Frugal ATV FIX
Perch rig gets a new muffler
What is one of Wisconsin’s worst nemeses of winter? Not 30 degrees below zero or 12 inches of snow. It is that ever corrosive, rust everything I own, make certain things don’t work road salt!
Our perch rig for the Madison Chain of Lakes (or wherever else the fish are biting) is our double-seated ATV with my home-crafted HVAC contractor custom floats. We have a trailer to get this rig to wherever we are going to fish, meaning we must drive on salted roads. After about 10 years of the ATV riding on the trailer on these trips, the original muffler decided to feel the effects of the salt exposure and no longer be a muffler. The muffler now was a piece of metal holding on for dear life with a large hole and a rather loud voice.
Being an average sportsman, the equipment budget is always tough. There are many things to take care of and many methods required to achieve use of the tools of the trade. There is always the need for gun cleaning materials or super glue and rod tip parts to fix the fishing rods. The demand for repairs on many essential items seems to never end and can overwhelm a person.
The Perch Rig.
I figured a new muffler was needed, and after calling the dealerships and looking online, I found the stock unit for replacement was really expensive (from Canada ‘eh, don’tch ya know). What should I do? Make a major investment and buy the exact part that I needed, a piece of equipment that did not react so well to its existing climate? (They must use little or no salt in Canada) Move to another state so that the machine does not have to tolerate the salt? Or come up with a different idea?
Frugal ingenuity was needed and this guy was up for the challenge. The Internet searches began on the topic, along with a possible self-made strategy. Not being a “motor head” or mechanically inclined, getting anything done past windshield wiper replacement and tire inflation would be a major accomplishment. I got to think. I got to think.
What is inexpensive, durable and the closest to the correct size? I needed ideas or to see something that could possibly be the answer. I needed to go somewhere that sparks ideas and possibly provides answers that are friendly to my wallet. So I decided to take a trip and walk the isles at the “Double F” store. After many isles in the automotive area and many possible ideas, it suddenly came to me in a very different department: look at the selection of small agricultural tractor mufflers!
The new exhaust installed.
I checked out the varied selection and learned that my ATV was really an International Harvester in disguise. After the purchase, I brought my prized aluminized, made in the USA muffler home and started the engineering immediately. I began by cutting off the old muffler and removing the existing brackets to use on the new muffler. The next day I took the remaining pipe, the brackets and the new muffler to the local welder for permanent assembly. Once the welding was complete, I took it home and applied a can of high temperature black grill paint to finish the project.
After installation, I had no choice but to take it on a short neighborhood ride to test this fresh piece of equipment. This new custom exhaust is ready to chase those under-ice fish and will probably hear us coming even in the deep depths. I think I just made a better ATV exhaust.
Wisconsinite Chris Rehlinger is a native of Neosho but has called Lake Wisconsin home for the last 18 years with his wife, Lori, and sons Maxwell and Lucas. He works in the engineering/construction management field but always has something regarding fishing or hunting on his mind.