Lots of Mods Going on, Any Thoughts

Mods Going on, Misadventures of Me Continues

I tried putting this in as an extension to another post I had about the Marks Exhaust but I guess that's run it's course. No one answered there so here's what's happening.

I waited till our vacation was over to tear into this project. It's Saturday Oct 23rd and I'm starting to remove the stock exhaust. I have a lot of mods going at the same time. Things that you all may be able to help me coordinate in a logical order.

Here's what I've got and my present order. Coolant Flush and Change. Stock Exhaust system off, COO and Kawi O-Ring fix, Spin On Filter Adapter, Filter and Bracket. Marks Exhaust On, Center Stand install that CaptainKyle picked up for me. I think that's it. Let me know of problem areas and or special tools I'll have to make or buy. I'll try to document all this with photos so I can make up some mod guides.

Oh, Suggested Carb Setup for Sea Level. I've been told to shim the needles and adjust the Air / Fuel. Other thoughts??? Marks 4 into 2 with 14" cans and 2 inch cores.

Thanks,

Update: Yesterday, I drained all the coolant and flushed the entire system with distilled water. One of the covers on the right rear cylinder had the screw cross threaded apparently at the factory. I had to drill it to get the head off and then drilled the center of the screw. I had a set of broken bolt removers but last time I used them was 18 years ago. God knows where they are now. I spent 4 hours looking through my garage, no luck. I'm going to a swap meet this morning and then try Ace Hardware and or Sears to pick up another set. Bike has 17,000 miles on it and the coolant has been in for 4 years atleast. Still looked very good though.

Then I'll be on to the other mods. I just hope they go smoother.

Photos: Top view with Radiator Cap and Reservoir Removed, cleaned Reservoir, Radiator Cap and Water Pump Plug, Old Anti Freeze Drained.

for marks exhaust i would recommend a 3/8" 8mm hex driver. that and an 8mm gear wrench to get the rear downpipes on and th eflange nuts on properly. forget a 'torque' setting, just go until they're tight. keep an eye on them too, mine (once I installed solid motor mounts) got loose quickly.

as far as the coolant just look at the off/on drain thingy make sure you get it right...

as far as the stripped screw, where are you at with it now?

With winter right around the corner , not in Florida , but here in the NE and other areas , the project list is now a reality and not an option...:damn angry:

Got the usual mods and bolt-ons in the to-do column...good luck on yours .

Just starting into the 40degC spring/summer here. My exhaust started rattling after the last street meet at the track, so took it off to check (uuuhhhmmmm, yes it rattles.....). Worked out time taken to build my new exhaust, so tried to put it back on........yeah, right!

So now I'm half way through starting to build an exhaust. Normally I like his sort of thing, enjoy swearing at stuff in the shed :biglaugh: , but this time I thought I'd build my own merge collector for the proper 4-1.:damn angry:

Needless to say, there's a lot of swearing going on!

Have fun with your build stuff.

I'm too old for all of this mod stuff.:biglaugh: This constant up and down going for parts and more tools is killing me. I know what it feels like to drop from a helicopter at 30 feet. That's about how I'm doing tonight.

I finally got the rear cylinder cover screw out. Ace Hardware had Stainless Screws so I replaced all 4, one on each cylinder. It was cross threaded from the factory. They must have some super hard YamaBond like JB Weld, cause I drilled and used screw extractors to no avail. I ended up drilling one side of the screw and pullin the remains out. 6 hours for a 5 minute R&R to get at the cylinder drain. All's well now. Got the antifreeze replaced after having a petcock that wouldn't stop dripping. Ace Hardware again. Cheapo O-Ring kit had just what it needed. May not last too long but I'm over it for a while.

I spent an hour looking for a 6 sided 9mm Wrench to get the exhaust off, only to find out it was 10mm. I bought a flex 10mm a while back for R&R of the front fender with the wheel in place. Exhaust removal went very smooth. I want to say it almost fell off in my hands. About time part of this job went well for me.

I thought about putting the Center Stand on or removing the pan to do the Dreaded O-Ring replacement and COO Fix. But my body said it had enough today.

I noticed that the Exhaust gaskets on the rear weren't exposed when remove the stock pipes. If the Marks pipes will mount in the same way, do I really need to go there and replace the gaskets on the rear? I popped the front gaskets out with a straight blade. Now I have to comprehend what stock parts need to go back on after the swap. There's metal shield that goes over the pipes to block heat from the fuel tank. I really tried to get it the F Out of there but now figure it goes back on after the install. Couldn't get it out short of ripping it out anyway.

Tomorrow, I'm on to pulling the pan to see that famous O-Ring and whether it's fine or popped out. Then on to the Spin On Oil Filter Adapter and Marks Pipes going back on. Any help or thoughts there would be appreciated. What to do or watch out for. I'm gonna leave the exhaust all loose and try the center stand before I just put it on.

I'm doing some pictures in between the 4 letter word tantrums. Seems that everything I try to do anymore turns into a major production. I know what I'm trying to do and how to do it. Things like the one screw being severely stuck take their toll. 20 years ago, I'd have just shot it:bang head: Once I get past all of this and calm down, I'll try to do some helpful write ups..

Photos: Rear Cylinder Cover repaired Stainless Steel Screws in all. O-Ring kit used to repair Coolant Drain, Rear Cylinder with Pipe Extension. Front Cylinder has no Extension. This last picture shows all that comes off with the Stock Exhaust System, quite a bit of excess weight.

Happens to all of us man, don't fret! That heat shield over the rear headers needs to come out. It does not go back in with the marks pipes. There is nothing re-used from the old setup on the new except for nuts on the exhaust flange studs.

The rear exhuast gaskets are a bit harder to see and get out. A 90 degree pick can be useful. If not, they can probably stay in there. I've reused the gaskets with luck.

As mentioned before, watch the clearance between the C/S and new exhaust cans. You don't want to find out the hard way.

Pulling the pan is no problem, the o-ring fix is pretty easy as well. The ***** is getting in there to scrape the gasket off of the bottom of the engine block. If you're lucky, it will stick to the pan and not the block. I was not lucky.

Once you hear the rumble, you'll feel a lot better.

That heat shield is like a Rubik's Cube. I can't figure out how to get it out without crumpling it up into a wad.

There's an exhaust extension on the rear that comes out to a flange and clamp. Is that removed too? The exhaust gaskets are still captive without taking the pipe extension off.

I'll put the stand on with the exhaust loose. No spring, just to check and modify clearance. If it's gonna be too complex, I'll wait .:rofl_200:

I did start the bike with open headers, wasn't impressed.

I really hope pulling the pan is as easy as it appears to be. I'll deal with the gasket and bond the new one to the pan only, with Blue or Red RTV.

Thanx for the encouragement. Sorry to hear that I'm not alone in the misadventures department. Life shouldn't be so hard.:bang head:

I would just pop out the rear gaskets as well if you have them, simple job now, a pain in the *** later (inside stud bolts) to replace if you have a leak b/c of old gasket.
The metal shield can be left off as there is much more air flowing through the area, at least that was my thinking but I don't ride in the heat like you do. Might want to get more advice on the shield.:confused2:
Just reread; you said your rear gaskets were "not exposed"? Do you mean that there are still short pipes still connected to the head? If so, they will have to be removed to "expose" the gaskets. Marks pipes will bolt directly to the head and seal up against the gaskets.
I know what you mean about getting up and down for parts/ wrenches/ etc. and a motorcycle lift is in my future. I was able to clean Redbone on Danny's lift after the Brownie Run and it was sooo much easier to clean the bike. I took much longer to clean the bike than I normally would. I think wheel rollers would help with the wheel cleaning.

Redbone: Damn, I was hoping those short extensions would stay. Now I've gotta figure out the pipe mounting against the head. Although that'll make the gaskets very easy to replace. Thanx for the input about the pipe cover.

I thought about turning the bike upside down like we used to do with bicycles to make all this easier. But I didn't want to scratch things up getting it there.:rofl_200:

I feel like somebody injected me with Super Glue. I see a few hours on a heating pad in my future tonight.


My thanks to all of you for the advise, like having Brothers who actually help.......

I'd update the title for this thread if I could. "Duh on Me" would really fit. I'd be happy if one more thing could go right.

Today started with pulling the frame brace out of the way. The one that goes straight across with a canister type oil filter. Next move was to drain the oil into a clean pan and filter it with a paint filter back into a clean jug. Figured I'll run the same oil just in case I screw'd anything up and have to disassemble the pan again. Dropped the pan and found the "Dreaded O-Ring" was actually popped out. I spent the next 2 hours very carefully taking the gasket off the bottom of the engine. It was bonded so well in place, what a PITA.

Well, I tried taking the advise I'd gotten here literally. The pipe doesn't just pull down for O-Ring Replacement. I pulled the 2 front bolts holding the plumbing and ran into a very tight rear ( 3rd ) bolt. Before I destroyed anything, I called Sean. He told me the rear bolt was a standard thread but would be very tight, just turn harder.:biglaugh: I did and it came out. I still couldn't pull the pipe down far enough to get at the O-Ring. So, I loosened the 3 Hex Screws holding the Oil Pump / Pick Up. Dropped it down about 1/8" and got the clearance to remove the O-Ring Pipe. Put the Kawi Ring in and the COO Fix too. Put it all back together ( Correctly, I Hope and Pray ) with the new gasket stuck to the pan only, this time.

Next, I moved on to pulling the old canister and filter off. With a lot of thought going into the process, due to the total lack of instructions. I installed the COO Filter Adapter, O-Ring, Retention Bolt ( Hopefully in the Right Direction ) and Fram Spin On, Filter.

I filled the filter before I spun it on, not that it helped, most ran out while I was screwing it in.:bang head: Filled the engine to the right level. Did I mention, the bike fell on top of me while I was trying to hold it level and look in the window at the same time. Bad move, Duh Moment on my part. I remember that helpless, sinking feeling, " I can't hold it up, Oh ****!!!" Some how I managed to get out from under it after my body cushioned the fall. I hobbled inside yelling for Help!!!!

Now, my Wife's good at these kind of things, I grab the Sissy Bar and she grabs the Handle Bars and in about a micro second it's upright and on the stand. She pulled a 600 lb bike off me once by grabbing the Sissy Bar and standing it up. All by herself. She's got extraordinary strength in an Emergency..

Well, that took all the wind out of my sails. I went through the motions of starting the engine just to be sure there was oil pressure. 40 lbs @ 1000 rpm, 60 @ 1500 rpm. I didn't run the bike for long, no pipes sucks and I didn't want to warp the valves. I muddled through getting the new frame brace aligned, bolting it down and the horn mounted to clear the coolant valve.

Cleaned the garage up and took an inventory of injuries. Cut my right hand nice and deep, busted my right knee pretty good and did my back like a Bad Chiropractor. :th_signs60: Tomorrow, I'll check things I've done to insure they're finished and move on to the exhaust install. If I Wake Up, that is ????????:ummm:

Oh, damage to the bike from the fall. The right crash bar was being held only by the top bolt. When the bike went down it got bent. probably saved something else of more importance as it was the only damage we could find. I bent it back into place while I was installing the new curved cross brace.


More of My Misadventures Tomorrow.

Left photo shows the "Dreaded O-Ring" popped out, it's easy to get the pan off with the exhaust out of the way, 2nd picture shows the contents of the pan after it was dropped. Oil has about 500-1000 miles on it. There were no metal shavings anywhere. This confirms Sean Morley's thought that there's enough oil pressure even with the O-Ring sticking partially out of it's groove. 3rd and 4th pictures show the spin on adapter installed with filter and the curved frame brace that gives the filter clearance. Last picture is after I bent the case guard back into shape after the bike fell on me.

ugh what a day man, hopefully today goes better for you.

Originally Posted bygamorg02: ugh what a day man, hopefully today goes better for you.

Click to expand...

Thanx for that wish. Actually today was a whole lot nicer. It bugged me all night wondering if I had everything just right in the pan. Bolts tight, O-Ring pushed into position, COO fix still in position on the pipe. I drained and filtered the oil and dropped the pan. I proved that the gasket was only stuck to the pan this time. Everything was perfect BTW. I'd used Black RTV on the COO Button and the pan side of the gasket. Everything was in position and tight. Buttoned it back up. Now I don't have to wonder for the rest of my life.:biglaugh:

Today was Marks Exhaust Day. I pulled the short extensions off the rear cylinders and took the metal heat shield out too. Pulled the Plastic one that has rubber covers for the rear plugs too. Everything's more accessible with those things out of the way. I laid the system out like the picture I down loaded from here.

A friend dropped by to see me for a few minutes. He's the Boss of the Machine Shop at GE Aviation here in Clearwater. He was extremely impressed with Marks system, said it was Aircraft quality work. Awesome...... We started working while he was here and found that the 2 rear head pipes are reversed in the picture... Oops. We got that straightened out, put new gaskets in and both pipes on. We left everything just a tad loose to leave a little wiggle overall. Next we went to the front and installed both pipes and new gaskets. Be sure, before getting to this point that the spring mount of the front pipes is to the inside and not out. That could be a problem if you get the system all the way on and find that the front pipes are on the wrong side. Dan had to get back to work so I continued by myself.:bang head:

The mid pipe / crossover took little creativity to get together and on by myself. I put the cans on and as others have found needed longer bolts. I found 2 Stainless Bolts that fit the nuts that came with the exhaust. I started the bike just as a test. Way Cool. Couldn't hear any leaks and it wasn't even tightened all the way yet. I installed all the springs (8) that hold the joints. I had to make up some specialized tools to get at the rear inner header bolts. I'll post all the pictures when I try to make "How Too's" for all that I've done. I sure will have advise on the pit falls of doing all of this work over the past 4 days. I think I found them all.

Questions, ask me I know every possible FU that could happen doing all of this....:rofl_200:

I fit the Center Stand but I'm not strong enough to get that monster spring hooked. I'll need lots of leverage. There was some very minor bending to make it fit. The foot pad arm had to be moved forward about 1/8" to clear the pipes.

I finally got the bike out and rode it about 9 tonight. WOW, I haven't had anything that sounded this radical since my 1965 Chevelle SS with a 350 hp, 327 small block and open headers. I pulled up next to a Crotch Rocketeer on a ????? at a red light and blipped the throttle twice. The guy pulled over to the side, into the gutter, smiled and waved me to go when the light changed.:clapping:
It's UnFriggingBelievable how great this sounds. Next, I have to figure out the video thing, tape a camera to the back of the sissy bar and Go...........


BTW: My Max actually shows oil pressure at an Idle now. It gained about 10 psi every 1000 rpm. I believe as Sean has said, with the O-Ring popped out, there's still enough pressure to be alright under most circumstances. My pan was spotless, like new. There was absolutely No Sign of metal shavings at all. Zip, Zero, Nothing.........

Pictures of Marks Exhaust on, taken at the Gulfport, FL. Marina:

Glad top hear you overcame!

With a little of your help Sean, anything's possible.

I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse but my Dad taught me that you never give up. Now, I've gotta start on all the little things to dress it up.