Dented Header Pipe - Freeze Method?

[wester]

Hi all,
I have a dent right in the curve of the header pipe heading back to the exhaust. (looks like the PO ran a curb or something?? )

I've done some googling and found some have success with pushing dents out of their pipes by removing... filling with water... ensuring no air pockets... plugging both ends... and sitting in the freezer over night... viola!

any thoughts on this method on this forum?
note: i have no idea how long the dents have been in there

if this should work and i give it a go i'd be glad to document and "how-to" for the forum...


thoughts?

 

[ThePsuedoMonkey]

Yamaha uses double walled exhaust pipes, so I don't know if you could get the water in the space between them.

 

[wester]

Yamaha uses double walled exhaust pipes, so I don't know if you could get the water in the space between them.

PsuedoMonkey- the header pipe between the engine and the exhaust is double walled? Or are you thinking I mean the actual exhaust/muffler. I'll post a pic tomorrow morning of where exactly.

For now - in words - engine --> header pipe .. goes down front of bike... turns 90 degree to rear >DENT<.. continues to muffler...

I'm thinking of freezing JUST the header pipe. (hoping i'm using correct terminology)

make sense?

 

[1lowdiesel]

What you're saying makes sense but TPM is right, the head pipe is double walled. I was surprised to see that myself when i did my exhaust.

 

[ThePsuedoMonkey]

If you have your heart set on using a "freeze" method, you could check out using the dry ice method. I've never had to do it before, but getting the pipes hot and using normal ice might work as well.

 

[wester]

wow. never would have thought the pipe was double walled. seems if i'm going to get out the dent it would mean pulling the outside... THEN freezing the inside. ha.

can i just leave the dent? what is the harm in that?
^then i could simply wrap the pipes?


here is the promised pic... not a great pic, was running behind for work today.

 

[xschris]

I would not worry about it. With a double wall pipe that dent wont affect anything other than its looks.

 

[wester]

I would not worry about it. With a double wall pipe that dent wont affect anything other than its looks.

excellent!
thank you all!

 

[HoughMade]

What year? Earlier headers were double walled, later were not. You can't separate them and not destroy the outer. I see that the mufflers are separate, so it looks older. The pipes were bent after the inner and outer were joined.

That dent doesn't look bad to me at all.

 

[wester]

What year?

That dent doesn't look bad to me at all.

Year - 1980.

I think I might wrap them anyway. So, I could just leave it worst case. Would like to remove for more flow though I would imagine. Always good to fix before right? (if I can anyway)

 

[xschris]

They are all double walled, my 80's stock pipes where as well

 

[xschris]

If you have these holes in your head pipes(for letting out condensation because they are welded on) then they are double walled. The pre 80 ones don't because the have slide off mufflers and any condensation would just burn off in the muffler.

 

[wester]

alright.. pics are here. still not sure if they are double walled or not. sounds like if i'm going to wrap the pipes it's not as important of an issue.. but either way would like to get to the bottom of it.

i was at a bike meet tonight too and another nice xs400'er was saying that his '80 was double walled but part of the inner wall had rotted out... so then i was back to square one on what mine are.

thoughts? my muffers are not welded on, so what you're looking at is the metal between the engine and muffler connection

thanks all

 

[xschris]

Those are aftermarket pipes. So they are single walled.

 

[wester]

Those are aftermarket pipes. So they are single walled.

Now just need to see if they fit in the freezer

Stay tuned!

 

[xschris]

Good luck!!

 

[volcomskater77]

might be different for bike pipes, but a guy i know uses a 1/8 or 1/4 stick for headers on his fords. drops it in where the dent is, lights the long wick, run like fuck, BOOM, no more dent. haha

 

[wester]

might be different for bike pipes, but a guy i know uses a 1/8 or 1/4 stick for headers on his fords. drops it in where the dent is, lights the long wick, run like fuck, BOOM, no more dent. haha

I'll stick with Ice. it um, colder, hmm,, water based, easier to procure, and um, safer??? imo of course.

 

[volcomskater77]

haha agreed. never said i advised it just pointed out a way lol

 

[wester]

haha agreed. never said i advised it just pointed out a way lol

Well said. Hahaha.

I still haven't done the ice method. I'm still debating.

While at a local bike shop, the guy pointed out he didn't know how thin the metal was on the scape or if it would break while the ice was expanding. I see his point, so I've decided to weigh the pro's between ice or no ice/full header pipe or dented header pipe... since I'm going to wrap them anyway....