How a Muffler Works

Here's a look inside a few car mufflers and how they work!
The purpose of a car muffler is to reduce the amplitude of exhaust sound coming out of the tail pipe. With different designs, the exhaust note can be changed to suite the application.
There's three types of mufflers, chambered, turbo and straight through style. In this video, we cut open a pair of Subaru turbo mufflers (one OEM and one aftermarket), a Toyota turbo muffler and a straight through glass pack muffler. Inside the turbo muffler, baffles and perforated pipes allow sound waves to bounce around and cancel each other out through destructive interference. Inside the glass pack muffler, fiberglass padding converts sound waves to heat, absorbing sound by reducing its amplitude.
This is also a comparison between the dual muffler system on the Subaru Outback, with one being aftermarket and the other being OEM.
Please refer to my other video on how mufflers work for additional information:
• How a Muffler Works
Here's how the Catalytic converter works:
• How a Catalytic Conver...
How Exhaust Manifold works:
• How an Exhaust Manifol...
Skip to section in the video:
0:00 Introduction
0:20 OEM Subaru Turbo Muffler
2:27 Aftermarket Subaru Turbo Muffler
4:25 Toyota Sienna Turbo Muffler
6:56 Subaru straight through Glass pack Muffler
8:52 Conclusion
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[@captiantim1]

Fiberglass is the asbestos of the 90s , always informative content

[@speedkar99]

Thanks

[@0fx2gv]

You have an amazing ability to explain complicated things in simple terms. Whenever I'm trying to explain things to non car people I just show them your videos and they instantly understand. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and please keep up the awesome content!

[@speedkar99]

I'm glad you appreciate my style. Thanks

[@billynomates920]

do you know how a muffler works? don't ask me, i'm baffled...😁

[@abdul-kabiralegbe5660]

😂😂😂

[@speedkar99]

🤣

[@bobchan1666]

Dad jokes 😂

[@abdul-kabiralegbe5660]

@@bobchan1666 They're the best. Low effort, maximum effect. 😂😂

[@adwzt]

Did the explanation does not resonate with you? 🙃

[@Ukrainian_Matchstick]

Glass fibers are not carcinogenic however its strongly recommended to wear gas mask or respirator of some kind when exposed to it. Small pieces of glass fibers could be breathed in with air and cause cough/irritation for quite long time. Our body struggles to get rid of it.

[@speedkar99]

Thanks good to know

[@gacha24]

this is exactly what they said about asbestos ;) I would be very surprised if it turned out my body can dissolve glass

[@malrofo]

They're a bitch if they get in your skin. Clear and almost too small to see but insanely irritating

[@rkan2]

​@@gacha24According to studies it can! ;) Actual glass is not a crystal unlike asbestos and a lot of other stuff that you can inhale.

[@fuckingpippaman]

@@gacha24 studies says you can actually absorb it. Yeah may still lead to silicosis in the end, that is not that different from asbestosis

[@ladalout245]

I once cleaned the baffles out on my 1970s 2 stroke Gilera moped silencer but when I started it up there was an awful din because I'd somehow managed to reassemble it wrong. I then lost a wire coat hanger and a screwdriver inside the chamber trying to fix it. Fortunately my brother is an engineer and came to the rescue when he popped outside to see what the strange noise was. It was me putting the pipe to my mouth and shouting motorbike noises down it to see what effect it had each time I reassembled it. I also ended up with a black oil ring stain round my mouth that took about a month to remove. Disaster strook again in the 1990s when I borrowed my girlfriend's Renault. I couldn't understand folk flashing lights and laughing but when I arrived home I had a trail of fibreglass about 150 yards long behind me, eminating from the exhaust silencer (muffler as you call it). Girlfriend blamed me and made me buy her a new muffler. It was a sign of things to come. My relationship with her also unravelled and she ripped me off for several thousand pounds. If I'd seen your video when I was 16, I think my life could have been better.

[@ProJanitor]

This video was exhausting to watch.

[@speedkar99]

🤣

[@thedownwardmachine]

Tightest nine minutes on KZbin, love the editing ❤ Idk if that stuff is cancerous but even if it’s not, I’d still worry about other lung stuff. PPE, y’all

[@speedkar99]

Thanks...I wasn't wearing a mask but shortly after I washed my jacket and ditched the gloves

[@chipbyrne]

Nice job. Not everybody can make mufflers interesting.

[@speedkar99]

Thanks 👍

[@ut90J]

I liked this video. The pictures and explanation were helpful in understanding how this works.

[@speedkar99]

Glad it was helpful!

[@HorsepoweredRims]

Exhaust fluid...i like that one!

[@speedkar99]

Gas is a fluid

[@dingbop963]

A good example of a non liquid fluid

[@michaelbezoski3096]

Just watching that fiberglass packing coming out makes me itch. Amazing how the waves cancel out each other. Wonder if that can be done with light? Great video as always. That battery powered grind looks like it would clog on toe nail dust & overheat. Just don't use the electric grinder in the shower. Those comments you throw in tear me up bro. 😆

[@speedkar99]

Thanks! Grinder will be for the nails and any small tasks like cutting a bolt here or there

[@benjaminsmith4058]

Light can do this too. This is why oil sheens have bands of colors (i.e. thin film interference).

[@Skylyned]

Hiram Percy Maxim sure was a genius

[@speedkar99]

Who that

[@Skylyned]

@@speedkar99 Hiram Maxim, the inventor of the automatic machine gun, spent so much time test-firing his guns that he became completely deaf. His son Hiram Percy Maxim eventually invented the silencer, but too late to save his father's hearing. From 1902 through 1909, Maxim was largely focused on inventing, building, marketing, and selling firearm silencers. He also developed mufflers for internal combustion engines using much the same technology.

[@greathey1234]

Another informative video and just on time after my catalytic converter was stolen off my Nissan pickup

[@speedkar99]

See my video on catalytic converters

[@davelowe1977]

Glass fibre dust is mostly silicon dioxide and breathing in a lot of it can cause silicosis which is on a par with asbestosis, although it does not go on to cause pleural mesothelioma. As a rule you should avoid making silicon dust from fibre, skrit (glazed tiles), glass itself, etc, similar to dealing with asbestos. Your exposure was minimal as you were outside and upwind, but don't make a habit of it!

[@speedkar99]

Thanks and good to know

[@qkhalili]

Great work as always.

[@speedkar99]

Thank you

[@sample3279]

I used to cut long glass fiber bars at the factory where I work with a particle saw, giving out a fiber ash cloud like a volcano each and every time and trust me you DO NOT want to inhale that shit. Would always wear a face mask and goggles to protect myself and every once in a while I'd spray myself with a compressed air pistol to clean off all the residue on me, it irratates whatever it touches.

[@speedkar99]

Thanks. I figured it's like insulation.

[@MrAguayokun]

A couple things that might help with that engine code: 1. "2zzge lift bolts" chances are those might be broken and need a replacing. (Use very low torque when installing, like 5ft-lbs) 2. There's also two oil passage screens that you might need to clean out. I believe one is for the variable valve timing, and the other one is for the variable lift. I hope this helps.

[@mann_idonotreadreplies]

Cool story bro

[@NEWNATURE777]

Thank you for sharing! 🙌

[@NEWNATURE777]

Always wear a respirator when dealing with fiberglass particles 😮

[@speedkar99]

You are welcome

[@Rvalivesound]

Thanks for your service. We should at least know this if we have a car. Now I can get a better idea of how and why my muffler has gone to sh1t!

[@speedkar99]

Rust.

[@JulioOrtiz-ub3yo]

Nice bro thanks always do videos

[@speedkar99]

Thank you for watching!

[@katieandkevinsears7724]

I had that fiberglass come out the end of the exhaust on my F-150.

[@speedkar99]

Really! Through all the baffles I'm surprised

[@fredautos]

Awesome video

[@speedkar99]

Thanks!

[@almitov]

Great video! I love the way you explain things. About the fiberglass - be careful and wear a mask! When the fine particles get into your lung usually will cause lots of very tiny cuts into the lung tissue. This often leads to inflammation and flu-like symptoms short-term. Long-term exposure can lead to extremely serious conditions like pulmonary fibrosis, silicosis and cancer! Imagine when you get a cut on your hand and once it heals you may get a permanent scar. Pretty much that happens to your lungs and the scar tissue cannot perform the regular organ functions, effectively reducing your lung capacity. The problem with this condition (fibrosis) is that any exposure to harmful particles is a contributing factor, hence we must try to avoid it when possible.

[@kyletrummel7074]

I love the toothbrush to point at parts of interest.

[@speedkar99]

Thanks

[@MoritzvonSchweinitz]

Would've been fun to measure the resonance chambers and try to figure out what frequency they are tuned for!

[@speedkar99]

That would have been cool.

[@JoniK1]

Those chambered mufflers looks a lot more restrictive than the last free flowing one, that one with trap door isn't as bad though. I only use free flow mufflers in my builds because of that, not sure if there's any real gains though but the sound isn't that much louder when the muffler length is choosed accordingly

[@speedkar99]

Yeah they seem quite restrictive to me, but they work!

[@turbo4lyfe1]

when vtec kicks in lolololol!!! this channel is so sic!

[@MrJolly-lb9je]

3 types usually - reflection , absorption , and combine part reflection part absorption type .

[@speedkar99]

Yes

[@Mitchell527]

When the last one opened, I thought there's a dead cat.😅

[@speedkar99]

Same here. I got scared

[@test40323]

Cool dissection. Is it possible to replace the muffler with speakers since the job is to have destructive sound waves to cancel sounds?

[@speedkar99]

That's basically what car makers are doing now by pumping exhaust noises into the cabin

[@jonnyduncan7056]

A back box or silencer, here in UK but a Muffler sounds great..

[@speedkar99]

Ok

[@h7qvi]

Think it's got less to do with destructive interference and more to do with attenuation of waves using perforated baffles and pipes.

[@speedkar99]

That's part of it too

[@Aleks_Mechanics]

Notification Squad!🔥🔥🔥

[@speedkar99]

Thanks for subbing

[@skyscraper37]

Corded is the way to go

[@speedkar99]

Yep.

[@RoverIAC]

Hi Mr Speedkar, new subscriber here, do you have any videos on diagnosing a suspected blown head gasket on a Toyota 1MZ-FE and how to fix it. I just watched you tear-down video on that motor. Cheers. (I was a DH and took it for a long drive without checking the oil and water)

[@speedkar99]

Thanks. Check my shorts video on diagnosing the Subaru...coolant pressure and compression test can help.

[@AlGoYoSu]

8:31 In the State of CA, the answer is yes

[@bennyattar8862]

In California, stupidity causes cancer. According to proposition 65, so does Disneyworld, Starbucks and almost everything else.

[@speedkar99]

😢

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

I love your videos

[@speedkar99]

Me too

[@LaxerFL]

Man I love your videos so I really wish you would have worn a respirator, or any face covering really, when you opened up that last muffler! All those glass fibers floating in the air going right into your lungs with every breath you took, I was watching you! Every single day, every word you say... I was watching you! ;-) But for serious, that shit is super bad for your lungs bro! It may not cause cancer anymore since it isn't asbestos but the tiny glass fibers can tear your lungs up from the inside! I really enjoy watching your content and I learn a lot from you, so I want you to be around as long as possible! Be safe brother and thank you for all the great information and entertainment!

[@louvendran7273]

Don't ever let that stuff touch your skin.

[@speedkar99]

Yeah I wore gloves. Just like insulation

[@stger2384]

around 1:24, the ends of the pipe with those holes, aren't they blocked ore gummed up? If so, not good, especially for a turbo? ;D

[@speedkar99]

Blocked with the glass pack material

[@user-bs9wd7cj8q]

Sound waved cancel out so no sound. But still how come sound is still there?

[@speedkar99]

Because these baffles will only cancel certain wave lengths

[@floyddwayneviernum3816]

I wonder why the glass-pack one is needed.

[@speedkar99]

Different purposes for different frequencies/ wavelengths.

[@danekeeper1]

thanks, i learned,... sorry about the wannabe grinder...

[@franr316]

Too funny!! Toe nail grinder...

[@speedkar99]

I'm for real

[@terrienhumain6723]

Could it be asbestos ?

[@speedkar99]

I hope not for me

[@OverTheHorizon840]

Newist vecheles dont have muffiers except diesel trucks. And they Stell Muffiers less than Catalytic converters.

[@speedkar99]

Because catalytic converters have expensive minerals

[@DJZ3M]

I don't know about cancer but what i know if the fiber glass dust finds the way into the lungs it's hard to get rid of it and can cause serious complications long term exposure

[@speedkar99]

Good to know. I wasn't wearing a respirator.

[@anubaral]

it swallowed a hairy person🤣

[@Ka9radio_Mobile9]

😀😀😀😀

[@speedkar99]

😃

[@mactheslovac8673]

Muffler

[@speedkar99]

Silencer

[@themarinerkommer4371]

its fibreglass the only thing it would do is cause lung irritation if you are able to breathe in the fine fibres that break off.

[@boots7859]

Go look up silicosis... GF is not exactly the same, however 1-2 good periods of maskless exposure at a decently high rate will give you symptoms and quite probably long term scarring of the lungs/aveoli where they will penetrate the mucuosal membranes and stay stuck and/or migrate deeper or just cause lots of inflammation and potentially pheumoni-like reactions. FAFO, its not just an 'irritant'. About as smart as being nonchalant with brake cleaners.

[@speedkar99]

Okay, I will play it safer next time

[@g04tn4d0]

I've always wondered how a muffler works... seeing as how it's the first thing to go when I buy a new muscle car.

[@speedkar99]

Nice! You should straight pipe the muscle car 🤣

[@Iowa599]

Huh…I thought the chambers were full of something.

[@speedkar99]

No

[@Only_Ameen04]

The last one did

[@Iowa599]

@@Only_Ameen04thats a glasspack, and while that is an area, that's not like a chamber in a chambered muffler.

[@infernoking7504]

I dont have a muffler it rusted away😂

[@speedkar99]

Same thing

[@johnb1658]

Fiberglass is non hazardous. I worked in a fiberglass air filter plant and we didn’t have to wear masks or anything. It will make you itchy though.

[@olspanner]

If your Missus didn't know before, you just blew it?? !!!

[@speedkar99]

What she doesn't know won't hurt

[@dorhocyn3]

What about electric cars, they are so quiet, what kind of muffler do they use? OK, that is a troll-based comment.

[@speedkar99]

Infact they use a noise maker at low speed to warn Pedestrians they're coming

[@dehypnotizerz]

Nah, it's not carcenogenic. You'd have to sniff that to make yourself any harm.

[@tasymoraitis9532]

You talk too fast pal slow down it’s not enjoyable listening to you

[@speedkar99]

Slow me down

[@nickayivor8432]

More brilliant video tutorial Speedkar99 Can't wait for the next video 👍 KNOWLEDGEABLE Speedkar99 From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧 ⏰️ 22:54pm Good Evening

[@chonglers1513]

Hi

[@speedkar99]

Thank you

[@jacoobart]

No cancer from the glass wool, but booooy are you gon' be itchy. Talcum powder and antihistamines help with the itch FYI.

[@10malabdullah10]

Great work as always.

[@speedkar99]

Thanks again!