Sorry everyone about this question, but I thought I read recently on this forum that some one was thinking about drilling holes in the tail plate of their muffle. Another wrote about tapping the holes to plug them up if ya want.
Any way, how thick is the tail plate? Will it take tapping? I'd like a little more sound out of my bike but don't want to be stuck win and irreversable mod. Oh ya, and would I have to rejet?
Thanks
If ya do just the muffler mod as described on the MOOT site under tips and tricks you will not need to jet the carbs.
You can always find a set of stock uncut baffles from a wrecked set of pipes if you want to try the mod and still have a set to go back if you want.
Thomas,
I talked to a guy in upstate NY. that had an 88 Super for sale in Cycle Trader. The pics of the mufflers showed 6 evenly spaced holes in the end plates. he said they could be tapped and a bolt screwed in to plug them. In a moment of weakness I drilled four 5/16" holes in my 4 muffler end plates. I like the sound, not too loud but throaty. Like a VW Beatle on steriods.
The plates are only about 1/16" thick so tapping is doubtful. If I ever decide to plug them, I'll eithet Mig weld them up or install Nutzerts and a "Buttonhead" allen screw. Nutzerts are similar to mollybolts. They're
threaded inserts you install in a blind hole and they expand to give you a threaded hole to screw a bolt into.
Thanks Greg and Bill,
I just woke up and will mull over this information. If I do any mods, I may start with the holes and see if the Bug on steroids suits my tastes. With a four into two exhaust, though, it may sound like a Beattle on Red Bull. I like the thought of a little more sound. Then, if I want more, I can move up to the next mod.
Before doing either mod, though, I think I'll get the Nutzerts. I don't know how to weld and don't have access to one yet either. More stuff to learn about. I guess that the Nutzerts have holes through them. What made you pick 4 holes?
Before doing the bigger one, I would get the baffles from a yard first. My pipes have started to rust out on the bottom and it worries me a little, I might not be able to reverse the procedure. Are baffles pretty much alike or will I have to try and find Magna specific ones?
Thanks.
If you find 94-03 stock Magna pipes to swipe the baffles then you will be find, they will simply swap in and out.
Thanks Greg,
I'll put that on my list. There are a few cycle jusk yards around the state and I started mapping out a route to visit them just to have a look see. I guess I could call but I like the visuals. Isn't there a saying like, Never let your fingers do the walking if you can ride you cycle.
Thomas,
Keep in mind, my magna is an 88 (GenII) with the 4 upswept,squared off mufflers. I don't know if the "holes" method would be the same on slash cut Gen I's or Gen III's. The reason I drilled 4 holes, I drilled two and then cranked it up. It sounded so much better that I drilled two more. I cranked it up again and decided that I liked the sound well enough to stop there. I wasn't looking for 'nasty loud" just a "performance loud". Nutzerts are hard to find, and they take a special tool to install them, but you can install them by taking the right size bolt say 5/16 x 1-1/2 and two nuts and a flat washer and use two wrenches to hold the head of the bolt and tightening th nut down against the nutzert to mushroom it out. These handy little items are used by auto manufacturers to mount luggage racks on the top of SUV's.
Thanks Bill,
Good advice about starting with two holes and checking. I am not looking for anything over the top either. I'd still like to be legal, but the thing about the Nutzerts is the ability to quiet the thing down if needs be. And thanks for the tip on how to put them on. I'll try to find some of those things today. With the 2 into 4 like I have, I may need more holes for the same effect. How ever, if I can find the Nutzerts, I guess it doesn't matter if I like it or not.
Thomas,
When I bought my 2000 Magna almost 2 years ago, the baffles had been completely removed. Boy, was it loud! I made some plates with a smaller hole (about 1 1/2 inches) and that helped a lot, but it was still too loud for me. All the time I was looking for the baffles. I finally found 4 here on the MOOT "for sale" list for $50. Ebay often has complete sets (pipes and baffles for around $150. I put them on and wish I had done something to them because now it is too quiet. Can't win!! I thought about drilling some holes in the baffles (this would require removing them), and that wouldn't be quite as dramatic as the mod on this site that cuts them off. Don't know about drilling in the end plates. That sounds simple and you could go in stages (drill one or two and test to see how you liked it before drilling more). Keep us informed on your progress, I would like to do something to mine.
I haven't done the holes yet but I have decided to try it. I found a couple places that sell them on line, will perhaps post more later.
http://www.pointe-products.com/Items.asp?itemclass=26G&catname=Threaded+Inserts&catID=92&subcatname=Thin+Sheet+Nutserts
I'm wondering if I should get steel or aluminum. I would think that with the tip I got from Bill on a DYI way to do it, aluminum would be easier. I also know that different metals together can have a reaction or what ever. A hand tool for putting them in was about $45.
I'll let you know when I get it done. If I can figure out how to do it, I will record before and after and post it here or something. Not sure how any of that is done.
Thomas,
Order a couple of extras to practice on. They should have a drill size for the size insert you use. Drill a hole in a piece of thin scrap metal that you can get to the back side of. Take a bolt about an inch longer than the insert,(most inserts are about 3/8"to1/2" long) screw a nut on the bolt all the way to the head. then put a flat washer(one that barely fits over the bolt) on the bolt and screw the insert on the bolt hand tight (flared side against the flat washer). Put the nutsert in the hole until it bottoms out then with two wrenches, tighten the nut against the washer/insert while holding the bolt head still. It should mushroom the back side of the nutsert nicely. Keep tightening until the nutsert is tight in the hole. while still holding the bolt head, back the nut off a few turns and the bolt should then easily unscrew, leaving threads in a previously unthreaded hole.
This is a fairly easy process, I hope I haven't made it sound difficult.
Once you try it you're going to find several uses for the nutserts.
Roger that Bill,
I have some thin metal that will be my test stuff. I am drywalling and made a special tool for an odd angle. It's like a corner tool but the angle is much wider. You explanation is perfect and not complicated.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/nutserts.php
This place looks like you can order just one at a time and as you will see, it has the hole sizes listed for their various nutserts. It's an aircraft site so the material may be better. Of course, I just may be deluding myself on that matter. I am gonna call around here and see if I can get some locally.
Thanks
Hey Thomas,
That's a great website. Cut-a-way pics, size, dimensions etc. So goes the old saying, "a picture is worth a 1,000 words" the pics show what I had to write a book to describe. I'll save it to my favorites for future reference. Thanks
Bill,
I didn't check yet, but I bet that the nutserts are made by the same company, but the aircraft site struck me as a better place. They have it so you can order singletons if you need to. They have all the info right there as you mentioned. I was suprised about the needing a 1/2 " hole for the 5/16 nutsert. The sleeve needs room to crimp and expand.
A friend of mine is working here right now. He's an electricion and he had a special tap/drill (if I am remembering right.) When he heard what I was planning, he tapped a piece of the metal that I will use for practice. It worked fairly well. There were threads there and when tightened, seemed to hold okay. With a little #2 loctite it just may withstand the vibration.
I am thinking that I may do that first to see if it is even feasible and will hold up under riding. Later, when the nutserts arrive, I'll put them in. The one big thing about the tool is that the holes are pretty small. I have some thinking to do on this. I'll keep you informed as to any progress and the name and brand of the tap.
It is getting near morning feeding time and I have a cup of coffee yet to finish, and then a little circular ride for my commute.
May all of you be safe this week-end as always. Watch for drunken cagers/
I played around with the muffler mod on my 3rd gen Magna and did not like the sound after I cut up my baffles. I went to the local hardware store and bought a copper plumbing pipe the same diameter as the baffles and with the plate in place I hammered in the pipe, sprayed it black, and I had almost the same sound as the original. You could even modify that by drilling holes in the pipe.
Bob
Bob,
Well, that is another approach that I will consider. You took the end plate out to cut off the baffle and left st stub on, is that right?
What did you think was wrong with the the sound? Was it tonal or decible problems?
That is correct. I have handle bar self amplified speakers and the new muffler sound made it hard to hear the music. Plus the sound was too brash. I have been near the Vance and Hines sounds and would go with that if I had a choice and wanted to spend the bucks. But, I know there are those out there that enjoy the sound of the muffler mod. If you have the time you can cut the baffles, drill the baffles until you get the sound you like.
Bob
I think the muffler mod is something most folks do for the $10 or so and the sound is great for that price. But if money were not a problem would go for Vance and Hines or Cobra and such.