FXDF header swap...
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Bay Area, NorCal
FXDF header swap...
For the other '010 F-Bob owners out there who like the Tommy Gun exhaust but don't like the cat that comes with it, this post might interest you.
Last night I installed an '09 cat-less header that I picked up off ebay for a reasonable price. Install was very straight-forward: pulled off the Rushes, disconnected the O2 wires and then pulled off the OEM header. Brushed a little anti-sieze on the O2s and screwed them into the '09 header (same fit and location as '010), then fit the '09 header up to the motor. I had intended to use a pair of the SE "flat" exhaust gaskets, but noticed that the '09 header had short bell-shaped pipe ends, and not the slightly longer tapered ends like the '010. Since my bike is still very new, I decided to reuse the OEM gaskets and hope for the best. Reconnected the O2 wires, slipped on the Rushes using the same muff clamps (I know, I know, you're supposed to change those too with every install, but I was really hoping to get lucky), then torqued everything down in proper sequence according to the manual. Crossed my fingers, turned on the ignition, then hit the starter button.
It sounded great, and no leaks. I let it run for about 3 min at which point the headers were starting to glow, then shut it down. After cool-off, I slightly retightened the exhaust nuts and installed the shields. Today I took the bike out for an hour, and so far so good. My first impression is that the exhaust seems to have just a bit more "bark" to it, especially when you blip the throttle, but overall does not sound much louder than before. In terms of outright performance gains, doesn't feel any different than before, but just knowing that I have a freer-flowing exhaust now makes the bike better in my mind.
Moderators: this post probably belongs in the "exhaust" section, but I thought it might reach more viewers on this side of the forum.
Last night I installed an '09 cat-less header that I picked up off ebay for a reasonable price. Install was very straight-forward: pulled off the Rushes, disconnected the O2 wires and then pulled off the OEM header. Brushed a little anti-sieze on the O2s and screwed them into the '09 header (same fit and location as '010), then fit the '09 header up to the motor. I had intended to use a pair of the SE "flat" exhaust gaskets, but noticed that the '09 header had short bell-shaped pipe ends, and not the slightly longer tapered ends like the '010. Since my bike is still very new, I decided to reuse the OEM gaskets and hope for the best. Reconnected the O2 wires, slipped on the Rushes using the same muff clamps (I know, I know, you're supposed to change those too with every install, but I was really hoping to get lucky), then torqued everything down in proper sequence according to the manual. Crossed my fingers, turned on the ignition, then hit the starter button.
It sounded great, and no leaks. I let it run for about 3 min at which point the headers were starting to glow, then shut it down. After cool-off, I slightly retightened the exhaust nuts and installed the shields. Today I took the bike out for an hour, and so far so good. My first impression is that the exhaust seems to have just a bit more "bark" to it, especially when you blip the throttle, but overall does not sound much louder than before. In terms of outright performance gains, doesn't feel any different than before, but just knowing that I have a freer-flowing exhaust now makes the bike better in my mind.
Moderators: this post probably belongs in the "exhaust" section, but I thought it might reach more viewers on this side of the forum.
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