VK muffler rattle...

[The90kwBeast]

Hey guys,

the VK Iv'e got (replaced the VN with it) has been pretty good to me - mum replaced some hoses and stuff before I got the car and paid for an oil change. It's just a Vacationer 202 carby, completely stock. Also, it needed a new (standard) centre muffler - the old one had a hole in it apparantly and needed replacing as it wouldn't pass rego. So they chucked on a new one and all seemed to be well. But driving on the highway , it seemed to drone at a certain speed. Hmm, I thought.

Now driving it around town, it is rattling (but not vibrating) like a bitch at certain rpm - mostly idling in D and mild acceleration at perhaps 1500rpm it's quite obvious something is loose. After that it's fine until the highway again, where it starts droning (more than likely a high speed rattle or something though).

I am almost certain it is the centre muffer too (the one in front of the rear axle).

As I have moved towns and the mechanic who chucked on the muffer is in my old town, is there anything you guys can think of that I can adjust that could eliminate the problem without wheelstands and just basic tools? The last thing I want is to pay to fix a new muffer...

Surely the baffles haven't come loose this early in its lifetime...?

[craigvk]

I don't think the baffles would be shot. The only thing I maybe suggest is when the car is cold, creep under the car and tap parts of the pipe with a rubber mallet. Use a rubber mallet instead of a metal hammer. Tap in front of the centre muffler toward the engine on the pipes and elsewhere and see if you can hear anything. It could be a loose pipe clamp, or like in my case it could be the pipe is very close to the underbody making contact and vibrating.
Have you got an exhaust tip? They can rattle if they aren't screwed/welded properly.

See how it goes.