Being happy pleased with the purchased VH Product ID : 16839 "Twin Slash 3" slip Ons"for my 2011 Harley Sporster superlow I was concerned about instruction stating on page one # 2 indicating to "Loosen, but do not remove, the two head pipe mounting nuts from each flange......." I'm not sure as to why this is instructing me to do it? Would not loosening the exhaust gaskets from original seal at factory and then re-tighten not properly seal the exhaust gasket causing it to fail? Isn't the exhaust gasket a crush type and once torqued down the first time it has been spent. I'm sure this has been thought through but I don't find any discussion about it on line. I'm guessing, that loosening might provide a little play so as to get original mufflers off the cross-over pipe and the new ones on the cross-over pipe. However I'm still a little apprehensive about re-torquing down the exhaust nuts if the exhaust gaskets already have been crushed (sealed) once already. Or are the exhaust gaskets designed with significant thickness and designed with future re-torque possibilities? I just don't know........

 

By "losen" I'm sure they mean just enough to allow each engine pipe a certain amount of movement back and forth [you'll be wiggling/pulling back and forth trying to get your old mufflers off trust me] without damaging the gasket. If you left the pipe tight and moved it back and forth while trying to get the old mufflers off you would crush the gasket[s] in the directions of movement and then there's a possibility that you'd have to replace it/them.

Oh and welcome to the forum!!

=8^)

 

Ok that makes sense during install...... So it's ok to re-torque the exhaust nuts then....

I've emailed Vance/Hines 3 days ago with no answer.....

Anybody know the torque on those bolts in inch pounds? I've heard 96 to 120

Conversion is 8 to 10 standard pounds?

Thanks for the welcome