OK, I was wrong

[uncledj]

I posted a week or two ago that I was having muffler issues with my 87 standard. I was getting significant flow from the drain hole at the inlet of the muffler on the left side.

I found a replacement muffler, put it on, and while the tone changed, it still has the

"hot rod" sound. As cool as it sounds, it's not the sound I was looking for.

This problem started after loading / unloading the bike on a trailer, after I noticed that the bike hit pretty hard on the trailer when the back tire dropped down onto the ramp. I'm now figuring that the topside of the collector has gotta be cracked. I can see no evidence on the underside of a crack, but it's gotta be there. (on the topside)

When first looking into this problem, I pulled the mufflers, pulled the front two pipes into the collector, loosened the clamps on the back two pipes to the collector, and planned to remove it for inspection, but it wouldn't budge.

After a few tries I looked it over again and thought "there's nothing wrong with the collector" and gave up on removing it.

Well, now I know there IS something wrong with it, so it's gotta be removed.

Which brings me to my question......What's the trick???

I'm sure it's gotta be bolted on, but with all the crud down there, I saw no bolt heads.

If I can get this thing off, I can weld up whatever's broken, but I don't want to chance breaking anything worse than it is by pulling / prying too hard when it's still attached somehow.

Any advise on how to remove this sucker will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2012 by uncledj
forgot to mention what year my bike is

[Flyinfool]

There are a couple of bolts that hold it on. they are really hard to see even if you know where they are.

 

There is a thread from not to long ago with pics to show them.

[uncledj]

I found a picture that shows two mounting points at the front of the collector.

Working outta town until Saturday evening, so Sunday I'll pull it apart and see if I can weld it up.

Thanks.

I love you guys......no, really. LOL.

[frankd]

It's not a bad job....

 

Remove both mufflers.

 

Remove both front cylinder exhaust pipes. You do this by removing the 2 nuts that hold each pipe on the exhaust port (8mm allen wrench bit I think) and then loosening the 2 clamps that hold the pipes in the front of the collector (12mm socket). You may want to remove the 2 collector mounting nuts now. They are inside of the front pipes at the front of the collector and take a 12mm socket. This allows the front of the collector to drop and makes it easier to get the front pipes out of the collector.

 

Loosen the clamps for the bottom of the rear exhaust pipes to the collector pipes. Look at the rear of the collector up at the pipes and you will see the clamps (again a 12mm socket). Then pull the collector down off the rear pipes and it will come out.

 

 

Yes, I had one crack on my 83 when I was 1000 miles from home and had to listen to it for the rest of the trip. Also, I usually don't replace all the gaskets. Unless they are damaged, they will re-seal and they are expensive. The copper rings that seal the front pipes to the exhaust ports will probably stay in the exhaust port. Sometimes the exhaust pipe to collector gaskets stay on the pipe, sometimes they stay in the collector.

 

Frank D.

[Marcarl]

The 2 nuts holding it in place are actually behind the collector, shoved right close to the bottom of the engine. Hard to see and find, but they are there.