In late 2011, I bought mufflers for Hart and me from The Bus Depot in USA. They were made in Denmark and supposed to be very good. Mine has failed. The bracket at the cat converter end broke and the inlet pipe broke off from the baffles inside the muffler. Getting it welded as a temp fix. Has anyone bought a SS one? I checked out the SS kit from Gowesty with a new cat, muffler brackets, gaskets and bolts. Pretty expensive once it gets here.
Peter from Port
My local mate Lucky Phil has a stainless one which he got from Van Cafe I think.
He loves it but he had to get one item replaced under warranty as it cracked - I think it was the collector.
It is a full exhaust though - not just a muffler.
Thanks Scott. I will make contact with him. Cheers.
i had a muffler fitted by a muffler shop in mt druitt it is a s/steel unit free flow i am very happy with it, the shop is charlstone exhausts… bob
Thats very handy to know Bob as there are not many cars out there these days with similar mufflers that match our stock or modified motors. 
Raising again this topic, in 2021 I sourced locally a new OEM Ernst brand “Made in Germany” muffler & gaskets, to soon DIY replace the existing same muffler, it now unlikely to pass next rego check.
So first seeking advice from experienced muffler R&R gurus here concerning what is the correct fitting method of the new muffler gaskets at each end.
Are the gaskets simply fitted as is between adjacent flanges or is it best practice to apply a silicone sealant to faces of gaskets as well before fitting?
For example: Permatex RTV Ultra Copper Silicone Gasket Maker
I’d appreciate some feedback on this. TIY.
I always put sealant on all the exhaust gaskets, I don’t see any harm. At the least you are protecting against corrosion in the joint.
Just my 2 c
Would love to know where you got the Ernst muffler from though.
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Thanks Nils for your valued input.
When you say all exhaust joints, does that also include the donut shape ring seals at either end of the “J” pipe?
I sourced the OEM Ernst muffler from Vintage Vee Dub Supplies in Campsie, Sydney.
Cheers.
I used the grey gasket sealant same brand as yours between all joints I changed on my 2wd T3 which still has a VW water leaker engine.
Went from a noisy exhaust to a quiet exhaust.
It also helps you identify any leaks which so far (8 months) have been none.
I would definitely use it again.
Thanks Ken,
Will give them a call, I have a JK muffler here and even to look at I know I’m not going to use it 
I’m using the same as Scott mentioned. The gray permatech muffler sealant.
And yes everywhere!
I gave my exhaust another tighten up the other day.
The van runs and idles better when exhaust is not escaping where its not supposed to.
It made a noticeable difference.
I saw the Ultra Copper spec supports a higher heat range.
Also, given years ago when I last changed the water pump & seals, I added same Ultra Copper to the pump gasket and rubber “O” ring seals. No leaks since. So sticking with Ultra Copper for both seal scenarios.
When I was searching for a replacement muffler, noticed most suppliers (except Europe), only had an aftermarket version with a two piece built-in outer heat shield, which I figured would make it harder (or impossible) to slide it sideways to fit, especially when the muffler bottom support brackets are in place.
So I felt lucky getting the Ernst OEM muffler without the added on heat shield which in my view, acts as an extra barrier for the exhaust heat to escape and more sheet metal joints to rust out.
Agree, I never liked that rear shield below the muffler - just reduces your exit angle - another thing to catch on the rocks!
Getting those mufflers in is always difficult
This is the aftermarket muffler I chose to avoid … has the add-on heat shields, in my view makes even harder to fit etc etc.
Interesting posts guys. Wish I know about that sealer when I did some R and R on my exhaust before Cape York. Had to replace a seal and while I was at it I used the Gowesty kit and replaced a few bolts and nuts. The kit came with copper nuts for the hot sites. And its a bugger working on the muffler. I recall having to take off the cat to get the muffler in position. The muffler I have I bought a few years ago from Norway. They came up on a site somewhere. Memory fails me.
My van is still down in Hobart. Ann and I should have been flying down today to pick it up and do a road trip home after 10 days in Tassie. But she contracted COVID on Saturday so we are both in 7 day lock down. Never dull!!! Only good thing is that I have not caught it. Had my booster recently so I reckon that helped a lot.
Sorry to hear of Ann’s misfortune, hoping for her full recovery & no long term ill effects. Was it Ann visiting a Port shopping mall the culprit?
I had my Moderna booster yesterday, an interesting date to remember by … 2/2/22. Apparently booster takes about a fortnight for maximum affect.
I cannot imagine how avoidance domestic arrangements for 7 days can work in the same home! Good luck you two!
The other thing I learnt more recently (thanks Rudi!) is … be sure to apply anti-seize to all threads of bolts & nuts in the exhaust system … might save some grief later on upon adjustment/disassembly.
Thanks Ken. When I did work with Rudi up and back from Cape York we used that stuff on nearly every nut and bolt. I am going back up in March to do a couple more jobs. Clutch is shuddering and we will put on the prop shaft he has fixed for me. Such a nice guy, he shipped his spare down to me so I would have 4WD when in Tassie. Peter
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Rudi to the rescue again!
Enjoy the hopefully Covid free trip from Tassie home when you get around to it…very jealous!
Peter, on top of my tranny rebuild, a few extra jobs Rudi sorted for me, you might also consider:
Full new clutch kit installed, also replace main shaft rubber seal.
My clutch slave cylinder was found to be not installed properly and was loose. Sorted.
Worked his magic and adjusted my clutch pedal. Still no idea how he did it.
New wheel bearings all round.
Most front suspension rubbers replaced.
Welding repair/restoration … front suspension. Apparently this particular repair/restore task is more often overlooked/not addressed, so makes difficult even impossible, a correct front wheel alignment.
New front shocks fitted … interesting job that one.
My sliding door had started popping open … tricky knowing what the fix is. Sorted.
Addressed/rectified a triple drive pulley & fastening bolt issue.
All these and more sorted by a real Pro. What’s not to like?
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Never Mind the heat shields, you can slide them where you need. The aftermarket one weighs half of what the Ernst one does and is pretty much just a straight though pipe wrapped in fibreglass