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I didn't wanna screw w my Super E n was trying to beat a rich tune in my 98 Superglide by cutting down my baffle length. Long storyshort I lost one by forgetting to tighten it properly then I remembered an old trick I used on one of my shovels by installing a thumb bolt in the pipe to create back pressure.
After making roughly a 5 mile run at a high rate of speed and shutting it down on the fly(don't know how fast cuz I've ditched my speedometer ) I pulled my plugs n they are aperfect tan color.
I lost some midrange torque though. I've ordered another set of universal baffles but thought this was worth posting. This is an older pic of my 98.
Used to make these "lollipops" by welding a washer on the head of a bolt. Seat-of-the-pants tuning by turning the bolt, changing the angle inside the pipe. I stumbled on this by accident when I kept getting busted for no mufflers. I put some "snuffers" in but they made the XLCH sound like amplified frog farts. Pulled the snuffers out but left the bolts in to keep the cop's night stick from being able to go up the pipe. I noticed my off-idle-to-3000 rpm flat spot was reduced. Thought I'd invented something until I told an old HD mech about my discovery. He laughed and told me to use thumbscrews as you did, or to weld a washer on the bolt.
Another trick was to use copper pipe reducers inside the pipes. That'll give you some back pressure, as well as acting like anti-reversion cones. I remember using 1-1/2" to 1" sweat-on reducers for standard 1-3/4" pipes.
Pics are the pipe reducer and some large lollipops used on a 1987 Sloptail. Together, seat-of-the-pants felt like almost no loss of low end-mid-range torque.
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DIY baffles
