Muffler ideas for welder/generator?

[Swampy]

Hello all- Just picked up a welder generator, welder/gen is a hobart 200 amp, 5kw. Drive is a 2 cyl Wisconsin THD- power @1800rpm, welds @ 2200rpm. I love this thing already and it lays down some sweet welds, very smooth...and 5kw of AC to boot! But...way too loud!

I was thinking of just fitting a small car muffler, but thought I might get a few ideas here. Whatever happens has to start from 1 1/4 pipe thread, I can go straight up or horizontal, and I think it is rated at about 18 hp. The quieter the better, but my only concern is that the Wisconsin is air cooled and I dont want to hold too much heat back with something too restrictive.


Thanks

 

[kbs2244]

Even a small car engine is bigger than the Wisconson.
So there shouldn'r be any back pressure worry.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Go look at the muffler book at a parts store. Some geo/fiesta/such thing should be the right diameter, then buy a piece of 1 1/4" pipe, and weld it inside the muffler.

 

[Swampy]

Thanks- that was my thoughts also, just fishing to see if someone knows of a super quiete muffler.

Another thought I had while looking at craigslist...a lot of folks replace their atv/motorcycle exhaust with performance pipes, I bet a stock utility ATV muffler off a Honda foreman or rancher or something would work pretty sweet. Plus I would have a good spark arrester.

 

[nissan_crawler]

atv's are louder than most cars

 

[evil16v]

I've had a couple of friend's try the car muffler deal. It Doesn't do much. I noticed is there is no pipe added AFTER the muffler. I think that is where it is.

About ten years ago, I polished a bunch of Harleystuff for a friend and was paid by getting my truck true dualled. Both pipes from the manifolds ran to the pass side of the truck (driverside saddle tank and 4WD). Ed ran a short H pipe(O2 mounted in this pipe to read both banks) in between pipes, then when to a pair of 2 chamber flowmasters (notoriously loud).
When we got this far, Ed had a family deal to go to. So we just put some turn downs on the ends of the mufflers until we got to the tail pipes (about an additional 3' each side). MY truck was F@##ING OBNOXIOUS!!! sounded damn bad though.... but WAY too loud. We then ran the tail pipes all the way out the back a couple days later. WHAT A DIFFERANCE! Way quieter and sounded great. I never knew how much the length of tailpipe did, before that.

For this reason, I think a length of pipe on the other end of the muffler (maybe even the muffler that is on the generator now) may make the difference. I plan to do this with my generator in the somewhat near future. I'll post a couple of videos when I get it done.

 

[Deafautotech]

my former boss from my first job like 6 years ago, had trailer that want generator inside but he want put muffler outside. so he has me to pull muffler out of engine so he can get correct exhaust port to bolts the engine then make a longer pipe to go down through hole of trailer so he can have a muffler outside instead inside of trailer. he had use small car muffler but with longest tailpipe to go outside. When i did finish that, he had started it and run great as it is quiet and keep heat out of trailer...

 

[mcgyverit]

try this maybe:

http://www.alpharubicon.com/altenergy/gensetquiet.htm

 

[evil16v]

try this maybe:

http://www.alpharubicon.com/altenergy/gensetquiet.htm

I wouldn't do the inline lawn mower muffler thing... and he needs to buy a dictionary.... BUT like the idea of welding the stub on the stock "muffler", and then being able to disconnect the aux muffler. That would work great for my trailer AND the generator enclosure I plan to build... I'd just leave a muffler mounted to each one.

The extra flame arrestor/muffler/resonator (what ever you want to dub it) and/or something else to resonate, must be the key. I DO know taking the original muffler off and going strait to the car muffler with just a U bend does nearly nothing.

Thanks for posting that.

 

[mcgyverit]

not a problem, only reason I had that was I am looking into the same thing, just havent had time to sort it out yet.

Not to hijack too much, but I am interested in anything anyone has tried as a solution.

 

[ossaguy]

Whatever you come up with,it's important to consider what happens if it's all mounted rigidly.The extra weight of a bigger muffler,or pipes can wreck the exhaust port of the engine if it's pipe thread.I'd plan out a good and strong support system.One nice solution that Scag did on the Cougar ZTR mower was the exhaust pipes are bolted onto the engine,and supported on the engine,but the heavy muffler has a slip-in mount,that has 2 large springs that hold it in tight in the coupler pipe. The header pipe also has 2 springs holding in the other end of the coupler pipe.Then then muffler is rigidly mounted to the frame.So if there is vibrations or minute flexing,nothing gets damaged.Kohler has quite a good selection of mufflers and ffab parts available in a special catalog that a lot of customers use to fab their own setups.Don't know if it's available on-line,but any dealer would have one you could look through.

Steve

 

[84TurboBuick]

Just an idea...

Go check out how a dyno room is set up and copy that.

They are are quiet and they have quick disconnects for the mufflers.