My 5252 has the Kohler engine and is about 2 1/2 years old. Last fall I noticed the muffler had developed cracks where the header enters the main muffler body. The cracks appear to be in the metal and not in the welds. I got the muffler replaced under warranty after some hassle with the dealer. This weekend I noticed a change in sound of the engine and checked the muffler. It again had cracks in the same place as the first one. In addition there was a hole the size of a nickel near one of the cracks. Almost like the metal is brittle. Anyone else having this problem?? I'm out of warranty now and these mufflers run about $130, not that I would buy one. I'll probably weld up my own this time.
Cub 5252 mufflers cracking
- Thread starter Cub5k
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- cub cadet 5252
If you have documentation about the first replaced muffler under warranty, I would definitely take the problem up with MTD. A muffler only lasting a year is rediculous! The one taken off my 682's original Kohler was 25 years old and still perfectly fine!
-Fordlords-
-Fordlords-
ducati996
Banned
I bet vibration is the key culprit here. I would try and see where this mufflers weak spot is for support, and its relation to general vibration. Something tells me that this might happen again with an another muffler. Any support clamps missing?
In looking at the diagram on CNG's site it looks like the muffler on the 5252 is held on not only by the header pipes but by two bolts that go in to the engine's rear case cover also. It looks like a pretty sound mounting system. It's probably a case of the muffler header pipes being too thin to take the heat dished out to them, in other words an inadequately designed muffler. Might be time to break out the welder and fab something stronger, although this truly should not be something one should have to do.
-Fordlords-
-Fordlords-
Mike5252
Silver Member
I just looked at my muffler tonight. I only have about 40 hrs on a tractor less than a year old, but no signs of cracks on mine.
I have a little over 300 hours on my tractor which is probably more than most. The muffler has to be a defective design and I bet more will be seen as time goes on. I think the first muffler was bad for a while before I noticed it. But the second one failed within 30 hours. There is a heat sheild around the muffler and I think it is making the muffler get to hot. The metal actually looks brittle where it blew a hole. Theres a couple serious problems with this. First, you don't really notice the flaw because the muffler doesn't get loose or rattle. There is only a slight change in sound. In the meantime its blowing hot exhaust against the cylinder head. On the right side of the tractor the crack allows hot exhaust to blow directly onto the oil filter making it extremely hot. This can't be good for the engine. I had a real hard time getting my dealer to replace the first muffler. I'm not going to mess with them any more.
Any suggestions on designing a homemade muffler?
Any suggestions on designing a homemade muffler?
The muffler is attached at each port with two bolts and there is also a substantial support that attachs to the cylinder between the exhaust ports. It is very strong and stable. I think the metal is failing. The cracking is happening where the header enters the muffler. The welds are not cracking, the metal is. The metal appears to be brittle because on one side it blew out a nickel size piece of the muffler next to the cracking.
