When I took my bike apart that gasket was missing from the factory. The crossover pipe end was excessively crimped from tightening the clamp without the gasket in there. I straightened out the end of the pipe and made a gasket (none in stock at my dealer either) out of aluminum foil. I've since gotten the new gasket I ordered but my aluminum foil gasket is doing such a good job (over 1,000 miles - no leaks) I'll just leave it until I need to take it apart for something else.

 

Watching this one... Have the same set up on the way from FM >>
FM head pipe, 4.5" Pro Touring Muffs, PC-V and a stage one air filter. Talk about the anticipation!

2010 Ultra Classic

 

After you put a couple hundred miles on it, retorque the header bolts.

 

Really sorry to hear this... As others have posted, make a temp or take up LP on his gracious offer. Same thing happened to me when I did the install, but only because I didn't take the crossover pipe off and tried to install the header with the crossover on.

If the orginal isn't tore up to bad. Flatten it back up with a screw driver, use a wrench to expand the crossover pipe tangs a little so it will go over the header easier, and then coat it with 1/4" of muffler joint seal or high temp RTV (copper). It only needs to seal till you get the new gasket.

 

Took lp up on his offer. Thanks again man. I do have a question for those that have installed the FM 2-1-2 header. I can't seem to get the header pipe to seat inside the head. I have read threads on this and I know it isn't tapered like the stock pipe. But is the FM pipe supposed to seat inside the head at all ???

JR: So you say you should install the header pipe and then attach the crossover pipe??? If so I am glad you said that because I was gonna put the crossover pipe on before I install the header.

 

I installed the headpipe and got it all torqued down first. Then I started working the crossover, crossover bracket, then installed the mufflers. I left everything (except the headpipe which was already torqued) loose until I got it all lined up then began tightening up a little at a time. Since your crossover has been used before, be sure to expand the end that connects to the headpipe. When all components were new, the crossover slid over the cylindrical gasket without any problem what-so-ever. I put a little light lubricant on the muffler joints just to make assembly a little easier.

Buz

 

With the exception of expanding the crossover, this is exactly how I did mine a couple of weeks ago. It was a bit of a pain getting the headpipe all installed and bolted in since the tolerances are pretty tight on the FM, but following the bolting sequence actually makes it a bit easier.

 

The FM headpipe will not seat down "in" the gasket because it is a different collar and is not tapered like the stock one (I think it is better honestly). Hence the flanges don't seat as far down on the studs like when using the stock header. I know it seals, cause when I pulled it off, I could see exactly how the collar was seated on the gasket. Nice and shiney on both the gasket and the collar, black carbon inside coating both. This is one of the reasons the original gasket can be re-used if they are in good shape.

As far as the crossover. Get the head pipe installed first. Then expand the tabs some on the crossover with a crescent, they were compressed when originally installed by the clamp. Make sure your clamp is already orientated and on the header or crossover. Have your wife feed it through from the left (I suggest with the muffler already slipped on the crossover and something on the deck to prevent scratching). You are on the right and align it then work it over the head pipe, add the crossover hanger hardware finger tight and the muffler bolts finger tight. Then start torque from the head pipe back. Then recheck the carriage bolt. Take it through a heat cycle, checking for leaks, then another heat cycle and check torque on everything.

 

So basically the head pipe rests against the heads and not inside like the stock pipe????

 

I had some popping going on with my pipes. I came home after a ride and tightened all the bolts and got rid of most of my popping. Dyno tuning took care of the rest. I did need a "crow's foot" wrench for 1 of the bolts that I couldn't get a socket on.