Ideas for muffler mounting dilemma

[bratlife]

I know there has been a bunch of muffler questions on here, but I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, so hopefully this isn't too repetitive.

 

I have an 85 brat with an EA81 engine.

 

The Muffler has broken maybe 5 or 6 times over the last couple of years. It never broke in the same spot twice, so my welds were real good. I just thought it was old and brittle, BUT yesterday it just stripped the threads out of the mounts on the engine on one side.

 

So, now I have a couple problems. First, why does this keep happening? It seems like maybe there is too much vibration or something. what could keep knocking this?

 

But, more immediate, is what to do to make it more drivable. I thought about trying to tap the mounts just a little bigger, or welding a plate to the muffler and drilling two holes in it and using the other two opposing mounts on the engine. But I don't have a tap and die.

 

I would just take the muffler off cause I don't have emissions or DEQ at my address, but the noise gets hard to take after a while. Is there something you can do to just muffle the sound a little bit even without running a full tailpipe. Right now I just have it strait piped out the side in front of the back wheel anyway.

 

Sorry for the long post. I would really appreciate any ideas that you guys (or gals) might have. thanks a lot.

[GeneralDisorder]

Hhhmmm - I'm not totally following what's going on - are you saying the exhaust studs on the cylinder heads have stripped out? If so that's a common problem and is easily rectified with a heli-coil.

 

You should drop by my place (West Linn) and I can have a look at it.... no charge unless you want me to do the heli-coil's, etc. I also might have some used exhaust stuff that's better than what you have now.

 

It seems like you are refering to the exhaust manifold and not the muffler - perhaps a nomenclature confusion?

 

GD

[DBOZ]

what is a heli-coil? I have the same problem on my 84 brat. Something I can get at the parts store or is it a custom order?

Thanks,

Darrell

[mcbrat]

do you have a support bracket at the rear of te transmission those 2 should be solid mounts, then flex (rubber) mounts the rest of the way back... having te solid mount at the tranny helps take stress off the exhaust studs in the heads....

[DBOZ]

Yep! Had to weld a 2piece 1/4-1/2inch think steel(rotted off 2 winters ago), everything else is there hanges and such. The bolts on the passenger side one day fell out, and it cracked at the Y pipe. I welded the Y pipe back together. The driver side bolts are SIEZED, and my weld is the only thing holding the damn exhaust together,besides the hangers and such.

Just heli-coil the passenger side bolt holes and put some new exhaust studs should work then?

Darrell

[bratlife]

Thanks a lot GD. Sorry for the confusing post. You have helped me out a bunch in the past, and I might need you to take a look at it this time.

 

I'm gonna try a helicoil if the rain lets up. I just kinda assumed those weren't strong enough to take the weight and the vibration of the exhaust, but I trust you on this stuff. I'll see how it goes and I might try to come over to your place and have you take a look at it for me.

 

I did have a support bracket coming from the tranny but it broke, I welded it again, and it broke in a different place. So now it just goes from exhaust mounts back to the rubber hanger, and strait out the side, right in front of the back wheel. So there isn't an actual muffler, so there isn't much weight on it at all. My roomate is out of town with our welder too, so I'm out of luck with trying to make another one till next month.

[Ricearu]

if you are unsure, don't "try" a helicoil. it is easy to pull the threads out of the hole when tapping, especially if you are pissed because dirt fell in your eye and don't realize that the hole ISN'T that deep but keep going anyways... it's a one time thing my friend... I KNOW!

 

I did have a support bracket coming from the tranny but it broke, I welded it again, and it broke in a different place. So now it just goes from exhaust mounts back to the rubber hanger, and strait out the side, right in front of the back wheel. So there isn't an actual muffler, so there isn't much weight on it at all. My roomate is out of town with our welder too, so I'm out of luck with trying to make another one till next month.

 

And YES not having that little jerk bracket will pull your exhaust studs out...

Edited December 13, 2010 by Ricearu