Question about how mufflers mount...

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Dec 16, 2008 | 12:36 AM

#11

Gary7

Thread Starter

Road Warrior

Joined: Dec 2008

Posts: 1,530

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From: Upstate, SC

Quote:

Originally Posted by laytonj1

It's a special one time use clamp that's torqued to 50 ft. lbs. That and with the mufflers tied together they ain't going anywhere.

Jim

Well, I've reused those clamps on my Sportster as many as 3 or 4 times before they stretched to the point they were no good. However, I don't think I'll be doing that on the Dyna. hehe

Dec 16, 2008 | 02:01 AM

#12

TOMMAY

Stellar HDF Member

Joined: Mar 2006

Posts: 2,622

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From: Gulf Coast

You can chunk the bracket if you want,serves no useful purpose other than something to scrape if you're leaning a little aggressively in a turn. All it does is hold the two mufflers together and look ugly.

Good Luck

Tom

Dec 16, 2008 | 05:39 AM

#13

Gary7

Thread Starter

Road Warrior

Joined: Dec 2008

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From: Upstate, SC

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOMMAY

Based on your photo, I'd say it serves another very important function: Keeping the mufflers lined up and parallel with each other, which yours clearly are not:

Dec 16, 2008 | 05:51 AM

#14

wkdavistx

Tourer

Joined: Mar 2007

Posts: 448

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From: La Porte, TX

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary7

I have plenty of experience swapping out various mufflers on my Sportster, but I'm curious how the mufflers on a Dyna mount. Can someone tell me if the bracket the arrow is pointing to in this pic bolts to anything other than the mufflers? On the 04 and up Sportster, the equivalent of this bracket is also the crossover pipe for the exhaust and bolts no only to the mufflers but to the engine case.

I'm sure it can vary from year to year, but on most Dyna models/years the bracket you are referring to bolts to the transmission.

Dec 16, 2008 | 08:39 AM

#15

TOMMAY

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Joined: Mar 2006

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From: Gulf Coast

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary7

Based on your photo, I'd say it serves another very important function: Keeping the mufflers lined up and parallel with each other, which yours clearly are not:

Yep,that rear muffler is out of alignment. I've replaced the exhaust clamp but it still sags after a while,really need to drill the muffler and header top and bottom and rivet it in place. It does the same thing with the bracket bolted between the two pipes. The real problem is the rear header is not bent properly so that it lies exactly parallel to the front header.

My original point was and still is that the bracket can be removed with no ill effects and cleans up the appearance of the bike (at least bikes without a sagging pipe

) and gives you more ground clearance. I've run without the bracket for at least thirty thousand miles.

Good Luck

Tom

Last edited by TOMMAY; Dec 16, 2008 at 08:42 AM.

Dec 16, 2008 | 08:49 AM

#16

archergodwin

Elite HDF Member

Joined: Sep 2008

Posts: 4,440

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From: Northwest

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOMMAY

It keeps the mufflers from getting into a resonant vibration and shaking like crazy.... so much so that you will not be able to tighten the clamp enough to keep the pipe from sagging...

I think if you do rivet it at the top, you will either tear the metal or shear the rivet after a few hundred miles.

Dec 16, 2008 | 09:21 AM

#17

TOMMAY

Stellar HDF Member

Joined: Mar 2006

Posts: 2,622

Likes: 7

From: Gulf Coast

Quote:

Originally Posted by archergodwin

What you say makes sense,but my rear muffler sags with or without the bracket so in this particular case it I really think the problem is the alignment of the two header pipes. I picked up a set of new headers off ebay a while back just haven't installed yet,hopefully that will solve the problem.

Appreciate your input,first time I've heard a reasonable explanation of why the bracket is needed.

Thanks

Tom

Dec 17, 2008 | 12:59 AM

#18

SURFOR Chop

Elite HDF Member

Joined: Apr 2007

Posts: 4,919

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From: Seattle, WA

Quote:

Originally Posted by archergodwin

Yeah, just ahead of where the slip-on muffler clamps onto it's respective pipe, is where the pipes are mounted to the frame.

Not to put too fine of a point on it, but technically, they're not mounted to the frame, but to the engine and transmission cases, respectively ... remember the engine is rubber mounted, so the pipes are isolated from the frame (otherwise, they wouldn't last long from the vibration ).

R/
Priest