I am trying to replace my Harley’s mufflers. Any tips on how to get the old mufflers loose from the pipes???
It appears that the years and miles have put residue at the point where my mufflers attach to the exhaust pipes. I cannot get this bond to break loose and don't want to tear up my system trying to get them off the pipes. Thanks for any assistance.
Go get a can of P B Blaster keep spraying it into the seam where the pipes and mufflers join.Then just keep wiggling the mufflers back and forth.They should come loose. If you don’t care about saving the mufflers tap on the ends lightly with a hammer.P B Blaster is great stuff for breaking loose frozen parts.Much better than liquid wrench.If you really get desperate drill a hole near the pipes,stick a big screwdriver in it.hold the end and then hit the screwdriver where it goes into the muffler backwards with a hammer
take the exhaust off the bike and get it on a table where you can work on it, use a butane torch and heat it, myself I would get a complete exhaust, the price is not that much different.
On a "newer" Harley the mufflers have to be twisted (clockwise if I remember right), then pull straight back. They only move about 1/2 inch clockwise.
You might try running the engine to heat them up, then using leather gloves try to remove them.
If you don’t care about saving the old ones, try drilling a hole through them and put a screw driver through to give you a handle to pull with.
I have used belt type oil filter wrenches, they seem to work well and they don’t mar the chrome.
take the shields off 1st and the it’s just pipe there that if you scratch it up, the shields would hide it
i agree, a strap type filter wrench would be well worth a try
Another vote for PB Blaster. Great stuff.
Soak the joints, let it sit. Soak them again, let sit overnight.
The strap wrench is a dandy idea.
You don’t say what model you’re working on.
If it’s a Dyna, remove the bracket that ties the mufflers together first.
Stock mufflers are a tight fit. I had to twist and wiggle (’06).