And finally, Wookie's 82 begins !

Good progress here! the work you did with those panels...just amazing. 

I have been pushing on with the exhaust over today a few evenings, the bike came with a Harris pipe which is about as "period" as it gets (in the UK at least) It wasn't without it's issues. The flanges were bent from over tightening and the collars they push against were heavily rusted, the problem is that the flanges and collars are "captive" so the only way to remove them is to cut them off. They needed to go as whether I re-chrome or cerokote   It would be impossible to recoat the headers properly at the top under the flanges. Below is my solution, some new alloy flanges cut from a piece of 14mm plate (I can't remember where that came from  ) and collets made from a section of thick walled alloy tube, topped off with stainless studs and copper coated "locking" manifold nuts (common in the car world) I was feeling really pleased with myself so having fitted the headers I offered up the rest of the system (which I was planning to make some changes to the routing of now things like the original footrest plates and main stand are gone) This was the point that my world took a dive   I hadn't disassembled the exhaust previously but now I had I could see they the collector has rotted through between the pipes so impossible to repair (right in the middle of the 4 inlets) and also I removed the baffle which is some "home made " piece if s*^t that wouldn't baffle anything. So now it's time to build a new exhaust in the style of the Harris. I could buy something else but it probably still wouldn't be routed how I want it to be and even I wouldn't chop up a new exhaust system to re-route   

 

Looking good Wookie!

H.

Those exhaust flanges look very similar to the ones from the GS750 (which you also made)! 

Keep up the great work mate, I'm really enjoying watching the build progress.

Neil

Quofan wrote:

Those exhaust flanges look very similar to the ones from the GS750 (which you also made)! 

Keep up the great work mate, I'm really enjoying watching the build progress.

Neil


 

They are indeed, and my Harris. All cut from the same slab (just 25 years apart !!)

 

Well after last weekends frustration finding the exhaust collector had rotted out I decided to be prgamatic about the whole situation. On inspection the rest of the collector was pitted but solid so the rebuild began. Once the collector was done I moved onto the end can which wasn't in great shape under the badge either, no worries I replaced the body of the can and at the same time extended it a couple of inches by welding the new section to the taper of the original. Now the end cap was looking pretty shabby so, inspired by Howard's build I set to turning a new end cap in alloy (I think this billet was about the upper limit for my little lathe and took some lateral thinking) the billet wouldn't fit in the chuck of my lathe so I made a 12mm arbour screwed into the middle of it, once the back side was hollowed out I could be.t in the chuck once I flipped it around. Still a way to go but I am really happy with the results so far. Just the intermediate pipe and the headers to sort now   the collector had been heavily grounded at some point and with the headers attached and sitting nicely on the gaskets there was no way the collector would fit without forcing it (which would probably lead to blowing gaskets later - oh well, onwards and upwards 

 

Sweet!

Impressive metal work Wookie58 !

Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me, even now. Looking good pal. 

Quofan wrote:

Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me, even now. Looking good pal. 

It's a "mindset" thing pal, there are lot's of new things I have learnt during this build but the way I look at it is "what's the worst that can happen"?) if I make a "complete dogs arse" of it what have I lost other than a few hours and a little money (the billet for the end cap was £12) so go on "be brave and push the barriers" 

Wookie58 wrote:

It's a "mindset" thing pal, there are lot's of new things I have learnt during this build but the way I look at it is "what's the worst that can happen"?) if I make a "complete dogs arse" of it what have I lost other than a few hours and a little money (the billet for the end cap was £12) so go on "be brave and push the barriers" 

Right on - this guy gets it.

I've been trying to impress that mindset on the nephews: try new things and (as you indicated) what's the worst-case result? You break something? You have to start over? You make a mess? We don't want any injuries, of course, but even a cut finger is not the end of the world. As they get older, they're starting to get it more.

I've managed to get the headers sorted, in the end it was easiest to chop a section off and graft in new so I could get the angles the way I wanted, also had to extend #3 by 8mm in the height to get it to line up as I wanted   just the intermediate pipe and the rear mount now