exhaust header removal

I have read all the posts I can find on pulling off the exhaust, but I haven't seen this answered.

I have stock exhaust on my 750 and am just trying to clean up engine to track down leaks, would be a lot easier with headers off, but my problem is clearance. The frame seems to be in the way of taking off the collars holding the pipes on, or in even taking the nuts off the studs in some places, do you have to unbolt the engine mounts to take the exhaust off, or what?

 

A couple of the nuts are hard to get at, but you don't have to unbolt the motor.

 

Some nuts are hard to get at but it can be done. The collars on the header pipes can be turned to get them off. Loosen the pipes at the bottom and it will help.

 

If you pull the mufflers, loosen the collector-box mount under the bike and all 4 clamps at the collector then as you loosen the header flanges everything will sag and you will pick up clearance.

On the similarly-configured 550s, I can drop the collector box and headers right off as a unit once everything is loose; I suspect the 750 would be nearly the same.

 

Oh, I got them off, dealing with those headers is the first time I've actively hated working on this bike. Turns out the big bolt that holds the collector up isn't even on there. It sagged down in the front as soon as I got the headers off the front of the cylinders.

But even with pulling some of the studs out to rotate the collars, I had to scrape the collar past the frame rail in at least one place. There was no way to take them off just taking the nuts off the studs(and a couple of them that was impossible anyway, due to nuts corroded onto the studs) You couldn't slide the collar far enough forward to clear either stud, it hits frame first. So if you pull one stud out of block, then collar can be rotated on the other one.

So on one the nut came off but I still had to take the stud out to turn the collar so it would slide past the frame. I had to vise-grip the stud, but didn't damage it too much :roll:

 

I just did this last night and had to use a 10mm wrench on the #2and3 broke one stud flush with the head and broke the nut off another one, but with a propane torch and candle wax it worked for the most part... total PITA but it works just take your time

I had the whole exhaust off to fix an unrepairable rotten collector, but it can be done patience and a torch and penetrating lube and birthday candles help a lot....