Exhaust issues

[Texas_Steve]

Damn, I must be under a really dark cloud today. Got my Kerker 4:1 in the mail today and went to bolt it onto my '81 Midnight. Studs from the head are too short by about 1/8"!!!!
What gives?!?! Are the Special heads different from the Standards or am I just an idiot that doesn't know how to bolt up a header pipe?
Sitting here in the living room with both sets of pipes in front of me--Factory pipes have a lip on the piece that inserts into the head that is 0.802"; the Kerkers have a lip of 1.06". doesn't appear that the spacers between the lip and the collar that the studs fit through.
Sorry if you are reading this for the second time. I placed a similar bitching rant on the Yahoo forum looking for help.

Am I screwed??

Steve

[Madness]

Steve,

I put a set of Kerkers on my '80 Midnight last summer. I don't know why your studs seem to be too short. The only thing I had to do to get mine to fit was to add a spacer between the head and the flange.

Jim

[Texas_Steve]

Mine seems to be the opposite. The Kerker has a fatter spacer than the factory pipe that keeps the collar farther away from the head and off the studs.
Don't know why they would be different, but they are. Using this opportunity to sand the old pipes and shoot them with some black high temp paint.
I'm making lemonade, know what I mean?

[uk1.1s]

Short studs

Could be that the bike suffered the same problem as my 1.1s.

I found that two or three original nuts (with the hex socket) corroded tight on my exhausts studs and unfastening them brought out the studs. I replaced with some new stainless steel studding which I cut to size from a long length of stud bar I bought at the local fastenings place.

Maybe some one has had to do the same on your bike but fitted shorter studs.

If you really want a fun job this winter you could always get a stud extractor and pullout all the short studs and replace them all !

[Dennyz]

When I purchased my Jardine 4:1, it came with a different size flange spacers. The spacer for the Special was shorter than the space for the Standard.

This would imply that the Special and Standard have different length header studs.

It is not very difficult to change the studs. I had several studs on my Standard with messed up threads. I simply clamped vise-grips on to them and backed them out. I made new ones from stainless steel bolts (cut off the heads).

[tiel]

Studs

I also had to replace my studs when I installed a 4 into 2 system on my 80 standard, I went to a local Nut & Bolt Supply and bought (I believe) the size was 1/4 - 20 X 4" Stainless Carriage Bolts and cut them to the size I needed. I think thats a much better idea than sanding or grinding the pipes! (if I read the post right?)







Tiel (Mark)
80 XS1100 G (project)
80 XS850 (attitude Adjuster)

[Texas_Steve]

Don't know about this. I think I'm going to bolt the old exhaust back on and live with it. I'm not really in the mood to break a stud off in the head while trying to chang them when the thing isn't broken right now
The Kerker will probably just decorate a corner of my garage for now. At least it is running well.

[Texas_Steve]

Decision reached

OK everybody, after reading all the encouraging posts about removing studs, I've decided to grab my nuts and go ahead. Took the bike out this afternoon and ran up to running temp, grabbed a pair of leather gloves and removed the stock headers.
Liberally sprayed the studs with WD40 while still warm. Will allow them to absorb the penetrating oil until morning then try to snatch them out. Can see myself on the way to the auto parts store in the morning for an Easy Out kit
Am just going to try the nut/lock nut method of removal. Wish me luck.

[chopper]

i removed all my studs and replaced them with stainless allen bolts(cap screws) you just buy the length you need....saves spacers

[uk1.1s]

Allen Bolts

Good one chopper - will do that next time my studs seize as I expect allen bolts are much easier to get off after a few winters of salt and crud.