Do-it-yourself resonator repair without welding

The muffler is an element of the exhaust system. The specified part, due to its location and functions during engine operation and driving, constantly experiences the negative effects of the environment and fuel combustion products. As a result, various muffler breakdowns are quite common. However, in most cases, you can repair the muffler with your own hands.

To understand the cause of a malfunction of a particular node, it is necessary to clearly understand how it works and how it works. So, in general terms, almost everyone who has ever looked under the bottom of any car is familiar with or has seen it - this is a kind of "tank" in front of the exhaust pipe. In technical terms, a muffler is a part of the car's exhaust system through which exhaust gases and combustion products of the fuel-air mixture pass, and sound vibrations that occur during the combustion of the fuel charge in the cylinders are damped. Simply put, the main task of the muffler is to pass exhaust through itself and reduce the noise of a running engine.

The fact is that the exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine are discharged under high pressure, and also have a high temperature. This creates air vibrations that the human ear perceives as a roar, pops and explosions. Thanks to the silencer, air vibrations are damped, the temperature and velocity of the gases are reduced and the noise level becomes much lower. This is achieved by repeatedly changing the direction of the exhaust gas flow, its narrowing and expansion, interference and absorption of sound waves. As a result, most of the energy of sound waves is converted into heat. A car, depending on its make and model, can have up to five mufflers at the same time. In the simplest version, there are two of them: a preliminary one, which is also a resonator (smaller, installed immediately after the exhaust manifold) and the main or rear one - the one that ordinary people most often see.

Video (click to play).

The main muffler is not just a box through which the exhaust pipe passes. It has a rather complex internal structure: chambers of different volumes (from two to four, and sometimes more), sound-absorbing material (for example, fiberglass), metal mesh (to hold this material), and in many modern cars there is a catalyst for reduction of harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

On some models, direct-flow mufflers are installed at the factory. They do not have chambers that create a labyrinth to change the direction of the flow of gases and therefore reduce the noise level significantly less. Usually installed on sports cars in order to achieve an increase in power. Often, forward flow can also be observed on inexpensive civilian cars. The fact is that drivers install an element for tuning the motor. Note that in this case, except for the "sporty" roar of the engine, it is practically impossible to achieve any significant effect.

In order to understand that the muffler is faulty, you do not have to undergo an inspection. The most important and noticeable sign of a breakdown is the powerful roar of the car while the engine is running. In addition, in the most neglected case, the driver finds out about the malfunction after a loud pop, similar to an explosion. We are talking about the case when the muffler breaks in the literal sense of the word. The cause should be sought under the hood, in the ignition system.When it works intermittently, the unburned fuel-air mixture enters the muffler chambers and accumulates there, and then explodes. This can also happen when starting the engine or on the road. In this case, do-it-yourself muffler repair without welding is unlikely to succeed, but if there is one, you can assemble everything again and use the device for a long time.

In a more common case, the exhaust system part simply burns out in some places. That is, holes appear in the body. The reason for everything is corrosion, both external and internal. Outside, the body is affected by various abrasives (dust, sand), water, and frost. And from the inside - exhaust gases, which, as already mentioned, have a high temperature, as well as high-frequency vibration. And, unfortunately, on modern cars, especially budget ones, the muffler is not made of the best materials. Of course, for beginners, the question may immediately arise as to why corrosion protection is not used on the muffler. The answer is simple: high exhaust gas temperature.

• So, after a fistula (hole) appeared in the body and its location was established, the best option to eliminate this problem would be to apply a patch. It can be a piece of sheet metal welded in the usual way, or maybe an overlay made of a special material. We are talking about a fiberglass tape impregnated with epoxy resin or other adhesives that can withstand heating up to 1000 degrees. In addition, holes can be sealed with special sealants. All this is sold in any specialized store.

• Another affordable way to troubleshoot on your own, which even beginners can safely resort to, is repairing the muffler with cold welding. Cold welding is a special adhesive. It can be two-part or one-part. Two-part is liquid and similar to plasticine (one-part has the same consistency). For the car, “cold welding” is produced with special markings. The bottom line is that this substance is able to connect almost any material. The tensile strength is 120 kilograms per square centimeter. The main disadvantage is that after gluing it is necessary to wait about a day until the composition is completely hardened. And, besides, this method is inconvenient at temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius, since the plasticine-like composition becomes solid and requires additional heating.

Finally, we add that no matter what method of fixing the problem motorists would not resort to, it is necessary to make a thorough inspection of the entire part.

However, owners of older models can turn to the so-called "auto-dismantling", where they often bring old, deregistered cars for sale for parts. Here you can find a fully functional muffler, which you can usually buy at a reasonable price and then install it on a car instead of a failed element.