Refitting mufflers to exhaust

[Hyper Fish]

It's been some time but I've finally managed to pull the exhaust off my bike. As mentioned previously my bike was stolen and recovered, and the thieves had cut/broken the mufflers off the exhaust pipes. I've bought some second hand mufflers but need to confirm how the attach to the pipes. Pictures show what the ends of the pipes look like, and the muffler end. I can't tell from the diagrams whether the pipes go into the exhaust or the exhaust goes into the pipes. Or is there a joining segment that's missing. Does it look like there are the remains of the prev exhaust still stuck in the ends of the pipes that I need to remove? Any guidance appreciated.

 

[Bee]

Looks like you have the remains of the ‘soft’ gaskets in the collector there. If you can re-use them I would because they are probably a tenner each or something. More than you think. Plus I doubt you will get them out without ripping them to bits anyway as they are like a wire mesh compacted into a hard resin or similar. I will double check in a mo but I believe the exhaust silencers slip into the collector.


Update. Yep they do. However the standard pipes on mine (2002 registered) look different to yours in image 4. The end of the pipe looks to be the same diameter, not flared? Others will have to step in now, maybe the model years were slightly different? Good luck with it anyway.

 

[Roger]

This is /was a replacement system - you can work out how it goes together with a collar to seal the silencers with the 2 into 1 into 2 collector box.....

 

[jfheath]

Its been a while, but I would put the new gasket half on the end of the muffler and offer the other half into the collector. I used copper grease on both metal halves to help the metal slip into the gasket. - reason being, if the edge of the pipe catches on the side of the gasket, it wrinkles it, which makes it impossible to fit properly. I had this problem i once so I did it this way and it wirked, so I always did it that way. The original silencer pipe has a rib which helps to push the gasket into place. The clamp squeezes the collector pipe onto the gasket.

Fed up with Honda clamps rusting and breaking, I used stainless steel hose clamps. They worked well, and never broke on me.

The copper grease ? It makes a lot if smoke ans smells horrible when you first fire it up, but it goes away and the parts separate easily afterwards.

 

[Uncle Phil]

I used the Delkevic system on one of my 97s and reused my original silencers.
It bolted right up just like stock.

Replacement Header Pipes For A ST1100 | ST1100-Exhaust | ST-Owners.com

 

[SMSW]

After you clean out the gasket inside those damaged pipes, you might get a heavy round piece of steel and use it like a mandrel to hammer the bent flanges back into their original shape.

 

[Hyper Fish]

This is /was a replacement system - you can work out how it goes together with a collar to seal the silencers with the 2 into 1 into 2 collector box.....

This system is different to mine. The left pipes into the collector box is all one piece, with the right side disconnecting. Your silencers clearly slip into the flanges on the collector box, but the ends of my silencers look wider, and it almost looks like they slip over the collector box flanges.

 

[Hyper Fish]

Looks like you have the remains of the ‘soft’ gaskets in the collector there.

Ah, that makes sense. So the silencers should slip into the collector flanges with the gasket between them?

 

[Hyper Fish]

After you clean out the gasket inside those damaged pipes, you might get a heavy round piece of steel and use it like a mandrel to hammer the bent flanges back into their original shape.

If what I'm thinking is correct, and the exhaust slips into the collector box flanges, I can use a set of big pliers to bend the flanges back into shape, then use the collars to tighten them into the gaskets.

 

[SMSW]

If what I'm thinking is correct, and the exhaust slips into the collector box flanges, I can use a set of big pliers to bend the flanges back into shape, then use the collars to tighten them into the gaskets.

This is where experience is important. I don't have much (experience) with damaged pipes, but what little I have, has been using a slightly smaller piece of black pipe as the mandrel and tapping away with a hammer. I'd be afraid using pliers/channel locks, etc might distort the cylindrical opening elsewhere. YMMV.

 

[Uncle Phil]

There is a tool for that work and IIRC it is not that expensive from Harbor Freight.

 

[Slydynbye]

If what I'm thinking is correct, and the exhaust slips into the collector box flanges, I can use a set of big pliers to bend the flanges back into shape, then use the collars to tighten them into the gaskets.

That's right, just put the gasket on the Muffler and insert into the collector, doing it the other way will destroy/mangle the gasket as you try and squeeze the muffler in. Spread the collector generously to avoid damaging the gasket.