Muffler

[cavalierhome]

I don't usually post about products but this one I have to mention.

I don't know much about Model A cars, as I just started, but I do know a lot about engines, in particular I know how an engine is supposed to feel and sound. Having raced open wheel cars for 14 years (anything from pro F2000 to Formula Atlantic) the seat of my pants is all I need to know if an engine is performing well.

Since I got my 29, I have been learning a lot and I kept at it and at it until I felt I had gotten all I could out of my old engine. Timing did a lot, and so did proper jets in the carb etc.

But the car did not have a nice sound the way I wanted it and I felt there was something holding it back. In another car I would have gone for a set of headers, but I can't do that on a stock 29.

So I decided to get a new ARIES muffler. I spoke to the fellow who makes them, and he was very helpful. My muffler arrived and was very easy to install.

Then I started the car. Amazing the car immediately sounded so much better and idled very well, but the most impressive part was when I took it out for a test drive.

Not only was the engine more smooth and a lot quieter, but there was a noticeable increase in performance.

This is a great muffler and if anyone was wondering if it is worth putting one on, it is from my point of view.

Maybe this will help someone like me.

[Marshall V. Daut]

I once rebuilt the very worn-out Model A engine and chassis components for an older man, who in the beginning would question the need to buy a 25 cent gasket for his engine. (!!!) Getting him to part with a nickel spent on his own car was like the proverbial pulling of teeth. I was able to talk (and talk and talk) him into a few performance upgrades because he wanted to run with the big dogs on his club's tours, but had never heard the expression: "Speed costs. How fast do you want to go?"
For some odd reason only he understood, he continually resisted buying the Aires muffler I had highly recommended all through the rebuilding process. In addition to my own experiences with the Aires muffler, I cited dyno test results and customer testimonials about how much Aires mufflers had made a big improvement in their engines' performance. Of course, the man had an old Midas muffler in the car and because it wasn't leaking or rusted out, he wanted to keep it. Other performance upgrades had cost more (cylinder head), but I just couldn't get him to budge off the nickel to buy that Aires muffler. He was very pleased with the increased acceleration and top speed supplied by his rebuilt engine, but now he wanted even more performance! Speed is addictive - and he was "hooked".
I revisited the sore subject of buying an Aires muffler, having had 25+ years of positive results installing the muffler in my cars and for customers/friends. NO ONE was disappointed, although the cost of the muffler and shipping was always a sticking point. I made the man an offer: if he would order an Aires muffler, I would install it and if he didn't think there was a noticeable increase in performance, I would buy the muffler from him and use it in one of my Model A's. What did he have to lose? He agreed and ordered the muffler.
There is hill near his house that he had always used as a timed benchmark for improvements in his many antique cars (THOSE he could afford, but not a 25 cent gasket!). Once installed, he took the Model A to his test hill to see if the muffler had improved his car's power and climbing ability. I received an excited call afterwards that with the Aires muffler, he had knocked off 4 seconds from the previous fastest time up the hill in that car! He was thrilled and kept the muffler. Now he could REALLY run with the big dogs!
So, add my name to the list of Aires believers. There is no magic bullet that will suddenly turn our Model As' performance into a 427 Corvette, but little items such as adding an Aires muffler WILL make a difference in our cars, especially if a couple performance upgrades have been added, such as a higher compression head of any flavor. And the Aires exhaust sound beats the heck out of those tinny, highly restrictive Midas mufflers that we had been obliged to buy since the 1960's!
Marshall

[Mike Peters]

I've got Aries mufflers on a couple cars, so you can also add my name to the long list of happy customers. The next one I buy will be the stainless steel version, so it doesn't rust.

[History]

These are the kind of posts I like reading, thank both of you!! Ok all 3 of you!

[Big hammer]

Nice stories! I hear you! LOL My muffler story is when I was a teenager the ignition switch had intermittent problem and would give a loud report. Well after a while the muffler split and dad handed me a straight thru heavy duty truck muffler. The intermittent ignition problem solved LOL I’ve replaced it with an Aries muffler and have be told my A is so quiet ! Still have the old truck muffler maybe I should put it on and compare the two ? Probably not

[katy]

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How can one tell if they have an Aries muffler or some other aftermarket replacement? Are they marked in any particular way?

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by katy

How can one tell if they have an Aries muffler or some other aftermarket replacement? Are they marked in any particular way?

This came up awhile back. As I recall, there's no visible brand on the Aries. The main distinction is that the Aries mufflers tend to precisely match the original dimensions and shape, while other aftermarket mufflers don't. But it's not a perfect test, there are vintage aftermarket mufflers that were well-made.

I have an Aries SS muffler ready to go on the project car.

[J Franklin]

Originally Posted by katy

How can one tell if they have an Aries muffler or some other aftermarket replacement? Are they marked in any particular way?

The bend on the exhaust pipe is not restricted as it is mandrel formed.

[cavalierhome]

I got the stainless version, so in my case it is easy to tell. I highly recommend the stainless, it looks great, and won't rust.

My car sounds like a sowing machine now, and I am substantially faster.

He was a pleasure to work with, he helped me figure out if I had an early 1029 or not because it made a difference in the size of the muffler.

[Marshall V. Daut]

The old Midas mufflers that probably 95% of Model A's out there in the Hinterland have is much lighter in weight than the Aires, perhaps half as much? You can pick up a Midas muffler with two fingers, while you almost need both hands to pick up an Aires. At least, I do! I know this weight comparison doesn't help much if the muffler is still mounted, but it only takes a couple minutes to remove it.
I believe you can also tell externally the difference between an Aires and a Midas by the number and placement of spot welds on the muffler body. These spot welds secure the internal baffles inside.
Marshall

[MickyD]

I put my Aries on my 31 Tudor last week and the new sound is amazing.

[gdmn852]

Hello, I also have the stainless Aries muffler, really accentuates the “Model A “sound. In the early 1970,s you could buy the Model A muffler for around $20. but didn’t seem to fit as well as the Aries ,angles to the exhaust manifold seemed off.

[nkaminar]

Add my name to the satisfied Aries user list. The make a muffler for high performance engines which I have. The mufflers are made to the original Ford drawings and fit very well. The Aries performance muffler performs just as well as a straight through exhaust system and the sound is a lot better.

[Synchro909]

As far as I know, Aries mufflers are not available here and as I have said many times, getting something like that here is nigh on impossible and certainly impossible that it would arrive without damage.
On my touring Model A, I wanted to reduce the back pressure so I cut the tail pipe almost through at the the weld right behind the muffler itself. I used a fine saw to do it. Then I bent the pipe aside so that I could get inside the muffler from the back. There is a perforated pipe running the full length of the muffler with a baffle in it. I figured the best way to do what I wanted was to put a hole in the baffle. I had a length of 16mm steel rod (5/8") so I sharpened one end to a square point with the intention of driving it through the baffle. Not one to rush into rash acts, I stopped and thought for a moment before I did something I would regret. I figured that the baffle would probably only be spot welded in and that my brutal treatment would break it out altogether. I needed to make a pilot hole but I had no drill that would go anywhere near long enough. I could have extended the drill but a better idea occurred to my warped mind. I would use a .22 calibre rifle bullet to punch the hole. I poked the barrel up inside the muffler till it was almost at the baffle and pulled the trigger. All I heard was "pfft" - what a great silencer! I up ended the muffler and the lead slug fell out the other end. I then drove the 16mm rod through the pilot hole, bent the tail pipe back into place and welded it shut. The car now sounds like a Model A but it has "authority" in the exhaust note (some call it "attitude"). Performance was improved and I have received many comments about the sound of the car. I have a chuckle to myself every time.
Maybe I should modify my signature to "As youth departs, we trust that devious skullduggery will suffice."

[nkaminar]

Synchro, I thought about doing the same thing but using a tube the same diameter as the one going into the muffler. I was going to drill lots of holes along the length of the tube and put fiberglass on the outside of the tube but inside the muffler to create a "glass pack" muffler. I ended up sawing out both baffles with a Sawsal and a long blade. The baffles came out in pieces. The muffler was loud and tinny. I did not like the sound. The Aries performance muffler performs the same and sounds a lot nicer.

Ford really did a good job on the design of the Model A muffler. It has a larger pipe going in and a smaller one going out. The gas has cooled a lot by the time it gets to the tail pipe so a smaller pipe is OK. The same can be said for the tapered muffler design. I also think that it traps some sound by reflecting back up the muffler.

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

I also think that it traps some sound by reflecting back up the muffler.

I agree. Having the sound waves bounce back towards the engine is what makes the expansion chamber on a two stroke engine so important. It pushes unburnt gasses back into the chamber that would otherwise have gone out the exhaust pipe. Better power and economy. The length of the exhaust system must be designed to have maximum "bounce back" at the most efficient engine revs. Four stroke engines also benefit from this effect but not as dramatically as a two stroke.

[Wick]

I have seen and used model a mufflers that someone cut a door on the top side,tampered with the innards,and welded back up. Sounded like a tractor,have also seen tractor mufflers installed.
I did run a Porter muffler with a tail pipe coming to the bumper, that sounded cool.