All,

Some oh-so-kind individual decided that my exhaust didn't sound as good as it could and threw a penny in the exhaust pipe Now, there is a terrible clanking/rattling sound . I took it into a muffler shop, hoping they could assist me. Unfortunately, all they could suggest is to try to blow it out on the freeway. I tried, but it didn't work.

I'll try again later, but I was wondering if anyone has run across anything similar or if you had any suggestions.

Worst case scenario, I guess I would have to buy an aftermarket exhaust, which wouldn't be too bad, but I don't have the money for it right now....

 

Bummer, I think your best bet is to remove the system and shake out the penny. Some people are just so rude and dumb. I would have replacement gaskets and bolts with nuts ready to replace any of them the break while removing the system and would use the new gaskets when putting it back together.

 

Yet another example of how PEOPLE SUCK !

Good luck getting that out, hope it isn't a costly job.

BTW, how did you know it's a penny ? You must have a finely tuned ear for money.

 

Man, that sucks. Bunch of savages in this town. The penny can't be that far up the tailpipe, could it? I don't think there's enough iron in the penny for a magnet, maybe some putty on a coathanger and a lot of luck? Otherwise, I'd say take the exhaust off, it's not that difficult to do.

 

Considering just how short the tailpipes are on MINIs, I'm thinking it found it's way into the muffler.

If it is only in the tailpipe, yeah, should be fairly easy to get out.

 

Drive up a very steep hill

 

How about using a 1" or 7/8" garden hose attached to the end of a shop vac hose with duct tape - and let her rip ? May not go up hose but should be able to grab it, and you will know it when it does....?

 

I am just curious . . . there must be a story here! Sounds like you know who did it?

 

Sorry, I was really upset (and still am) when I wrote it.

It is in the muffler. I'm assuming it's a penny, just from the way it sounds. Too small to be a quarter or anything of similar or larger size, and I don't think anyone would waste a dime in this economy

As for who did it, I have a few thoughts, some people who know how much I love my car and are jealous/upset that they don't have one and have settled for another car or upset at me for one stupid reason or another.

Whatever the case is, I am going to try a few more things (some of your suggestions sound good) and my acquaintance, who thinks he can weld, said we should cut a hole in the top and just take it out . I think he just wants a chance to play with his welder, but I'll try a few other things before I do that.

Anyone ever tried to open up a Mini muffler?

 

Try a magnet, find where the rattle is and try and magnetize whatever is in there with the magnet, then run the magnet along the outside of the muffler and just drag it up and out the tailpipe. Did it on the inside of my door panels, got $3.00 in change out of one door.

 

American coins aren't magnetic. (based on your comments, Canadian coins are)

 

Have you tried sucking it out with one of those vacuum cleaners that has the thin cylinder-like sucker hose? (sorry i don't know my terms)

 

think flexible fiber optic borroscope. If I had one I'd use an esophageal fiber optic scope with a little grabber on the end. God knows what matter of stuff emergency docs fish out of kids with one of these in the emergency room. No I wouldn't,the ENT's would have kittens if I was that dumb. There has to be some sort of endoscope that mechanics use.

 

water?... i dont think it would hurt anything. maybe you can float it out

 

Coins don't float.

 

Can you even see it down inside the exhaust?

 

No, it's definitely in the muffler....

 

well i know that but maybe it could get moved around enough to flow out, especially if you had somebody giving it a little gas...

 

I would think a barroscope could find the penny.... call a plumber and ask if they have something like this... We have a short one at work with a small video camera built into the tip. I bet you could locate that penny - depending on how far in it is.

 

This might be out there but is there a heat resistant epoxy or resin available?
It could be put into the muffler though the tailpipe and essentially glue the foreign object to the bottom of the muffler.

 

Well this is the first time i ever thought a Mini would need a colonoscopy .
I know you confirmed it is a coin in there but maybe something came lose
from the muffler .

 

"Well this is the first time i ever thought a Mini would need a colonoscopy ."

 

It sounds like it would be faster, cheaper, and easier to just remove the exhaust from just aft of the catalytic converter and shake out the object, or even remove the one muffler if it isn't welded into the system.

 

rolling road full rpm's many things have been shot out of exhausts at full rpm's on the rollers

 

It's pretty easy to drop the exhaust.... if you don't want to try it on jack stands, you can probably find a local exhaust guy who will pull it off and put it back on pretty cheap... then, as suggested, shake it out... that's what I'd do...