"45" exhaust fitment

[flathead1957]

I am nearing the end of a two year rebuild and am having major difficulties with today's exhausts. I am not restoring this bike, so i am using repop pipes thgat are supposedly for my year and model,but they don't fit. Anyone know where one might find some pipes that will actually allow themselves to be installed ??? The supplier is willing to replace them with new, I am worried they won't be any different. Any suggestions would be great.

[koanes]

My experience with aftermarket exhaust and even NOS Harley has taught me that installing the pipes is something you get to do after a couple hours of "fitting" them to the machine. I start at the front and work my way back, bending, expanding, swedging, cutting and tweaking until things line up the way they are supposed to. I recently order a set for my brother for his 47UL and shortly after picking them up he called and said "no way are these gonna fit". I told him if he couldn't handle the job I would come over and put them on, but he would have to pay me my shop shop rate plus windshield time. This was akin to slapping him in the face with a glove and calling him a sissy. A couple hours later he called back and they were on and fitting and looking good. Flathead, After all the struggles you have likely been through with your resto, whats one more? Sounds like you are close. Good Luck! Kyle

[flathead1957]

I guess I needed that little pep talk. By the way, what is swedging? And how do you expand them?

[B. Rodencal]

I just finished up fitting an exhaust on a 25' JD that I had just taken off. After an hour of struggle, I evoked restorers rule #3 and I put my tools down, walked away and called it a day. The next morning WaLAH! 3 minutes and it went together like butter! FAtDog

[flathead1957]

walah

I actually walked away for overnight cool downs, on three separate occasions. When I knew my next tool was going to be a sledge( is that what sledging is, wait, that was swedging) I decided to call the dealer.

[koanes]

Sorry, I miss spelled swaging. Basically what it means to me is forcing metal through a die of some sort to change the shape of the metal. When I was a plumber, the old master I was working with would say "Get down in the hole boy, swedge that copper line and hook it up to the corporation". We used a die that would expand and flare the pipe for fitment to the water shut off valve. And it did require the use of a two pound hammer. What I was refering to for your application was forcing the pipe into a die to make it truly round or to compress it slightly if it wouldn't fit into the port. If a connection is loose, I use a common pipe expander to bring it out to a snug fit. The expander is available though almost any automotive tool supplier. Sorry to hear you're still having trouble, please let us know how it all works out. Kyle