(1) grind the crimp around the outside edge until it falls into 2 pieces (2)baffle and standoffs will fall out then remove screeen and insulation, grind off the spotwelds.(3)cut 2 halfs as in pic1 (4)cut off .525 from standoff length pic2. (5)get a piece for the side and cut to shape. i used a case from a junk cd drive. pic3 (6) cut out the pipe and grind it round so u have a flange around the pipe for soldiering pic4 (7)silver soldier the 4pcs together, dont forget to put in the baffle and standoffs inside first! i used a white paste flux and small dia silver soldier. i cant believe it myself but i used a burnzimatic torch for the heat.(8) bolt it to your new toro conversion pic6. im not to sure bout the pipe dia. but it worked for toro so ill try it. it weights in at just ove 3oz
p.s. FOR ALL YOU SECRITARIES OUT THERE I LEFT MY CAPS LOCK OFF BUT NOW I CAN READ WHAT I WROTE CAUSE IM HALF BLIND AND IM TALKIN SO QUITE I CANT HEAR WHAT IM SAYIN CAUSE IM MOSTLY DEAF.
FARMER TED

Ted,

Good job. Been there myself. I Brazed my Homelites with the ole acetylene torch but the whole deal was somewhat like yours.

There is a very important point you have made here and that is the silver solder with the bottle gas torch.

Enjoy,

Jim

I ground my first muffler apart like you did. Later, I discovered that you can usually carefully pry the crimp apart with a screwdriver to disassemble the muffler. When I put it back together, I just smear a little JB Weld on the joint, press it back together and re-crimp with pliers or some careful hammer taps. Works great and no leaks.

On mine, I braze two 7/16 or 1/2" i.d. outlet tubes. Seems to work great. In one review I read about the G-26 Zenoah, it made more power with larger outlets. If you get too carried away though, they get pretty loud and the idle and transition isn't good.

Questions: Which type of silver solder did you use? Sta Brite, or the real high silver content type? Also, have you run this and will the silver solder hold up to the temps involved? I braze mine, but if it works, the silver solder would be better for the thinwall brass outlet tubes I use.

Here's a pic of a Homelite muffler with smoke attachment, and a muffler I made out of plumbing parts for my Katana.

Thanks,
AV8TOR

I use real silver soldier with a melting point just at dull red on the steel so im sure this isnt gonna come apart, if the muffler gets red ill need more than a new muffler. a aluminum muffler would melt at the same temp as this soldier does. silver works so much better than braze because it flows like lead does when u use the rite flux at the rite temp. i havent run it yet so im not to sure about the outlet pipe. we have a noise limit at the field so i maybe stuck with this size pipe outlet pipe. i will try different size just to see tho. i can cut off the reduced end and have a larger dia outlet. the nice thing about this fabrication is the size and weight. so far i dont know about the noise and power effects. its only 1/3 the size it was when i started
FarmerTed

Silver solder melts between 1500 and 1750, depending on how much silver and to other that silver ingredence they put in the solder.

And it is very easy to use.

EGT's run around 1100 to 1300. Much above that and things start melting/seizing, and like he said, at that point the last thing you are worried about is the muffler. Going to buy some good silver solder... Any online sources you guys know about? (Nearest welding shop is a good cross country trip away for me...)

Thanks,
AV8TOR

There 41 items for sale that have silver solder in them

www.mcmaster.com/ silver solder search > brazing alloys Let them deliver to your door.

My attempts at reworking steel mufflers have been less than satisfactory- little if any weight reduction to get a gutted container.
So I'm using some of these extruded aluminum enclosures.

An aluminum alternative DIY that needs some steel brake lining for compression tubes

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/624/1386.pdf
spec sheet: http://www.budind.com/pdf/hb4500.pdf
Part # Dimensions:
563-EX-4500 EX-4500 1.57 3.14 3.81 1.14 2.47 3.00
563-EX-4501 EX-4501 1.57 3.14 5.38 1.14 2.47 4.56

MIKE
A STOCK STEEL MUFFLER WEIGHTS .45LB (7.2OZ) AND THIS CUT DOWN MUFFLER IS .20LB (3.2OZ) 3+OZ IS A PRETTY GOOD REDUCTION ON THE MUFFLER ALONE. IVE GOT MY TORO 2BBL DOWN TO 3.2LB (51.2OZ) READY TO INSTALL WITH A MUFFLER, FLYWHEEL IGNITION, CARB, VELOCITY STACK AND PROP HUB.
FARMER TED

TEDDYWILKK Nice weight reduction.