Exhaust mounting ideas discussion

[Excalibur]

This topic pertains to ideas for mounting exhaust system for ultimate reliability. Searched knowledge base and around...

My Shovel in the building has dual headers and somewhat heavy tapered mufflers. My thought is to have 3-point mounting on each. So, mounted at head, muffler and somewhere on header (or perhaps muffler clamp).

Bike is far removed from original so not considering originality as any constraint. Whatever works ok, practical and looks reasonable would be fine.
Otherwise I don't want excessive noise.

At the head flange bolt I'm using a spring and flat washers. Elsewhere will be self locking nuts.
Another thing I'm keeping in mind is to mount without inducing excessive stress.

My thought for the front header/muffler clamp is to mount at/under the nosecone. There's a redundant footboard lug that looks ideal.

There must be some really awesome ideas out there. Things that work well and stuff that's a no-no. Opportunity to chat open.
Thanks.

[PanPal]

A Picture of what your doing would be helpful if it’s not original. I find a few days and a lot of beers while staring at it works for me. Header pipe support, middle area, and muffler area support are a good start. If the muffler is long, you may need additional support near the center of the muffler. If you can lift the bikes weight by the muffler your good.

[RUBONE]

The most important mount is going to be for the muffler. A strong support arm is a necessity. Is your bike rigid framed or swingarm? Rigid is fairly easy, swing arm trickier. A heavy weight on the end of a long lever will trash everything in front of it no matter how well those parts are supported. The muffler mount is the key.

[Excalibur]

Thanks. Picture as it sits today..

mf.jpg

[Excalibur]

My current thought for mounting the rear muffler is to use a length of 20mm RHS box and attach it to the 2 x frame boltholes with 5mm plate. Use a triangular plate with 3 holes on the muffler bracket, with the 3rd hole bolting to the RHS. I don't have any studs/bolts for the muffler and can't recall what these have exactly? Are these a "stud on a plate" that inserts into the bracket so it can't rotate?

The front muffler poses another problem. Due to necessary kicker clearance, there's insufficient room for the muffler bracket against the frame so I might have to put that facing downward.

For the front muffler clamp I can bracket it to the redundant footboard mount.

[RooDog]

Here's a pretty typical Superglide muffler bracket, easy enough to replicate....

Muffler Bracket.jpg

[Excalibur]

Common problem, there's what you think you know, then you go to do it and then you realize how much you don't know.

Awesome, learning a lot. Studying various parts books and elsewhere, etc, I see a number of different methods used by the Moco over the years.
Funnily, I can spend more time studying than the job takes but that's the way it goes.

RooDog. That Superglide bracket. I have one very similar which came with this bike (but no other exhaust bits). It isn't close enough to being a nice fit by any stretch of the imagination but besides I'd like something a bit stronger for the rear muffler. Mufflers weigh 6lbs/ea but on the positive side it could mean sound won't be tinny.

Panpal, like the thinking. Hatch a plan over a few days works best. Rush it and you end up wishing you'd done it different. Pondering rethink re rear header support. Quite often they bracket off the clutch release cover.

Robbie. Thanks for the thoughts. Agreed. I've seen those break off.

Tomorrow will be a holiday for Queens birthday, 96yo. Also it'll be cold and rainy so a good time to be in the shed with heater on.

[PanPal]

So the mufflers you are using should have the slotted bracket welded to the muffler for carriage bolts. It looks like modifying the bracket you have that looks like the one Roo posted will be a good starting point and a clean way to secure the weight of the mufflers without using bands on the body of the muffler. If you get creative with your modification and also support the area were the rear muffler clamps to the pipe, you may only need one support at the clamp for your front muffler clamp area. If you have the tab normally used for the squish pipe, that may work. If the foot board tab is not being used, and lines up close to the front pipe clamp you may be able to attach your clamp bolt to some type of bracket there. Or one P clamp around the frame attached to a P clamp on the muffler clamp like A front header pipe is supported on a Panhead. Your rear brake stabilizer makes me nervous. The force when braking pushing against the flat bar may bend the bar.
I didn’t like my banana caliper on my square swingarm. Bought a softail rear brake caliper that has a slot for a brake stay. I welded a small rectangular plate to the modified lower shock mount that keeps the caliper in place. I liked getting rid of the bar and now have a 4 piston caliper that doesn’t need to self align on pins. Just some thoughts. Hope some of this makes sense.

[RUBONE]

Your rear brake stabilizer makes me nervous. The force when braking pushing against the flat bar may bend the bar.

To add to that, a support that pulls allows the caliper to stay centered on the disc, when it pushes against a support it will always cock to one side or the other creating poor braking and uneven pad wear.

[RooDog]

I tried posting this this AM but somehow it got lost, so here it is again....
I made this rear bracket for my '68 FL. It is from a Dynaglide bracket that I bent to where I liked it. The welded on tab meets the screw stud in the welded on channel on the back side of my muffler. The front pipe clamps directly to the frame below the tranny's kicker bell. (Not shown here),,,
PS: My brake anchor rod is in tension, GMA 4 piston caliper...
....RooDog....

DSC03219 (3).JPG

[Excalibur]

Finally got the exhaust finished bar the final assembly where I'll seal the headers and sort out better fasteners, nylocs etc.
Mufflers bracket made from black pipe and 5mm flat bar. Because I wanted the front muffler to have max clearance when banked right, I welded threaded inserts in the pipe for the 2 frame bolts. Also I squeezed the pipe mount slightly and gained another maybe 1/8". Every bit counts on the tight roads up the back of my place.

e4.jpg

Had to make one pipe clamp for front header to redundant footboard lug.

e3.jpg

PO had welded on footrest mounts so I used it for rear header mid mount. I had pondered attaching to gearbox but I realized it would move if primary belt needed tensioning.

e2.jpg

Muffler-to-header clamps are late model perhaps Twinkie items. They seem to clamp down nicely.

e1.jpg

The rear caliper is an existing item and not something I would do. The mounting is fabricated and chrome hides a million sins. The stabilizer is 1-1/4" x 1/4" stainless. Ideally I wanted to pick up another caliper and re-engineer the whole thing. Actually I have a FXR rear brake & mount plus a '90's Sportster setup somewhere.... Although I seem to recall the Shovel shock mount is in the way from it fitting swingarm.??

This thread has been a big help to me. I was able to bounce ideas around, get feedback plus some very useful tips came.
Thanks to all who helped.

[Mongrel505558]

Thanks for posting your project. Nice work, too.

Jim

[PanPal]

1 observation unrelated to the nice work you have done with the exhaust. I see many similarities to what I’ve gone through on my swingarm Pan. Last week I was looking and my rear axle was installed just as yours is pictured. It got me thinking, if the wheel bearings were to drag, they would tend to loosen the axle. I spent one evening working out installing it so the axle nut was on the other side. I have the same thing going on with my front wheel axle on the springer. So, is this something important or am I overthinking axle orientation?

[RooDog]

If one has a drum brake the axle can only go in one way, from the right.
With Timken bearings & disc brake setup the axle can go in from either side, so look at how the pieces/spacers stack up. I find that it is best for me to go in from the left because the muffler may interfere with pulling the axle out the right side. Also I am paranoid about the axle loosening so my simple fix is to pin the nut. Now is that a good fix, or what?
....RooDog....

DSC03100.JPG

[PanPal]

Hmm. The exhaust isn’t on, but now I will know what to do. Real good idea.