Topic: Re-packing mufflers

[Scott S]

 The 4-2 Kerker exhaust on the VF500F is LOUD!! I pulled one of the baffles back a couple of inches thinking maybe the packing had blown out, but there's still packing in there. I didn't remove it completely, but it seems to be cloth or fiberglass of some kind, not steel wool.

 I read that if there's TOO much packing it can actually make it louder. Can the packing degrade or get sooty and carboned up over time and lose it's effectiveness?
 If I repack these, what's a good material for a nice, meaty, mellow sound? This thing is just plain obnoxious the way it is currently.

[eigenvector]

Been there done that as the saying goes.

Sometimes there's nothing you can really do about it - honestly.

The packing that you have sounds like muffler baffle material and that' about as good as it gets.  It does need to be somewhat loose so that the exhaust can diffuse into it, too packed and it won't as much but it would have to be pretty tight.

It's just like insulation for your house right - jam it in the wall cavity and it won't insulate, leave it nice and fluffy and it does its job.

But again - it may simply be a loud exhaust and there's little you can do.  Keep that open as a possible option.

[scottly]

You may want to remove the baffles completely; the packing tends to fail at the front end first. The last time I did my 750, I used FMF fiberglass packing, which I got at the local Honda shop for about $12. I did the 750, and also a large Muzzy canister style muffler on my FT, and still have some left over.

[BomberMann650]

The packing on my 4wheeler had all but burned to ash.  I took things apart to fix a few rust issues and found only a small birds nest of fiberglass remained inside.

[MikeSimon]

  it seems to be cloth or fiberglass of some kind, not steel wool.

I would not use steel wool. It will rust inside the muffler.

[eigenvector]

Stainless is probably what was meant there.

Although there is a danger of it burning up (or so I'm told - not sure I'm buying the argument though).

[Scott S]

 If I decide to re-pack, I'll be using proper muffler packing material; either the cloth or fiberglass stuff.....or whatever that stuff's made of!

[Don R]

 I bought a bike once that would only run for a few seconds and die. Over two days I changed everything including the engine same thing. It turned out the PO had wrapped the packing over the end of the baffle and the glass was sucked into the pipe plugging it up. He swore to me that it ran when parked. Liar.
 The point is, don't do that.

[Scott S]

 They definitely needed packing! Got some new FMF 4 stroke packing and redid both. Still a nice growl/rumble, but nowhere near as loud as before!

[jonda500]

I'm also curious if packing it too tight makes it less effective - I used proper muffler packing in mine with wire and masking tape around it so I could squeeze the maximum amount in and it's almost as loud now as it was with the filthy old looser packed stuff that I replaced. ?
John

[Scott S]

 Mine is still loud, but it changed the sound. I was told to pack it tight because the tape burns off and the packing expands. It definitely sounds better. Not just LOUD.

[eigenvector]

The Nighthawk was the same way.  It's still loud as heck, but not that irritating "Baffles??  What's a baffle?" loudness that squids seem attracted to.