Question regarding exhaust piggies and drilling the baffles.

[John Schmidt]

I recently came into a stock exhaust set with the piggies cut and baffles drilled. I'd like to try and turn them back to stock...or nearly so, before selling them. I've seen where the piggies can be re-extended by brazing some pipes back on, even though these have been cut nearly all the way back. I still think I can either braze extensions or weld some back on with my MIG welder. However, the baffles have been drilled to what appears to be close to a 1/2". Has anyone come up with an effective way of changing a drilled baffle back to original? I've been wondering if there is such a thing as a small stainless Molly fastener. If so, a person might be able to run it inside and run an SS washer on the bolt from the outside.

Any thoughts on this, I know it's been tossed around in the past but since I'm running aftermarket pipes it was never an issue for me. Only other thing would be sell them "as is" to someone looking for a decent set of pipes that have the piggies already cut and baffles drilled. Just thought an OEM configuration would sell better....but the extra trouble might not be worth it.

[fudgie]

I don't think it would be worth it. To do all this work to modify the mods might turn off a would be buyer. Esp if they are gonna chop them up themselves.
How much does a oem set run vs a modified set? If you can make more then what you paid for the ones you have now then thats a plus.

[R J]

Did they drill BOTH baffles or just the one?

I'll open my pie hole here and if ya no understand what I'm saying move on.     I have built exhaust for about 50 years so some of this comes natural to me and scary as 4377 for others........

IF, you are a good welder, you could cut a big hole on the pipe, underneath, go through the hole and weld your little hole and then reweld the piece ya took out back in.

Here is a picture of my crossover pipe in MGM....    This is a set of Vikings, but any pipes you could do the same thing.



Leave the crossover pipe out however.

Here is another pair  built.     Couldn't find what I wanted, so built it.    Headers are 4", muffler is a Nascar muffler, 4" in & 4" out, with a 4" turnout......



Was going to take it off and have it powder coated this Winter, but decided to leave it as it.

[John Schmidt]

So there was no cash outlay, but did involve some time and effort on my part for a good friend doing some work on his Valk. He furnished the parts and some extra hands, but basically my work. I'm thinking you're right to just leave them as is...especially since whatever I get for them will be more than what I paid=0.

RJ, I'd be interested in what those 4" Nascar mufflers sound like. Will the 4" truck stacks fit over them, do you think their sound/construction would work on the Valk? I currently have a set of Vipers on mine, sounds real good and give a slight bump in HP. Just always keeping an ear open to something new.

[R J]

Hate to bust your bubble John, but these mufflers are OVAL, and it would take a pretty healthy piece of pipe to cover them up...   I thought I had a better picture, and so far I have not found it.

Still looking.

I can't find a good picture, and it is too damn cold to go take one.
The Nascar muffler looks like a MagnaFlow, 3 1/2" thick, top to bottom, 6 to 8" wide, and about 14 to 18" long.    I'm going from memory here, so don't hold me to tight measurements.   It is also UNpolished Stainless.........       So, yeah, it could be made to shine....

On the idle and up to 2,000 R's, it is fairly quiet, but stand on it and they will hear you in the next County, above 4,000 R's.......

[John Schmidt]

Hate to bust your bubble John, but these mufflers are OVAL, and it would take a pretty healthy piece of pipe to cover them up...   I thought I had a better picture, and so far I have not found it.

Still looking.

I can't find a good picture, and it is too damn cold to go take one.
The Nascar muffler looks like a MagnaFlow, 3 1/2" thick, top to bottom, 6 to 8" wide, and about 14 to 18" long.    I'm going from memory here, so don't hold me to tight measurements.

Don't bother with the pics, I know what you're referring to on the shape....I've used Magnaflows on cars in the past. I'm always watching for something a bit different, contrary to what my lady love says....leave it alone and ride it. 

[Steve K (IA)]

This was discussed a few years ago.  I have a set of exhaust hanging on the wall with pigs cut and rear baffles drilled that I will try this on some day. 

The trick to plugging the inside of the baffle is a small tube that will fit inside the baffle. Some screen and muffler cement.  You would cut the screen in a circle to a size that when molded over the end of the tube can be inserted into the baffle.  Put some cement on the outside of the screen and put a good sized glob on the inside.  (Now I am just going from memory and have not done this myself.)  The screen would be kind of dome shaped.  Anyway, you will need to determine how far to shove the screen in.  When it is in place, take a wood dowel that just fits inside the insertion tube and push the screen off the end of the insertion tube.  In theory, the dowel will squish the cement through the screen and make a seal all around and glue it in place. 

[fudgie]

This was discussed a few years ago.  I have a set of exhaust hanging on the wall with pigs cut and rear baffles drilled that I will try this on some day. 

The trick to plugging the inside of the baffle is a small tube that will fit inside the baffle. Some screen and muffler cement.  You would cut the screen in a circle to a size that when molded over the end of the tube can be inserted into the baffle.  Put some cement on the outside of the screen and put a good sized glob on the inside.  (Now I am just going from memory and have not done this myself.)  The screen would be kind of dome shaped.  Anyway, you will need to determine how far to shove the screen in.  When it is in place, take a wood dowel that just fits inside the insertion tube and push the screen off the end of the insertion tube.  In theory, the dowel will squish the cement through the screen and make a seal all around and glue it in place. 

It might not hold. Theres alot of pressure coming out of them. If it does fail them you got stuff rolling around in there. Reason I say this is I tried all sorts of stuff to patch up some headers on my old truck. Everything from tape to JB Weld. It all would blow out by morning or right at start up.
But hey, it might work for ya!

[Fla. Jim]

John, I fixed a set on my new to me 97 tourer model in 2004. I had the rear drilled and piggies cut flush.



I used muffler mend putty/goop for patching holes in mufflers from the local Auto parts store. I made a delivery tube of 18" or so 1/2" copper water pipe with a female coupling on one end.
 
I made delivery cups for the putty out of heavy duty foil that I formed in the female coupling of the pipe with the small excess wrapped on the outside of the coupling.  You will of course need 6.  I made all of mine before I started application of the putty/goop.

I put one of the delivery Aluminum foil cups in the end of the female coupling, filled it with putty and inserted it into the muffler to the drilled baffle. I then used a wood dowell inserted into the rear of the pipe to push gently the foil cup filled with putty into the drilled baffle hole. I tried to only push about 1/2 of the putty thru the hole...By feel of course, Hoping for a mushroom effect to help hold the plug in. Then I removed the delivery pipe and did the other five  drilled baffle holes. At the time I did not have any piggie stubs to attatch 3/4 copper couplings and pipes as my pigs were cut flush. So I just filled in as best I could. A Pic of my finished job below.



You do need to let it set up at least overnight and maybe 24 hrs it will tell you on the container.
It has been over 5 years and 40 thousand not so easy miles, it has held up so far.  Jim #166 ( - =

[Steve K (IA)]

John, I fixed a set on my new to me 97 tourer model in 2004. I had the rear drilled and piggies cut flush.



I used muffler mend putty/goop for patching holes in mufflers from the local Auto parts store. I made a delivery tube of 18" or so 1/2" copper water pipe with a female coupling on one end.
 
I made delivery cups for the putty out of heavy duty foil that I formed in the female coupling of the pipe with the small excess wrapped on the outside of the coupling.  You will of course need 6.  I made all of mine before I started application of the putty/goop.

I put one of the delivery Aluminum foil cups in the end of the female coupling, filled it with putty and inserted it into the muffler to the drilled baffle. I then used a wood dowell inserted into the rear of the pipe to push gently the foil cup filled with putty into the drilled baffle hole. I tried to only push about 1/2 of the putty thru the hole...By feel of course, Hoping for a mushroom effect to help hold the plug in. Then I removed the delivery pipe and did the other five  drilled baffle holes. At the time I did not have any piggie stubs to attatch 3/4 copper couplings and pipes as my pigs were cut flush. So I just filled in as best I could. A Pic of my finished job below.



You do need to let it set up at least overnight and maybe 24 hrs it will tell you on the container.
It has been over 5 years and 40 thousand not so easy miles, it has held up so far.  Jim #166 ( - =

Yea, what Jim says.   This is what I was trying to remember.  Guess I didn't remember so well.   I'm going to file these instructions away.

[John Schmidt]

Looks like a lot of work, might try selling them "as is" first. Then if they don't sell, I'll give your method a shot. The piggies aren't cut flush like yours so I'm ahead on that issue at least. I'm still wondering if a SS Molly type bolt might work....if they're even available in SS. Take the bolt apart and put a small SS washer on it just large enough to cover the hole, then shove it in until the spring loaded clip is inside, the washer on the outside of the hole. Tighten the bolt down and it should be sealed.  Theoretically.....

Of course....if the hole is too large you won't be able to get a large enough washer in there to cover it, but it should never be larger than the inside diameter of the piggy tube or you couldn't get a drill bit in there in the first place.  Theoretically......