I took off the muffler on our 16 and dumped out as much crap as possible. I know it can be taken apart but I don't want to try it. I don't think I can get it together again. Has anyone had any luck flushing out a muffler? I am thinking gas then garden hose? I need to fix straps also

the reason I took it off it still smokes a little and doesent seem to when cut out is open. tail pipe is oily but it feels dry in cut out. also it seems to run a little better with cut out open

Paul, there are some things which you can do without affecting the integrity of the whole. I see taking the muffler apart, renewing burnt out unseen baffles/shells, replacing broken rods/bolts as having no impact on the visual authenticity of the end product, and you will have a safe and useable car.

Hope this helps.

Allan from down under.

Those are tricky to assemble. But usually not too difficult.
You could try just an air compressor blowing air through, held vertically, and flipping end for end every minute or so. Rust and junk would generally blow towards the ever changing bottom and work its way out.
Although I personally believe the dangers of asbestos are grossly over-blown, do use caution and try to not inhale any fibers from that old wrap. It would be a good thing to preserve that as an original piece of history. There cannot be very many '10s era wrapped mufflers that intact left in the world. It may be wise to keep that as a display piece and replace it with a nice rebuilt muffler?
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2

The thin metal that the muffler tubes are made of have likely rusted through. It may be possible to take the ends off without disturbing the wrap or even the outside tube, but it too, is likely rusted through too. I would not run the car with the muffler in its present condition, but I also side with Wayne that it might be good to set that aside as a very rare example of what the mufflers looked like & how they were put together.
You mention "fix straps" are they rusted through or just loose?

Paul, If that is original wrapping, it is asbestos. Before you remove it spray it down with water and get it sopping wet. Use disposable gloves and put wrap and gloves in a bag and dispose of it at a asbestos disposal site. Buy new inner shells and bolts and non-asbestos wrap from Lang's and rebuild it. I rebuilt one a couple of years back.

It has already been mentioned that the muffler straps you need are only available in kit form, along with a substitute wrap. It would be nice if Langs could sell the straps separately. Remind me and I'll check to see if I have any to spare.

. . . . I am thinking gas . . . . .

Unless you want a firecracker under your auto, DO NOT DO THAT.

thanks guys the muffler seems very solid. a lot of stuff blew out when I first closed cut out after car ran and stoped smoking. it had a lot of oil in cylinders. the reason I need to wash it out it is still oily and holds the dirt and mouse turds. Dave I would never wash with gas in garage or put on car with out cleaning well. Kevin I plan to leave the asbestoes on there. David the straps are rusted thru I will find something to hold until I get or make the right straps. Larry are the langs straps like the originals? I have a good sample if I find the right thickness sheet metal I can have it cut at a heating shop and try to find or make rivits and make wire buckle do you know what finish the strap should be? all the sheet metal I see is galvanized I dont think that is right

According to my notes, when I replicated the original straps, from mid October 1912 to the end of 1916 the straps were black enameled steel. The early straps were unfinished and may have been made out of tin.

None of the vendors supply the correct straps. They will work, but they are not made like original straps.

There are no rivets holding the loop on the end. The overlapped strap is punched, then spread, and finished off in the fashion of a tubular rivet.

Like this

A gasoline or water flush won't remove the caked on carbon on the surfaces of the steel tubes in the muffler.

The only method is to dissemble and then used wire brush or other mechanical methods to scrape the hardened carbon layers off, just as you would for the cylinder head and piston tops, using wire brush or scrape tools / chisels.

There is no easy way.

Ford recommend the muffler get cleaned that way. Note the construction, those tubes will be coated heavy with baked on carbon.

Either clean it proper or replace. IMO, replace with either costly authentic looking reproduction, or use a later cost less muffler for running the T, and keep that ORIGINAL in its condition today for preservation.

I never even tried to take my 1918-19 style muffler apart when I cleaned it up for painting (no asbestos but still cast iron ends)
Now after some use I was tired of the noise from loose internal pipes plus I had to make a end pipe that deflects the hot exhaust from the spare tire.

To my surprise it was possible to unscrew the threaded rod that holds it together - maybe the heating and cooling cycles from use had loosened up the rust?
The larger of the two internal pipes had split in the seam and that was the source of the noise. Left it off and that made the assembly much easier. Put it on end = vertical, that'll make it easier when trying to fit it together after cleaning.

You can make the missing straps out of painted metal strips. Maybe they should be in place first, to avoid damage to the (almost) unique original asbestos.

Ward thanks for the great pictures.Dan and Roger I dont think it pluged so much from carbon car was stored with oil poured in cyls. and I had to free up a few valves from mouse nest in 2 cylinders I used a lot of marvel mist. oil and sea foam etc. to help loseen up valves I dident take off head so a lot of crap went in ex. most went out open cut out. thank you guys

Ok, I'm going to be politically incorrect here, as I'm not that afraid of asbestos (and yes, I had a friend die from exposure). If it's not fraying and is nice and solid, you don't have much danger with it. While you're messing with it, wear a respirator and gloves. Once you are done with it and it's all back together AND in the car, you won't likely be exposed much, if at all. You could coat it with a white high temperature paint if you are worried about it becoming friable. Should still look right and be safer.
The straps? well, you have the hard part, a sample to work from! They don't appear to be that complex, but doing the "punch & fold over" trick might take a few tries. I would think that drilling a hole on the back side of the strap would facilitate punching the front side through. Ward's look wonderful!