PT-425 muffler and seed spreader

[JD-Beach]

It's been a productive couple of weeks. I finished the muffler replacement on my 425 and I finished the electric seed spreader. More on the spreader later, but now the muffler. ...

This is a 5-inch super-trapp muffler with a 6-inch resonator. I bought the muffler from Jack's online small engine parts. I had a local shop weld the pipe for $20. ... Much quieter.

 

[JD-Beach]

Here's the original factory unit ... as well as the modified pipe with the super-trapp unit. I first had it install at a 45-degree angle outward. It looked too obtrusive so I purchased a few more fittings and adjusted the angle a little. Now it's not sticking out so far.

 

[JD-Beach]

OK, now for the seed / fertilizer spreader. I purchased the unit last winter and spent countless hours in my shop figuring out how to mount it to the PT-425.

The unit not only has an On-Off switch but one must also regulate the sliding valve opening to allow the fertilizer to fall on the rotating fan. that was a difficult problem to solve. I finally figured out a foot-pedal arrangement to open and close the sliding valve. ... a good solution, but had to do on the powertrac. .... so ... I decided to mount the unit on my zero-turn Toro mower. ... sorry guys. It just makes more sense to operate this unit from a different machine. ... check it out

 

[BobRip]

Great job. Can you give us a list of part numbers. I have to modify the back cover since my pipes don't stick out and the openings for the exhaust are not open at the bottom. With you arrangement my cover would not open. It will take some effort.

 

[JD-Beach]

... and now the photos. ...

 

[JD-Beach]

The muffler is a Supertrapp model 5S #5S1250T muffler with a #5S5536 6-inch resonator and a 3-pack of discs #5S6503.

I decided on the inch and one-quarter because I didn't know which size to select. Now that I've seen it a one-inch probably would have worked fine. ... the one-inch size may result in a different number.

 

[JD-Beach]

... a little more on the spreader. ... I fab'd the mounting frame out of some oak plywood that was left over from a previous project. I rigged it with four latches so that it easily mounts and dismounts. I picked up an electrical fitting from an auto supply store to have an easy means to connect and disconnect the electric motor. The plastic shield on the front is from an old plastic 5-gallon bucket that I cut on the table saw.

 

[JD-Beach]

... and just a little more on the spreader. ... I fab'd the control "treadle" from oak boards and used the control cable that came with the spreader. The pivot point for the treadle is a door hinge.

I bought the spreader online. It was design for an ATV and cost approx $200. I looked at the PT spreader but the cost difference was huge.

Although I love the PT, ... the zero-turn Toro is incredibly agile and I think it will prove to be a better machine for this task around the house.

It's Miller time!

 

[ldabe]

Great craftsmanship! Really a nice job!!

But I have to ask JD, who did the garage floor?

I used to get compliments from people all the time about how clean I kept my garage...but I never came close to what yours looks like.

And by the way, when the heck is the last time you used that PT? Waaaaaaayyyyy to clean ;~)

(Good job on the pics too)

 

[hogi]

JD,
Can you compare and contrast the new vs. the old muffler, i.e. is it quieter? Any difference in engine performance?

 

[JD-Beach]

Idabe, Thanks for the kind words. The garage floor is epoxy. I had it done a few years back in order to use the garage for my daughter's graduation party. I'm delighted with the outcome. It sweeps up nice and mops up nice with a little water. I really never cleaned the floor before I had this epoxy installed. It has caused me to keep it cleaner.

I used the PT about a month back to install a sand fence on the beach (photos in a previous thread). The sand cleans off easy with an electric blower. It tracks some sand into the garage sometimes but it sweeps out easy. I've not yet been in the mud with the PT so it never really gets too dirty. I'm a little concerned that the sand is going to get into critical places and cause some grief, so I try to stay on top of it.

Hogi, The new muffler is quieter. I only started it up for a few minutes to check it out cause it was getting late. I'll take it out later today after church and hopefully see the real difference. I'll stress it a little to see if the performance changed. The instructions said to install one ring per seven horsepower. That's 3.5 rings. I only put in three rings because they come in packages of three for $20.00. I thought that that would be close enough. ... we'll see, huh? If the exhaust is too restricted then I'll buy another package of rings.

 

[Marks481]

Nice conversions. I have one of those mufflers (with three rings) sitting in my garage waiting for me to weld it up. I intended to put a 90 degree elbow on it, and make the muffler point straight up. I bought it mostly because I think the square pipe with the 90 degree turns in the engine compartment is too restrictive and heats up the engine compartment too much, and I intended to weld something up with smoother corners to try to get more of the heat out. As long as I was going to replace the engine header, I might as well replace the muffler with something a little more elegant/effective. I also considered going the double muffler route to minimize exhaust header length in the engine compartment. What would that be, 1 ring per muffler?

How close is the edge of your muffler to the PT engine canopy? I was wondering how far to space the muffler away from the engine canopy to avoiding blowing hot exhaust fumes into the engine compartment or to avoide buring the paint off of the mesh.

 

[JD-Beach]

Tim, It's approx 2" from the grille of the canopy. I had it out running today. It's quieter than before, but still remains pretty loud.

 

[J_J]

Tim, It's approx 2" from the grille of the canopy. I had it out running today. It's quieter than before, but still remains pretty loud.

I thought I would mention something that I remember from many years ago. The frequency of the sound coming out of a pipe, is dictated by the diameter of the pipe. Large outlet. lower sound frequency. These kids and some adults like that roar out of a large tail pipe. That's why you see little 4 bangers with 4 in muffler tailpipes, makes a big racket.

You can get the same hp with much less noise by drilling many small holes in a plate to cover the end of the tail pipe. If you drill enough holes to match the same area of the open tail pipe, I think you will have less noise. For instance, on a 5 hp small engine, that had a fire arresting plate on the muffler, it was fairly quit for a small engine, but eventually, it rusted out and the noise became louder to the point of being hearing impaired. As soon as I installed another fire arresting plate, the sound was back to normal.

Something to try if you have the time. Let me know if you were successful in achieving a lower noise level.

 

[ponytug]

HomeDepot has a good price on the Rustoleum epoxy kits. The epoxy kits come in a couple of quality levels, basically on how many coats of epoxy you put down. (1,2, or 3)
If you get the material from other suppliers, you can get colors other than brown or gray.

Be warned that you need concrete that stays dry; if you are in an area with a high water table, or where the soil periodically gets wet, the water will lift the epoxy off the floor. You also need to get the floor really clean, which usually involves chemically cleaning it and then sanding it with a coarse sander. Some of the epoxies are designed to flow and level floors, which can greatly improve the look of an imperfect cement job. There are a bunch of companies around that will come and trick out a floor for you, but hold on to your wallet. (And yes for lots of $$s you can overcome the high water table issues, but it won't be cheap!)

Personally, I love epoxy floor look. (Nice job JD-Beach!)

All the best,

Peter

Idabe, Thanks for the kind words. The garage floor is epoxy. I had it done a few years back in order to use the garage for my daughter's graduation party. I'm delighted with the outcome. It sweeps up nice and mops up nice with a little water. I really never cleaned the floor before I had this epoxy installed. It has caused me to keep it cleaner.

I used the PT about a month back to install a sand fence on the beach (photos in a previous thread). The sand cleans off easy with an electric blower. It tracks some sand into the garage sometimes but it sweeps out easy. I've not yet been in the mud with the PT so it never really gets too dirty. I'm a little concerned that the sand is going to get into critical places and cause some grief, so I try to stay on top of it.

Hogi, The new muffler is quieter. I only started it up for a few minutes to check it out cause it was getting late. I'll take it out later today after church and hopefully see the real difference. I'll stress it a little to see if the performance changed. The instructions said to install one ring per seven horsepower. That's 3.5 rings. I only put in three rings because they come in packages of three for $20.00. I thought that that would be close enough. ... we'll see, huh? If the exhaust is too restricted then I'll buy another package of rings.

 

[JD-Beach]

Peter, you're absolutely correct. ... water in the concrete will make a mess of a floor finish. That happened at my last house. When we built this house I knew that I'd want a finished floor so I had the contractor put a vapor barrier beneath the concrete prior to the pour.

JJ, thanks for the insight on the muffler, frequency, and diameter. When it warms up outside I'll get a little more time on the tractor and hopefully be satisfied with the sound. Some day I'd like to buy you a beer and chat with you. You impress me as being full of interesting knowledge.

 

[J_J]

Peter, you're absolutely correct. ... water in the concrete will make a mess of a floor finish. That happened at my last house. When we built this house I knew that I'd want a finished floor so I had the contractor put a vapor barrier beneath the concrete prior to the pour.

JJ, thanks for the insight on the muffler, frequency, and diameter. When it warms up outside I'll get a little more time on the tractor and hopefully be satisfied with the sound. Some day I'd like to buy you a beer and chat with you. You impress me as being full of interesting knowledge.

Many thanks my friend. I was in the Navy, stationed at NAS Norfolk, VA for about 4 years in the early sixties. I lived in a beach house on Ocean View Ave.

In my 68 years come Feb, I hope that I have learned something. I did waste a lot of my early years, but you know what, I am still learning, but running out of room to store stuff in my brain. I wish I could get rid of some of that useless garbage that I picked up along the way.

 

[MossRoad]

I wish I could get rid of some of that useless garbage that I picked up along the way.

Give it to me. I'll hold on to it for a couple decades, then pass it to the next kid!

 

[cqaigy2]

Give it to me. I'll hold on to it for a couple decades, then pass it to the next kid!

youre a funny guy.

 

[MossRoad]

youre a funny guy.

I had the honor to work with some fine older gentlemen for two years when I first started at my job 21 years ago. Unfortunately for me, there was a company wide buyout, and, of course, they took it. The brain drain was immense. Those guys taught me so much in so little time, and then they were gone. I still see them from time-to-time. They are now physically old but mentally happy. Still alert, interested in new technology and wanting to learn it all. 70 and 80 year old guys learning welding, DVD creation, photoshop, HDTV. They all have camera phones and mp3 players. They are still just kids inside... the same way I want to be in 30-40 years.