1982 GS850G with a muffler issue...

[legaleli]

I am going to try my best to explain this - but I will probably have to take a picture. There is a rust hole at the join, on each side, where my muffler joins into the pipes (where the two pipes become one). The hole is at a weld on the bottom of each muffler/pipe join. The pipes seem fine other than that, and the mufflers seem fine as well. I suspect this is a common problem, and has something to do with the method used to join the metal of the "two into one" on each side.

I can't see for sure, but I do not believe that the muffler is compromised. It looks as if the whole thing will have to come off and I'll send it to a shop to get the holes welded up.

I noticed when I started my bike just when I got it that the pipes leaked there - but at the time I thought it was a bad set of seals... and it was not until I inspected it that I discovered thew rust issue.

Is there something I'm missing here (i.e. pack it in and buy a new system), or is there a place on this site for me to get some "do's and don'ts" concerning pipe/muffler repair?

[Steve]

Are you sure it's a rust hole? Take a good look at the hole again. If it's a neat hole, just under 1/8" across, and sitting at the lowest point of the exhaust system, it's a drain hole. It's there to allow condensation to drip out until the system gets hot enough to turn it all to steam and keep it in the air stream all the way to the back.

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[DanTheMan]

Are you sure it's a rust hole? Take a good look at the hole again. If it's a neat hole, just under 1/8" across, and sitting at the lowest point of the exhaust system, it's a drain hole. It's there to allow condensation to drip out until the system gets hot enough to turn it all to steam and keep it in the air stream all the way to the back.

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Second that. Those are drain holes. If you've got a car with an uptilted muffler, it's got one too.

[legaleli]

I will take pictures...

You know what? One of them "I think" looks like a little hole that was machined... but I'm going to take pictures and get back to everyone!

This is a great site... time for me to donate.

[Steve]

You know what? One of them "I think" looks like a little hole that was machined...

It's possible that over the years the holes might have been enlarged a bit by rust, so will be a bit ragged, that's why the suggestion was made to notice whether they are in the lowest point of the system, where water might collect.

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[legaleli]

A picture is worth a thousand words...

The following are the "holes" where the water drain holes should be - the right one appears to be in better shape than the left...



The pics on the top are self explanatory - the pics on the bottom are from the bottom of my bike at the joins of the muffler and the pipes.

[DanTheMan]

Looks like you've got some obvious rust damage there at the collector, especially on the left side. Kind of looks like it was whacked too. My L has two small drain holes in that area, but they don't look quite like that. I think it has rusted out there on both sides.

legaleli said "I can't see for sure, but I do not believe that the muffler is compromised. It looks as if the whole thing will have to come off and I'll send it to a shop to get the holes welded up."

I don't think it can be welded up, there's not enough material there either. I haven't had to replace mine, so I really don't know what is available.

[legaleli]

Worried about buying a new set-up...

I'd like to buy a new pipe and muffler system but I'm worried about jetting, intake etc... I haven't had this running right as it is... I just bought it... I'll have to think of something...

It REALLY is time for me to donate to this site...

[piester]

if you get an exhaust that is similar to stock then you shouldnt have to worry about jetting. when i had my 850 i just had straight pipes on it with the stock airbox and did plug chops and found that it wasnt lean in any place. or if your still worried you can always get a dj1 kit.

[legaleli]

I think I'm going to need more help...

Well, no matter what happens, the old set will have to come off so I can decide on what to do...

I am going to take them off and ask for suggestions after they are cleaned up and I see how much metal is toast - maybe I can machine a solution - it doesn't have to be pretty - it just has to be mean . Now... how do you get these suckers off?

Apropos "quid pro quo" - I just donated 27.50 to the site through the paypal link. Simply put, it had to be done. I am quite sure by the end of this I will have a working bike that would never have been a working bike but for this site.

[DanTheMan]

Put the bike on the centerstand, put a phillips screwdriver through the locking hole. I'd start by unbolting at the headers. Be careful, don't break off any bolts. Then, unbolt all the hangar brackets from the front to the rear, and the whole setup headers and all can be laid on the ground. Be careful with the rusty bolts, you may have very liberally use penetrating oil to get them to turn.

[legaleli]

Excellent - thanks!

Thanks for the advice as to the order -

I see that the #1 area to protect is the header / bolt area at the cylinder - don't want to crack anything there - so true - and if I tried to take it off the other way around all the stress would have been at the header bolts...

I didn't know there was a locking hole for the centerstand... you probably saved me from a big mistake there! I think I'm going to look for a bike lift - seems like it might be a good thing to have.

[1948man]

Be patient with the header bolts or you may be starting a thread on removing snapped-off bolts. Spray them with PB Blaster a couple of times a day leading up to when you're taking them off and it wicks up and helps loosen things up. If they still don't want to come out, use the Search feature to research ways to get them out. It's worth a little delay to avoid snapping a bolt off.

[legaleli]

PB Blaster - yet more good advice

Be patient with the header bolts or you may be starting a thread on removing snapped-off bolts. Spray them with PB Blaster a couple of times a day leading up to when you're taking them off and it wicks up and helps loosen things up. If they still don't want to come out, use the Search feature to research ways to get them out. It's worth a little delay to avoid snapping a bolt off.

Thanks for the advice - one thing that is pretty clear from this site - TAKE advice or learn "the hard way"!

[Nessism]

PLEASE use a small 1/4" drive socket wrench on the header bolts and DO NOT force them to turn or you will break them off in the head. As the others have stated, hit them with PB Blaster or real petetrant oil (not WD-40) and let them sit a few days. When you go to try to remove them, again, don't force them. If they are feeling stuck get a propane torch and heat the bolt as hot as possible - red hot if you can, and then let them cool. You need to break up the chemical bond of the corrosion or the bolt won't come out.

Regarding those holes, you might want to consider having a small patch welded on to get you down the road for a while longer - don't forget to add a hole to allow water to drain out. You can always watch ebay for replacment pipes but ride in the mean time.