sludgy clogged exhaust?

[scootjunkie]

here is a tip for those who are too broke and can't afford to replace the exhaust on their scooter or moped.
all you need is a fire and the right tools to remove the muffler and a rubber mallet.
first remove the muffler and then place it on a small fire.
not a bonfire or anything, just like a small campfire or a grill.
what you want to do is heat the muffler up to the point that it will cook all the gunk from the baffles.
wait until smoke stops coming from the ends, and then turn it over.
be care full not to burn yourself.
do the same thing for both sides.
now that the gunk has been dried out, get a rubber mallet.
and after it has cooled enough that you can touch it smack the sides of the muffler, not too hard though. you may damage the outside of it.
this will jar the dried up carbon and gunk residue and make it rattle a bit.
then simply shake it out, shake it until nothing Else comes out.
and bingo the exhaust should work as if it was new again.
this procedure should work on any 2 stroke exhaust.

now i must state the obvious, be care full, remove any heat shields or anything that will melt. and never do anything like this while the exhaust is still bolted to the engine.

also i have heard that this procedure done with a small torch.
it does work, i have done it several times and it has worked every time. it is most beneficial to older scooters and mopeds.

hope this tidbit of info helps someone out there get their ride running right.

[motomech]

Shouldn't this be in the Two-stroke section?

I have done this more times than I care to remember and I'm thinking it's better to just buy a new muffler and use quality oil the next time around.
Burning the mung out creates copious amounts of smoke that probably isn't great for the environment or one's lungs. Besides, a fire doesn't produce enough heat to completely burn out all the residue. Compressed air needs to be piped though the muffler(true expansion chambers don't suffer this)while it's cooking and that gets dirty and dangerous(burning gases have a tendency to explode).
Wouldn't really advocate this.
Motomech in Costa Rica

[scootjunkie]

sorry been away for awhile,,,, would of resopnded sooner.

ok first of all, there is no and i mean no risk of explosion while cooking the muffler. it would have to be pretty much filled with gas or something else equally flammable. sorry dude but i have done this lots of times and have not had any negative effects from it. otherwise i would not even consider offering it up as an idea for someone to do.

i admit it does sound a bit crazy. but you have to understand i am used to working on old mopeds and old scooters,,, i would not advise this on anything new. besides anything new would not have this particullar problem. this will clear up many years of crud built up for a long time. sorry i thought i made that clear.

you are right though about the amount of smoke coming from it while doing this. i am pretty sure i said to do it outdoors and away from anything flammable. and no i imagine that it isn't good for the environment either. however from what i have seen in the last ten years of the weather crapping out and getting wierder,,, worse every year,,,, i really don't care about what tiny effect this would have on the environment.

i respect your opinion though and thank you for the reply.