Is this what exhaust headers are supposed to look like?

[lhaolpa]

New guy here with a question, this seems to be an appropriate thread. Just bought a 81 XS400 Special that has a puffs (no smoke) coming from just inside the collar. Tried to pull the exhaust off to see if new seals were in order and can't get the collar past the studs. Looking at it from the top with the tank removed it seems the inside studs are splayed down and away from center line. Is this normal? is there a trick to getting the collars off without crushing the threads on the studs? I'm thinking somebody screwed up in the bikes past (history is totally unknown). And oil wouldn't leak from there, unless I've been wrong about internal combustion engines my whole life. I'm getting oil down the front of the engine, can't tell if it's coming from there or higher up like the oil pressure sending hose. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

BTW didn't buy the bike till I had read half of the forums on here to make sure I had 'tech support' available. The amount of knowledge shared here is amazing.

We could make a "Knowledge Bank",like they wanted to put "skippy's"vast array of knowledge in.HaHaHa!!!!!lha

 

[nitrofish1]

thats the way my exhaust is mounted. im on an 81 400 special. there is a massive gap between the collar and the head, and no exhaust leakage. strange, but its working, so why break off those rusty nuts eh?

 

[lhaolpa]

thats the way my exhaust is mounted. im on an 81 400 special. there is a massive gap between the collar and the head, and no exhaust leakage. strange, but its working, so why break off those rusty nuts eh?

The reason to break loose those rusty nuts is that maybe now you can,later,when you need to loosen them you won't be able to.If it's easily gotten to now,it will save time to replace the nuts and gaskets while you can. lha

 

[bcware]

My 1978 is opposite the photo and if I remember correctly there is a gap. I'm actually not sure it is possible to put them on backwards because the inner collar plates that push on the headers may only fit on one way. I'll take a look later today as I have the entire bike disassembled.

 

[oldgeek]

Here are new exhaust gaskets i just got for my 81...they came from FeeBay (gasketman75) he is in the UK. They are 47mm OD, and look to be good quality, but i have not installed them yet.

When you take your headers off, look carefully for the remains of your old gaskets. Mine were so flattened that they looked like part of the block at first, it took some scraping to get all of the remains out of there.

 

[bcware]

I dug 3 sets of gaskets out of my friend's cb360 I guess not many people check!

 

[FlyingAnvil]

My 80 has them large ends away from engine as well.

 

[XSLeo]

Some one mentioned the XS650. On them the flanges can't be reversed. They don't come off the headpipes. There is a mounting tab down by the foot pegs on head pipe. On the later one piece exhaust the muffler is in the way.
Do the XS400 headpipes have that lower mount tab. If so they have to be on right.
Leo

 

[WulfgartheBlack]

I've got two '81 model 'Special's - one with wire spokes and the other with cast wheels. They both have the the wide part to the front as in the picture and that part is captive on the header pipe. It can't be turned around unless you cut the pipe free of the factory-welded-on muffler.
Still, it 'looks' wrong [but it works].

 

[mikestp]

I have three of those bikes. All are mounted as in your picture.

 

[corytburkhart]

facing the front of the bike, the left side.. i had the same problem trying to get it off.. it took some work but i did it without damaging the threads.. mines also an 81

 

[lhaolpa]

That's the way old BSAs and Triumphs were done,some with large fins on them,all big side out.I think they designed them that way[different years facing differently]to make the bikes look different than the year before. Mine's an '82 seca,and has the large side out. I'm making a 2 into 1 setup as I have plenty of chrome pipe and a collector/muffler already bought. lha