Topic: 400f 76 kerker repacking trial has ended

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a short while ago i repacked my kerker megaphone to give the 400 some fresh memories of being new so long ago, and i picked at this site for any pointers on the procedure. any way i didn't get any expert advice so i packed it full instead of a wrap of glass wired around the center perforated tube. i don't think it's a supertrap style. it's just the headers and muffler megaphone with a single cone on the end. the job turned out a heavy muffler, real heavy. and it ran real quiet, but you could tell it was struggling somewhat. ran puny at low end and got better from mid range to w/o, and ran a bit warmer. even started to seep oil around the adjuster caps, hopefully not too much around the cam cover or head, which is about a year old, i never retorqued the head after buttoning it up, only did the series of stages very careful and added a few before even registering on the click wrench, then did it again the next 2 nights., didn't loossen them either just followed the manual. also i didn't go up to the high end of the specs on that. out came the glass, garage door insulation, and i loosely wrapped pieces of a thin later and found some glass crack repair for dry wall, and put a single wrap around the new thin layer, and i didn't pack the cone either. then put a couple of pieces of wire on it, kind of with hopes of some of it blowing out just to get the illegal sound back. right away i could tell, that there needs to be some space in the muffler, it ran cooler, like faster also. so there you have it.

[robvangulik]

Building insulation  and the like isn't suitable for this use, fast flowing hot air and vibration will break it up into short straws and blow out in no time, dedicated exhaust wrap isn't that much more expensive and will hold much longer...

[Bodi]

The factory packing was "rock wool"... not fibreglass. Repack kits are available but not specific for an old Kerker.
I also tried insulation, not in a Kerker but the same type, it blew out in short order and all that was left was the wire rattling around. Then glass cloth for fibreglass body work... better but too dense, it clogged up with carbon and also disintegrated but more slowly. Looking for a source of rock wool without buying a bale of insulation batts. That stuff may be no good for muffler packing anyway. It's also used in hydroponics, may check the local shop for home "herb" growers.
Very impressed that you have a Kerker muffler not rusted into oblivion. They were infamous for that. The headers in black lasted well, chrome not so good.

[754]

I don't like riding behind someone.."Blowing the Fibreglass out "....

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I don't like riding behind someone.."Blowing the Fibreglass out "....

i don't like anyone riding behind me if there's 12 foot of road, canyons included. i like riding side by side. but that's only in my dreams, i don't know anyone anymore, i'm always alone. i have a romanoff vodka sticker on the back of my lid, i scratched off the roman part and filled in a good old stand by expletive with a marker. the only people that read it are in the checkout lines, it's a beat up full coverage bell, i never take it off in the stores. i hope it doesn't give a bad name to bikers, i doubt it matters anyways. it just dawned on me as maybe why i'm always alone. i resemble one living on the streets or in a cave yet i still haven't made it past 16 or 17, thanks. i wouldn't ever thought of it. i do have a question though, it's why i came here today, what was it....i'm gonna have to get back on that.

[Redline it]

The factory packing was "rock wool"... not fibreglass. Repack kits are available but not specific for an old Kerker.
I also tried insulation, not in a Kerker but the same type, it blew out in short order and all that was left was the wire rattling around. Then glass cloth for fibreglass body work... better but too dense, it clogged up with carbon and also disintegrated but more slowly. Looking for a source of rock wool without buying a bale of insulation batts. That stuff may be no good for muffler packing anyway. It's also used in hydroponics, may check the local shop for home "herb" growers.
Very impressed that you have a Kerker muffler not rusted into oblivion. They were infamous for that. The headers in black lasted well, chrome not so good.

cool on that, i didn't know stock was rock wool. i've never had much trouble with the insulation blowing out much, it's gets burnt and black from carbon, it's just easily accessible, it's lining the garage door. on this kerker, it might be missing something in the muffler, there's 3 pieces is all. the megaphone, and the long inside tube that just pushes in from the back connected at the cone, it's perforated and has a small tube in the middle of that, and the perforated section reaches all the way around the bend, and there's like a disc, maybe for centering, but then a solid portion extends from there to the hose clamp and maybe a little further. but it's just pushed in and seems the cone holds it in. it that all there is? i go by the hydroponic shop in a few, thanks

[Don R]

 I bought a bike that ran for a few seconds and died every time. I eventually changed out everything, carb rack, coils, wiring, including the complete engine until the only original "when purchased" thing left was the exhaust and frame. Yup,  I pulled the baffle and the PO had wrapped the pink glass over the end of the pipe and totally plugged it. The inside of the engine was solid black carbon.
 I pulled the baffle and it started but smoked like a coal burning locomotive. I abandoned the shop for an hour after finally getting it running.  The original engine is still on a shelf.

[MRieck]

 Vance and Hines sells exhaust packing. Yoshimura probably does too.

[BigJimG]

Years ago when I used to work for an OEM Automotive Exhaust supplier, I obtained some long strand steel wool used for packing mufflers in addition to fiberglass (steel wool, then fiberglass wrapped over it).  It gives an interesting sound, and I really liked to use it in my two strokes as it seemed to last a little longer.  Unfortunately, I don't have anymore, but if you can find it, it works nice. 

[Redline it]

Vance and Hines sells exhaust packing. Yoshimura probably does too.

thanks i probably should check it out. or try the steel wool thing that bigjimb was talking about.