Removing/refitting exhaust pipe system

You're going to need gaskets for the exhaust manifolds and the junction of the rear down pipe. You're also going to need some patience. It's a bit of a PITA to re-install. Be sure to keep all harware loose until pipes installed...once properly aligned then you can tighten everything down.

If going through the trouble I would recommend scotch brighting, bead blasting or ceramic coating the headers and Y-pipe to clean them up a bit.

Have fun.

It's a bit of a pain in the arse. Just a bit awkward first time. I do it like this. Remove cans first, loosen header nuts almost to end of threads. These might need some WD40 or similar. Undo bracket under right side of bike that supports header. The 2 sections are held together with a joint a foot down from rear header. Undo this bracket and remove nuts off hear header. You should be able to wiggle the joint apart. If the graphite gasket is shot it will be nice and lose. Support headers and remove front nuts and the headers should come away.

Putting them back is pretty much a reverse. The joint between the rear section with new graphite gasket can be a right pain to get together. I found a bit of copper slip helped and twist it back and forth. When you are happy its all aligned you can do up the header bolts tight. Make sure the headers are aligned at heads properly as if they are stressed when you do them up it will cause a crack somewhere at some point. Good luck!

Ah beaten to it!

Check the gaskets that slot into the heads. They don't often go but give them a check over anyway.

Sorry dude missed that bit Superdan lost both front nuts on a ride out once and the gasket completley unwound. Was a weird site, like a slinky! Man it was so fooking loud A local farmer had spare nuts but without the gasket it was still so noisy. Had to knock ride out on the head. In 50k and perhaps 9 or 10 times of removing the headers I have never changed the gaskets that go in the heads. Always looked ok.[/quote]



BOTH front nutz ??? as in two nuts on exhaust flange stud ??? you don't mean he had two exhaust flange studs per cylinder do you ?? Mine's only got one stud per....

2 studs on the front and he lost them both.

to get that baffle out you will need to remove the whole system. There is no joint underneath the bike. Unless you have a magnet on a piece of flex that you can feed down the headers from the rear header joint once you have that part disconnected. You might be lucky and be able to get it like that.

Having done this quite a number of times over the years on a bike that rides through British Winters I would strongly advise you get a set of replacement copper nuts and studs for the headers. They are not that expensive but if you ever get the situation where the nut has corroded onto the exhaust stud then there is only one of three ways it will work out, (and I've had all happen at some time).

1 The whole stud unscrews from the cylinder head with the nut completely corroded onto the stud making both parts useless and needing replaced.
2 The stud snaps and you have to get it removed with either a stud extractor, (hard) or pay someone else to use a stud extractor, (expensive).
3 You're lucky, the WD40 pre-soak worked and the nut miraculously came off easily.

It's far easier insurance to replace the nuts every few years and maybe even the studs, (I've done all the studs twice since 2007)

Sometimes I've replaced the exhaust washer and other times, like Klinky, I haven't because the part was in good condition.

I had my old headers ceramic coated black. Did look great but if you are going to ride it all year round they will get a brown coating of crud especially around the section at the front cylinder.

Their site seems to be not working properly but here it is http://camcoat.com Seem to remember I paid about £100 to get them blasted and coated matt black. That was headers and Y piece.

I got my pipe ceramic coated for $160 USD. They have several different finishes...I chose satin silver. Has held up well.

Nah it will come off with the bike on side stand. On a paddock stand might make it easier though.

I used wire brush in a drill on my stainless ones. Cleaned up a treat.

i've used steel wool AND those plastic type of Scuffy Pads people use in the kitchen - 3M makes the RED color plastic Scuffy available in most hardware stores out here. Where the corrosion is real bad i grabbed a piece of 400 wet sandpaper and sanded AROUND the pipe ( Not the length to length of pipe ) In fact for the most part ALL the work was done AROUND the pipe --- It's not that big a task - once the pipes are off i spent an hour dressing them up . I used semi Chrome polish on the " Y " section of the slip on and polished it up bright - not like chrome but a good looking shine.

Don't fret too much about the header pipes getting them perfect as once you start back up and they come up to temp it's all gona change color and oxidize again with that patina look ......

cheers