XJ750 4 into 2 collector: is this normal?

Pulled my exhaust today with two goals in mind. First, I wanted to wrap my battered old headers with smexy titanium header wrap, but I'm also investigating a long standing extremely frustrating rattling noise that's plagued me from day one despite thinking I solved it over and over.

Anyways, because of Goal Number Two, I wanted to pull my headers off the collector and give it a good shake&listen and thorough eyeballing.

I've still got two headers to work off (they do NOT want to come off!) but I found this in the header #1 port:



Those layers of screen are attached, but flappy. I don't think they're the source of the ringing as while they're noisy when flapped with a screwdriver, I doubt they'd be able to make the volume required. Still... Seems wierd.

 

What model of Xj750, maxim or seca
I just picked up an 83 maxim that motor when bang. Parting it out and exhaust is very nice condition.

 

It's a Maxim, but I'm more just wondering if I should just rip that shit out. I have another collector downstairs, but it's seriously seized onto another set of headers so I haven't dug into that yet

 

Patience......lube with oil or kroil and keep working it....the pipe will eventually separate from the collector box.......they are just corroded together in a bad way....just keep working it back and forth

 

Yeah, I've got a few hours into the one I just took off my bike, and have been dosing the other with penetrating lube while working at this one.

Seems the diverter plates in this one are ok - welded solid, at least at the output, but that screen inside the body is odd. Didn't realise the collector had baffles? Or maybe just some matting over the shell?

Well, I suppose I'll tear it out, as I've had quite a bunch of this screen material stuck in my mufflers. May as well just deal with it now, even if it's not actually the problem.

 

Also: man, these collectors are shockingly heavy. Bracing a collector and working at the headers is surprisingly... Exhausting.

Oh, I kill me.

 

If you don't have the middle exhaust mount under engine in place that can cause a rattle.

 

The collector on my 82 750 maxim also had some loose screen stuff in it as well. I just left it in there. I also had issues removing my left muffler from the collector. Working on it for 3 months or so while doing other things and I still couldn't get it off after multiple pblaster soaks , heat, blows, etc. I ended up just putting it back together. No issues so far, I guess.

 

That screen is supposed to be there. It helps dampen the pulses from the headers to reduce noise (the whole exhaust works as a system). If it's loose, get as much of it out as you can without breaking any more free.

 

Hammer,screwdriver,dremel,penetrating oil or kroil...keep working it between muffler or exhaust pipes and collector box....Hopefully and eventually they will separate. .....easier if entire exhaust system is off bike

 

Yeah, the whole system is off the bike and yeah, I've got the mount under the bike at the rear of the collector.

Got my mufflers off easy, the headers and collector off the bike as a unit, now working at getting the headers off the collector.

1 and 2 off yesterday, just got 4 off now. That's all I technically need to wrap them, may just leave #3 on now I can wrap it. #4, though? Just spent another two hours struggling with it, rocking it back and forth and pulling with all my 6'4" 300lb's might. It moved just a tiny, tiny bit at a time, a very small little rock, inperceptibly moving out as I went. Rock and pull, rock and pull, for two hours. It finally let go, right as I was rocking towards myself and pulling... Header let go, and I drove it straight into my face, below my right eye.

Headers are hard. Ow. Said many inappropriate things, rather loudly.

 

*nods* Makes sense. I'll cut out any that's open to the exhaust stream (it clearly will flap up when pushed by exhaust) and call it a day. I'm not really concerned with extra noise - I'm not out to make the bike louder, but it's pretty quiet right now so it's not a major concern for me. Just want to eliminate anything that could remotely, potentially be a cause of that metallic ringing at 3k rpms. It's kind of embarrassing when out for a ride with buddies =)

 

Self inflicted face smacks are the worst.

 

Yeah, it's the knowledge that you just hit yourself in the face that really makes the experience.

That, and a wife the Snickers at you every time she sees you. That's great, too.

Thankfully, I've apparently avoided a shiner and instead just have a somewhat swollen cheekbone.

 

As toomanybikes stated above....is your middle mount there.....the mount at the rear of collector box......could be source of your noise

Let see the pic of your black eye......

Try #3 ....you still one good eye.

 

#3 doesn't move, at all. I can wrap it well when it's the only one attached though, so it's not that big a deal.

No shiner, just swollen on the cheekbone. I still have the full mount from the rear of the collector - it was properly attached.

A possibility for the noise was one of the #2 nuts. I'd previously checked torque on all those nuts and all checked out, however when removing them the nut was seized on the stud, and the stud came out with it. As the studs bottom out in the head, its possible that the nut wasn't fully closed but read as torqued as the whole assembly worked as a bottomed out bolt. Fixed it already - computer duster air cans are best thing ever to shrink bolts, instant deep frozen bolts + penetrating lube + torch on the nut - so I may have already fixed what ails me, but I'm being thorough here.

Well, mostly thorough. I haven't been able to get #3 to move at all, not even a tiny little bit. If I had a vice, I'd have more options, but I can't get a good enough brace on the collector to bring bigger tools to bear.

 

Have you tried heat and paraffin? I think I heard it first from Dave and Kmoe. It has worked wonders for me in several instances. Last victory was an EGR valve on a 95 F150, plenty of corrosion, no problem with removal.

 

Heat yes, paraffin though? How would wax help?

It's not much of a deal, though. Got all the headers wrapped and mufflers painted now, just gonna reassemble and pop it back onto the bike with some new gaskets.

I figure the collector is as good as it's gonna get.

 

heat expands/ opens things - wax wicks in there and makes it slippery.... lubricates. No idea if there is any chemical reaction that breaks up oxidization (kinda doubt it).

Don't get me wrong I love me some Kroil when I can afford it and almost always have a can of PB Blaster on hand. But on any easy to reach seized fastener I go for the wax - I think it is the thrill of using a 'new trick' that in reality is really a very old trick.

 

Yes, you do.

 

Pretty cool trick! One probably more helpful if you keep paraffin on hand, though.


Well, it's done. Loose screen ripped out, headers wrapped, new gaskets and everything reinstalled on the bike.

Here's hoping that something in the process cured that rattle. There was a fair bit of random loose crap in the collector and one of the mufflers, and one of the exhaust flanges *may* have not been properly installed previously, so we'll see once I can take her out for a spin.

 

Uh---yeah......

 

I blame it on my Canadian heritage. See also: Matti.

 

Canadians are smexy, see also: Justin Trudeau, see also: poutine. See also: Justin Trudeau in flannel eating poutine! Grrrrrrr!

 

I had poutine for the first time two years ago when our family stayed in Pincher Creek, AL. Great food!

As to "smacking" ourselves in the face with something, I also recall my first experience with the classic oil "squirt" in the face when popping a shim from my XJ550.

 

Almost any candle will do. Even the beeswax ones work.
Do you not get power outages in Calgary?

 

No. I haven't seen a power outage in decades, here or back in Vancouver.

As a rule of thumb, at least where I've lived (and I've moved around a lot) our infrastructure is actually very solid. It's extremely, extremely rare to see power outages.

But with that said, I'm sure there must be a candle somewhere in the house, as I have a wife =)

 

Well in order to have a power outage, first thing thing is that you need to have power to begin with.....

 

I live within a mile of a gigantic hydroelectric dam, and we sell the electricity to New York State, then buy ours from Quebec.

 

Dam!

 

That must be why my power seldom goes out

 

Hoover Dam Guide:
I am your dam guide, Arnie, please don't wander off the dam tour and please take all the dam pictures you want. Now are there any dam questions?

Cousin Eddie:
Yeah, where can I get some damn bait?

 

Now ...that is dam funny