Delkevic Exhaust

[Rocky ST]

What was supposed to be joy quickly turned to dismay! Treated myself to some Delkevic end pipes off of eBay,second hand but as new condition,as described they safely turned up & were genuinely as new. Took the old ones off & my heart sank,the down pipes were rotted through,as the old original cans were took off,the down pipes where the end cans were secured just crumbled away! So more expensive but in the long run thought the best way forward was to order a brand new set of Delkevic down pipes,they arrived yesterday the day after purchased,top marks for customer service. Anyway read through the Haynes manual with regards to taking the original down pipes off,doesn’t seem too daunting (done manifolds on cars before but never on a bike) my real worry is snapping off a bolt at the flange. Do I leave it to a garage to do it or give it a go myself? Thinking soaking the bolts with penetrating oil over a day or so then trying to remove them then,here lies my dilemma,is that the way forward? Anybody done the job themselves & has got some advice please?

 

[woodybelle]

Someone here said that a mixture of F type ATF and acetone is the best penetraiting oil mix available. You might try that and go slow and easy.

 

[Kevcules]

Heat them up fairly well before you start trying to loosen them up is also a good idea...

 

[Duporth]

btw, does anyone know if Acetone is the same as nitrocellulose paint thinner thanks? Wondering if the thinner with ATF may work?
D

 

[SMSW]

My auto mechanic swears by his impact wrench. He says the vibration will loosen stuck nuts and bolts that a hand wrench will break.

 

[Kevcules]

My auto mechanic swears by his impact wrench. He says the vibration will loosen stuck nuts and bolts that a hand wrench will break.

I feel the same way when I use mine, both air and cordless drill. "Heat" is always your best friend though when trying to remove seized, rusted bolts. My brother in law uses torches a lot he says at his job at a Toyota dealership.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

I replaced the system on my 1991 two years back for the same reason. The collector box had thick rust at the welds and there was exfoliation on the header pipes, not much but it looked like its time was near. I doused the header bolts with penetrating oil the night before and had no problems with removal or reassembly except for the aft support bolt fitting on the top of the collector box...wouldn't quite align with the fitting on the frame, seems to be about a half inch too far forward on the collector box. Haven't read of anyone else having a fit issue. You will neDon't forget ed new header seals.

 

[IndyRob]

Try spraying them down with Aero-Kroil penetrating spray. It has worked on EVERY stubborn bolt I have used. The stuff is not cheap at $30/can but it does work!!!

 

[rwthomas1]

I'll second the recommendation for Kroil if you can get it in the UK. Either way, I'd start spraying it twice a day for a week with penetrating oil prior to starting the work. Little bit of heat won't hurt either.

RT

 

[Rocky ST]

Thanks for all the excellent replies,very grateful. I’ve got an impact driver so with gritted teeth & ample penetrating oil I’m giving that a go. Just one more thing according to the Haynes manual it say ‘remove the fairing side panels’ ????
Just the side panels or remove the complete fairing?
Once again thanks for all the info,great site with great information

 

[Hound]

I was under the impression that all the ST1300's exhaust system was stainless, so I'm surprised that your downpipes can have rotted. Mine have never shown any sign of corrosion, unlike the ST1100s I had where the collector box and silencers would inevitably disintegrate.

 

[Kevcules]

Just one more thing according to the Haynes manual it say ‘remove the fairing side panels’ ????
Just the side panels or remove the complete fairing?
Once again thanks for all the info,great site with great information

Try removing the black lower panels to see if you can access the bolts. If not, the whole side fairing has to come off.
If it's your first time removing the panels, good luck.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

I was under the impression that all the ST1300's exhaust system was stainless, so I'm surprised that your downpipes can have rotted. Mine have never shown any sign of corrosion, unlike the ST1100s I had where the collector box and silencers would inevitably disintegrate.

My 1991 exit tubes between the collector box and mufflers had rusted badly. The header pipes had exfoliation corrosion (tiny flakes) their entire length. Mufflers shined up near new from inlet to tip. Strange behavior for a stainless system exposed to Texas weather all its life. It MAY have been the result of whatever the previous owner used to clean the exhaust with, although there was no evidence on the aluminum engine block, swing arm or drive unit of anything caustic. That bike got a complete Delkevic exhaust with long mufflers two years back. A bit more rumble but is barely noticeable at highway cruising speed.
My 2006 exhaust still cleans up near new from front to exhaust, the 'heat tarnishing' on the mufflers and inlet pipes still polishes right off.

 

[Hound]

My 1991 exit tubes between the collector box and mufflers had rusted badly.

Yes, that happened on my ST1100s too. I fitted Gazelle mufflers to mine (meant for some other Honda model, although I forget which, so needed minor mods).



The collector box always disintegrated in our damp climate too. With the (supposedly) stainless system on the 1300, never a problem. That's why I was surprised when Rocky said his 1300's pipes had rotted.