Vance and Hines installation

Patton wrote:

Hello . . . Hello . . . Tap - Tap - Tap. Is this thing on?? :woohoo:

(What's that about leading a horse to water?) :lol:

The horror stories about too tight fitment between canister and header on V-H result simply from the chrome plating being a little too thick.

No clamp is used. Nor is it needed for an easy perfect precise snug slip-on fit with no leakage whatever.

Extra thick chrome is a good thing. Don't ruin it with some ham-fisted stone-ax neanderthal sanding and grinding. :pinch:

Take the new V&H to the local muffler shop guy who will put an expander tool in the cannister and with one quick 5 second adjustment have it fitting perfectly and with no chrome damage whatever, and no visual difference at all, just a nice easy snug perfect fit. Slick as a whistle. He'll just smile and say, "I'd marry that!" :kiss: Installation will not require any lube or sealant of any kind, and no leaks whatever. This fitment cure is miraculous compared to the alternatives.

A slightly misaligned cannister tab may be easily adapted to fit with a short metal strap between it and the rear peg bolt. I 've always used a small rubber "motor mount" sandwiched between the cannister and bike frame to eliminate vibration from this area between cannister and bike frame. The mount is a small rubber cylinder with 1/4 inch bolts coming out both sides, about one inch long with male threads. Works like a charm.

Also used an entire can of ultra high-temp spray paint to thickly coat insides of brand new header pipes befpre installation, which so far have not blued and remain bright shiney chrome after numerous rides, some over several hundred miles (including several hours bumper to bumper traffic in 90 degree weather at Daytona Bike Week).

Couldn't be happier with the new V&H system. And don't forget the V&H competition baffle for "off-road" use.

Rant over. Good Luck!

That is the best advice I have heard so far. Even spraying the inside yourself instead of paying someone to put a special coating on the inside. If you don't follow this advice then you haven't taken the best advice so far. The clamp is unnecessary as there should be a spring that holds the two pieces together. Mine fell off and still I have no problem with it and I have had it on my bike for going on 16 years.

This is against the EPA, but get your coleman camp stove and boil a pot of water to dip the megaphone inlet, and spray the header discharge with freon R134a. It will make for a nice seal after you assemble it and the temps normalize. R134a can be had at AutoZone with no license needed.
Don't sand your $300 header!

I had my local bike shop install my Vance and Hines 4-1 and rejet the carbs. I hope it runs great and sounds throaty when their done. Dyno numbers will be posted soon.

Patton, great little motor mounts! I could use those.

Where, number and how much? Thanks.

They look like mounts you find in many Jap import cars. I've seen them on exhaust systems and under the hood also.

Heating the cannister and cooling the header may indeed allow sufficient clearance to push them together.

However, a serious problem will likely then arise, because the parts immediately bind permanently together. And it is virtually impossible on the first joinder effort to attain the exact fitment desired between cannister and header to perfectly mount the cannister to the frame by having the cannister tab line up in exactly the correct position.

To attain the perfect fitment interface desired between the cannister and header usually requires rotating the parts while they are together and also moving the cannister in and out of the header. This requires the "I'd marry that" snug yet adjustable perfect fit between cannister and header. :kiss:

Likely, once insertion is made possible via hot cannister into cold header, the joint immediately binds permanently together, with no possible immediate or future fitment adjustment ever allowed. :ohmy: And it will for evermore be as if the entire exhaust system, headers and muffler, all came built together as a single piece. And once so joined, the hot/cold prep procedure is no longer an option for separation or adjustment.

If lucky enough to get it fitted perfectly on the first attempt :woohoo: , which will also be the last and only attempt, any future servicing which would ordinarily require only the cannister be removed will now entail removing the entire exhaust system.

Well, thermal expansion and contraction worked for me, and the heat of operation "normalized" the metal, so I've been able to disassemble it twice so far. The expander idea would be my second choice, but I'd fear cracking the chrome.

IF you were to ride without rejetting, would problems develop or would you just lack a little power here and there? I'm hoping to get a VH pipe this spring and I am just checking my options.

And whats this about spraying the insides with hi-temp spray paint... does that really work? Can someone go confirm this before I go and spray a new exhaust.

Patton, I've followed your directions to the T ... The muffler shop expanded my megaphone for a perfect fit on the header ... didn't crack the chrome or cost a dime I might add. ... And I've sprayed nearly a whole can of Dulplicolor VHT with ceramic into the header. I still havn't installed the system onto my bike .... but soon !!!! very soon !!!

Thanks Again Patton for the great advise !

2M4Dale wrote:

Patton, I've followed your directions to the T ... The muffler shop expanded my megaphone for a perfect fit on the header ... didn't crack the chrome or cost a dime I might add. ... And I've sprayed nearly a whole can of Dulplicolor VHT with ceramic into the header. I still havn't installed the system onto my bike .... but soon !!!! very soon !!!

Thanks Again Patton for the great advise !

You are more than welcome. And thanks for the report.

The Dulplicolor VHT with ceramic sounds very similar to the spray can I used from AutoZone --



VHT, a PJ1 Product, Very High Temperature, FlameProof 1300-2000 deg F (704-1093 deg C) Header Paint Silica - Ceramic Coating.

Only color on the shelf was Flat Orange, so that's what I used (with no primer or clear coat).

Wasn't optimistic, but viewed the exercise as an inexpensive experiment that couldn't hurt anything and wouldn't show anyhow. Sprayed the whole can using several thick runny coats inside each brand new header pipe (allowing some drying time between coats).

As shown in the photo earlier posted, the pipes continue looking new, with no discoloration.

Should note all this being with carefully adjusted smoothbores on a Yoshimura modified engine using a K&N Filter in stock airbox. Spark plug readings show nice clean tan. So I believe the fuel mixture is close to perfect. And ignition timing is spot-on, with advancer unit functioning as new. (Dyna S ignition, Dyna coils and Dyna solid core plug wires, courtesy of Z1E).

I do believe that having the correct fuel mixture is a critical factor toward minimizing discoloration of exhaust header pipes (along with correct ignition timing). And also believe (but can't prove) the internal VHT coating has a positive insulating effect against discoloration.

Hope your results are equally successful.

my vance and hines without the baffle sounds super aggressive. i love it.

mine fit lieka glove but i have an older version

Here's a pic showing V/H street and competition baffles.
Believe V/H cannister is delivered with street version baffle already installed. Both baffles also come with the wrap already in place. Am guessing fiberglass wrap.



Street version measures 14.75 inches long with 1.5 inch diameter exit hole.

This particular competition version measures 12.25 inches long with 1.75 inch diameter exit hole.

I believe there's yet another competition version with a 2 inch diameter exit hole.