Hi guys / gals! Been a while since I posted something here. But that doesn't mean I haven't been reading and riding--thanks for all the great info! I'm hoping someone here can help me with an issue I have been having with my exhaust system since I installed Vance and Hines straightshot slip-ons yesterday. Took me 7 hours and I know it should have only taken 1 to 2 hours. Even with massive amounts of WD-40, getting the stock slip-ons off took 2 hours just for that. Then putting on the new slip-ons took 3 hours. In the middle of all of this, I tore off the rear exhaust pipe head from the cylinder housing (I had already loosened the flange bolts, so it did not break) and twisted the retaining gasket. That was a headache I didn't need. V&H instructions said to loosen everything--but this made it impossible to twist on the new slip-ons as there was nothing to keep the pipes firm so that I could push in the new slip-ons. I put everything back on very tight and was eventually able to get the slip-ons in. However, once I started the bike up, smoke started coming out of the clamps that hold the chrome shields onto the pipes (new clamps for the V&H were fine--no smoke; only coming from the old clamps). It is a lot of smoke and smells intense. I'm wondering if this could be from all the WD-40 I used? Other than the massive amounts of smoke coming from the clamps, everything else looks good.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

-Chris

 

More than likely, it's the WD40. It probably got "everywhere" on the header pipes during the process. It should burn off within a couple of minutes of getting hot.

 

+1 on wd40 especially since you were wrestling with them. Check the flange bolts after a few good rides and then on occasion. I didn't think I needed to as I used Loctite. I lost 3 of the 4 before I realized it. lol.

 

The temperature at the exhaust studs exceeds the melt point of Loctite, so it's of little use there.

 

Thanks for the advice. I started the bike up again and waited a bit. Smoke is a bit less, but still coming. I'm also noticing that the clamps have turned black and that the header pipes are getting more blue than ever. I think the pipes are running much hotter than before? I put in a high flow K&N filter (Figure Machine) and the new V&H slip-ons. No fuelpak or dyno tuning yet. I've already ordered the V&H fuelpak. Maybe I should stop running the bike until I put in the fuelpak? I did, however, take the bike out for a 5 minute ride and it rode really, really good. I'm guessing bike might just be running very lean and pipes are much hotter as a consequence?

Thoughts?

 

Getting blue that quickly? Put the tuner on before you hurt it.

 

Get 5/16-24 serrated flange nuts and never have a problem again.

 

Sounds like you have a poor seal between clamps and slip ons. I would double check them and the flange nuts as well as said earlier. Then send your fuel pack back and get some xieds from dk customs and save some money.

 

Slyedog: are you referring to the big manifold clamps that cinch the slip ons onto the header pipes? I checked those and if I go any tighter, I'll collapse the header pipe. The clamps I'm seeing the smoke from are the ones that hold the chrome shield onto the header pipes--in the upper part, near the cylinder head. Thanks for the serrated flange nut idea, though!

 

You should replace the exhaust port gaskets. Do you have a torque wrench? If not you need one. 120inch lbs for the stud nuts. Once this is done you should have no issues. The hose clamps that hold the heat shields to header pipes have no reason to keep smoking unless you sprayed whole can of WD on them. There is nothing there to cause it besides the manifold leaking at top, and an exhaust leak will blue your pipes very fast. Do this before you install fuel pack.