Cooters header replacement, NO engine rotate!

[Cooter]

Is something wrong with your pipe? Does it not work the way it used to? Maybe it's an age thing. Maybe it's just a little ugly. Heres how to get them to throw panties at you again, get a new shiney pipe!

Heres a couple little tips to help this be a 2 hour or less job. Having a small aftermarket muffler helps tremendously, but the Hawk exhaust on here will show the little nuances of OE muffler R&R.

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Hang it off the pillion peg mounts. Just get the rear tire slightly off the ground. You can use an A-frame ladder too.
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These are still pretty cheesy hooks IMO, but they'll take the weight of the bike (with me on it!) without distorting.

[Cooter]

Then you get to remove the seat and the rear shock.
a T40 torx and a 1/2" locknut for the lower mount.
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5/16" allen for the top
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and your favorite T27 for the reservoir bracket (this is on a Ss long)
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and the shock comes out through the top.
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[Cooter]

Make sure to 'prep' bolts and nuts that see lots of heat cycles.
Attachment 14550
Pull the chin fairing for access to the front mount, and pull off the sprocket guard for access tot he rear clamps
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Front lower engine bracket has a captured nut and 5/16" allen, but you'll still need a socket for the nut to remove the bolt the whole way.
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Go ahead and take all the band clamp nuts off now too. I have found both 11mm or 7/16" nuts with no rhyme or reason
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Attachment 14554
Don't worry, nothings gonna fall off yet...

[Cooter]

Use a long 9/16" wrench for the big clamp. If its super hard to get started, sometimes slightly tightening it first can help.

Wiggle wiggle wiggle
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To remove the IEV cable, I used my favorite Knipex adjustable flat jawed pliers. Using the tip of a flat blade screwdriver between the flat of the nut and the bracket will stop the nut from spinning
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now the mufflers free and you can go back to the top.

[Cooter]

Once the shock is out you'll be staring at the fan
These 4 t27 bolts hold it in
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A small 1/4" bit driver is priceless for this sort of angle.
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Once the 4 bolts are out, the bottom of the fan slides rearward and down.
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Just enough to get to the 2 wire plug. A good cheat is to use a pick to depress the lock on the connector. My fingers are too big to do it.
Attachment 14560

Then pull the fan out the bottom. It's good time to make sure its not oily (Buellizm #5634).
Attachment 14561

[Cooter]

And now you're staring at the O2 sensor. The single wire plug is just above the rear rocker cover.
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You can buy a specialty socket, even grind your own from a 7/8" or 22mm deep, but I prefer the crowsfoot. For some reason it seems to be able to give this notoriously hard thing a bit more oomph.
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The ratchet still didn't do it so, break out the breaker bar!
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Now you're ready to actually start removing the header

[Cooter]

All the bolts are easy to get to and and already been soaking in penetrant, right!?!
a 1/2" short socket on a universal and extension will get all of them. a little electrical tape wrap stops the old ones from flopping around and also helps it from marking up the header tube.
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except for the inner rear, where a wrench works fine.
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Heres where the extension comes up from the bottom:
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and the view from the bottom up:
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[Cooter]

Take the front header bolts off and the flange completely out of the way
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Do the same for the rear as much as you can. It MUST be off the studs.
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Pop the front pipe just out of the port...
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will let it go slightly rearward, releasing the rear port past the studs.
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and drop out of the bike
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[Cooter]

Now you need to (probably) transfer the flanges to the new header. These are 'duckbill' pliers but regular outside snap ring pliers or even manly mans fingers can do the job
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The groove in the flange always goes against the snap ring.
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with the front tube only near its destination, put the rear of the new header in first.
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then the front
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I would highly recommend using NEW all metal lock nuts before you torque them to the 72-96 inch/lbs (8-9 ft/lbs). No. Tighter is NOT better.

Might as well put in a new o2 sensor. One of the FEW parts I'll replace without proving them dead.
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[Cooter]

These Bosch sensors cross reference OK, but you'll need to tie up the extra wire so it won't get caught in the fan, then attach it to the plug by the rocker cover.
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Don't forget a dab of anti seize!
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Replace the fan from under the bike, top in first, re-connect its electrical plug, then swing in the bottom. You should be able to easily mount it flat against the frame from the inside and line up the holes. If its fighting you, check for wires being squished before you crank the mounting bolts on!

Next the shock goes in from the top. Leave the upper and lower mounts loose until you get the weight on the bike and torque them fully then.

The muffler goes back on by connecting the front collector loosely, loop the rear clamps around the oil line (T-bolts facing the right side), thread on the nuts, and then slip the clamps assembly around the rear of the muffler and the half-moon mount (leave loose)
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The front engine mount goes on one way. It has a notch in it to clear this muffler bracket on the right side.
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So thread the clamp through the bracket (clamp T-bolt points to the left side),
put the allen through the engine and bracket from the left side, add the nut
and loosely attach the front clamp. In that order.
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Now it's important to tighten the exhaust so that nothings under stress. My method is to use a hammer A dead blow is perfect, but a hammer and a block of wood will do, you DON"T want to hit your nice new header directly, right??

Finger tighten the header flanges so that they won't unseat from the gaskets on the heads.
tap, tap, tap, the front of the muffler onto the collector as far as it will go.
Snug the rear clamps, then the front clamp, and engine bracket.
Tap, tap, tap the collector again and torque the all the muffler clamps, bracket, and the header flanges.
Tap, tap, tap the collector for the last time and tighten that collector clamp.

Re-install the chin fairing, sprocket cover, and get ready to start dodging panties!