What is the purpose of the second muffler behind the rear axle? I have the stock engine, can I just replace the second muffler with a tail pipe only?

I've had 6 Brats total and have never seen one with two mufflers. The one up front at the Y pipe is the cat, The one behind the axle is the muffler. You can replace it and just the tail pipe.

We have 2 mufflers down under. The first is just past the end of the y-pipe, which is an in-line muffler (normally replaced with a hotdog), and then a second, larger muffler at the back of the car. I believe the first one is effectively a resonator, and the second one acts as a true muffler.

The front one is just a resonator, The back one is the actual muffler. 

 

 

Heres mine with straight pipe from the resonator back. The rear muffler does the sound killing haha

Edited March 28, 20179 yr by Shortaay

What year is your Brat? I've had '79, '80 & '83-'87 all with the stock exhaust that still had the tin shield on them and no resonator. I'm very curious now.

Here's mine.

Right. That's what it's supposed to look like. One muffler in the back. No resonator up front.

Mine is a 86 brat. It  l looks like there may be a few different systems out there. I will probably go with the bigger muffler behind the axle.

Thanks for your help.  

Paul

I wonder if the resonator was on California models? It would make sense and I haven't owned or even seen a Ca Brat. Does yours have Ca emissions? It would be on the sticker under the hood and it would also have a mixture solenoid on the carb.

No mine does not have a CA  emission sticker

Edited March 31, 20179 yr by pksjeep

Ok, so this turned out to be one of those little things that wouldn't stop bugging me. lol I went through parts catalogs, looked at pics and made a few calls. The Brat absolutely did not come with a resonator so someone added something to yours. No biggie either way, like I said, it was just nagging at me so I had to be sure.

My East Coast 87 had one, it was factory.

Weird. My 87 doesn't and still has the factory heat shields and muffler so I know it hasn't been altered. I wanna make sure we're all talking about the same thing here. A small muffler or tube that is behind the cat/Y pipe assembly and in front of the rear axle on a Brat. Everything I dug up and what I've seen says no so what gives? I hate it when something really insignificant burrows it's way into my thoughts and gives me grief with conflicting data. lol

Yes, before the axle. Mine was factory, it was only 10 years old when I bought it. The resonator rusted out and I had 2-inch from the Y-pipe back installed maybe 10-12 years ago with a Magnaflow stainless steel muffler.  It had all the factory hangers in place.

Huh. I'll have to look into why some had it and yet there's no listing. It's not important at all, just one of those things that makes you go.... Huh?