Exhaust fasteners

Exhaust bolts instead of studs... Good idea? Bad Idea?

I'm considering stainless allen head bolts to replace the exhaust collar retaining studs on my 550, more for ease of installation than anything else. Getting these collars on and off is a PITA and nearly impossible without tearing up the new paint. I'm running custom 4 into 2 pipes, and the header tubes aren't removable from the 2-1 collectors I built. I was intending on indenting the tubes, but my buddy got to the frame with the paint gun before I had the chance.

This is the last item to complete re-assembly.

Are the bolts a good idea, bad idea, or a non-issue.
Thanks

 

Now have a beer and say that! :lol:

I don't think bolts would be an issue unless you were removing the exhaust a lot (I.E. if it had to come off every oil change) because repeatedly screwing & unscrewing steel bolts into the alloy head could wear the threads out. Think that's the point of studs, is to negate alloy thread wear?

Apart from that, as long as the bolts were coated in copperslip or similar anti-seize it shouldn't be a problem

 

Bad idea. Use studs as originally designed; too much to type and no time right now but there are a number of good reasons.

 

I'll be subscribing to this thread so I know when you reply, will be interested to hear the other reasons other than the thread wear problem, been pondering it for a few minutes now & that's the only thing I can think of... :?

 

i have studs with double nuts so basically it's a bolt. you need to get the right length bolt so it doesn't bottom out before it gets tight, if the collars bend at all that could be a problem. a stud wouldn't have that problem

 

Thanks for the replies, Good info too. Hadn't thought of warping the collars, nor the possible issue with thread wear.
My concern stemmed from having to put the collectors on, cut and fit the new pipes and tack them on, then removing the whole thing to weld it, then having to put them back on all without messing up the paint.
The collars and collectors tend to catch on the studs. I think I'll try tilting the motor up a smidge and see if I can get some extra clearance that way.

 

Wrap the frame with masking tape.

 

So simple & elegant a solution it passed through everyone else's notice... Like not seeing the wood for all them trees :?

There we have it 8)

Still interested in the other reasons why bolts are a no no, when Fitz gets back online though...

 

I seen several Customized Bikes that use Stainless Steel Cap Screws and Washers after abandoning the cheap, soft stock studs and collared Speed Nuts used in the build.

The Collared Nuts are nothing special.
The Collar allows the Nut to be placed in a Socket and remain stationary while being fitted. (A time saving measure)

Stainless Cap Bolts from True Value Hdwe that will fit require Spacers that let you seat the Collar tight and square.

You NEED to treat the Fasteners with Anti-seize Compound.
Torque to specs.

I think we can all be in agreement that the Fasteners for Intake and Exhausts used to build these Bikes are dirt cheap, soft, worthless crap that seize and rust causing endless grief to those who have had them break-off.

They routinely complicate simple maintenance tasks by turning an easy job into a frightening nightmare.

Many aftermarket Exhaust Systems come with Hardened Bolts and Spacers right in the box.

 

Sometimes it takes a simpleton to find the simple answer.
If masking tape alone isn't heavy enough you can go back over the masking with duct tape.

 

You screw a stud in once, until it stops against its little collar (not bottoms out) and it doesn't need to move any more. It becomes an "anchor" if you will, a solid piece that you can then pull against (as you tighten up the nut.)

Screwing in a bolt means the threads are being pulled against AS YOU THREAD IT IN and tighten it. This increases the likelihood of stretched or damaged threads. Plus, there are maintenance items that might require removing the exhaust from time to time. It's not so much a matter of thread "wear" it's more a matter of thread stretching, applied slightly differently with every assembly/disassembly sequence.

Virtually every nut-secured factory exhaust system I've ever seen, car or bike, utilizes studs and nuts, not screws that have to be threaded in. I strongly suspect the legion of engineers that design these things know what they're doing; not so much a cottage-industry aftermarket company.

Yamaha knows their stuff and has for a long time; I gave up trying to "out-engineer" them ages ago.

Use studs. (Good ones though.)

You can also wrap the frame with strips of an old towel, taped in place. Less cleanup. I use masking tape to wrap my pipes for disassembly, so the collars don't scratch the chrome.

 

That being said, ...

IF you can get-out the Studs, ... you can use anything you want to secure the Collars to the Head.

If you don't over-torque the Stainless Fasteners, ... they'll hold the Collars to the Head and look nice doing it.

That's ... IF ... you can get-out the Studs.

It's your Bike.
It's your choice.

The aftermarket has plenty of things to put-on your motorcycle.
Spark Plugs
Air Cleaning Pods
Jet Kits
Exhaust Systems galore.

If you strip the threads of your Aluminum Head because you over-torqued a Bolt ... Cap Screw ... or Stud ... you are going to be up the same damn creek you'd be up if you broke-off a Stud or a Manifold Bolt trying to get it out.

Just in a different boat!!!

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