Progressive Touring Link Chassis Stabilizer Install Question/Resulting Exhaust Leak Issue

[Dr. Dolittle]

A well aimed shot with a ball peen hammer would do. Not distorting the flat mating surface of the header would be a concern.

1 more thought as if you don't have enough of them. I've been looking at the pic and it appears there might be enough room to get a screwdriver blade between the nut and head pipe. If that's the case maybe you can slightly pry up the pipe (indent) it enough to get the room you need to get a socket on.

So, how soft and pliable is the head pipe? These ideas are all great but I feel like it's going to be a lot harder to get a good groove or indentation in that header than just applying pressure with a screwdriver. I also don't want to just start banging with the hammer and mess up the mating surface as Bodeen points out.

 

[Jeff Klarich]

The head pipe is not very thick so I would think it would dent fairly easy. As you can see you don't need that much more room before your good to go. If you have a decent size flat blade screwdriver You can try and apply a little pressure between the nut and the head pipe and see if it indents any. I was thinking if you try that, it would save you some time and you wouldn't have to drop the pipe all the way out. You have several options from the above posts any of which I think will get you the results your looking for.

 

[TQuentin1]

Dr. D,

If you are going to try to dent the pipe to make a "groove" so you can get on the nut easier, I would not do that with a shape edge like a screw driver blade or chisel. That may create a stress point that could crack at that point making it a requirement to replace the header pipe.

I would suggest carefully marking where you need the dent to be, then heating the pipe up to cherry with a torch Then using the side of a 3/8" extension on the part of the pipe where you need the groove and hitting the extension with a hammer to relieve the groove. This may require several cycles to keep the pipe hot enough to deform with repeated mashes on the extension to get the groove deep enough. Support the pipe on a 4x4 fence post or some other wooden support on the other side of the pipe from where you are working.

Take it slow.

Cheers,

TQ

 

[Jennmarr]

Progressive Touring Link Chassis Stabilizer Install Question

Doctor, if I remember correctly, you said that you purchased some 1/4" drive tools to aid this assembly. I do not know what brand of tools you bought, but not all are made equal. Generally speaking, cheaper sockets will have thicker side walls because they use lower grades of steel in their manufacture. Second thought for you is to modify the socket to suit your specific needs here. If you have a grinder, you can shorten the socket or take some material off the OD of the socket to gain some clearance. Last thought, when you reassemble the exhaust, snug that nut first and leave the socket on the nut while you snug the other. Don't take the socket off the problem nut until you are finished torquing all of them to spec.

 

[Dr. Dolittle]

Last thought, when you reassemble the exhaust, snug that nut first and leave the socket on the nut while you snug the other. Don't take the socket off the problem nut until you are finished torquing all of them to spec.

I had a friend suggest this same thing last night. He thinks if I leave the upper nut loose I might have enough wiggle room with the header pipe to create the clearance for the socket.

Honestly, I've been taking a break from the whole thing for a couple days. Maybe tomorrow I'll tinker with it a bit more.

 

[Joyflyin]

Persistence. Stick with it Doc, you WILL WIN This battle. :s

 

[tourbox]

I would not pry with a screw driver between the stud and the pipe. You take a chance of bending the stud and then you would have a problem getting the flange off of it. I would go with Jennmarr suggestion of grinding the OD of the socket down. I have taken a lot off exhaust off Evo's and TC's and usually a lot of wiggling will achieve it. Slightly tighten,wiggle,tighten, wiggle, repeat until tight.
tourbox

 

[Dr. Dolittle]

Sorry it's taken so long but I do feel like I need to make one last post to bring this entire saga to a conclusion.

Several days before my appointment with Hellbender HD to come get the bike, I picked up some overtime at work. This gave me less time to mess with the bike but also gave me some additional funds I wasn't planning on. I kept my appointment and they picked up the bike and set everything right again.

In the meantime, I've reread this thread several times and gone through the Service Manual exhaust removal/install section with a fine tooth comb. I think I know exactly what I was doing wrong now.

I think my only problem was that I was trying to tighten that lower nut last - after everything else was already tight and snug. This was causing the actual header to not budge at all to give me that little bit of socket clearance I needed. The Service Manual specifically instructs you to tighten all of the exhaust flange nuts a bit first while you can still wiggle all the components a little and then works you through tightening all the other locations. For some reason this never registered in my brain and I proceeded to freelance through the reinstall process. BIG MISTAKE!!!

If you go back and look at posts 48, 54, and 64, three of our astute members were giving me advice closely related to what the Service Manual was trying to tell me but I never put two and two together, if you know what I mean.

I can only hope that someone, somewhere will stumble across this thread and learn from my errors. Follow the Service Manual to the letter and carefully read all advice from the knowledgeable forum members here!

 

[Jeff Klarich]

Glad to hear your back in the saddle.:s

 

[Breeze3at]

So happy to hear it's done and over. If you lived on the S. side of ATL I would have come to lend a hand. There's very few reasons I'll drive through ATL, and you now know you ain't one of them.