need tips on replacing a muffler! (1969 Ford Econoline E100)

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

We have a 1969 Ford Econoline E100 van that we picked up on the west coast, drove through the Canadian Rockies, and that we use here in the Great Lakes states to go camping & such. We call it our "Craigslist Van", since we got it for $500 off of Craigslist.

It was originally an ambulance, & later was a chuckwagon vehicle for a mining operation in Idaho. We like to watch old TV shows, & occasionally our kids will yell "there's our van!". Of course, these all looked the same from about 1968 to the mid 70's....

Anyway, to topic. We went on a camping trip in June, and the exhaust completely fell off. There were huge rust holes in the exhaust, and I knew that it had slowly been getting worse. I had to use a hacksaw to cut the rear tailpipe & get it all off from there. Now the dang thing is so loud that I know that I'm risking getting pulled over if I drive it anywhere without putting some sort of muffler on it.

Other than replacing the engine gasket, and my son and I replacing the starter, we've never done any maintenance on this thing. I do not have any experience replacing mufflers, and I don't even know if it takes any specialized tools. I'm a complete and utter muffler/exhaust newbie!

I guess the question I'm asking is this: is this the sort of project where I can go in to Advance Auto Parts, buy all the parts I would need, and then my son and I could fairly easily screw things together and hang it all up with some sort of clamps? Or does this sort of project require special pipe bending hardware, welding equipment, and that sort of thing?

I don't actually need to run everything way back there to the back, I suppose I could run something over to the right side to make it all shorter. I just need it to be quieter, and I guess I'd like it as simple as possible. I wish I could just go buy some short piece of tailpipe with a muffler attached, clamp it to the back of the engine where the exhaust comes out, then hang it. Heck, previously it was hanging with bailing wire, so I guess anything will be an improvement.

I'll admit that I'm a bit worried about buying the wrong parts, etc. However, my son has expressed some interest in possibly becoming an auto mechanic, so I would really like to expose him to some of this if at all possible. This means trying to do it ourselves if we can, because the local auto repair shops will not allow him to watch or participate.

If anyone can give me some pointers, suggestions, or even online videos & such that might help us get going on this, it would be greatly appreciated. If I can even get a basic muffler on this, then I could drive it and help my sister move in about 10 days.

Thanks so much!

http://s7.postimg.org/99cg8p4kr/100_2456.jpg

 

[boomerang]

Yes, you should be able to buy the parts you need although for something that old, they probably won't be in stock. I see nothing listed at rockauto.com by way of pipes, mufflers, etc., although there are three engine possibilities and I assumed it was an E100.

I would suggest running the exhaust in a stock configuration with the exhaust coming out at the rear of the vehicle as it was originally. Exhaust fumes can kill you. It's best to have them coming out the back than under the middle of the van. Running the engine on a cold morning while inside it trying to keep warm could prove deadly. It's something to consider.

If you decide it's too much to take on, or find that parts are not available, there are still shops that do exhaust work. They can fix you right up.

You will have one or possibly two hurdles if you try and do it yourself. The first is rusty fasteners. The second may be snaking the exhaust pipe in place over the rear axle. You may not be able to get the van high enough off the ground to accomplish that. Also, if the hangers are shot and not available, you will have to deal with universal hangers that may need a little customization.

Exhaust work can be a PITA. Especially on something old and rusty. Just so you know.

 

[Slacker]

Take a look at this diagram, it shows layouts for different motors, it is also for "F" 100 ( PICKUP) a and doesn't mention the E100, but it will give you an idea, most likely there is a stub that you can cram a muffler on and clamp it, then run a straight pipe a few feet with a elbow to direct exhaust out the side. Should be able to get a prefab elbow and a length of straight pipe you can cut down.

 

[Jimzz]

Being that it is pre 75 you can do just about anything you want.

So any good shop should be able to bend up a pipe and add a universal muffler to it.

 

[cbrsurfr]

Take it to a shop. They can slap a cheap muffler on there and shot it out the side. Shouldn't cost much and it can be done in no time.

You will waste more time and money in trying to DIY it and make off the shelf parts work.

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

Thanks guys for all the info and thoughts. This is parked outdoors, so I never have it running indoors. Since the van sits up so very high, I'm not as worried about the exhaust. However, the seal around the engine hump isn't great, so I guess we could get some exhaust coming in if we aren't going back to at least somewhere near the back wheels.

I'm still on the fence about my son and I trying to do the exhaust ourselves, or to have a place near here do it. Looking at the parts I've found online, (various Walker flanges, gaskets, clamps, hangers & u-bolts, plus the front pipe, muffler and tail pipe, I've priced all of the hardware at roughly $135, including tax.

I think what I'll do is call around to several muffler shops in the area. If one of them can do it for under $200, I may have them do it, especially if one of them will allow my son to watch.

 

[Kaido]

We have a 1969 Ford Econoline E100 van that we picked up on the west coast, drove through the Canadian Rockies, and that we use here in the Great Lakes states to go camping & such. We call it our "Craigslist Van", since we got it for $500 off of Craigslist.

That's awesome! Are you into DIY projects at all? A popular trend for budget projects is the $50 roll-on paintjob, which actually gets pretty awesome results:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forum...1-My-quot-rustoleum-50-roll-on-paint-job-quot

You could do some awesome retro coloring on that beast & really make it shine!

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

Thanks guys for all the info and thoughts. This is parked outdoors, so I never have it running indoors. Since the van sits up so very high, I'm not as worried about the exhaust. However, the seal around the engine hump isn't great, so I guess we could get some exhaust coming in if we aren't going back to at least somewhere near the back wheels.

I'm still on the fence about my son and I trying to do the exhaust ourselves, or to have a place near here do it. Looking at the parts I've found online, (various Walker flanges, gaskets, clamps, hangers & u-bolts, plus the front pipe, muffler and tail pipe, I've priced all of the hardware at roughly $135, including tax.

I think what I'll do is call around to several muffler shops in the area. If one of them can do it for under $200, I may have them do it, especially if one of them will allow my son to watch.