Has Anyone Cleaned Out Their Collectors?

[86er]

I had to pull my exhaust and collector to find an oil leak that I have been living with for the last 12/13 thousand miles. It started just before Vogel and my trip, and just after rebuilding the clutch and clutch slave cylinder. It turns out that it is leaking at the slave cylinder oil seal. That's on order.

 

In the meantime, I took the collector to a friends because he has a parts washer. The oil was so cooked on that the cleaner barely touched it, so he said "Let's just put it in the bead blaster, then paint it" I said "You've got a bead blaster? COOL!!!" That was fun, but as I was moving it around I heard a rattle. I've read of this dreaded problem, but hadn't heard the rattle while it was on the bike. It was more than a loose piece that could be fixed by "punching" the bottom to press on the loose part. (Like I've read about in threads here) We decided to cut it open and get the loose piece out, it was a corner piece that had broken loose and was rolling all over the place. One thing lead to another and we ended up "cleaning it's clock"!

 

We pulled out all the perforated metal and what appeared to be heat shield. Most of which was gone anyway.

 

My main question is: Do I need to put some sort of heat shield back in the top of it? Does that extra heat on the bottom of the engine create any issues? Has anybody (I'm sure someone has!) done this to their's?

 

Paul, my friend, wants to eliminate the collector all together and bend some pipe to replace it. I said that's already been done but it's a few hundred dollars! So we decided to leave that to others!

 

Sorry, I haven't taken any pictures yet, but I'm gonna take my camera tomorrow and get some shots. I'll post them here then.

 

 

[ADC]

Todd, I've done mine and so have several others here and I've never heard of anyone putting any type of shield back so I don't think it's a problem.

Arthur

[86er]

Thanks Arthur, that's what I was thinking and hoping to hear. Does cleaning that thing out seem to make any difference in sound or performance?

 

 

[SilvrT]

I did the same to mine and never even thought about putting anything back in. One of the main things I took out was the center baffle coz it was loose. Never noticed any performance change but the exhaust is certainly quieter (no more pieces rattling around).

BTW, that metal is stainless steel so needs proper welding. I wouldn't be painting it unless you're going to show it off in a bike show with a mirror underneath...

[86er]

I did the same to ....................................................................................................... I wouldn't be painting it unless you're going to show it off in a bike show with a mirror underneath...

 

There is one other way to display it, SilvrT, without smoke or mirrors!

Now wouldn't that look great with some nice

pretty paint to make it stand out?!

 

[SilvrT]

There is one other way to display it, SilvrT, without smoke or mirrors!

Now wouldn't that look great with some nice

pretty paint to make it stand out?!

 

 

Fluorescent Orange ..... yeeaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

 

[86er]

Fluorescent Orange ..... yeeaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

 

 

All I have to say to you, Rick, is: GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

 

You were very close to what I had already decided. Although I don't have any pics yet of the cleanout (I'm waiting for my friend to email them to me), here are pics of what I did with the bottom of the collector!

 

First I painted it orange (I prefer to think of it as Harley Orange rather than fluorescent ), used stick on letters, painted it black and then pulled off the letters. And before anyone asks, I used 1200 degree paint and baked it in my oven before the next coat.

 

It should look good leaned over in a turn! Depending on which way I'm leaning determines which line is right-side up!

 

[SilvrT]

All I have to say to you, Rick, is: GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

 

You were very close to what I had already decided. Although I don't have any pics yet of the cleanout (I'm waiting for my friend to email them to me), here are pics of what I did with the bottom of the collector!

 

First I painted it orange (I prefer to think of it as Harley Orange rather than fluorescent ), used stick on letters, painted it black and then pulled off the letters. And before anyone asks, I used 1200 degree paint and baked it in my oven before the next coat.

 

It should look good leaned over in a turn! Depending on which way I'm leaning determines which line is right-side up!

 

 

Very cool! yup!