How to pack a muffler // Paul Brodie's Shop 

I build side pipes for Shelby Cobra replicas and make my own mufflers. I've had good success using stainless steel pot scrubbers. They are donut shaped and you can stretch them out and slide them over the baffle tube. stack them up untill the whole baffle tube is covered with a single layer of pot scrubbers. Then wrap the whole thing in fiberglass. Then a layer of ceramic wool mat. The pot scrubbers help preserve the fiberglass and stop it getting blown out. The ceramic wool mat keeps the outside temp of the pipe down as it's easy to burn your leg on them getting out of the car.

I have to tell you, a couple days ago I found this channel and I can't believe I have not seen you before. Stuff you're doing with old motorcycles is amazing! It reminds me of rebuilding my dad's 47 Indian Chief. I just love watching your work. Please keep it up!

Who would have thought that making a brake cable could have me glued to my laptop! Thanks Paul for a valuable masterclass!

Love your move of tapping in the lathe and then twisting the röhm chuck to release the tap at the last moment.

13:40 Mr. Brodie, with this sentence you have give me some hope, that I'm not the only one. I try to explain it to my wife that's life, you can't always stick to the schedule like it's tattooed on your forhead.

Every damn time Paul Brodie....every time I watch your content I end up learning at least something. Thanks!

18:39 booming!

“Action Packed” good pun!

Another action-packed(!!) video. Perfection once again. Top stuff.

I remember my Dad showing me how to do that flaring out the cable and soft soldering a cable end on, on my own Tiger Cub, 1970.

Gotta be a labor of love, Tiger Cubs.

"We're just having fun, that's all" - Love your style Paul! - Each time I tackle the simplest job, then it's a major tension-filled drama?

"Overtime and over budget" is a small price to pay for high quality long - lasting gear. Excellent video!

Seen the thumbnail and instantly thought "Muffin Stuffin" and now I'm laughing for no reason.... 😂🤣

Fascinating to watch. Thank you very much!

Well done Mr. Brodie

Can’t get enough of this channel. Quality content.

Such a clever dude. I'm going to use that tapping trick for the tailstock.

I also enjoy a coffee while watching your videos!

Excellent work as usual. I love the confidence you give us in a world of, “I would take it to a pros.”, or, “It won’t be safe.” Thanks for keeping craftsmanship alive!

Another excellent video Paul. That Delron cable guide is not going to tighten that fork tube pinch bolt, unless there is something I missed. Great cable making lesson. You are truly worth watching if you like to learn how to build motorcycles.

Wow... I just realized something. The last time I packed a muffler was about 35 years ago! Thanks Paul. Great video as always :)

I always learn something from your videos. GREAT channel. Thanks Paul & Mitch.

Watching your videos is always super interesting and time flies. But maybe this time I can give you a little tip... In order to pack tight that spot where you can't reach, next time you can make a sleeve using a sheet metal or a tube, the internal diameter and length the same as the muffler core. You pack the wool around that than you slide it until the bottom of the muffler (you can use aluminum tape to tight that spot, or something else if you are able to remove it). Than slip out the sleeve et voilà 😁. Makes sense? I was pretty bad in english back in school, sorry 🤣

We even used to use Steel Wool, on the old bikes and hot rods

Great vid, I was taught laying a layer of woven glass down first helps the packing live longer and to pack it to a snug plus level. Too loose and there's not enough medium to absorb and too tight and the sound bounces off.

Excellent video. I remember my Sports Cub having truly awful fin casting. Japanese motorcycle casting really showed how rough the British motorcycle industry was. I did find a Sports Cub head that was good eventually. They were relatively plentiful in the late 1970s, although getting at them was not easy [what did we do before the World-Wide-Web?]. Your cable ferrule machining was a delight, but you do give me the colly-wobbles with your filing around a speeding chuck. I have seen a person have an accident. Once seen, never forgotten. Anyway. You obviously know. Stay safe.

Excellent craftmanship, great camera work, good humor as well! Nice!

It'll be interesting to hear what the engine sounds like when it's finished. The last exhaust that I packed, it all blew out in 6 month's. Thanks for another very educational video Paul and Mitch.

Hello Paul, Mitch. As always, thank you for an enjoyable video. I was slightly surprised that you made an adaptor rather than whole new threaded adjusters for the brakes, that would have been my first impulse (and in stainless) but I'm not really known for the path of least resistance. Re: muffler packing, my favorite thing to do when packing mufflers is to put two wraps of window screen wire mesh around the core before packing with fiberglass. This gets held on with a few turns of safety wire. The theory (which I can't substantiate at all) is that it supports the fiberglass and prevents it from breaking off and going out the pipe as quickly. I've built quite a few exhausts, and done that to all of them, and nobody has complained. I think you'll be pleased with the tone - it''ll be frisky but not too sharp - the large holes with the high % of open area will do well at reducing the high frequency. Back when Muzzy made exhausts, they used small holes with a lower % open area, and their systems always had a signature raspy, snappy tone. You don't have a lot of muffler volume, so it won't be quiet by any means.

We have been using steel wool as an inside layer on our small heard of mufflers.

I'm looking forward to hearing it!.

The first muffler I did had a rusted inner tube, so I made one with a drill press & normal galvanized exhaust pipe. Then I wrapped the tube with fiberglass weave (for auto body, iirc "Bondo" brand :p ). I put the tube in the tube & packed the loose space with fiberglass mat (same stuff) & capped it. It worked well, and it was easier than your idea.

Hey Paulo You should wear some protections when dealing with that fiberglass stuff . your lungs will appreciate. Safety first ! I discovered your channel few weeks ago and i really like it . Maybe one of these days i'll buy you and Mitch some coffee !

Great work you do there. That's pretty well the exact way I pack my RZ350, aftermarket mufflers. When I got the bike the previous owner, didn't adjust the angle of the pipes properly, so the rear axle bolt on both sides smashed against the cans on both sides. Luckily one side was okay, but on the other side, the baffle was completely destroyed, and the whole can mounts on the baffle with a flange on the one end with a circlip to keep it on. I couldn't find any replacement, so I found a piece of tubing the right size, and had to drill all the holes in it on the milling machine. Been working for 20 years now.

Awesome stuff as usual, great refresher on cable making, cant get enough of that detail oriented content! This episode has brought the best comments out as well!!! More please! Loving the short format too

Great job on stuffing the muffler. One tip for next time; when on the last layers, wrap fishing braid tight around the silencing media. You’ll fine it does a great job easy. 😎

The newer Silverbrite solder works better than the old 50-50 you got laying around the farm I've found.Thank you Paul.RMM

Awesome little parts, bravo

LOL, The reason for packing as tight as possible is so a tuned length pipe will act as a tube rather than an expansion box. It's more critical on two stroke motors. The high frequencies will more likely pass through the perforations and be absorbed, the lower frequencies being longer wavelength tend to pass straight through and give a better tone. Fitting aftermarket semi-race systems to RD250 and RD350 (plus various Suzuki's 250~550, the 750 had plenty for street use )proved the point to many customers back in the day, loud and tinny was way slower than a re-packed system (about 12~15mph on RD350)

Great work! I always pick up a great tip or technique to add to my toolbelt ! Although I sometimes misplace that when I'm working on stuff...Ha....

Great bit of ‘face-pulling’ Paul😂. Love your excellent videos, keep up the great work. P.s I think the bike will sound like: “phuttphuttphutt” 😂🤘🤓

It's going to be a lovely machine! I think I would have just put a megaphone on it and made the neighbors mad! But your muffler and whole exhaust is gorgeous.

Cool, learned a lot. Just picked up a 83 honda cb650sc that needs timing chain guide and some colling fin repair. After watching you I can start tackling it this spring. Going to make a scrambler.

This one was packed with fun 😉

cable making is a dying art, with dual clutch and ride by wire with hydraulic brakes. This video well save someone's grandchild a lot of time. Prosperity thanks you.

that was a good fit! Awesome work as always!

well Mr brodie you may take your time but you can pack my muffler anytime.

You packed my exhaust too tight. That's what she said. 🤣

Great content Paul, reminded me of the time I routed the front brake cable badly on my Suzuki PE250 in the 1970,s, a trip over the handlebars and into ER was the result.

Good vid. A great vid would be longer with the comments we love to hear. Wham bam thanks Mam is about how I feel.

LOL! We must have gone to the same school of estimating time to do a job! End result was well worth it though! Delrin showed up in my Mfg Engrng trade magazines in the early '70s, and I LOVED it! Great for wear surfaces! And, btw, that is one PACKED muffler! Should be pretty quiet!

Any closer to final assy and start up of the Tiger Cub as of October 4th, 2022 ??? Really enjoy the great work ethic by the 2 of you !!!

We never forget about Mighty Mitch.

I think that some chamfering on the inside bore of the delrin guide would be beneficial for the cable housing.

Excellent video as always, Paul and Mitch! Love that you make your own ferrules as a matter of course. Very curious to hear how it sounds too! I've only repacked a couple of mufflers, but I don't remember the repacking kits being that tight. Of course, they didn't muffle all that much either! Just mulling it over (definitely not an expert, but always curious!), I'm thinking looser packing would give the exhaust "waves" space to be absorbed. My thinking is that the extreme of tight packing would be if the space was so densely filled that the waves had absolutely nowhere to go, which would be the same as a straight pipe. Thoughts?

Great content as usual, enjoying the new format. I've found over packing a silencer will reduce the effectiveness. Copper wire can be used to bind the packing to hold in place during assembly. A smear of clear bathroom silicone around the metal on metal mating surfaces will eliminate the packing blowing out. The silicone will not burn and is easy to remove in future. Just leave overnight to cure before firing it up.

Still enjoying your videos Paul, keep them coming, a master at work.

Normally i don't use a block to hold the cable . The barrel the cable goes threw i drill on side to the cable hole and thread and pinch the cable steady with a screw or bolt threw the side of the barrel.

Oh,about the Delrin, it really would be better to make a spacer tube about 1/32"/1mm shorter than the eventual thickness you use so it can compress slightly but still apply enough torque to bottom yoke. Unlike girder forks, tele's rely on bottom yoke to hold things (girder puts the main stress on top yoke)

Great bit of ‘face-pulling’ packing the muffler, Paul..😂. Great job as always. Love your videos. BTW, I think the sound will be like: “phuttphuttphutt” 😂👌🤘👍

Paul, I like the delrin cable sheath keeper. I hope your shrinking it to an athletically pleasing size. Nice design on the ferrules. Maybe knurling them with a couple circles.

Can't see why you made the cable guide from deleon. I would have though one in stainless with a deleon insert would be better and less bulky

I understand wanting it packed tight but air has to move into the fibers to deaden the sound so i think the tighter you pack it the louder the muffler will be .

I made a mold for forming lead ends on cables Drill a hole in the end of a large bolt …all the way through the bolt make a slot on the side for the cable Put a rod in the hole in the bolt a tight fit The rod does two things It sets the depth And pushes the lead end out of the mold Frey the end of the cable insert it in the slot Preheat the mold Melt lead into the molt while holding the cable in place tamp the top to compress the lead let cool And push it out of the mold with the rod Use a vise to hold the rod Set the bolt over the rod to rest on the vise at the right depth If the rod is couple inches longer than bolt it works well A little clean up with a file You’re good to go

That bike is going to be considerably better than when it left the factory!

cant wait to hear the muffler!

Could you wrap a piece of thin Mylar around the perforated tube, then wrap the fiberglass that is the full depth around it. Slide the fiberglass down and pull the Mylar out?

I'm starting to like the short format. Originally I preferred the longer but with this a couple times a week I get to veg out twice as much and still get full measure each time. :)

hi paul. quick hand on the lathe to release the tap! if was me the crash would have made a nice vid haha. you work close to the machine but i see every movement carefully done, great. i´ve packed a ton of mufflers ( two strokes... ) one thing i did different was wrapping the outside of the fiberglass with chicken wire and a piece of wire to release once inside don´t know how to explain well. hope the bike sounds nice and if not you can always go megaphone!. thanks and take care. peter

That all looked like a good fit. Well done.

I tried packing one on a honda trail 90 with steel wool once. T he steel wool caught fire and I left a trail of sparks for a few miles.

It’s good to be optimistic

As good as ever, thank you. I just wondered when you showed the last broken head-fin, would that be easier to weld up with the head upside down? Les in UK

nice job

👍👌👏👏Cheers Chris

put the coffee on i am on my way over

" & then we'll have a front brake working " .. The cable yes .. Old bike bike brakes have reputation for lack of braking,,, Looking forward to the restoring / setting up the front brake video . ... What lube would you suggest for the cable?

Great video as always, love this channel. :) Keep up the good work!

Paul,using the lower triple clamp pinch bolt as a mount,doesn't the Delrin require an internal sleeve,as not to crush under torque? That would allow the bolt to loosen.

ya better let me do that fin lol

I cant estimate how long something will take to save my life

Not expert on exhausts, but I have a advice :-) use a mask when work with this materials. There were small fibers flying around you, and those are not good for your health.

Great work Paul. Will Delrin flame polish to get rid of the grey finish? I've never tried :)

We call them silencers on this side of the Atlantic.

Nice KEF’s

Paul has hands of steel…!

Sensacional!!! Parabéns amigo!!!

Great work! On the topic of Delrin: Have you ever attempted or heard of using delrin to 'button' a vintage (hard to find) piston? I saw elsewhere that Delrin would be used to reduce friction and eliminate piston wear to the skirt and the only metal to metal contact would be the rings to walls. I'm curious of your take on this.

I'm curious how much force that brass/solder cable end can withstand without failure. (probably more than you'd apply for braking.) I assume the failure point would maybe be the solder deforming and the cable pulling out. Just curious how it holds up as a general purpose technique for cable termination.

hi Paul checkout this film iv just watched...Welcome to the Murderdrome | A Brief History of Board Track Racing

Nice work Paul! Where do you get your cable & outer jacket from? Looking for quality stuff to make my speedo, tack, push/pull throttle cables for a bike I am building. Cheers, Doug

Where do you buy bulk cable supplies to make your own brake and clutch cables ?

Good stuff as usual Paul. I'm still wondering why you always cut off pieces in the band saw rather than parting them off in the lathe? Did you have a bad experience doing this? I made a rear parting tool years ago and this changed my ability to part off in the lathe. Check out Geo Wright's version for a myford. Kind regards Trev-

I don’t believe tight is better. You need to leave a bit of movement so the fibres can absorb the sound.

Anyone who tries stuffing my muffler is gonna get one hell of a slap. 😳

Are you sure you will be able to clamp the triple tree suficiantly with the delrin spacer?

Muzzleloaded muffler... partially.

14:12 Actually I heard it should _not_ be too tight - too tight means less volumetric capacity for sound absorption..? Also a layer or two of stainless steel wool right against the perf pipe first for heat tolerance is supposed to help longevity... worth testing for differences??

had a z-1 kawasaki that had a bad vibration. took the packing out of header no vibration. if you have that problem you know what to do.