Exhaust system repair

[Ken Talbot]

Hard to believe, but after all these years, Tsunami has finally got to the stage of needing some repair work on its original exhaust system. Had to remove it and take it over to my guy at the muffler/radiator shop to weld up cracks at the muffler-crossover junction on both sides, plus a bit of a split running up the side of rightside muffler. Not bad for 33 years old and about 126000 kms on the clock.



Gave it a bit of a clean-up with a wire brush in a pneumatic die grinder then bolted back into place. Getting it off was pretty straight forward. Getting it back on is not a process for the faint of heart, or for anyone with a weak vocabulary.

[WMarshy]

Looks like a super job. Your lucky because most people would burn right through that thin stuff.

[mack]

Hi Ken

nice to see you post again albiet to report a repair. Looks good too. Just want to say thanx for the float pin removal tool. I use it a lot and it works like a charm.

[mikubuilder]

here is my repair job











Still deciding if I'm going to paint it or ceramic coat it...but for now, I'm just riding

[motoman]

Hi Ken,
For any heat damage of chrome(1500degrees), Duplicolors High Heat ceramic(1200degrees) Aluminum DH1606 covers nicely and protects welded areas from any future rusting. Absolutly doesn't dis-color or 'yellow' over time either.

[motoman]

BTW, your absolutely correct. They can be a little fiddly, bolting everything loosely then tightening from header flange working your way to rear, keeping any unwanted strain/load from any one point!

[motoman]

Just an FYI.
For anyone with a like issue with an otherwise nice, unobtanium stock exhaust system, if at all possible, tack-weld in several spots while in place......THEN remove and finish welding.
This allows exhaust and broke area to 'relax' in its 'new' location, avoiding any future breaks in same area.
Ideally, except for the 'tack welding while in place'(TIG or arc), the final welding after removal IS best done torch-welding. Reason being, the high heat is spread out over a larger area, allowing molecules to move more freely and reducing the brittle area right next to weld.

I inadvertanly, when my Venturer was new, rode off a curb,two-up in Silverton, Colo. 32yrs. ago. That started the fracture at the collector area.
Forunately, being a cerified welder, had access to all needed equip.
Ran the welding leads out the shop window, tacked in several places, removed and torch welded in shop, leaving a slight hump in weld after grinding smooth.
I have since, about 6yrs. ago replaced the left-side system with NOS, complete with heat shield, clamps and already inserted gaskets. The original, even though visibly perfect, was getting pin-holes in the lower portion of the chrome muffler shell. Easily plug-welded with my TIG, but obviously new was in the future.

Now, forward 32yrs., the right side is still perfect cond., function and visibly. I just cleaned up and better smoothed the weld hump with a flap sand disc on angle head grinder and painted repaired area with the Duplicolor HighHeat Aluminum.

Hope that is of some verbal help to those that still have nice, original, unobtanium exhaust systems that seem to commonly have stress in that collector area over decades of use, and HOPEFULLY not from riding off curbs as I had done.

[skids]

[QUOTE=Ken Talbot;447718]Hard to believe, but after all these years, Tsunami has finally got to the stage of needing some repair work on its original exhaust system. Had to remove it and take it over to my guy at the muffler/radiator shop to weld up cracks at the muffler-crossover junction on both sides, plus a bit of a split running up the side of rightside muffler. /QUOTE]

I hope that the baffle is not shot and trying to escape out of the side!

[motoman]

[QUOTE=skids;447786]

Hard to believe, but after all these years, Tsunami has finally got to the stage of needing some repair work on its original exhaust system. Had to remove it and take it over to my guy at the muffler/radiator shop to weld up cracks at the muffler-crossover junction on both sides, plus a bit of a split running up the side of rightside muffler. /QUOTE]

I hope that the baffle is not shot and trying to escape out of the side!

Maybe you didn't look at his pics of exhaust close enough. Problem was a far cry from that location.

[Ken Talbot]

Still deciding if I'm going to paint it or ceramic coat it...but for now, I'm just riding

Gotta give you major credit, Nick, for even attempting that!

[Ken Talbot]

Hi Ken,
For any heat damage of chrome(1500degrees), Duplicolors High Heat ceramic(1200degrees) Aluminum DH1606 covers nicely and protects welded areas from any future rusting. Absolutly doesn't dis-color or 'yellow' over time either.

Appears that DH1606 has been discontinued, replaced by VHT SP117. I think my local NAPA carries this line.

[motoman]

Appears that DH1606 has been discontinued, replaced by VHT SP117. I think my local NAPA carries this line.

Yep.......NAPA got's what you need That originally is where I puchased the assorted paint colors I have, including the semi-gloss black for frame touch-up. Extremly durable products.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Nick,
You're a better man than me for even attempting a repair on mufflers in that shape! Wow...

I would guess years of riding salted roads in Canada?

I believe those are the worst I've seen.

And I just thought the troubles I had with my Maxim's exhaust were bad...
Haha!

Just goes to show ya...it can always be worse!

[D0wn5h1ft]

Yep.......NAPA got's what you need That originally is where I puchased the assorted paint colors I have, including the semi-gloss black for frame touch-up. Extremly durable products.

I can attest to the semi-gloss as well. had it recommended to me on this site and it's held up better than the original frame paint...

Read the instructions on the VHT paint carefully though...it does require a "bake in" period and will not be chemically resistant as advertised if it is not. If you lay it down and bring the exhaust to full temperature for a long period of time without baking it in, the paint will peel and fail after awhile. Must need some time to "bond" or something.

[mikubuilder]

Hey, I'm a member of a Cheap A$$ Bastards Club too, lol

It's my first bike, to learn to ride, etc. so looks were not on my high priority...