002A muffler??

[pahunter]

I've been reading and learning here for a while but never joined or posted. Great source of information. I'm starting to look for a 002A. It seems few worry about the noise level. Mine will be going in a detached garage and used with the doors open but I'm going to run the exhaust through the back wall. Will a good muffler help much?

 

[gimpyrobb]

They already have mufflers.

 

[Isaac-1]

Most of the noise is mechanical, and while lots of people like to complain about them, they really are not that bad. Probably about as loud as a riding lawn mower at medium engine speed, although with a less harsh exhaust note. i would not want one running outside my bedroom window at night, but 50-75 feet away with a few walls in between and they are not bad.

Ike

 

[steelypip]

The truth about MEP-002A/003A noise:

Yes, they are. All of that 'wear hearing protection' stencilwork isn't for decoration. But:
1. it beats the snot out of the silence of your house with no electricity
2. It's an 1800 RPM air cooled diesel with quite a bit of fan noise - not an unpleasant sound, just too loud to be healthy within about 20 feet. I find the neighbors' 3600 RPM 4 KW contractor generator much more annoying.

The primary noise sources are, in order of loudness:
1. diesel knock radiating from cylinder head and cylinders, primarily via the cooling fins.
2. the engine cooling blower
3. the gen head cooling blower
4. exhaust noise
5. rocker noise

The exhaust noise coming straight out of the pipe isn't all that bad - there's a small muffler inside the cowling that takes the edge off. That said, directing the exhaust upward does help with some of the noise. I've got a small tractor muffler with an exhaust flapper on top screwed into a 90 degree elbow screwed onto the stock pipe stub coming out of the muffler. It helps some with the noise, but mostly I just wanted the exhaust closed off and the pulsating hot breath of diesel exhaust directed somewhere other than at me.

But be aware: there is no muffler on planet earth that will make one of these generators quiet and pleasant to sit beside. Even the ASK just reduces the noise from loud to bearable.

 

[RIrvin]

I have a setup almost exactly as you described. Mine is MEP-003 with both exhausts extended ( 1.5 ft),with supports, out the garage window. Noise volume seems minimal with doors closed. Escaping exhaust is primary source of noise. Perhaps that could be mitigated if I had directed it downward toward the ground.

 

[derf]

A Flowmaster or something like that may help a little, but you don't want to restrict the exhaust of an air cooled unit too much.

An ASK is probably the best noise suppression alternative to start with. You can probably reline the ASK with more effective sound deadener.

A little enclosure or wall around the unit would be good, too.

 

[pahunter]

Thank you for all the responses. So it seems a better exhaust system may only help a little bit but thats ok. Another even more important reason for me is to get the exhaust fumes out of the garage and while I'm at it I may as well muffle it some.

 

[Speddmon]

You missed the point of what everybody is telling you, the exhaust noise is very minimal. Just use some 1" black iron pipe and extend the exhaust to where you want it. Once you get it outside of the building, you'll notice that an additional muffler would be a waste of money.

 

[pahunter]

I think I got the point. Thank you for the reply.

Edit: I should have acknowledged that I realize now that exhaust noise is way down on the list. Steelypip's post and list was very informative and all the posts were helpful. Thanks.

 

[derf]

The short answer is:
If it were effective the guys on this forum would have done it and written it up long ago.

 

[storeman]

Once on the opposite side of a door or wall, it is a lower-pitched hum than a high-pitched 3600 rpm unit, gas or diesel. Not aggravating.

When i have my units running underneath the deck and the upstairs patio door is shut, my wife doesn't notice it. we live on the water and Pat is used to boats going by and hears them as louder than the 002a with the door closed. Someday, when I build and insulate a shed below the deck, sound will be negligible. Several SS members have been here and can attest.
Jerry