So Fix it

Muffler tape is an inexpensive method to repair damage to a muffler that has been dragged on the ground or has rusted through. Muffler tape is not adhesive, instead using the heat of the exhaust system to bond to your current muffler.

Function

Muffler tape should be used to repair your muffler or exhaust system for a short time. You should take your vehicle to a dealership or exhaust specialty shop as soon as possible.

Types

Muffler tape may come in strips that can be wrapped around your exhaust or in a patch kit that requires trimming the tape to the proper size.

Benefits

Muffler tape can help silence your vehicle quickly, keeping emissions levels down and your vehicle quiet as you drive.

Installing

Once you wrap muffler tape around the exhaust, the heat near the muffler will cause the tape to bond to the exhaust system. You may need to add more muffler tape if any falls off or holes in the muffler remain uncovered.

Expert Insight

Muffler tape is not a permanent solution. Vehicles are regularly subjected to extreme temperature changes, and you may find that your muffler tape falls off after only a few days or weeks of use.

There may be a few different reasons why a muffler on the exhaust system of your vehicle goes bad. Although many new systems are constructed of stainless steel, mufflers can deteriorate from the inside out due to condensation built up inside of them. External muffler deterioration can occur on cars driven on roads where salt is used in excess during winter. No matter what the geographical region, the muffler and other exhaust components are going to require replacement after extended use.

The Basics of Muffler Installation

Every model of every make of car and truck has its own unique exhaust system. This presents certain challenges when trying to replace a muffler. The position of the muffler on most cars is near the back bumper, on the left or right side. However, on a light truck or SUV, the muffler may be found directly behind the catalytic converter, about halfway down the exhaust system. This type of system employs a longer tailpipe that hops over the rear axle.

Before removing the muffler, its important to inspect and study the system to determine what you have to work with, and how youre going to put it back together, as close as possible to its original positioning. Exhaust systems are caully measured and employ flex pipe sections (an accordion-shaped pipe section covered in mesh), or rubber hangers with pipe and muffler hooks (or all of the above). The positioning of the hooks and hangers is important to ensure the system is restored properly after installation of any new exhaust component. The flex sections and rubber hangers are integrated on exhaust systems to allow movement of the system when the motor starts and under heavy torque demand. Engines move around in their cradle quite a bit, and if the exhaust system didnt allow for the movement of the engine, they would snap off.

When installing a new muffler, youll need to make proper measurements to ensure the new muffler is positioned exactly, or as close to exact as possible to the original. This will ensure that the rest of the system is not tweaked slightly due to the new muffler installation. There is very little margin for error allowed on exhaust systems these days.

Flanges, Clamps and Welds

Is the muffler attached to the pipes in front and/or behind it by flange connections, clamps or is it welded? Knowing the answer to this question will determine what tools you will need to successfully install the new muffler.

Flange connections may seem easier to work with, but the bolt or stud connections will undoubtedly be rusty and difficult to separate. Oxyacetylene torches will easily cut through the old bolts or studs, but are dangerous to use unless the car is up on a commercial lift.

Clamp connections present a challenge once the clamp is removed because the clamp has crimped the connection in a circular fashion. This crimp needs to be worked out enough to allow separation of the pipe and muffler. Again, use a torch to heat up the crimp (cherry red) and then move the muffler back and forth and lift it up and down to decrease the crimp.

Welded systems also present their own challenge. Very rarely will you find a system welded to the muffler that allows you to cut the pipe in front of the muffler with an exhaust cut-off tool, and then rehang the muffler without compromising its positioning. In many of these cases, special pipes need to be made in order to attach to the inlet of the muffler and to the exhaust pipe. Another easier, but less cost effective suggestion, is to replace the system, from the catalytic converter back, in sections. Most all aftermarket exhaust systems feature the systems in separate components, to make it easier to reinstall.

Not an Easy Job for the Back Yard

For the do-it-yourself exhaust enthusiast, working on an exhaust system while laying on your back is not a fun job. Trying to tackle the challenges presented in Section 2 is going to be frustrating and youer going to lose strength and leverage. Exhaust systems can be hard enough to work on when theyre on a commercial lift, but youll have more strength and leverage and more mobility to move when working with torches.

There are some exceptions to the rule. There are some makes and models where the muffler can simply be cut off and a new one retrofitted back on by employing sleeve connections and clamps. This is hardly ever the rule. And the newer the vehicles, the more complicated and technical the exhaust systems are going to be.

Safety Concerns

There are many safety issues to consider when removing and installing a muffler on a vehicle. Safety glasses or goggles should be worn to prevent rust from getting into your eyes. Safety gloves made of thick leather should be worn to prevent injury to your hands, or when using a torch. The vehicle should be lifted and supported properly on a commercial lift or on jack stands and car ramps. While removing and installing a muffler, youll be shaking the exhaust system around, and a vehicle not properly supported can fall and cause serious or fatal injuries.

Exhaust systems are regulated by the government. Many states emissions tests require that the exhaust system, including the muffler, is fully functional and efficient. The muffler is one of the easiest portions of the exhaust system to monitor--either it is working or it is not. You can repair the muffler to address some issues, but you must replace it to fix most problems. A quick troubleshooting session can help determine what action is necessary.

Instructions

1

Turn the vehicle off. For added safety, if the vehicle was recently run, allow it time to cool down because a muffler tends to get hot during operation.

2

Jack the car up high enough to see under the rear, following your manuals jacking procedure instructions.

3

Verify that the muffler is attached to the exhaust pipe. If it is not, take it to a local welder or exhaust shop to have it reattached.

4

Inspect the muffler to ensure it is whole and the mufflers body does not have visible holes or dents.

5

Replace the muffler immediately if there are signs of damage. Obtain a new muffler from your local parts store. With the rear of the car still jacked in the air, locate brackets that are holding the muffler in place. Loosen the brackets and slide the muffler out towards the rear of the vehicle.

6

Slide the new muffler into place, just as the previous muffler was. Utilize the mounting brackets to tighten the muffler back into place. Lower the car by releasing the jack slowly. Start the car and observe the muffler to ensure that exhaust is exiting the muffler port.

It used to be a lot easier before the days of catalytic converters and resonators and other complicated and integrated exhaust components to repair a cracked muffler pipe. Now the exhaust systems contain many variables that create difficulty when trying to attempt simple repairs. However, with this in mind, the aftermarket exhaust industry has also found some clever ways to work around the complicated systems. If you do indeed have a cracked muffler pipe, you may have some options left before you have to spring out the cash to replace the entire system.

Instructions

1

Lift the vehicle safely and securely on a car lift.

2

Put on the safety glasses.

3

Locate the cracked muffler pipe.

4

Put on the welding shield and weld the cracked muffler pipe if the crack is located on a bend in the pipe and a sleeve clamp or buddy sleeve would not be a viable option.

5

Use the sleeve clamp to cover the crack in the muffler pipe if the crack is small, located on a the seam of the pipe, or if the pipe is broken in a straight section of the muffler pipe. Wrap the clamp around the cracked pipe, place the nut and sleeve brace on the other side of the bolts, and tighten using the ratchet, socket and a hand wrench.

6

Use a buddy sleeve to reconnect a separated muffler pipe. This would only be an option if the pipe was completely broken in half on a straight section of the muffler pipe. The buddy sleeve would reconnect the two halves of the pipe and you would use to exhaust clamps of suitable size to tighten the buddy sleeve to the cracked muffler pipe.

The straight through muffler incorporates a perforated tube design that allows the exhaust gases to expand quietly. For straight through exhaust the rule is the bigger the can the quieter the muffler, and they are considered to have the best flow design of most modern muffler types. The purpose of a muffler in states without yearly emissions certifications on vehicles is noise reduction. Installing a straight through muffler can reduce noise and can be tackled by most knowledgeable car enthusiasts. The right tools will make the difference with this job.

Instructions

1

Purchase the muffler and pre-silencer in the correct size for your car. Purchase the mandrel bends, or steel pipe for the tubes, from the same or another supplier. Be sure to get new exhaust hangers for the system.

2

Lift the car on a car hoist. Using jack stands is an option but will make working and welding beneath the car nearly impossible. If you are taking on this project it is advisable you either have access to or own the equipment to do the job correctly. Once the car is lifted examine the existing exhaust system for the location of the exhaust hanger mounts. Lay out the new system, noting the bends you need to use to accommodate the various mechanics the exhaust system needs to skirt.

3

Remove the existing system. Spray any clamps and hangers with silicone lubricant to loosen rust or dirt before loosening the clamps. Disengage the pipes from the catalytic converter, but do not disturb or remove it. This portion of the system needs to remain intact, and hollowing it or removing it could in fact hamper the performance of your vehicle. Replace any hangers or clamps that are damaged at this time.

4

Cut the mandrel bend sections for your system. Test fit the sections by placing them in the location beneath the car they will be mounted. Trim and adjust as needed.

5

Tack weld the pieces together. Check again for fit and be sure everything is aligned properly before welding the pieces together permanently and attaching the hangers. If the system is stainless steel you can leave it alone, but if it is aluminum or regular steel, paint with heat resistant paint created for exhaust systems to keep the surface from early corrosion.

6

Seam weld the pipe sections and muffler together and mount on the vehicle, welding in place. Secure all hangers and clamps. Start the vehicle and test the system for back pressure and flow.

Believe it or not, its actually possible to tape a hole in a vehicles muffler, as long as the holes not too big. Generally speaking, if the holes larger than two inches in diameter, it cannot be adequately repaired with tape. The tape used to repair holes in a muffler isnt the kind of tape that youre used to using; its a special kind of tape, also referred to as a muffler bandage. This bandage material is made from fiberglass and a special resin that seals against the muffler once the pipe heats up.

Instructions

1

Park the vehicle and let it cool down for at least two hours before proceeding. The tailpipe can exceed temperatures of 250 degrees Fahrenheit, causing serious burns if not allowed to cool down.

2

Lift the rear of the vehicle with a jack and support it with two fixed jack stands. Locate the hole in the muffler and measure it with a tape measure. Verify that it doesnt exceed two inches in diameter. Holes larger than this are simply too difficult to bandage with muffler tape.

3

Clean the area around the hole with a wire brush to remove as much dirt, debris and surface rust as possible; this will ensure a better seal with the muffler bandage.

4

Open the muffler bandage kit and unravel the bandage. Wrap it around the muffler or pipe where the hole is several times in a similar fashion to an athletic bandage applied on a person.

5

Wrap the bandage with the wire included in the kit to secure the bandage to the exhaust pipe. Twist the wire together at the end and crimp it with a slip-joint pliers to ensure that it doesnt come loose.

6

Start the vehicle and allow it to run for 20 to 30 minutes; this heats up the bandage. Turn off the engine and let it cool down until the exhaust has cooled to room temperature; this completes the sealing process. Turn the vehicle back on and check the bandage for leaks.