Any chance of getting a second life out this well used BCM pitts muffler (3.2 Brison)? Is welding an option or is it deep six time[8D]?

Find you a good tig welder and he should be able to weld it up no problem.

If it was mine it would get replaced. I'd also check the run out of the prop/crankshaft.

I was thinking the same thing, that damage is way more than old age. a major chain of events caused that muffler to fail like that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_(material)

Checking the crankshaft runout is an interesting suggestion. I've had this engine (Brison 3.2) for about 5 years or so with the same muffler and have no problems until recently. Several weeks ago the muffler vibrated loose (first and only time) and I secured it with red loctite and fresh ultra copper RTV. The engine has never been in a crash or had a prop strike of any kind (at least since I've owned it). The only variable is that I recently fitted a carbon fiber spinner to it purchased through EBAY. It was a very inexpensive single bolt unit but looks of decent quality and the price was right ($27.00). I've noticed an ever so slight out of round looking wobble with the spinner at low RPM. Almost like the hole in the backplate is not perfectly centered or the backplate is not perfectly round. It appears to run true at mid and high RPM. I have to admit that I didn't balance the spinner as I don't have a decent balancing setup for spinners( I only have a small hand held balancer for props) and I've always used factory cut Tru-Turns in the past and they seem to be perfect "out of the box" (bag). My guess is the cheap spinner is causing the vibration resulting in the destruction of the muffler. Same final result as a bent crankshaft could cause as Pat suggested...

.002" is acceptable on runout

Lnewgban, That wikipedia link is a great read. Not real good with all those formulas though![sm=spinnyeyes.gif]