100MPG
Convert
Well, it is done.
I will make this two posts, first is the actual modification work, second is the sound of the ST.
I bought a set of mufflers off of ebay, $32(what a STEAL!) and shipping was $40(huh?) So far $72.
I happened to find a great welding/Fabrication shop right across the street from work. When I say find, it is a strip of mall stores, but it is two rows, and I never have looked at the second row. Someone told me to check the Prop shop, a high performance boat prop company. They work with a fabrication shop in the second row, who does their bimini's and other aluminum fab work.
He welds anything.
Perfect.
I talk with Ed, the owner and tell him what I want. Cut the front of the pipe, behind the Cat, and I will take it and perform the various unknown mod's to the pipe and then bring it back and he will then weld it back together. $100 each pipe. For me it is worth the attempt. Deal.
I drop the mufflers off with him, he will call me later that day and let me know they are done and I can pick them up. Later that day, no call. Next day no call. I stop by the shop and he is just going in the door. Long story short, he could not get to it, and he will do it right now. Great!
It was a little rough finding the exact spot were the seam was, but the second one was cut in about 15 minutes. First one took an hour!
After we get the first one open, shock, amazment and respect for the quality of honda products. This muffler is built like it has to go to MARS on the next mission! They could upscale this muffler and attach it to the space shuttle and no one would know it was taking off! It is really well made, stainless BAFFLE screen inside, heat barrier between the inside baffle set up and the outer case. I was impressed.
Cut the first one open. The screen was already cut open with a plasma cutter so I laid it back in for a pic. I TRIED for 30 minutes to hack and chisel it out with little (none) success. Plasma? 30 seconds.
Behind the screen was a SOLID (originally flat...
) plate except for one tube that went to about 3-4 inches before the end of the muffler, which ended in a chamber. (continued after pic)
From that chamber one tube (the medium size tube) came back towards the front of the muffler, into another smaller chamber, then out through the two small tubes and out.
So at this point, I am wondering why the heck I am wasting my time and money. They will be too loud, since it is basicly a straight through pipe now, with very little muffleing ability.
I am commited so I might as well smile.
After a long time hacking and cutting and hammering (if you try this yourself, skip the hammer part, it is a waste of time) They are ready to be welded.
Ed, welding. The first muffler that we cut, was not a clean cut since Ed could not tell were the joint was. So while the second muffler was welded in less then 30 minutes, the FIRST muffler took 2 HOURS! The gap was too large, so it was weld, fix, weld, fix, weld....and so on. I gave him the option to finish it tomorrow, even though I really wanted them done, he said he would continue so I didn't bring it up again.
This is the seam and lip.
The first done muffler. I forgot to take a pic of the POLISHED, finished mufflers, they look AMAZING, but here is the muffler, finished but with rough welds and DIRTY.
I will take pictures and add them here, but I will tell you now, they look great! I was very happy with the results.
Next, the Sound of ST.
I will make this two posts, first is the actual modification work, second is the sound of the ST.
I bought a set of mufflers off of ebay, $32(what a STEAL!) and shipping was $40(huh?) So far $72.
I happened to find a great welding/Fabrication shop right across the street from work. When I say find, it is a strip of mall stores, but it is two rows, and I never have looked at the second row. Someone told me to check the Prop shop, a high performance boat prop company. They work with a fabrication shop in the second row, who does their bimini's and other aluminum fab work.
He welds anything.
Perfect.
I talk with Ed, the owner and tell him what I want. Cut the front of the pipe, behind the Cat, and I will take it and perform the various unknown mod's to the pipe and then bring it back and he will then weld it back together. $100 each pipe. For me it is worth the attempt. Deal.
I drop the mufflers off with him, he will call me later that day and let me know they are done and I can pick them up. Later that day, no call. Next day no call. I stop by the shop and he is just going in the door. Long story short, he could not get to it, and he will do it right now. Great!
It was a little rough finding the exact spot were the seam was, but the second one was cut in about 15 minutes. First one took an hour!
After we get the first one open, shock, amazment and respect for the quality of honda products. This muffler is built like it has to go to MARS on the next mission! They could upscale this muffler and attach it to the space shuttle and no one would know it was taking off! It is really well made, stainless BAFFLE screen inside, heat barrier between the inside baffle set up and the outer case. I was impressed.
Cut the first one open. The screen was already cut open with a plasma cutter so I laid it back in for a pic. I TRIED for 30 minutes to hack and chisel it out with little (none) success. Plasma? 30 seconds.
Behind the screen was a SOLID (originally flat...
) plate except for one tube that went to about 3-4 inches before the end of the muffler, which ended in a chamber. (continued after pic)
From that chamber one tube (the medium size tube) came back towards the front of the muffler, into another smaller chamber, then out through the two small tubes and out.
So at this point, I am wondering why the heck I am wasting my time and money. They will be too loud, since it is basicly a straight through pipe now, with very little muffleing ability.
I am commited so I might as well smile.
After a long time hacking and cutting and hammering (if you try this yourself, skip the hammer part, it is a waste of time) They are ready to be welded.
Ed, welding. The first muffler that we cut, was not a clean cut since Ed could not tell were the joint was. So while the second muffler was welded in less then 30 minutes, the FIRST muffler took 2 HOURS! The gap was too large, so it was weld, fix, weld, fix, weld....and so on. I gave him the option to finish it tomorrow, even though I really wanted them done, he said he would continue so I didn't bring it up again.
This is the seam and lip.
The first done muffler. I forgot to take a pic of the POLISHED, finished mufflers, they look AMAZING, but here is the muffler, finished but with rough welds and DIRTY.
I will take pictures and add them here, but I will tell you now, they look great! I was very happy with the results.
Next, the Sound of ST.
