Honda mower engine loud as fudge!

[john]

I got a power washer that has a 160cc Honda motor on it (just like honda mowers & other power equip).  Engine runs great but LOUD as all get out.  My "chonda" generator has a nice muffler on it, bigger ohv motor, and 1/3 the volume.  Anybody here know if there are better mufflers out there or if there is a way to rig something to make it more quiet?  I mean the whole neighborhood knows I'm power washing.

[Janx101]

put a Yoshi on it!!  .... or maybe a nice 2brothers?...

they might deepen the tone... and then people can think you got a train!! 

[john]

Damn dude, it is louder than a thumper with open pipes.  And it does have a deep pop and rumble.  I'm hoping some of our mechanical savants have modified small engines to quiet them up.

[Janx101]

not seen a pic of your unit specifically HINT HINT!!!! .. but did google the '160cc honda 4 stroke' .. so yeah .. its a common workhorse engine... and i know the sound you mean because one of the other businesses in my complex also has probably almost the 'same' setup... its noisy as!! ..

.. main thing i can think of for 'legit' fix is go for a wander to your local 'lawnmower repair man/shop' and ask around if they have some old honda mufflers.. if you could find one that has the same pipe/bolt pattern but a bigger can on it you could possibly damp the noise a little...

and apart from that ... from the 'redneck engineering' or 'bush mechanic' (aussie version) perspective which ended up being quite the 'creation'  .. (and this depends on what you have available plus the temperature the muffler hole gets to) (I assume also that its the round hole exhaust and not a slot)... to quiet down a generator motor on a extended fishing/camping trip several years ago .. we hoseclamped some of this stuff http://www.walkerheavyduty.com/products/flex_tubing.asp ...... in 1" diameter over the round exhaust hole (lucky the hole was just sub 1" though!) .. and ran it into a bucket of water ...

we were camped up in northern territory of australia on a barramundi fishing trip (about here actually in google maps -15.301737,135.449409) .. right beside the river .. and although the little generator WAS reasonable in dB terms... it was just shattering the 'serenity'  ... so we just filled the bucket with river water when it ran dry  ...

it did blurp and burble somewhat so we then draped an old feed sack over the bucket to damp the bubble sound a little... it worked ...

rather a lot of stuffing around to do your power washer similarly ... but even the piping did effect the sound , we initially had about 8 feet of pipe on there (a mate on the trip is also a coal miner and 'found' some spare at his work/mine shed  ) .. ended up cutting it at 4 foot for the bucket thing though .. at original length it made a much lower tonal drone ..

the water exhaust was the coalminers idea to start with .. the underground vehicles have their exhaust routed through a semi sealed water tank setup to 'scrub' the gases? ..

could be unsuitable for your purpose overall.. but extra pipe can lower the dB .. 

[john]

Dude, awesome story!

[Kijona]

Remove existing muffler. Install metal screen (small spacing, similar to home window screen) between muffler and gasket or between gasket and exhaust port on the engine - depending on which side the gasket sticks to.

This should quiet it down significantly.

And in fact, an even better idea might be this:

Stuff some loosely packed steel wheel into the muffler. Stainless steel wool is preferable.

[john]

Remove existing muffler. Install metal screen (small spacing, similar to home window screen) between muffler and gasket or between gasket and exhaust port on the engine - depending on which side the gasket sticks to.

This should quiet it down significantly.

And in fact, an even better idea might be this:

Stuff some loosely packed steel wheel into the muffler. Stainless steel wool is preferable.

I can do these things.  Will try it before the weekend.  Any reduction would be welcome.

[Kijona]

Remove existing muffler. Install metal screen (small spacing, similar to home window screen) between muffler and gasket or between gasket and exhaust port on the engine - depending on which side the gasket sticks to.

This should quiet it down significantly.

And in fact, an even better idea might be this:

Stuff some loosely packed steel wheel into the muffler. Stainless steel wool is preferable.

I can do these things.  Will try it before the weekend.  Any reduction would be welcome.

I've been thinking on it a little more and I believe the conclusion is that the steel wool would be far more effective. The screen would reduce the crackling/popping a lot but may restrict airflow over time due to the holes closing up from carbon build-up. I believe packing the muffler with steel wool would be ideal.

[yamahonkawazuki]

Damn dude, it is louder than a thumper with open pipes.  And it does have a deep pop and rumble.  I'm hoping some of our mechanical savants have modified small engines to quiet them up.

Sounds like the muffler bearing pump is going out. check blinker fluid relay too. seriously check the gasket/ring @ manifold

[slipperymongoose]

Cheap way pack some steel wool in the muffler

[john]

I searched for alternate mufflers and there was nothing.  Sounds like I'll be packing the little muffler.  I also like the idea of a screen and the price makes it worth a shot.  I will test both and see what happens.

This is the unit:


See the little muffler.  It also has an outlet pipe that sticks out far enough to put something else on it - maybe like a home made glasspack ...if steel wool doesn't calm the beast down.  I like being the nice and quiet neighbor. 

[Janx101]

.... ooooh!... tricky Yoda moment backyard engineering idea i have hmmm?!?!?...

looking at the pic ... a right angled pipe , from the muffler output down to the bottom framework .. where you drill a hole and braze in the downpipe in a Y join!! ... adding extra pipe length (right the length of the bottom tubing?... 2-3 feet? ) and theoretically taking away the sharp crack crack of the noise!! ..

mmmm yes .. work this would!!

[Kijona]

I CAN'T SEE THE PIC WTFUDGE

[Janx101]

me either actually.. so i right click.. copy url and looked...

think this is same.... or its twin ....



no hang on ... thats a different bottom frame .. errr



those working for you Kij?

[Kijona]

Ya I see em now.

I just realized the word "Mower" is in the thread title...rofl

[john]

That's because it is found on mowers mostly.  It is a workhorse engine used on other items.

[Kijona]

That's because it is found on mowers mostly.  It is a workhorse engine used on other items.

I'd buy a Honda mower but then I'd never have to buy another mower again. Using the same mower for a lifetime? Boring.

[yamahonkawazuki]

That's because it is found on mowers mostly.  It is a workhorse engine used on other items.

I'd buy a Honda mower but then I'd never have to buy another mower again. Using the same mower for a lifetime? Boring.

ive had to service 3 of them recently. the idiots who own them didnt know their ass from a hole in the ground. if maintained youll get years out of it. if not it will be pricy. have 3 of them sitting in back. 1 needs rings, 2 others have carb and valve issues.

[slipperymongoose]

I have a 'rover' (Australian mower brand) it had a Briggs on it that lasted 20 years after being fueled by both leaded and unleaded fuels. And I can count on one hand how many times the oil was changed. When it carked it I chucked the engine kept the base and put a turcumpsei engine on it. When it burns out ill fork out for a good Honda mower to match my Honda brush cutter.

[Kijona]

Have an old Toro Proline made in 1988. It's seen I-don't-know-how-many hours of use. Put it this way...it gets used 3/5 days a week, 6-8hrs at a time. Been used since new.

It's got a Kawasaki motor on it, 12hp IIRC. That engine has never had -ANY- maintenance done to it other than maybe a total of 10 sparkplugs and an oil change occasionally. Still starts, runs, everything.

In fact, the only thing other than tires, blades, and belts, that's ever been replaced on it, is the momentary switch that turns the blades on - the spring in it finally broke from so much use.