Iron muffler fiberglass packing / gasket material

[toolazy]

I have an old iron jacobsen 2 peice muffler thats made of iron. Think the engine is a j321 or unit off a j501. Anyone know where to get the material to cut this gasket? My engine seemed to have blow a hole thru the gasket inside, and now is superloud!

Just plain 1/8" fiberglass material is needed, about a 9x9" square...

Any ideas?

[Austen]

If you can't seem to find the material, you could always try putting steel wool in it. Don't throw away the muffler, it's VERY hard to find another.

[John Newman, Jr.]

I would not reccomend putting steel wool in the muffler. I tried this many years ago with a Clinton 2-stroke mower. Part of the original muffler was missing, so I made up a cage with 1/2" hardware cloth (screen) and put a bunch of steel wool in it. It quieted it down for a while, but pretty soon it started blowing red hot bits of steel wool out from under the mower. I was cutting a neighbor's grass at the time, and you should have seen the look on his face when those flaming bits came shooting out!

[Andrew Mackey]

The original gasket was made of fibrous asbestos. You might try to get some mineral wool and make a gasket from that. You also might try to get some stainless steel screen material, and place that inside the muffler to quiet it down. You will have to decoke the screen, once in a while, as carbon will form on it and choke the exhaust. Have you tried a jacobsen dealer for the gasket?
Andrew

[toolazy]

Well I sat and thought about this while working today at off moments, and I came up with a solution I think.

Catalytic Converter mesh! I could cut many pieces and overlap the mesh slightly each layer... Think that would work?

I was thinking chrome/steel mesh because aluminum would probally be toxic in this situation.

[Austen]

To me that sounds like a good idea to use the catalytic converter material. Can you post a picture of the muffler?

[Andrew Mackey]

Be careful handling naterials from the inside of a cat- They contain many toxic materials. Fine stainless mesh will work well. Be sure though that it is not too fine, as it will create too much back pressure in the muffler.
Andrew

[toolazy]

There are the pictures for the muffler after somewhat cleaned up and water steel brushing the inside. ( Didnt want the toxic stuff airborne! )