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Truck muffler on a generator?
By zmoz, Section Homebrewed Electricity Posted on Sun Sep 12, 2004 at 06:26:49 PM MST
I've got a noisy former lawnmower generator....

Recently I put together an alternator and a lawnmower, for quick charging of batteries. As most of you know, 3.5hp briggs lawnmower engines aren't known for their quietness. :-) I often find myself wanting to run it in the late evening, and I don't want to piss off my neighbors.
That said, I have a 2.25" muffler that I bought for my old truck, but never got a chance to put it on before driving said truck into a ditch. :-) If I was to attach this muffler to the small engine, will it be significantly quieter than the standard 1/2" threaded briggs muffler?

Truck muffler on a generator? | 7 comments (7 topical)

Re: Truck muffler on a generator? (4.00 / 1) (#5)
by Bach On on Sun Sep 12, 2004 at 09:05:14 PM MST

Zmoz,
Yes. A larger muffler will make some difference - but probably not as much as you would think. I believe the reason for closing the 2.25 inches down to something closer to size of your original exhaust is to keep the back-pressure within something that is probably best for the engine.

But much of the sound literally comes from the alumuninum based engine chasis. They weren't designed and built to be quiet. They were built to be cheap and relatively sturdy.

I had a five thousand watt 9 hp B & S based generator. It was pretty loud - I'd say 90 Decibels. I put a car muffler and stuck on a muffler at the end designed to quiet a Briggs down. It was quieter, but not by a whole lot. I also put it in a cabinet - with the mufflers on the outside. I put fans in the case to remove most of the heat. With the doors closed, there is a pretty big difference. I'd estimate as much as 20 decibels.

Just my experience. Of course, your mileage may vary.

BachOn

- - I'm not superman, but I am very dense! -

Re: Truck muffler on a generator? (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by RatOmeter on Wed Sep 15, 2004 at 07:54:51 AM MST

You're dead on (or bach on in this case). Vibration transmits sound to anything the chassis is attached to. Any sheet metal attached (especially light gage) will act as a loudspeaker, amplifying the vibration noise. Isolation mounts for the engine could be used to reduce the transmission of vibration; homebrew isolation mounts are possible using stacked layers of innertube, chunks of used tire material, etc.

Exhaust noise is an issue too, but I think the less extreme suggestions here will help with that.

[ Parent ]

Re: Truck muffler on a generator? (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by BrianK on Sun Sep 12, 2004 at 07:08:42 PM MST

I don't know about that, but a friend of mine took a riding mower and created an exhaust pipe that extended out the rear with the plain old briggs muffler on the end. It did quite it down. most of the exhaust sound could only be heard from behind the mower

Re: Truck muffler on a generator? (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by Norm on Sun Sep 12, 2004 at 07:15:36 PM MST

Yes it will but since you're not going to be moving it around just take a long pipe ...angle it down with a couple of elbows down on the ground
about 10 ft drill a bunch of holes in it cover it up with dirt open at the end or run it into a barrel of water...like an outboard....
what I've been thinking about
if I ever get one of mine hooked up to a generator
have to get at it one of these days....
( :>) Norm
( :>) Norm

Re: Truck muffler on a generator? (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by veewee77 on Sun Sep 12, 2004 at 07:36:07 PM MST

Just put that truck muf on there but close the exhaust end down to abouyt 3/8 to 1/2 inch in diameter and it will be virtually silent.

The muffler will gice the engine room to breathe, but the small hole on the outlet end of the muf will stop nearly every bit of the sound.

Re: Truck muffler on a generator? (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by zmoz on Sun Sep 12, 2004 at 08:37:11 PM MST

"Just put that truck muf on there but close the exhaust end down to abouyt 3/8 to 1/2 inch in diameter and it will be virtually silent."

Hmmm...maybe I'll just put the original 1/2" muffler on the end. :) It's not a stationary generator, so I don't want to have to bury a pipe. It's already on a metal cart, so it will be easy to weld a muffler to it.

[ Parent ]

Re: Truck muffler on a generator? (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by Tyler883 on Fri Nov 12, 2004 at 06:14:04 PM MST

3 quick comments:

I once heard that sound proofing a room has alot to do with the way you mount your wall(perhaps rubber mounted instead of nailed to the studs)

I have had good success with a piece of plywood so that I can direct the noise of a generator away from my campsite.

I've also buried it in the side of a hill while doing some homestead camping....worked like a charm. Some cation about the chance of it overheating is worth mentioning.

cheers
Tyler

[ Parent ]

Truck muffler on a generator? | 7 comments (7 topical)

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