How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 429
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How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
I just installed vance and hines pipes on my bike and was wondering how tight do you tighten the flange bolts. They wernt very tight when they came off. I dont have a torque wrench that small. I just got them as tight as i could for now. Are they not suppose to be tight?
Thanks
Thanks
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 658
Likes: 23
From: South Florida
RE: How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
ORIGINAL: bobby5
I just installed vance and hines pipes on my bike and was wondering how tight do you tighten the flange bolts. They wernt very tight when they came off. I dont have a torque wrench that small. I just got them as tight as i could for now. Are they not suppose to be tight?
Thanks
I just installed vance and hines pipes on my bike and was wondering how tight do you tighten the flange bolts. They wernt very tight when they came off. I dont have a torque wrench that small. I just got them as tight as i could for now. Are they not suppose to be tight?
Thanks
1. Tighten nuts at cylinder heads as follows:
a. Install upper nut and tighten finger tight.
b. Install lower nut and tighten to 9-18 in-lbs (1.0-2.0 Nm)
c. Tighten upper nut to 100-120 in-lbs (11.3-13.6 Nm)
d. Tighten lower nut to 100-120 in-lbs (11.3-13.6 Nm)
DJK
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 28,527
Likes: 3,953
From: Vermont
RE: How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
When I installed my V&H duals, I noticed the lack of a torque value on the instructions. I called V&H and was advised by a tech not to torque them down, but to tighten them until snug. I have done that and check them occassionally for tightness like every 1000 miles or so.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 8
From: Minneapolis Area, MN
RE: How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
I've used a fish scale (scale for weighing the fish, not a scale off the fish) hooked on the handle of a ratchet or breaker-bar.
Hook it on the handle and pull the scale keeping it 90 deg to the handle as it turns.
If you hook it at a foot from the center of the socket and pull till the scale reads 5 pounds, you've tightened the nut or bolt to 5 ft-lbs or 60 in-lbs. 1 X 5 = 5 ft-lbs or 12 X 5 = 60 in-lbs.
If you hook the scale at 6" (.5 foot) and pull till the scale reads 10 lbs: .5 X 10 = 5 ft-lbs or 6 X 10 = 60 in-lbs.
The best accurracy is acheived when the scale is attached the furthest from the bolt as possible.
So if you can hook the scale at 9" and you need to hit 100 in-lbs: 100 in-lbs / 9 in = 11.1 lbs on the fish scale. If your scale doesn't go over the value you need to hit, you'll have to get a longer ratchet.
Hook it on the handle and pull the scale keeping it 90 deg to the handle as it turns.
If you hook it at a foot from the center of the socket and pull till the scale reads 5 pounds, you've tightened the nut or bolt to 5 ft-lbs or 60 in-lbs. 1 X 5 = 5 ft-lbs or 12 X 5 = 60 in-lbs.
If you hook the scale at 6" (.5 foot) and pull till the scale reads 10 lbs: .5 X 10 = 5 ft-lbs or 6 X 10 = 60 in-lbs.
The best accurracy is acheived when the scale is attached the furthest from the bolt as possible.
So if you can hook the scale at 9" and you need to hit 100 in-lbs: 100 in-lbs / 9 in = 11.1 lbs on the fish scale. If your scale doesn't go over the value you need to hit, you'll have to get a longer ratchet.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 658
Likes: 23
From: South Florida
RE: How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
ORIGINAL: mtnlvr
I've used a fish scale (scale for weighing the fish, not a scale off the fish) hooked on the handle of a ratchet or breaker-bar.
Hook it on the handle and pull the scale keeping it 90 deg to the handle as it turns.
If you hook it at a foot from the center of the socket and pull till the scale reads 5 pounds, you've tightened the nut or bolt to 5 ft-lbs or 60 in-lbs. 1 X 5 = 5 ft-lbs or 12 X 5 = 60 in-lbs.
If you hook the scale at 6" (.5 foot) and pull till the scale reads 10 lbs: .5 X 10 = 5 ft-lbs or 6 X 10 = 60 in-lbs.
The best accurracy is acheived when the scale is attached the furthest from the bolt as possible.
So if you can hook the scale at 9" and you need to hit 100 in-lbs: 100 in-lbs / 9 in = 11.1 lbs on the fish scale. If your scale doesn't go over the value you need to hit, you'll have to get a longer ratchet.
I've used a fish scale (scale for weighing the fish, not a scale off the fish) hooked on the handle of a ratchet or breaker-bar.
Hook it on the handle and pull the scale keeping it 90 deg to the handle as it turns.
If you hook it at a foot from the center of the socket and pull till the scale reads 5 pounds, you've tightened the nut or bolt to 5 ft-lbs or 60 in-lbs. 1 X 5 = 5 ft-lbs or 12 X 5 = 60 in-lbs.
If you hook the scale at 6" (.5 foot) and pull till the scale reads 10 lbs: .5 X 10 = 5 ft-lbs or 6 X 10 = 60 in-lbs.
The best accurracy is acheived when the scale is attached the furthest from the bolt as possible.
So if you can hook the scale at 9" and you need to hit 100 in-lbs: 100 in-lbs / 9 in = 11.1 lbs on the fish scale. If your scale doesn't go over the value you need to hit, you'll have to get a longer ratchet.
[sm=huh.gif]
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,281
Likes: 8
From:
RE: How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
ORIGINAL: bobby5
I just installed vance and hines pipes on my bike and was wondering how tight do you tighten the flange bolts. They wernt very tight when they came off. I dont have a torque wrench that small. I just got them as tight as i could for now. Are they not suppose to be tight?
Thanks
I just installed vance and hines pipes on my bike and was wondering how tight do you tighten the flange bolts. They wernt very tight when they came off. I dont have a torque wrench that small. I just got them as tight as i could for now. Are they not suppose to be tight?
Thanks
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 916
Likes: 3
From: Mauldin, SC
RE: How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
Snug has always worked for me. Even better than a fish scale.
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Banned
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 32
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From:
RE: How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
but don't forget to re-torque after a 100 miles or so. I just did mine today after putting 100+ miles on the bike after installing the pipes. The definatley tightened up a bit more than I originally had em.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,141
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From:
RE: How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
ORIGINAL: mtnlvr
I've used a fish scale (scale for weighing the fish, not a scale off the fish) hooked on the handle of a ratchet or breaker-bar.
Hook it on the handle and pull the scale keeping it 90 deg to the handle as it turns.
If you hook it at a foot from the center of the socket and pull till the scale reads 5 pounds, you've tightened the nut or bolt to 5 ft-lbs or 60 in-lbs. 1 X 5 = 5 ft-lbs or 12 X 5 = 60 in-lbs.
If you hook the scale at 6" (.5 foot) and pull till the scale reads 10 lbs: .5 X 10 = 5 ft-lbs or 6 X 10 = 60 in-lbs.
The best accurracy is acheived when the scale is attached the furthest from the bolt as possible.
So if you can hook the scale at 9" and you need to hit 100 in-lbs: 100 in-lbs / 9 in = 11.1 lbs on the fish scale. If your scale doesn't go over the value you need to hit, you'll have to get a longer ratchet.
I've used a fish scale (scale for weighing the fish, not a scale off the fish) hooked on the handle of a ratchet or breaker-bar.
Hook it on the handle and pull the scale keeping it 90 deg to the handle as it turns.
If you hook it at a foot from the center of the socket and pull till the scale reads 5 pounds, you've tightened the nut or bolt to 5 ft-lbs or 60 in-lbs. 1 X 5 = 5 ft-lbs or 12 X 5 = 60 in-lbs.
If you hook the scale at 6" (.5 foot) and pull till the scale reads 10 lbs: .5 X 10 = 5 ft-lbs or 6 X 10 = 60 in-lbs.
The best accurracy is acheived when the scale is attached the furthest from the bolt as possible.
So if you can hook the scale at 9" and you need to hit 100 in-lbs: 100 in-lbs / 9 in = 11.1 lbs on the fish scale. If your scale doesn't go over the value you need to hit, you'll have to get a longer ratchet.
[sm=confused06.gif]Invest in a TQ wrench. If you ever do any kind of wrenching on your bike, like changing the oil in all three holes you should always TQ everything down to spec. Just my 2 cents.....
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,558
Likes: 280
From: Russellville, Arkansas
RE: How tight to tight exhaust flange bolts?
For the exhaust nuts...just use a 1/4 rachet with extensions and you're not going to have any trouble. You're not going to develop enough leverage with a small ratchet and one hand to destroy them. If they break while using the 1/4 rachet, they were going to break while using the torque wrench anyway. Those studs very rarely break.
Don't always rely on the torque wrench either...as some threads will be dry/rusty/corroded/lubed...etc. and the torque wrench may be off somewhat. Some places, a torque wrench will just not fit due to extremely small places. Most people do not have a torque wrench on the side of the road either...which is not a bad idea to have a feel for how tight it should be.
Like others have suggested, invest in a quality torque wrench. Good-N-Tight and the Caliberated Elbow work for the most part....but sometimes, they are just not good enough such as tightening headbolts.
If you ride an EVO or Twin Cam....get a torque wrench. If you ride a Shovelhead....well the two other methods work pretty well.
Don't always rely on the torque wrench either...as some threads will be dry/rusty/corroded/lubed...etc. and the torque wrench may be off somewhat. Some places, a torque wrench will just not fit due to extremely small places. Most people do not have a torque wrench on the side of the road either...which is not a bad idea to have a feel for how tight it should be.
Like others have suggested, invest in a quality torque wrench. Good-N-Tight and the Caliberated Elbow work for the most part....but sometimes, they are just not good enough such as tightening headbolts.
If you ride an EVO or Twin Cam....get a torque wrench. If you ride a Shovelhead....well the two other methods work pretty well.
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