Do-it-yourself muffler welding

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Even the quietest engine produces significant vibrations during operation. In particular, these are sound vibrations. Exhaust gases tend to get out as soon as possible. Therefore, there is such noise in the system. To reduce and modify it, the car uses an exhaust system. It combines a whole set of elements. This is an exhaust manifold, resonator, corrugation, and also a silencer. The latter performs the main function of damping sound vibrations. But over time, the element wears out. Why this happens and how to repair the muffler with your own hands by welding, we will consider in our today's article.

Symptoms

How to determine the need for repair of this element? It's very simple - while the engine is running, you will hear the characteristic sound of exhaust gases. It will be very loud, whistling in places.

Also, part of the exhaust gases can seep into the cabin (in this case, welding of the muffler corrugation is also needed). Smoke will not dissipate from the exhaust pipe, but from the very bottom, and from different sides. Thus, if the muffler began to behave in this way, then it warmed up or rusted. Experts recommend makingcomplete replacement of the element. However, a cheaper way is to weld the muffler with your own hands.

Reasons

Usually, the service life of this element does not exceed two or three years. Why does he serve so little? It's all about the conditions of its operation. The muffler has been in the mode of increased loads since the first day of operation. So, the element is exposed to moisture, s alts outside and high temperatures inside. The temperature difference is simply enormous. Of course, no metal can withstand such loads (and if it does, then such a silencer will weigh at least 10 kilograms). In addition, the inner walls of the element experience vibrations.

They are somehow extinguished through the damping pads that are attached to the hooks of the body. But this does not mean that vibrations are excluded in the muffler chambers themselves. It is also impossible not to mention the very location of the element. It is located in the back of the body. All dirt and water will certainly end up on its surface. In addition, the muffler is one of the lowest parts of the car. Overcoming steep climbs, you can easily hook it with the bottom of the asph alt or other surface. Yes, the element will not crack. But the partitions inside can be deformed.

But it is on them that the quality of vibration damping in the exhaust system depends.

DIY repair - preparing a tool

So our exhaust got awfully loud. The way out of the situation is welding, muffler repair. For this we need:

• Welding machine (it is better to use a semi-automatic inverter with a wire diameter of 1 mm).
• Tool set (ring wrenches and open-end wrenches).
• A piece of sheet metal. It is desirable that its thickness be about two millimeters.
• Bulgarian with a set of grinding and cutting discs.
• Sandpaper.
• Metal brush.

Getting Started - Dismantling the Element

Having prepared all the necessary tools and materials, it is worth moving on to welding the muffler. First you need to get to the exhaust system. Inspection is best done on a pit or overpass. In the absence of such, we jack up one of the parts of the body and climb under the bottom. Usually, the element rusts from the side of the connection of the pipe with the "jar". Next, we take two keys in our hands and unwind the fastening clamp. We pull the muffler out of the grooves of the pipe. Please note that the element may boil. In this case, you need to shake it from side to side, expanding the opening of the receiving pipe. Muffler welding is best done when it is removed. Doing work locally is quite difficult (and unsafe, since there is a gas tank nearby).

Opening the jar

It happens that the exhaust system works loudly, but no obvious signs of rot or cracks are found.

In this case, we can assume that the muffler burned out inside. It can be a perforated tube or its partitions. Therefore, to accurately determine the diagnosis, we mark the necessary fields and open part of the "jar"with the help of a grinder. We bend the excess sheet of metal and cut or weld the bar again. At the end of the work, we bend the sheet again and scald it from all sides.

Welding features

Why is it worth using a semi-automatic machine? As practice shows, this welding method is the most gentle for the muffler, since carbon dioxide does not allow the metal to change its structure and overheat. When working with the exhaust system, you should not allow "gaps". The seam should be as even and tight as possible. Otherwise, gases under pressure (and it is very high in the system) will escape into free slots. All this will be accompanied by a loud unpleasant sound.

If the muffler is welded from the outside, prepare a pipe of the desired diameter. Cooking on rotten metal will not work. But you can grab cracks with a “semiautomatic device”. Therefore, in advanced situations, we cut out a new piece of pipe (it is important that it is of the right diameter) and weld it in place of the old one.

Why can't you just cut off the rotten part and weld the "jar" directly? The fact is that the muffler has a limited free play and if its position shifts, the pillows will be constantly in tension. And if you cut off even more, then the muffler will not be installed at all in its factory place.

Painting

The final stage of muffler welding is its painting. The applied enamel layer will reliably protect the metal surface from negative factors. It should be noted that the usu althe paint will not work - the hummer heats up to incredible temperatures (over 350 degrees Celsius). Therefore, all the enamel will simply burn out. This will release a characteristic odor.

But what to do in such a situation? The muffler should be treated with a special, heat-resistant (powder) composition. These can be dyes from the KO 828 and 8101 series. It is better to use products in cans. So the enamel will evenly lie on the surface and cover all the vulnerable and hidden areas. Just two coats are enough for the heat-resistant paint to provide reliable protection and extend the life of the muffler.

Muffler welding with argon - what are the features?

This is a modern technology that allows you to connect parts made of steel and metal alloys. The operation is carried out in several stages. First, the surface is prepared (cleaned with a metal cutter and degreased). Further, the parts are connected by "tacks". Then a metal bar is laid on the seam line. At the final stage, the rod and the part itself are welded. During welding, argon gas is used. Oxygen does not enter the part because argon enters the welding area under high pressure.

This technology provides high strength of the connection, as well as the tightness of the seam. The service life of such a muffler is an order of magnitude higher than that of a repaired “semiautomatic”. But the disadvantage of technology is the high cost of equipment. Fortunately, there are now a lot of companies that provide services such as weldingmuffler and corrugation replacement. The latter is also installed in the pipe using argon welding. The cost of such services is about three thousand rubles, including the price of the three-layer corrugation itself.

Conclusion

A good muffler is the key to a comfortable driver's ride. After all, no sound insulation will save if gases with pops and a pungent odor escape from under the bottom. We also note that in advanced cases, a complete replacement of the muffler would be a reasonable way out of the situation. Moreover, its cost is very reasonable. And everyone can install the element - it is enough to have a couple of keys and a new clamp (we coat the thread with graphite so that the bolts do not turn sour). By the way, a muffler is installed (no matter if it is new or refurbished) on a special sealant. They smear the tip of the tube seat. So we will ensure maximum tightness and prevent gases from leaking out through small technological gaps.