Ridgid Panhead Y Pipes

[billpedalino]

VERY nice job - and placing the spring inside the pipe to hold the diameter was very innovative. I'm going to tackle that task for my '53 FLE exhaust this winter - but I'm not a very well experienced sheet metal guy. Now to pick your brain (steal your technique):

I'm probably going to buy an AAOK Y-Pipe; is there a better one to start with? I believe that I read somewhere above about a 'Corso' Y-Pipe. Can you reference that source? Did the pipe crimp very much on the bottom as you heat-bent it? I assume it was minor crimping as from your photos, it looks like you got it all out. Did you remove the crimping by just use of your shrinking hammer? The springs in your pictures look like auto hood springs - is that correct?

Once again - very nice work. Thanks for sharing it with the forum - and what a nice bike as well !!

[exeric]

I remember this post by Doug and I've been thinking about it because I plan to use his technique this week on my '48. Thanks Doug.

[D.Mac]

I got the pipe I used from Tedd, I've heard that they are supplied by Corso. I think the nipple for the rear cylinder is pretty close to correct, but I had to use a die grinder to open up the small, jagged hole as supplied. The tighter the spring fits the pipe, the less it can crimp. Also the spring needs to be wound tight (no space between the coils). I used a solid, tight fitting piece of pipe in the inlet end to put in the vice. I bent the tube using a good length of "cheater bar"so I could go easy on the heat, I also tapped the outside of the bend with a flat faced body hammer while bending the hot pipe. I think I reheated the inside part of the bend and used a round faced hammer to touch it up (with the spring still inside). I had several different springs, (I live close to a scrap yard ), I think the one I used was a truck hood spring of unknown origins.
Good luck guys, I hope this works for you.
Doug.

[billpedalino]

Since following this thread, I've been reading the Carl's Supply ad in the AMCA Magazine. He now supplies the Y-Pipe. It even has the correct wide saddle at the Y-Joint. From the advertisement, it looks very nice. Having seen his 1941-sytle muffler at Oley one year, it seems like he offers high-quality replica products. Does anyone know if Carl's Y-pipe has the correct bend? It would be nice to avoid the heat bending if a new part with the correct geometry is now available.

Please note that I'll also post this thread under the Suppliers section of this forum.

[Rollo]

See my rersponse about Carl's y-pipe in the Vendors section. Had a long conversation with him at Wauseon about this very subject.

Tom (Rollo) Hardy
AMCA # 12766