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SequiMike
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« on: January 12, 2016, 04:59:23 PM » |
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I recently purchased a 1998 Valk Standard and love the bike, but the exhaust is just too loud for me. Pulling off the chrome on the R muffler reveals this on the outside  Does this have something to do with the "piggies" that I read about? Has something been cut off? Peering inside one of the holes with my Milwaukee proctoscope, I see a tube with perforations all around it and a hole about 1/2" in the end.  I assume the hole was drilled by a previous owner to "enrich the sound". Looking closer at the hole, it is off-center and appears to have been drilled with a dull bit.  Getting closer and looking through the hole I see...  I can't tell much from this picture and assume everything in this area is OK. My questions are: - What, if anything, was cut off the end where the 3 holes come out? - Are the 1/2" holes at the end of the tunnel non-OEM? - If the holes WERE drilled by a PO, would it hurt/help if I found something to plug them with, like a giant screw? |
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1998 Valkyrie, 1977 Honda 750A, 2014 Goldwing, 2013 Harley Heritage
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sandy
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« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2016, 06:05:43 PM » |
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The 3 piggies have been cut off and the first baffle has been drilled. Too bad because there's no easy or cheap fix.
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2016, 06:07:53 PM » |
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Yes your piggies were cut off. That in itself doesn't add too much noise, but it also looks like it's had the full Ragnar mod. (Your muffler was drilled) I don't know if you will be able to reverse this. Your best course of action at this time might be to PM MarkT and ask him about it. He makes pipes for the Valkyrie and can tell you if they can be helped. Good luck  |
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hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16781
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2016, 06:11:11 PM » |
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My pipes were cut and drilled (and rusty and dented) when I got my bike,
I hated it... it seems like you can still find decent sets of un-molested pipes
on ebay and stuff for $300-$500...
There's a vendor on this board (MarkT) would have a fix for the chopped-off
piggies, and maybe know a solution for the drilled baffles... I think I remember
someone doing something similar to mashing a freeze plug back down
in there... ?
-Mike
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SequiMike
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« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2016, 06:40:02 PM » |
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What do the piggies look like? Do they have baffles in them??
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1998 Valkyrie, 1977 Honda 750A, 2014 Goldwing, 2013 Harley Heritage
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Bighead
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« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2016, 06:54:19 PM » |
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No baffles in piggies just three extensions .
Hey asshole ( meathead ) everything spelled correctly?
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1997 Bumble Bee
1999 Interstate (sold)
2016 Wing
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gordonv
Member
Posts: 5762
VRCC # 31419
Richmond BC
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« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2016, 09:01:51 PM » |
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Could not "wool" be added in, to act as a baffle? It would be fast, cheap, and changeable (keep adding till you like the sound).
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1999 Black with custom paint IS   |
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h13man
Member
Posts: 1757
To everything there is an exception.
Indiana NW Central Flatlands
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« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2016, 09:14:18 PM » |
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Well you could weld a taper pipe tap onto a exstention aka 1/2" key stock and tap it to take a steel allen plug. If the hole is 1/2" a 1/4" ntpt should work. You probably will have to make extended allen wrench also. Just be cautious and not to tap to deep. Using a steel plug allows you use a magnet to retrieve it. Also use wheel bearing grease for tapping lube and chip retainer/collector so to speak. Marine grade grease works the best.
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« Last Edit: January 12, 2016, 09:22:42 PM by h13man »
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SequiMike
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« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2016, 09:39:20 PM » |
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Well you could weld a taper pipe tap onto a exstention aka 1/2" key stock and tap it to take a steel allen plug. If the hole is 1/2" a 1/4" ntpt should work. You probably will have to make extended allen wrench also. Just be cautious and not to tap to deep. Using a steel plug allows you use a magnet to retrieve it. Also use wheel bearing grease for tapping lube and chip retainer/collector so to speak. Marine grade grease works the best.
That sounds like it would be worth a try, and certainly wouldn't cost a lot, And considering the baffle plate is not very thick, maybe I could even skip the tapping part and just jam/force a plug into the hole. Looks like I'll be in the plumbing section of Home Depot tomorrow - thanks for the ideas! |
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1998 Valkyrie, 1977 Honda 750A, 2014 Goldwing, 2013 Harley Heritage
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MarkT
Member
Posts: 5196
VRCC #437 "Form follows Function"
Colorado Front Range - elevation 2.005 km
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« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2016, 10:29:14 PM » |
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What you have is the piggies removed and the baffles drilled. You can't replace the baffle plugs from the outside because the ID of the remains of the tubes is smaller than the ID where the baffles are. They can be replaced from the inside but that's more involved. You can plug the holes as mentioned with a tap but you will still have the drone that comes from the piggies gone. You can replace the piggies with my piggy plates and get the sound back close to OEM as far as drone is concerned. If you succeed in plugging it and replace the piggies you will have OEM sound. I have "Piggy plates" in both IS and tourer versions that were removed from OEM exhausts. You can replace them w/o welding using this method: http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,38448.0.htmlHere's what my piggy plates look like. $20 for a pair plus $15 shipping.  |
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davit
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« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2016, 07:46:48 AM » |
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SequiMike
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« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2016, 06:37:56 PM » |
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What you have is the piggies removed and the baffles drilled. You can't replace the baffle plugs from the outside because the ID of the remains of the tubes is smaller than the ID where the baffles are. They can be replaced from the inside but that's more involved. You can plug the holes as mentioned with a tap but you will still have the drone that comes from the piggies gone. You can replace the piggies with my piggy plates and get the sound back close to OEM as far as drone is concerned. If you succeed in plugging it and replace the piggies you will have OEM sound. I have "Piggy plates" in both IS and tourer versions that were removed from OEM exhausts. You can replace them w/o welding using this method: http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,38448.0.htmlIf I'm able to plug the holes, I will definitely order a pair of piggie plates from you (I have the Standard Valk - do you have plates for it?). I bought 6 NPT 1/4" iron plugs at Home Depot this morning, hoping I could just force-feed them into the holes, but that didn't work. The threads on the plugs just wouldn't engage in the edges of the hole, despite my tapering the plugs further on a grinder. Then I took a steel bar and pounded the plugs into the hole, hoping they will hold by the remaining threads. Only did this with 2 (one on each side) and then rode around town a bit to see if the Valk would spit them out. They held, but I don't have a lot of confidence in the long term, so I ordered a tapered tap on ebay and will try that on the remaining 4 holes. If I am successful, I'll check with you for piggie plates and be done with this job. If not, I will consider buying a set of pipes from a member who PM'd me that he had some for sale. Stand by for updates........  Here's what my piggy plates look like. $20 for a pair plus $15 shipping. |
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1998 Valkyrie, 1977 Honda 750A, 2014 Goldwing, 2013 Harley Heritage
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Oldnick
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« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2016, 12:24:16 AM » |
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Having just gone through this successfully (if labouriously) I will chime in. I have played with exhausts before and just did not know the Valk...they are the usual Valk complexity. Bear in mind that I was doing this only for rego and have the makings of new pipes ready to go at some time. They will have fully removable baffles with the ability to control flow and add muffler material as needed. No more one-piece pipes! When I tried to plug the drilled baffles, some just collapsed into the pipe. They were weakened by the drilling and possibly my ignorant efforts at cutting I reckon. But they and the baffles that hold them are thin. In the end I cut open the pipes a chamber at a time (well for most of them  ) with a grinder and cutter wheels and plugged them with stainless steel wool (I used the kitchen stuff. I am not sure if the more expensive baffle building stuff is any better.) It MUST be stainless! Steel wool is just as likely to pour sparks out of the back end and weill certainly rust. In order to avoid too much damage, you need to look at pictures of the exhaust cut open (they are around, I forget where) and cut each chamber of the pipe individually. I used 4 kitchen bundles of wool in each chamber of each pipe. I bagged each bundle of two stainless balls(the pipe hads a central baffle as well and a wall to support it. This dropped the sound level about 10dB, which is quite significant and got me registered. The pipes are still not quite by the standards of many metric cruisers, but is not as harsh a bark as it was.4 bundles malke very little difference to the air flow. If you wanted to get any quieter (the stock Valk is not that quiet) , you would (a) run out of room to stuff more stainless in there and (b)start causing more severe back pressure. You would at least need to start looking at re-jetting the mains. It may be worth looking at one of the mains anyway, as they may have been re-jetted, although most seem to think that the Ragnar mod does not need it. So for a lot quieter, you need to look at alternative exhaust pipes IMO. At best I would look at maybe an H connecdtion between the two pipes, underneath the bike. This allows more stuffing with less back pressure and also gives the gases more places to go and be quieted. The pipes seem to be made of stainless, so you will need to be able to weld that with the right wire. You alsi need to be able to weld reasonably thin (2mm?) metal |
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Nick
May God save us from believers!
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MarkT
Member
Posts: 5196
VRCC #437 "Form follows Function"
Colorado Front Range - elevation 2.005 km
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« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2016, 07:22:09 AM » |
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Mike, The only difference between the std & tourer is the bags and windshield on the tourer. Everything else is identical including the exhaust.
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Mulepick
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« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2016, 07:36:14 AM » |
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I agree that your piggies have been cut off and that at least one of your baffles have been drilled. I'm running pipes now that have been drilled but have retained my set of OEM pipes. Bike is for sale now and if the new owner wants the louder pipes, the OEMs will be for sale. I also have a set of "piggie extensions" that you could weld on. They're chrome.
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Eric58701
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« Reply #16 on: January 14, 2016, 08:56:45 AM » |
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sorry to hack this post, but I have a 99 interstate love the bike but don't really like the "crotch rocket" sound, I would like a little bit more rumble, nothing so loud the wife not enjoy the ride, does that make sense ?
so can I do anything with the stock pipes, that will give it some depth ?
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hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16781
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #17 on: January 14, 2016, 09:02:21 AM » |
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sorry to hack this post, but I have a 99 interstate love the bike but don't really like the "crotch rocket" sound, I would like a little bit more rumble, nothing so loud the wife not enjoy the ride, does that make sense ?
so can I do anything with the stock pipes, that will give it some depth ?
If your pipes and sequimike's pipes both look good on the outside, y'all should trade, keep from molesting another (getting rarer) set of OEM pipes... If you wife ends up hating the trade, you could send them to MarkT, and I think he could turn them into one of those sets that has adjustable volume... -Mike |
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davit
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« Reply #18 on: January 14, 2016, 09:07:30 AM » |
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sorry to hack this post, but I have a 99 interstate love the bike but don't really like the "crotch rocket" sound, I would like a little bit more rumble, nothing so loud the wife not enjoy the ride, does that make sense ?
so can I do anything with the stock pipes, that will give it some depth ?
Yes. And many of the options have been touched on in this thread: cutting the piggies, drilling the baffles, and then dealing with the consequences. The resulting harsh resonation can then be partially squelched with the piggies from Mark T or the Rex Marine baffles. Check out Shop Talk for more. |
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #19 on: January 14, 2016, 09:26:26 AM » |
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sorry to hack this post, but I have a 99 interstate love the bike but don't really like the "crotch rocket" sound, I would like a little bit more rumble, nothing so loud the wife not enjoy the ride, does that make sense ?
so can I do anything with the stock pipes, that will give it some depth ?
If your pipes and sequimike's pipes both look good on the outside, y'all should trade, keep from molesting another (getting rarer) set of OEM pipes... If you wife ends up hating the trade, you could send them to MarkT, and I think he could turn them into one of those sets that has adjustable volume... -Mike Mike, wouldn't it be easier to just trade wives ?   |
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Fazer
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« Reply #20 on: January 14, 2016, 09:40:54 AM » |
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Rex Marine baffles in the exhaust tips or truck stacks is another option.
I have been trying to get a set of these but have been told by Rex Marine that they are not making them now and did not know when they would begin making them again. I have his site bookmarked and check periodically. Just looked and saw they are are currently "out of stock." |
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Nothing in moderation...
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davit
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« Reply #21 on: January 14, 2016, 09:51:07 AM » |
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Rex Marine baffles in the exhaust tips or truck stacks is another option.
I have been trying to get a set of these but have been told by Rex Marine that they are not making them now and did not know when they would begin making them again. I have his site bookmarked and check periodically. Just looked and saw they are are currently "out of stock." Cpperformance.com has them. Search "exhaust silencer". |
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SequiMike
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« Reply #22 on: January 14, 2016, 06:34:29 PM » |
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I appreciate all the suggestions and comments - a lot of good information out there!
Today I bought a 1/4" NPT tap and attempted to thread the remaining 4 holes and screw the plugs in. It seemed to work with 3 of the holes, but the 4th was too big to begin with so I tried hammering the plug in like I did with the first two the other day. I guess the hole WAS too big, as the little plug disappeared and is now living in the bowels of the muffler. So..... I took a 1/2" bolt (short one) and drove it into the pipe, thereby wedging it in the 1/2" hole at the end of the baffle. In the middle of all this mess, another forum member who lives in Portland contacted me and has a clean, unmodified exhaust set that he will sell. I plan to drive down on Monday to pick them up and, after installing them, will use the old set to experiment and maybe try a few of the suggestions that have been offered here. Thanks to everyone who offered advice!
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1998 Valkyrie, 1977 Honda 750A, 2014 Goldwing, 2013 Harley Heritage
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SequiMike
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« Reply #23 on: January 28, 2016, 07:23:04 PM » |
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Following the advice of several folks, I have returned my Valk exhaust to stock with the purchase of an unmodified set of pipes from a forum member in Portland. To make it even quieter (I have a Harley when I feel like making noise), I added extensions to the piggies using some of the tips shown on this forum. I started with 6 straight sections of copper pipe the same diameter as the piggies and soldered a coupling to each -  I then cleaned them with a wire brush and shortened them -  Thinking I would use hose clamps to hold them to the piggie, I cut a slot in the coupler -  Turns out the hose clamps were just too much trouble, so I drilled a 1/8" hole in each extansion and used a pop-rivet. Much better. Also, I painted the extensions with heat-resistant paint -  I should have done a better job of measuring and cutting, prior to installing, as the end-result looks a little funky -  I'll probably use a hacksaw and file to carefully trim them all to match so they each stick beyond the chrome cover about a half inch or so. Overall, I'm very pleased with the result as it's much easier on my (impared) hearing! |
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1998 Valkyrie, 1977 Honda 750A, 2014 Goldwing, 2013 Harley Heritage
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Fazer
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« Reply #24 on: February 01, 2016, 08:31:11 AM » |
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Quote from: Fazer on January 14, 2016, 12:58:54 PM
Quote
Rex Marine baffles in the exhaust tips or truck stacks is another option.
I have been trying to get a set of these but have been told by Rex Marine that they are not making them now and did not know when they would begin making them again. I have his site bookmarked and check periodically. Just looked and saw they are are currently "out of stock."
Cpperformance.com has them. Search "exhaust silencer".
Thanks Davit--ordered a set today. |
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Nothing in moderation...
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