be high!

[racerone3]

a trick the Rokon guys taught me is to throw the muffler in the gas grill, or woodstove to burn out any crud, bees, nuts, mouse nests etc. it also does a great job getting out the caked on burnt reminants of 2 stroke oil. back when everyone ran 20W oil it would cake inside the muffler and on the rokons plug them up so that there was way too much back pressure. one nice thing about all the oil inside, it it helped keep the muffler from rotting out so bad. my Rokon muffler was so plugged that you couldn't blow air through it... an hour in the woodstove and it flows quite nice.

[steveohio]

Great idea! Thanks for that tip! Will try it on one ! We always made sure air would go through them and you can normally tell if one is plugged up by hard starting or not much exhaust coming out of it. Had one that was plugged up and I soaked it in diesel fuel for a week and shushed it around once or twice a day, emptied it and lit it on fire and let it burn itself out. It worked but your idea is lots less work!

[hydromike]

For larger mufflers that don't fit on the grille (Chaparall snowmobile, for example) you can pour some diesel down it and set it on fire with a torch. No, really....

The muffler on the Chap-powered racer was full of old mouse nests and about two pounds of hickory shells that wouldn't come out for anything. About a quart of diesel down the hole, and about 3 hours of smoke later, she flowed quite well. Tough to get the ashes out without starting the engine up and taking a cruise around the yard. The grille idea is much more high-brow, but the smoke and fire method appeals to my caveman instincts.

Yes, I donned body paint and danced around it shirtless whilst it burned. Kind of like Lord of the Flies meets Speedweek.

~m

[racerone3]

The grille idea is much more high-brow, but the smoke and fire method appeals to my caveman instincts.

Yes, I donned body paint and danced around it shirtless whilst it burned. Kind of like Lord of the Flies meets Speedweek.

~m

HOLLY DISTURBING VISUAL BATMAN!!!!!!!! in that case, I would have just thrown it in a bonfire, but I'm always looking for an excuse for a good bonfire

[simpleton7016]

so I can just throw them in a small fire made up of yard twigs and leaves and stuff? I have seen fires get so hot that they melt cans and bottles, etc.

[racerone3]

I had the muffler from my Rokon in the wood stove for about an hour and it survived fine. i can't say that anything would. you might do a test fire with an old junk lawn mower muffler to check it out. mufflers are a lot thicker metal than cans so you should be fine unless they are really rusted and thin.

[lewis]

For larger mufflers that don't fit on the grille (Chaparall snowmobile, for example) you can pour some diesel down it and set it on fire with a torch. No, really....

The muffler on the Chap-powered racer was full of old mouse nests and about two pounds of hickory shells that wouldn't come out for anything. About a quart of diesel down the hole, and about 3 hours of smoke later, she flowed quite well. Tough to get the ashes out without starting the engine up and taking a cruise around the yard. The grille idea is much more high-brow, but the smoke and fire method appeals to my caveman instincts.

Yes, I donned body paint and danced around it shirtless whilst it burned. Kind of like Lord of the Flies meets Speedweek.

~m

I just could not resist!