Repacking silencers when purchasing a used bike

[inotocracy]

I just finished repacking the turbine core 2 on my KX250 and the packing foam was almost like mush, it was nasty as hell. I also had to take a drill bit (by hand) and poke each individual hole in the grating because it was clogged so hard. A wire brush just wasn't cutting it.. took forever.

Looking at this my guess is it was never repacked, which makes me wonder-- how many of you guys repack your mufflers when you get a "new to you" bike? And another question: how often do you guys change the packing?

 

[High Lord Gomer]

The next time you get around to repacking it, it will look much the same. :)

 

[inotocracy]

No this was real bad, I should have taken pictures. I bet if I held it upside down for a while it would have slowly dripped out in individual little pieces.

 

[DWreck]

I usually do it once or twice a year. It's cheap and it is easy to do.

The bike sounds and runs better and we get sound tested at each round of our enduro series so better safe than sorry.

 

[Patman]

My silencers are typically held together with screws because it makes it easier to pull the core and repack. I've seen plenty that were a real mess but that's part of the joys of a used bike, you are seeing just what the previous owners level of maintenance really was.

Just imagine what your swingarm, linkage and shock pivot bearings look like if the silencer was neglected. :laugh:

 

[inotocracy]

Just imagine what your swingarm, linkage and shock pivot bearings look like if the silencer was neglected. :laugh:

This is why I did it. I noticed some of the rivets were missing, and the seal around the pipe wasn't all that great. Spooge was all over the swing arm, so figured it was time to repack. Redid the rivets, foam and silicone seal around the edges. No more spooge, and sounds much better :)

You can pull the core out the ass end by just unscrewing a few screws, but there were rivets on the side that were missing. Very strange indeed.

 

[IndyMX]

When I repack one of the smokers silencers, I'll usually take the propane torch to the screen.. Burn off all that oil residue. Then take a wire brush to it.. Usually it comes pretty clean, fairly easily.

 

[inotocracy]

Yeah, I've read about that method.. but I don't have a torch :(

 

[IndyMX]

Yeah, I've read about that method.. but I don't have a torch :(

15 bucks at the Home Depot.. You should have one anyway.. that and a big nasty hammer, and a roll of duct tape.

 

[inotocracy]

What am I taking someone hostage? :)

 

[Patman]

You will need the torch and BFH if you decide to change your swingarm bearings. Chances are pretty high you might also need an air/electric impact gun & sockets, a heavy brass drift, a can of penetrant and possibly a sawz-all.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

...and beer. Oh yeah....and bandages.

 

[Patman]

LOTS of beer! How could I have possibly fogotten the beer? :bang:

 

[IndyMX]

I always end up needing extra duct tape when I have beer.. WTF?

 

[SVTMc-G]

I always end up needing more beer when I have beer...WTF? Use to need more cigarettes too...but I quit smoking!haha

 

[motometal]

I re-do mine either when the exhaust tone starts getting louder, or if I have one of those bad smoldering silencer episodes...which tends to burn up packing. Can't say I really do it on a schedule, and unlike most other maint. items a bit of negilgence here doesn't really hurt anything as long as it isn't making the bike loud.

 

[motometal]

one of my pet peeves is old bikes with the non-repackable silencers, the small diameter ones...which invariably lost their packing many years ago. Many riders of these bikes make no attempt to rectify the situation, these are the bikes you can hear for five miles on a calm day.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

one of my pet peeves is old bikes with the non-repackable silencers, the small diameter ones...which invariably lost their packing many years ago. Many riders of these bikes make no attempt to rectify the situation, these are the bikes you can hear for five miles on a calm day.

The good news is that you're getting older and soon you won't be able to hear them and they will no longer annoy you! :nener: