ok,first off I have read plenty of past posts on this subject,with that said I'm not sure what may apply to my situation.
My bike-06 ultra with- SE air cleaner, V&H dresser dual head pipes,just installed V&H 4" twin slash rounds to replace not for street use SE slip-ons
(too loud)
I had the stage one download done way back when.Should't this have taken care of the popping?
I have over and over again checked for leaks around exhaust,and I can't seem to tighten enough to get the slightest little whisp of exhaust from coming out around the slip-ons.
My question is: Will this popping not go away without something else being done,and will this hurt the engine in any way.The bike seems to run out very nicely and the new pipes sound great,they get mellow at cruise speeds,and the bike did have this decel pop before the new slip-ons.Thanks for the help,Mark

 

I don't think you will ever be able to detect a small exhaust leak by looking for exhast coming out at the seam.

Did you use anything to seal the joint? You should use a leberal amount of anti-seize on the joint.

Popping on decel is most often associated with an exhaust leak.

 

After I installed Rush slip-ons, Arlen Ness big sucker and Power Commander I downloaded a map that was very close to what I had installed. After a while I started getting the popping. I called Power Commander and they provided another map to match my setup. Popping was gone but returned after a month or so. I called Power Commander again and they walked me through a procedure that allowed the software to determine what values, in the map, needed to be tweaked. Once I went through this and reloaded the modified map provided by that procedure the popping stopped. Hasn't been back for over 6 months. If it does return I'll follow the procedure again to see if the map gets tweaked.

The explanation was that as the slip-ons break in the relationship between the added components change therefore the map needs to change. I'm thinking as the insulation in the slip-ons deteriorate this will also cause a change which will require a remap.

This was my experience. Hope this helps.

 

Hey Mark

Nice look'n 6 btw

Since you have already read many of the post about decel then you understand this is a gremlin that some can't shake. Since you already have duals then you've gotten rid of the one thing that causes the majority of decel pop IMO, the crossover pipe.

Other causes are not only leaks in the slip joints but leaks at the exhaust port and the intake port/throttle body too. To find these you warm up your bike and spray carburetor cleaner or WD40 around the intake connections. If you hear your motor rev up a little then there's a leak. This leak will lean out your fuel ratio. It's hard to find and you must be patient.

Another issue is air reverberation. This is when the sonic pulse of the exhaust comes back into the mufflers drawing air with it. This added air mixes with unburned fuel in the pipes then gets it's ignition source from the exhaust port spark....pop. This is more common with open pipes or baffles 2.0 or larger.

You can seal all of your slip on joints with Hi temp Copper RTV. Apply to the inside of the female joint about the thickness of a business card and as wide as a cigarette and about 3/4" just inside the joint. Slip the joint together and wait 24 hours before tightening. Don't cheat.

If your head gaskets weren't replaced when you converted to TD's then go ahead and replace them now when fixing the slip joints.

If this doesn't cure the decel pop you should look at adding fuel to your 0 to throttle position at the RPM's you get the pop at, normally starting at 1750 to 3500 RPM. Unfortunately the only way to do that is to purchase and install a fuel management system such as a PC, SEST or TTS. Note: the auto tune systems will require you to install 02 sensor bungs in your head pipes.

You also ask if your pop will simply go away. It is rare this will go away on a pre 02 sensor bike it's own but rest assured it will not hurt your motor, just your ego.

 

In reading your post I didnt see any mention of a fuel mgt system. Decel popping can
be running to lean.[fuel/ air mixture]. Stock HD are LEAN, much due to EPA regs. My
suggestion would be install a good fuel management system. I have a PC-V, and a matching map for my bikes mods. Jamie at Fuel Moto does an excellent job in this area. Fuel Moto is a Sponsor of this Forum. The toll free # is 877 729-4754..... hdman

 

Another way to check for leaks is to blow smoke at the joints in question.

This is sometimes handy before undertaking the task to remove the headpipes.

 

Hey Mark, Beautiful red Ultra you've got there. It think I may have told you that before but it bears repeating. Okay, I'll probably get super flamed here but oh well...

You don't mention if you're running a fuel management system on your bike, however, a lot of folks are. Personally, I can't help but have serious doubts about the cost vs benifits vs trouble-free riding that one of these systems brings. My bike, an '09 FLHX, is bone stock in the "performance department", save for Rinehart slipons and a K&N air filter. I've got 17K on my bike and the performance is more than adequate. Yes, it gets hot, but so far, not too hot, meaning no overheating, pinging situations. And I've been stuck in hot Aug +100 degree traffic for up to an hour and the bike never pinged, although, the Engine Heat Management System did kick in a time or two. Also, never have I had any decel popping. Just sayin'...

I know the primary argument for using one of these costly fuel management systems is supposedly engine longevity due to less heat generated over the life of the engine. This argument MAY be a valid one, but I'm still not sold. Also, you'll never convince me that the performance gains from simply squirting a bit more fuel into the cylinder is such that it warrants the additional $$$ to add. Please understand I'm not talking about more major modifications where headwork and cams come into play. Then, obviously, some type of more elaborate fuel management setup must be employed... As with most things, it just seems that the less you do to your nearly stock H-D the fewer problems you'll have with it. Just my .02 cents.

I agree with Mr. Wizard and his approach for finding a solution to your decel popping woes. That would also drive me nuts.

 

I had a little decel popping and did not have an exhaust leak. Getting a PC-V is where I would start. If you still have decel popping then you richen up the fuel mix by 5% on the zero throttle setting. I had to do this and problem was solved.

Shine a flashlight on the exhaust joints and blow smoke on the exhaust joints. I also used soapy water when the pipes were cool. You can see the water flow if there is a leak. Small leak is probably not a big problem, but if you are concerned then use Permatex Copper Sealant on the joints. Let the sealant dry for at least 24-36 hours depending on how warm it is. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks to everybody so far.I don't have any type of fuel management system on the bike.I was originally under the impression that the stage 1 download was going to be sufficient for only changing the A/C and exhaust,Of course this info I got from the dealer that re-mapped it,which he told me about the popping "you'll have that"
I wasn't really looking to put a bunch more money into it now,been out of work for awhile (knee replacement again).As for what Navy said I want to make sure of the cost vs.benefit,why does the re-map not take care of this isn't that what it supposed to do??Maybe the $159.00 to remap could have been spent better elsewhere.As for the very light exhaust leak that I can feel with my hands around the joints I will address that with the copper rtv.this week.

 

Hmmm, all this mention of smoke, joints and headpipes....Are we talking pot party here? lol