CVO Technical > Intake/Exhaust/ECM
OK, here's an easy way to modify and keep stock all at the same time
ultrarider123:
OK, here goes nothing. This is my first posting for anything...ever...anywhere (except for the new member intro on a couple of forums I'm on). I mainly read and gather information. I have to post this, however, in regards to the exhaust discussions and hope to help a few of you/us out there that may just want to keep everything stock but want a bit louder exhaust note.
First off, I've been riding/tinkering/repairing HD's for about 25 years. I've had some great teachers over these years (Larry Poole for one...gone from this world but riding in the next...) and learned quite a bit about carbs, exhaust and such....pretty much enough to make 'em run better. This fuel injection "stuff" is great for cold, altitude changes, etc but working on it can be a "-itch". When you change something, you have to buy more stuff to make it run right when you used to be able to modify and then adjust on the carb and it ran like a top.
My focus here is keeping the stock header pipe (yep, with the catalyst in place) but "fixing" the screaming eagle exhaust. On the stock mufflers that came on the Evo and older bikes, the Company would tack weld in a small plate (a bit larger than a quarter) inside the inlet of the muffler. This was addressed a few times on a couple of discussions concerning the Fullsac systems and coreing the cat. A note on the cat issues...while I've removed the cat material plenty of times on some older four wheeled vehicles over the years, I always removed the entire catalyst material, not just opening a hole. I'm sure this works great for a while but would worry that after a while, the material remaining would eventually break down and clog the exhaust. It does it all the time on older cars with no modification...the cat aftermarked business is booming for some reason?
As stated, in the past you could take a good size wooden dowel and a good sledge and "pop" the small plate out of the muffler. You still had good "stock" sound at road speeds but sitting at idle and when you "open it up", it sounds so much better with a very good, deep rumble. The Company still has to meet the EPA noise regulations even on the factory customs like our CVO's so to meet this, they have to "quiet" the stock screaming eagle mufflers with the modern version of that plate. The new thing is a tube style "plug" that's now tacked into the exit end of the muffler and believe me, you cannot knock this one out. You can however dremel it out.
You are now asking why would you want to do this? Well, if you want to be stock but don't want to spend the money on the Fullsac conversion (good conversion, by the way...I am NOT knocking that option here!) you can bring those SE mufflers back to the way they were suppose to be running. How do I know this? Well, if you look at any aftermarket muffler including the SE mufflers and including most cores you purchase, you have an unobstructive view straight through the muffler. By taking this plug out, you open that SE back to how it should be running and you DO NOT have to change anything else if you choose not to do so.
In my next post for this discussion, I'll supply a picture of that plug in place and removed and, hopefully...if I can figure out how to do it...of the removal process. I AM NOT suggesting that this is the end all to all the issues with the stock header and the catalyst but it does give you the sound level for folks that still have to pass yearly exhaust testing from our nanny State(s). OK, here we go....post the picture of the plug installed and removed in a bit.
ultrarider123:
I've done two of these for two friends and they could not be happier and all it cost them was a good cigar and an adult beverage (AFTER the work was completed...nothing like a good Guiness after working on a bike). I've got two more scheduled for this week and will attempt to document the removal on one of the next two.
Here's a picture of the plug in place:
ultrarider123:
....and here is a picture of the plug after removal. See, it's still restrictive even with the holes and such. This plug causes the exhaust gasses to pass through the packing material in the muffler making it quieter. But after removal, what a difference! Again, no modification other than plug removal so if you want the cat removed also, please see the other discussions that address this. More pictures and instructions to come. I do have a removal after work this afternoon so, hopefully, I will have instructions and pictures to come tonight or tomorrow.
ultrarider123:
Okey dokey...here we go. This first picture is before removing the saddlebags and the mufflers. I didn't take an after picture because is looks the same as the before.
ultrarider123:
I don't want to insult anyone as there are many posts on removing the mufflers and saddlebags and most folks know how...no reason to rehash here...so after you have removed your saddlebags and muffler, you can look down the end of the muffler with the end cap. You can see the plug (as it looks on the one above from the other bike this weekend).
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