Muffler glow...

BillCroasmun · Dec 28, 2005

Never noticed this before so I thought I'd ask. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I was snowplowing with my 180 after dark about a week ago. When backing up to park it I saw my muffler was a nice cherry red! This was the first I ran it after dark and it was also very cold that night so maybe that just made it stand out but I know during the summer it has ran for hours longer during the day and hasn't looked red.

Maybe during a bright sunny day it just isn't noticable but I figured I'd get some feedback to see what others have experienced. Thanks!

toolz_not_toyz · Dec 28, 2005

You just haven't noticed it before. Since the days are so short at this time of year (gets dark here at around 4:00) chances are you'll be using the machine in the dark more. The thing is, and I posted about this observation before, the newer mufflers are glowing red only at the end where the square exhaust pipe enters the square muffler. I think this is evidence of a restriction in the exhaust flow since it has to hit that 90 degree corner. I bet the glow wouldn't be there if the exhaust went straight out.

BillCroasmun · Dec 29, 2005

Thanks for the input Toolz.

I know I've read the muffler threads before it just seemed strange to me that I couldn't tell at all during day time usage. Looks black as can be in the bright sunlight so I thought others were experiencing something different then me.

NJBill · Dec 29, 2005

Hi Guys,

This is the point you are speaking about. The suare tube butts up against the ouitside wall, and the way out is where the hole is cut for the round tube,which has small holes drilled in its length, and that tube in turn butts up against a flat plate, that outlet is the corners of the plate are cut off, then its out of the little tail pipe.
Bill

NJBill · Dec 29, 2005

Me again.

This is exactly the way it is built, I took it apart to find out for myself'
Bill

BillCroasmun · Dec 30, 2005

NJBill,
Thanks for the description and cut away drawing. Like most things on these tractors, simplistic yet functional design. I guess since it's operating "as designed" I won't worry about it too much. The noise level is probably my first concern so I'll leave it alone for now and if the noise gets to bugging me bad enough I'll look at buying a supertrapp and maybe having the "pipes" reworked to angle those corners.

toolz_not_toyz · Dec 30, 2005

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Me again.

This is exactly the way it is built, I took it apart to find out for myself'
Bill )</font>

That's exactly the type of work we like around here! Volunteers to cut apart their machine and peek inside. Thanks for sacrificing your muffler! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'm surprised when I read that some think the muffler is too loud. I can't say I find this louder than the lawn tractor I used to have. I'm just thinking it's not a very efficient design/setup though.

BillCroasmun · Dec 30, 2005

Toolz,
My PT is an 18 HP and I had an 18 HP Rally lawn tractor before this. Although I never ran them side by side I would say the PT is somewhat louder but what may make it seem worse is that the PT runs full throttle nearly all the time but I wouldn't run the Rally full throttle very often at all.

Actually I still have the Rally but unfortunately it was the engine that went so I can't directly compare them now. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

In the summer time the noisey mower deck just adds to the full throttle engine noise to cause a combined noise many times that of the Rally but if that's the price to pay to have such a wonderful multi-funtion machine I'll gladly pay it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BobRip · Dec 30, 2005

Clint Blake and I had our PT422s on the same site a few months ago. His was a lot quieter than mine. These machines were made within a few months of each other and are identical (as far as we can tell) except for one option. I have the ROP. We speculate that the sound is bouncing off of the ROP instead of going up. I wonder if coating the underside of the ROPs with a sound absorbent would help. Has anyone tried this and what did they spray it with.

Bob Rip