Harley Davidson Forums

Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Will Exhaust Leak Hurt?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Dec 25, 2010 | 10:38 AM
Share
  #1  
ronbeejer's Avatar
ronbeejer
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 285
Likes: 37
From: Idaho
Default Will Exhaust Leak Hurt?
Jackpot 2-1-2 header, PCV, stage one a/c and Jackpot muffs... In a nutshell, the gasket in the cross pipe blew out (completely out) due to an error by my mechanic. There is an obvious exhaust leak at that point now. Have to wait till Wednesday to get it fixed.

Question... Will riding the bike with this exhaust leak cause any problems other than the unpleasant noise coming from it? We have some family here and a couple want to go for rides on the Harley, lol...

Thanks and Happy Holidays all!
 
Reply
0
Old Dec 25, 2010 | 10:40 AM
Share
  #2  
FDHOG's Avatar
FDHOG
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,275
Likes: 241
From: Highlands, NJ
Default
I can't see it causing any problems. You know it's a leak and not a rich or lean condition.
It might cause problems with your neighbors.
 
Reply
0
Old Dec 25, 2010 | 10:57 AM
Share
  #3  
1flhtk4me's Avatar
1flhtk4me
Seasoned HDF Member
15 Year Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,675
Likes: 95
From: Billings,Mt.
Default
Originally Posted by FDHOG
I can't see it causing any problems. You know it's a leak and not a rich or lean condition.
I agree.
It's not like a leak at the heads which would be a problem.

Along with others,mine was also difficult to install.The gasket was all tweeked out after a couple of attempts but it didnt leak.
 
Last edited by 1flhtk4me; Dec 25, 2010 at 10:59 AM.
Reply
0
Old Dec 25, 2010 | 11:09 AM
Share
  #4  
TickTock's Avatar
TickTock
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,678
Likes: 3
Default
Originally Posted by ronbeejer
Jackpot 2-1-2 header, PCV, stage one a/c and Jackpot muffs... In a nutshell, the gasket in the cross pipe blew out (completely out) due to an error by my mechanic. There is an obvious exhaust leak at that point now. Have to wait till Wednesday to get it fixed.

Question... Will riding the bike with this exhaust leak cause any problems other than the unpleasant noise coming from it? We have some family here and a couple want to go for rides on the Harley, lol...

Thanks and Happy Holidays all!
I can't take credit for this, but there is a thread here somewhere that described the easiest way to replace this gasket. I went back into mine after reading it and it works very well. The poster described using an exhaust expander from harbor freight (medium). Once you pull the crossover pipe out, just use the exhaust expander to open it up. The new gasket will slide right in with a slight bit of pressure and you can push it down fully with a socket the same size as the gasket. Once you have it in the crossover pipe it will fit nicely over the jackpot header pipe.

Good luck!
 
Reply
0
Old Dec 25, 2010 | 11:25 AM
Share
  #5  
CigarCritic's Avatar
CigarCritic
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 975
Likes: 8
From: Houston
Default
Originally Posted by TickTock
The poster described using an exhaust expander from harbor freight (medium).
A crescent wrench worked for me. Although, I did install a new gasket.
 
Reply
0
Old Dec 25, 2010 | 11:58 AM
Share
  #6  
TickTock's Avatar
TickTock
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,678
Likes: 3
Default
Originally Posted by CigarCritic
A crescent wrench worked for me. Although, I did install a new gasket.
How do you use a crescent wrench to round back out the pipe?
 
Reply
0
Old Dec 25, 2010 | 12:57 PM
Share
  #7  
dog155's Avatar
dog155
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,389
Likes: 26
From: Windham,Maine
Default
Other than standing out in a crowd no problem for the motor.
 
Reply
0

Trending Topics

Old Dec 25, 2010 | 01:58 PM
Share
  #8  
mkguitar's Avatar
mkguitar
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
Default
hmmm,

I'd be careful, the hot gasses exiting into air (containing oxygen) can result in a cutting torch effect and require replacement of pipe.

...and can those hot gasses burn anything else nearby?

Mike
 
Reply
0
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Dec 25, 2010 | 03:09 PM
Share
  #9  
ronbeejer's Avatar
ronbeejer
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 285
Likes: 37
From: Idaho
Default
I appreciate the answers...
mkguitar... your reply got my attention though, hadn't heard of that happening. Nothing too close as the leak is right at the point where the header meets the crossover and that is all underneath everything.

I'm very confident with the mechanic who works on my bike. It was just one of those things (screwing up the gasket) that can happen to anyone. The problem lies in that he doesn't have another gasket in stock and neither do either of the Harley dealerships in the area. I will be making a 160 mile round trip on Tuesday to the next closest dealer on Tuesday to get one... so he can put it in on Wednesday.

But I think I can get away with a couple of "rides around the block" today, and my neighbors will just have to tolerate the extra noise, lol.
 
Reply
0
Old Dec 25, 2010 | 03:14 PM
Share
  #10  
mfuchs2004's Avatar
mfuchs2004
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 507
Likes: 1
From: Portland, OR
Default
Originally Posted by mkguitar
hmmm,

I'd be careful, the hot gasses exiting into air (containing oxygen) can result in a cutting torch effect and require replacement of pipe.

...and can those hot gasses burn anything else nearby?

Mike
Would be my worry. Might want to cover frame, etc with a piece of duct tape where the exhaust jet hits if needed.
 
Reply
0



Advanced Search
Reply Closed Thread Share
Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:51 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE