For some vehicles equipped with an internal combustion engine, the muffler is not the most reliable element. There are times when they rust or simply burn out. New mufflers turn out to be not the most durable, their price is not the most reasonable, and the repair may not last long.
All these factors may lead to one thought: whether to make a muffler with your own hands. After all, this option can prevent you from purchasing a muffler every year.
The system and production of a muffler at first glance may seem like a fairly simple task.
However, before you start making a muffler with your own hands, you should watch a video from the Internet and preferably more than one.
After all, this system is responsible not only for reducing noise, but also for reducing the toxicity and intensity of exhaust gases.
There are several options for making a muffler with your own hands. The choice of one or another option depends on the amount you are willing to spend and on tuning the muffler.
For example, the exhaust system may be direct-flow. Or the muffler can be made from a fire extinguisher.
Ways to muffle the exhaust sound
Before tuning the exhaust system, you need to understand the reasons why the sound of the engine becomes louder over time. The operation of the engine itself is a fairly loud process, but the muffler and other components of the exhaust system perfectly suppress this loud noise. Without a muffler, the engine noise is very loud.
The noise occurs because the fuel mixture explodes in the combustion chamber, releasing gases that then exit into the exhaust pipe. We will not talk in detail about the operation of the engine, you can read about this in another article, but here we will talk specifically about how to muffle the exhaust sound.
The explosion releases energy that pushes the piston, and when the piston has moved the required distance, the exhaust valve opens, through which the exhaust gases exit and go further through the exhaust system. To effectively absorb noise, thick metal parts are used. So, the thicker the metal used in the exhaust system, the quieter the car will drive due to the fact that there will be less vibration.
The exhaust manifold is the first one to absorb the noise, which is why it is made so large and thick, so it best dampens the noise that comes from the cylinder block. Even if you compare the exhaust pipe of any more or less normal foreign car with the exhaust pipe of a domestic car, you can see that in foreign cars the pipe is heavier and thicker, which is why such a car runs quieter.
This is why when you drive an old VAZ 2114, the noise is such that you can’t hear what the passengers in the rear seats are saying, which is why you start thinking about how to muffle the exhaust sound.
The exhaust system also has a resonator, which is needed to reduce the speed of gases through the exhaust pipe. And after the resonator comes a muffler. When exhaust gases pass through the resonator, they lose some energy and continue to flow more slowly.
Gases lose the largest share of their energy in the muffler. If we consider a good muffler, then it contains several separate housings, after passing through which little remains of the noise.
Device
From an auxiliary component of a car, the muffler has turned into a full-fledged system that ensures stable operation of the vehicle engine. Despite numerous improvements, the fundamental design of the device remains unchanged.
The main elements of the system, in order of succession:
How to make the quietest muffler for a car yourself?
When the issue with noise during car operation has gone too far, and you have decided to make the quietest muffler for the car, then you need to start by preparing the tool. We will need:
- welding machine, an inverter or semi-automatic will do;
- angle grinder and discs for it;
- workbench with a vice.
The surest and most inexpensive way to make a muffler quieter is to weld in an additional resonator. This can be done in a garage yourself.
An additional resonator can be placed between the standard resonator and the muffler. You can install a ready-made resonator; you just need to weld it into the desired place in the pipe. Or you can assemble the resonator yourself. For those who doubt whether the exhaust will become quieter if an additional resonator is welded in, the answer is clear - the exhaust will become quieter. If everything is done correctly.
Step-by-step manufacturing instructions
Before you make a muffler for your car yourself, take care of two important things that are best ordered from a turner: end caps and baffles. The rest will be easy for you to handle on your own.
To make a muffler for a car and successfully install a homemade product, you need to follow the recommendations:
Making a muffler with your own hands
After installing a new exhaust device, the sound of the motor may change: become stronger or quieter, which depends on the quality of work.
How to make an additional muffler resonator with your own hands
Making a muffler resonator with your own hands is quite simple; now we will discuss each step in detail. First you need to make an outer casing, it can be made from any steel pipe with thin walls: which looks like this:
The end part looks like this:
Then you need to take perforated iron with a thickness of 4.5 mm. This is enough to insert it into the end part, as in the photo below:
Next, you need to fill the resonator with something; ordinary tin sponges are perfect for this purpose.
Then you need to pull the resonator body onto these washcloths, as in the photo:
Then you need to take rivets and rivet the entire structure, so you don’t even need to weld it, like this:
For those who like to cook, you can also brew the end parts to the central part.
When everything is ready, you need to process the seams and you can paint them with heat-resistant paint, and after that the quietest muffler on your car is ready.
Possible inconveniences associated with a quiet muffler
The car will now be quieter, which is what we wanted to achieve, but there may be some disadvantages - an increase in the overall weight of the exhaust system. Therefore, it is necessary to hang stronger brackets so that the exhaust pipe does not come off on rough roads. There are also cases when rubber shock absorbers are hung. But in fact, a homemade resonator will weigh about 2-3 kg.
It is also necessary to test in action how the exhaust system works so that gases exit normally through the exhaust pipe. Therefore, it is necessary to check at higher speeds, then it will be possible to draw the right conclusions. But as a rule, gases will escape through such a resonator without difficulty.
And then in the video there is another way to reduce the sound of the muffler, making a really very quiet exhaust system:
Forward flow is an opportunity to increase the power of a car’s engine, add aggressiveness to the car and improve jerkiness. You can assemble and install it yourself by studying the step-by-step instructions.
Noise standards and liability for exceeding them
Responsibility for loud exhaust from a muffler is provided for under Article 8.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. The driver is charged for operating a vehicle with excess noise levels in accordance with the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union 018/2011 “On the safety of wheeled vehicles”, paragraph 9.9.
Table: dependence of the maximum permissible sound level on the vehicle category
| Vehicle category | Sound level (in decibels) |
| M1, N1, L | 96 |
| M2, N2 | 98 |
| M3, N3 | 100 |
Category M1, N1 and L are passenger cars with no more than 8 seats, trucks with a permissible maximum weight of no more than 3.5 tons, motorcycles/mopeds/ATVs. Category M2 and N2 are cars with more than 8 seats (except for the driver), but whose maximum weight does not exceed 5 tons, and trucks with a permissible maximum weight from 3.5 to 12 tons, respectively. Category M3 and N3 are full-fledged buses and trucks with a permissible maximum weight of more than 12 tons (trucks, most dump trucks).
According to 12.5.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, the driver (or owner) is charged for making changes to the design of the car without the permission of the supervisory authority - the traffic police.
So, the fine for a straight-through muffler can be either a warning plus a fine of 500 rubles, or two fines of 500 rubles each (in practice, two warnings cannot be issued).
The manufacture of a direct-flow muffler and its further improvement is within the power of most car enthusiasts. Despite the restrictions on the operation of such devices in our society, there are more and more people who want to make their own and install a direct-flow muffler on a car. Thanks to detailed instructions with photographs and videos, it will be much easier to make a forward flow.
Source
About direct flow or PG
A direct-flow muffler (PG) is an improved alternative to a stock exhaust, which is not capable of ensuring a quick and timely release of gases from the engine system (ICE). The standard exhaust system especially suffers (chokes) after installing a sports camshaft or after boring the cylinder head cylinders (in other words, on a forced engine).
A straight-through muffler is designed to improve the exhaust system
The GHG is designed to modernize the exhaust system, which increases gas emissions. In addition, a correctly installed PG will provide an increase in internal combustion engine power by 10–15 hp. However, you need to be prepared for drastic changes: everything will need to be replaced, from the catalyst to the tip.
Increasing the power of a power unit using a PG, unfortunately, also has a “other side of the coin”, associated primarily with a loud sound attack of about 120 dB. This is the norm for sports cars, but hardly for civilian ones. And this explains the mass of cases of fines issued by law enforcement inspectors to the owners of such cars.
To minimize this modernization flaw, craftsmen use various methods to reduce sound. Installing a flute muffler, oval or round resonator are all types of methods to improve the performance of a forward flow muffler. “Form and content” can make it quiet.
For example, craftsmen say that a square resonator installed in the middle of the path (the path for gases to escape into the aircraft) reduces noise much better than an oval or round one. And in general, it’s better not to use a round one, but to use an oval one as a last resort, since it has a larger volume of cans and, accordingly, a quieter sound.
Oval resonators from Volvo S60R and Saab have proven themselves to be quite good.
Before thoroughly understanding what GHG is, you should remember the functioning of the vehicle exhaust system. Many motorists do not even suspect how many tasks it performs, although it does not seem so at first glance.
The forward flow kit is a ready-made option for tuning
Of course, the main task of the exhaust is to remove gases. But an equally important function is to ensure timely and high-quality ventilation of the internal combustion engine cylinders.
Ventilation of the cylinders is carried out as follows. When the valves of one cylinder of the internal combustion engine are closed, a vacuum is created in the exhaust manifold. It moves through the system at high speed, and, having been reflected from obstacles, returns to the collector. At the moment the gases leave the cylinder, a reduced pressure is created here, which promotes better ventilation and purge.
Among other things, the exhaust system (ES) is designed to combat noise. This is what the muffler is designed for.
Compared to a conventional standard muffler, the PG does not have many separate sections inside. Accordingly, it has a more simplified design. It is this fact that allows craftsmen to make it at home or in the garage.
But is it even worth it for an ordinary motorist to change the standard muffler to a PG one? Certainly not. If he does not prefer active driving, does not intend to use the car for sporting purposes, does not have complexes about a “gray” car that does not stand out from the general traffic flow, then he should not carry out modernization.
On the contrary, if the bassy and thoroughbred roar of the engine resonates in the soul of the car enthusiast, then the installation of direct flow must be carried out. Moreover, this gives many advantages of the following nature:
- the power of the internal combustion engine increases due to increased throughput;
- The service life of the entire aircraft is extended due to the use of high-quality materials.
As for the disadvantages of modernization, these are:
- problems with the law due to loud noise (can be excluded if the installation of GHGs is carried out using a new system);
- possible difficulties with service maintenance;
- greater sensitivity of the power unit to low temperatures;
- decreased clearance.
Do not confuse forward flow with a muffler. The fact is that the entire exhaust system is called direct flow, and in most cases only part of it is subject to modernization - the muffler.
What is required to build an ASG (direct-flow exhaust system): tuning kit
Undoubtedly, installing a PG is a tuning, a modernization. And everything you need to build such a sporty exhaust option is available in stores.
The first is the resonator. Note that the sports PG does not have partitions that prevent the escape of gases. Its entire design is aimed only at ridding the internal combustion engine of excess gases generated during fuel combustion. As a result, power increases due to increased airflow.
Interesting point. On cars equipped with a naturally aspirated internal combustion engine, installing a sports PG allows you to increase power by 10 percent of the standard power, and on turbocharged cars - by 20 percent or even more.
The second necessary element, of course, is a new direct-flow flame arrester. The universal damper is intended as an alternative to the standard catalyst when constructing a direct flow. Such an element must be made of stainless steel (there is an option of aluminized steel). The internal part of such a flame arrester has a universal design, designed to increase the power of the machine’s power unit.
The structure of the muffler in the form of a diagram gives a complete picture of it
Fastening elements and other accessories, which must include various adapters, adapters, flanges, thermal tape for the exhaust manifold, etc., are also part of the system.
And finally, the muffler pipe, made of stainless steel or aluminized. The pipe itself must have an increased diameter (usually in the range of 38–76 mm). The length of the pipe is about 1000 mm, the wall thickness is 1.5 mm.
Do-it-yourself PG from handy materials
If you can’t buy ready-made tuning kits from the store, then that’s okay. You can make a homemade muffler from handy materials. However, it is not recommended to use old, used mufflers for this, since as a result of repeated heating cycles, their metal loses its original properties.
Made of stainless steel
Stainless steel exhaust gas is the most expensive method of exhaust modernization, but also more effective. But if we also take into account the high levels of protection against aggressive environments, then this option can last for many years, and thereby save money.
How to make a straight-through muffler quieter
The PG becomes quieter as it is collected. And each craftsman does this differently, using mineral wool, metal shavings, brushes or asbestos. It is also recommended to arrange several compartments inside the homemade muffler, creating additional resonance.
The installation of direct flow in various ways involves the use of mineral wool, shavings and other fillers
A car with an exhaust louder than 96 dB does not pass inspection, does not cross the border, and does not drive around the city. This is the law. Sound today is limited even in motorsport, where it would seem there should be no restrictions or boundaries.
Having decided to suppress the GHG, you need to understand that this should in no way affect the effectiveness of the new system. None of the components of the GHG system should create resistance to exhaust gases.
Flute
The flute or silencer in the PG is a simplified design used by tuners. Its task is to “calm down” the SG, obtaining legitimate dB at the output.
Making a flute is not difficult. It will be enough to use as a muffler a piece of a perforated 20-centimeter tube with a diameter that is slightly larger than the exhaust (by 1/3). A disk or conical washer must be fixed to the pipe to act as a plug. Fastening is carried out using bolts at the air cut. The washer, in fact, creates a structure that resembles a flute.
The flute is used in PG to reduce noise
The cost of ready-made silencers in stores varies from $8 to $150. Chinese models are very cheap, but don’t expect quality from them. Original, good European-made flutes can be purchased for $100–$150.
You can assemble a flute for the PG yourself. Below is a diagram by which you can easily make such a model.
A homemade flute is easy to assemble
A homemade flute is easy to assemble:
- take a 20-centimeter steel pipe (it is recommended to use stainless steel) and a sheet of iron 1 mm thick;
- welding is carried out (preferably arc);
- Initially, a plug with holes for 8 bolts should be welded to the pipe.
GAZ 31 PatroN › Logbook › Making a muffler from... a fire extinguisher?!
Hello my subscribers and simply visitors to the Drive2.ru website. Today I present for your consideration a description of the technology for manufacturing a homemade muffler. About two years ago, while removing an old muffler that had burnt out and was already rusty in places, I thought how nice it would be if the muffler was stronger in terms of wear and tear, set it and forget it style. On the Internet, visiting motorist forums, looking through a bunch of information, I came to the conclusion: build a muffler from thicker steel or stainless steel. Since with stainless steel there is more steaming during the manufacturing process, it was decided to build from steel and the choice fell on the body of the used OP-4 powder fire extinguisher, the size was just right in terms of dimensions.
We take a used fire extinguisher, press the lever, thereby checking the absence of pressure or bleed off the residual pressure, unscrew the valve from the fire extinguisher body and rinse the inside of the body thoroughly with water. Work must be carried out strictly outdoors, as the powder inside is finely dispersed and chemically active. Cleaning work must be done strictly with rubber gloves and safety glasses (safety precautions have not yet been canceled). Then we take two sections of a steel water pipe with a diameter of about 40 mm and the length of a fire extinguisher body, and stepping back 100 mm from the edge of the pipe, using a drill of about 10 mm in a checkerboard pattern, we drill rows of holes, thereby turning a regular pipe into a perforated pipe. After our blanks are ready, in the center of the fire extinguisher, where the threaded connection from the valve remains, we mark a circle with a diameter equal to the diameter of our perforated pipe and with an ordinary drill of about 5-6 mm, we drill holes around the perimeter of the circle and thereby “drill out” the required diameter for the pipe. We insert one piece of pipe into this hole to a depth such that the end of the pipe remains outside, from which 100 mm were retreated when the perforation was made and this end protruded about 70 mm and we welded it. From the other end of the fire extinguisher, we move away from the center about 50 mm and also drill a hole with a diameter of 40 mm, insert another piece of pipe and, by analogy, mount and weld.
Next, we cut off the section of pipe from the old silencer where it connects to the exhaust line and weld this type of adapter onto one of the ends of our pipe. We try on our muffler in place and weld to it the mount for hanging the muffler to the car body, having previously cut off this mount from the old muffler. We weld any round or profile pipe to the other end of the pipe (for example, like mine) and, in principle, our improvised muffler is ready. We fix it, start the car and enjoy the new exhaust. It is advisable to paint everything with heat-resistant paint (I will also paint it later). Let's like who liked this article.
