Columbia Par Car/Harley aka MishMashMobile

[GC newbie]

Thanks, I have a long weekend now to maybe get some work done on it if the wife and kids let me. Lol! Last time I got out there my son (5 yo) was digging in the dirt like a dog and found a piece of broken glass the hard way. No stitches required but some TLC was needed. It's healing nicely already.

Ernie S

[GC newbie]

I really can't trust any other adjustments made to the carb etc until I know the exhaust isn't getting blocked off from whatever is banging around in there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi43mgXnJMc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi43mgXnJMc

[GC newbie]

So I got busy with the grinder and dremmel. I got a little more than I bargained for! FYI: I am not the most experienced fabricator so there are probably easier ways to this, this is just how I did it. Before any cutting or grinding on a exhaust can be sure there is no gas fumes that could ignight and wear proper safety gear!


Started by grinding the (driver's side) end cap lip and notching it in two places.


Then remove outer cap lip with hammer, chisel and pliers.


Then a self-drilling screw through the slide hammer tip roughly in center of cap.


Comes right out easy with the fiberglass end mat too.


1st Baffle driver's side end.


Three little tack welds on each of the inner baffle plates.


Grind down the tack welds with a die grinder or Dremmel tool.


Check before removing and take notes!


Prep for slide hammer.


Tap baffle in a little with hammer and chisel to grind rest of welds. Baffle comes out easy then.

[Kplhdryder]

Well, GC newbie, after all that hard work , grinding cutting , video taking , picture uploads, what was the prize inside??

[GC newbie]

This is what we see next:

Exhaust entrance from engine pipe.


I was able to carefully remove this weld with a grinder and file to remove pipe from can.


Pipe removed.


2nd baffle, this one only has one tack weld holding it in place. The other tack welds have been broken for who knows how long. I just broke the last weld turned the baffle and pulled it out by hand. I was really expecting to see the offending part bouncing around behind this but just more tubes and baffles. I was so disappointed I forgot to take the picture here and moved on to the other end!

Passenger side end of can:

Removed the end the same as the first.


1st baffle Passenger end. Same technique as before, grind, tap, grind, drill and slide hammer.


My Workmate can clamp. Worked great to hold it while I worked.


And yet another plate, 2nd baffle Passenger side. Had to grind the three outer lip tack welds and then two more for each tube. This one was a bugger to remove due to tight space between tube and side where the tack was. I'll have to fix the baffle a bit before it goes back in, bent it up good!


Then can slide the tubes and last baffles towards the driver's end of the can.


The offending part that was banging around.


Nothing but the exhaust exit tube left in there. (That and some black crud, it'll need some cleaning before assembly)


Everything in order for cleaning and reassembly.

Tomorrow I hope to start getting it put together again.

Ernie S.

[73eldo]

Great pics. Dang now I see why no one is making those things and why when you do find em they are really expensive.

[Kplhdryder]

That is one involved muffler, thats for sure. Looks as though over the years of riding, weather, rust and heat a couple of tack welds didn't hold as they should.
If you have the time and patience, plus all the right tools, a muffler revamping sure beats the cost of buying a used one. As eldo said those mufflers will cost you if you can find one. Keep us posted , after reinstalling if it improves your motors performance.

[GC newbie]

Funny thing that rust is just a couple weeks old since I bbq'd it (very poorly inside inspection revealed) since I'll be welding it back up would had to repaint anyway.

[Lochlin]

That is really cool. I have never seen the inside of those mufflers. I have a couple of extras sitting around in the event that I ever need them. With it getting colder I may just take some time to tear one down like you have.

Crazy question though, aside from your fiberglass ends being charcoaled your muffler doesn't seem like it's all that dirty to me. Is yours considered bad? Good? Average?

[GC newbie]

I don't think it was caked inside hardly at all. Just the bits inside rattling around prompted me to make sure nothing was getting blocked off. So I guess 14 lbs is about the benchmark for the can without the pipe to the engine. So if you take yours off and weigh it and it comes in 15 lbs or more I'd say maybe the BBQ adventure could possibly help. But I can tell mine didn't get anywhere near hot enough to be effective during the BBQ. So get it red hot for a half hour or more and you'll probably burn out the fiberglass in the process so either it'll be louder or you'll have to open the ends and replace the packing afterwards.

Ernie S.