79 GS1000L Exhaust Help

[Guest]

My new exhaust will be arriving today. The PO says the stock exhaust has never been off. So here's my question, is there any tip or tricks anyone can give me in taking the old pipes off? Engine warm, or engine cold?

[OldVet66]

Warm is usually better, but I would apply some high quality penetrating oil to all bolts involved several times before trying an exhaust system that has never been removed. What exhaust did you get? I believe Kroil is still the best penetrating oil out there.

[CJS GS1000L]

I got the 4-1 Delkevic. I wish I could have gotten new OE exhaust but that is life. I wish there were more aftermarket 4-2 megaphone style as replicas of the original.

[Nessism]

Agree with the penetrating oil, especially on the header bolts. I strongly advise using a 1/4" ratchet with short handle on those. Do NOT force these bolts or they will snap off. Try to turn them out and if they are stuck, try turning them in instead. Work them back and forth gently, hitting them with heat (torch) and spray oil again and again until you get them to move. Once you get movement keep working them back and forth and eventually you will get them out without snapping them off. Get in a hurry and there is a very good chance at least one of them will snap off.

[OldVet66]

You got a top quality exhaust. It's going to stick out a bit on the "L" frame, you might have to modify the bracket, but if it is anything like my bike you will pick up power throughout the power band and it's very quiet. A world class motorcycle Dragbike champion told me the bike was running as good as it could with factory carburetors. I just bolted the pipes on and tweaked the carburetors a little, hope you have similar results. A GS1000 running right is a bundle of fun.

[CJS GS1000L]

When you say very quiet, does it still have the deep tones? Do you run it with the entire baffle installed? As advertised theres 3 stages with this setup, and fully baffled it states that the exhaust still has a deep tone to it.

You got a top quality exhaust. It's going to stick out a bit on the "L" frame, you might have to modify the bracket, but if it is anything like my bike you will pick up power throughout the power band and it's very quiet. A world class motorcycle Dragbike champion told me the bike was running as good as it could with factory carburetors. I just bolted the pipes on and tweaked the carburetors a little, hope you have similar results. A GS1000 running right is a bundle of fun.

[OldVet66]

It sounds nice. Install it with the full baffle kit. I have pods and am running the DJ Stage-3 jet kit with the DJ142/Mikuni133.1 jets. Compared to the V&H 4-1, that had a Harleyesque blatt to it when cranked, the Delkevic has a more refined tone that is plenty loud when cranked but just doesn't seem as noisy. It will grow on you. I had to slightly tighten the flange bolts through five heating cycles before they seated properly.

[CJS GS1000L]

Do the little springs really keep the pipes tight enough to the collector pipe?

[OldVet66]

Absolutely. The pipes are held on by the flanges and rear bracket. If you loose the bracket bolt they would hold everything together. After you fight with the tool they give you to put the springs on with, see if you are not a believer. You will have to play with the numbered header pipes to get them arranged properly 1-4 left to right then put on the springs so you can move it to the bike. Kind of like the monkey and a football. It's ungainly but you'll get it lined up after fiddling with it a bit. I took my time so I wouldn't scratch anything. The mounting bracket will be the hardest thing because you have an "L" model. Post 78 of this will show you what you need to do. http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...lcavic+headers

[CJS GS1000L]

Hey Vet. What's the trick to keeping the copper exhaust gaskets in the head when fitting the pipes? These pipes aren't exactly a perfect fit and I'm just mocking up the pipes to the head and it seems with all the maneuvering that the gaskets won't stay in the head. A little sticky grease maybe?