I had Nashua HD install new Samson Powerflow II Stepped Headers with 4" Muffler w/ removable baffleLegend Series - Hell Raisers Massive 2 1/2" One Piece Full Coverage Heat Shields.

They went on over the winter and my husband has been riding with them fine all summer. He has a 2008 Fat Bob.

Two weeks ago we were riding when he started hearing a severe rattle that sounded like a heat shield. We pulled over and were very troubled to find the pipes were actually pulling off the bike.

One of the two manifold bolts had sheared off and both nuts on those bolts were gone, causing the pipe's connecting collar to be almost completely off the remainder of the bolts.

We checked all the other nuts keeping the pipes on, and each was loose.

$300 later the repair shop (NOT Nashua HD) said they couldn't see anything Nashua HD did wrong when installing, except that they thought perhapsthey had not systematically tightened the bolts ones by one, a little at a time each, to keep the pipes going on evenly. But that was just a guess.

Husband drove the bike home and there is still a little bit of rattling although everything seems tight now.

Anyway anyone have any thoughts on this? I didn't think pipe nuts were to be part of the TCLOCK inspection. One would think they were made to stay on their tight for at least a season.








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Sounds like what the repair shop said is right. They did not follow the tightening sequence.
Did they check the lower mount too?

 

Shearing off the manifold sounds to me like they way overtorqued something, but its hard to know for sure.

 

Exhaust bolts should be checked after the heat cycles at least the first few times to make sure everything is holding.

 

Talk to Samson on here. JR will give you the straight dope. It does sound like they were not checked after 100 miles like it recommends to do in the instructions. This is a good practice whenever instslling new exhuast, especially on an unbalanced "A" motor which shakes so much at idle. You can tighten down the heat shields with a 5/16" socket as oppsoed to a screwdriver which will most likely help do away with the rattle.

Always make a habit of double checking all work after a few miles. Parts on Harley's are known to work themselves loose no matter who and how installed.

Drew

Drew

 

All good suggestions guys... I would also ensure they put the right exhaust gaskets in. I put V&H Big Radius 2-2 on my bike this past summer, the V&H instructions call for the use of Screaming Eagle gaskets if the OEMS are burnt up, but having only 800 miles on my scoot at the time I was just going to stay with the OEM parts.

However, the bevel on the header pipe on the Big Radius (and maybe others too) does not match the concave OEM gasket and would not allow for proper alignment and securing of the new exhaust system. It fits perfectly with the SE parts.

I imagine had I not caught it at install, and put the flatter SE gaskets in, I would have had a similar issue to your husbands, maybe not shearing off the bolts but the collar def would have come loose. and the nuts gone hurtling into the weeds.

I recommend caution in removing gaskets, so as not to bung up the exhaust ports

I have had no loosening issues with mine. I check every other week or so since they are pretty easy to get a wrench on.

I would expect the dealer to know this, but ya never know... Good luck peg.

 

Its ALWAYS a good idea on any bike to recheck the torque on all exhaust fasteners after a few hundred miles.

I use anti-seize on most exhaust bolts to avoid galling from the heat, properly torqued, I have not had anything come loose.

 

His bike should not have to be re-dynod, should it?

I guess I'd better check all my pipes bolts too as I had them put on over the winter at the same time.

Lots to learn still!

 

It will not damage the bike to run it as is (without another dyno tune), but to get max performance, a dyno tune is necessary.

That bike, being a 2008, has closed loop EFI, it will adjust as needed (within limits).

Where you would get into needing a tune, is if you went to wide open, short drag pipes and a free flowing air cleaner....that *might* make you run too rich in open loop mode.

 

I'm all for anti seize too after my exhaust nuts seized to the studs and the onlyw ay to get them off was to pull the studs. No need to retune if they are the smae pieps that were on the bike when it was already tuned. Always put new exhaust gaskets as it is cheap insurance they will not leak.

Drew

Drew