Today I did a project that was kind of experimental - I took off my Khrome Werks slash cut slip-ons, cleaned everything up, and added an inexpensive adhesive-backed exhaust foil sealing tape to the stock header connection. This little 883 has always been very 'fumey', when stopped. A few weeks back I mentioned this to a friend, and he put his hand near the joint and said, "Oh yeah, you can feel it." I checked too, and I was surprised at how easily I could feel escaping exhaust, front and rear.

Now of course there's nothing wrong w/the scent of 94 octane Sunoco burning thru a V-twin. But it was pretty strong, all the time except while moving, and I didn't know just how bad the seal was until I felt it.

I picked up the sealer tape from AutoZone, just a simple small roll of aluminum exhaust tape, about $6, rated to 500°. Maybe 2" wide and perhaps total length was 2'? (Just guessing) Khrome Werks instructions talk about the 'option' of using some kind of seal help when fitting them up... well I got news for them: it ain't optional. They should most definitely INCLUDE that with their mufflers.


The end of the front header took 1 overlapping wrap of tape, and then I cut a half-wide strip longways, and added that at the edge. So it was like 2.x layers of seal thickness.

The rear pipe took 3 or 4 layers of tape, and the slip-on was STILL a little loose after the front clamp was tightened VERY tight. But with 1 layer only of alum tape... that thing was just wiggling free!! Like the stock Harley 9/16" clamp bolt wasn't tightened AT ALL. Sheesh. (The 2 lower 5/16" mounting bolts on each muffler were fitted but not tightened. I wanted to see how well the clamp held the mufflers on its own.) The rear SORELY needed those xtra wraps. After using all that was left, the rear was much better. Still not 'tight tight tight!!!!!!', as I thought it would've been with the clamp mashed down. But much better.

When I first put these on, I did a post (either here or on another forum) and talked about how the position of the header clamp affects how well the muffler heat shields dovetail into the header shields. (see attached) I was inclined to slide the clamps forward for a more seamless look on the shields. But this time I erred on the side of the better seal, and it once again looks like the picture. The clamps need to be closer to the joint, I think.

So the moral of the story is, if you have a Sporty and you fit Khrome Werks slash cuts to it, KW does not cut out nearly enough of a space on their slip-ons to allow the exhaust clamp to fully constrict against the header. It REALLY needs xtra wraps of something to form a seal.

 

Ya. That would bother me as well. The connection on my Supertrapp is very tight but I still see soot around the connection so you know it leaks a little. I can imagine a poor fit could pump out a lot of exhaust.

 

SuperTRAPP sounds like nothing else. I still remember, decades ago, some dude on a V-MAX was popping little wheelies from light to light, and he hadda ST on there, and that GD thing sounded like a thousand little Rosie the Riveters, all going at it. LOL !!!

 

The service manual says to replace the (Torca) clamps when reassembling the mufflers to the exhaust pipe for some reason, and tighten to 45 to 65 foot pounds

 

When I removed my clamps I was surprised at how tight they were. I thought I would break something getting them loose.

 

Yes, those clamps seem to get weak (soft) once they are used. Some of the part numbers for clamps on the Big Twins have changed recently (reverting back to an older part number), not sure about Sportsters.

I ignored the factory callout to not reuse muffler clamps, until I noticed one of my Tri Glide mufflers was hanging by the rear mount and not even connected to the pipe at the front...

 

I reuse the clamps, put never seize on the threads and tighten them till they scream.
YMMV

 

If all 2017 exhaust headers are the same then yours like mine should have this gasket on the end of the header:
https://shop.ironcitymotorcycles.co....muffler-header

 

Really??? “for some reason” … EXACTLY. Y inna world would U replace them? They’re well made behemoths. Mine still work perfectly.

I believe the problem is that KWs doesn’t make the compression slit wide enough on the muffler. When i tighten the clamp the space in the muffy closes before the grip on the header is tight. But i’m guessing cause i can’t C watz going on under there.

Just glad I did this. Nothing critical but glad i did

 

I like that thing. 😆

This project coulda used that.