Putting on an exhaust

Hey all,

I got a used, stock, exhaust and it arrived in the mail a couple of days ago. Now I have to get the old one off and the "new" one on.

I have never done anything with an exhaust system before (aside from making a make-shift wire-hanger for a loose one on a friend's car). Any info you can give me on this would be helpful.

Do I need to get gaskets?
What's it going to take to get those EXTREMELY corroded bolts that attach the header pipes to the exhaust manifold?
Do they all bolt together or will I have to weld?

I know. I'm stupid. Just send me some guidance, please.

 

I would. It's a bummer having to pull it all back apart to fix later!......

Kroil, heat, big hammer, beer, soundproof room where the poetic arrangement of old and new cuss word won't offend the children......

Bolted together. Rusted, corroded, frozen, seized bolts that will make you think they've been welded on, but they really aren't..........honest.

 

Beware however, quite often (like on the 550s) the CLAMPS are welded to the components.

Get some Kroil: http://www.kanolabs.com/google/ This stuff works where all else fails, really. It will be the best $12 you spend trust me.

Use all new gaskets, sealing rings, etc; everything goes together so nicely if you do. The HARD part is getting the old ones out/off. The gaskets between the head pipes and the head may appear to be missing; more likely they're so pounded they look like they're part of the head; they may need to be carefully dug out as well.

 

Chacal, very elegantly put.

Use some steel wool or a fine wire brush for any heavy rust. Steel wool I'd recommend starting with no 1 and moving to 00. make it look good, they aren't fun to pull back off. Putting it on, put the headers into the collector, leaving them loose enough to move into position, trial fit, put bolt in collector to bottom of bike, tighten, then put mufflers on. Start, make sure no exhaust leaks exist and enjoy.

 

Won't the steel wool scratch the chrome? The headers already look pretty good.

Bigfitz and Chacal - any particular procedure I should use with the kroil? Let it sit for a night?

I want to use the right muffler of the system I have on and replace the rest of the exhaust system with the stuff I have. Is this going to be a problem?

Can I use an impact gun on those header bolts (or any of the bolts on the exhaust)? Will it shatter them?

Also, in case I haven't said it recently, you guys rock. Thanks for never making me feel like an idiot.

 

Gosh, what kind of lame-brained questions are THOSE?

You're certainly not an AFLAC duck, are you?


And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming:


Kroil: the more and the longer, the better-er. A little heat never hurts, either...

Impact gun: why not? After a lot of kroil, might not be needed though......

Very fine steel wool will not scratch the chrome to any observable degree, unless your chrome plating is brand new.

No problem with using new and old "sides" of the 650 exhaust system.

 

The longer you let Kroil sit the more it will penetrate; amazing stuff.

mcrwt644's advice is spot-on; I might add leave everything a bit loose, and once you get the whole system on, you can jockey/wiggle tweak until it all lines up. The depth/angle of the crossover joint will affect the alignment of the whole system; get it all nice and straight before you start tightening stuff up.

Steel wool is pretty harsh; ok for old, rusty chrome; but if it's still in decent shape I'd just use chrome cleaner and elbow grease.