124" build...I'll let the cat out of the bag

[jmorton10]

-- normal, easy maintenance and it just runs and runs. 

wait until it needs a clutch LOL

~John

[FXDRYDR]

Done.  $89.00 for a new one. 

[98fxstc]

Just read through 30 pages of this great thread

On another note - waaaay back when my FXD was down and money was tight to do what I wanted, I realized a 2nd bike was a good idea.  Ended up buying a stock, very low-mile, 30+ year-old, standard Goldwing and can't tell you what a good move that was.  Grocery-getter, trips, even a track day -- normal, easy maintenance and it just runs and runs.  Get lots of compliments on it too.  IMO a second bike is a "must have" especially if the main bike is a Harley.

When you read through the 30 pages , did you realize the thread had been moved to Earl's Place for a while after the closet Goldwing and BMW fanbois came out to post ?

[FXDRYDR]

Caught some of the aftermath.  Easy to skip what's of no interest.

[kd]

Hey Ray, what is the length of your Burns muffler from the weld to the collector to the rear tip and the inside diameter of the baffle at the back end? I want to compare what I have pit together to what you have. My next question will be about your exhaust torque plate dimensions
And the OD of it where it bolts into the rear of the muffler. I'm considering a version of what you have proven to work well.

[No Cents]

Hey Ray, what is the length of your Burns muffler from the weld to the collector to the rear tip and the inside diameter of the baffle at the back end? I want to compare what I have pit together to what you have. My next question will be about your exhaust torque plate dimensions
And the OD of it where it bolts into the rear of the muffler. I'm considering a version of what you have proven to work well.

kd...the best I can tell is it looks like the muffler is roughly 15 3/4" long from the weld at the collector to the end of the muffler...not to the end of the end cap. If you remember I welded a 1" wide stainless piece all the way around the pipe where the muffler joins the collector for added strength after that weld cracked twice...so give or take that 15 3/4" measurement by an 1/8".
  On the end cap I ended up opening the center hole little by little until I got what I was wanting...it ended up being 2.740". The end cap is 4.245" across. In the drawing the only measurement that changed was the center hole opening.  The end cap is held in place with three bolts.

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Ray

[kd]

Thanks Ray, that'll help. Mine is 15 3/4 too. What size is the bore at the back endo of your baffle in the muffler. Mine exits at 3 inches ID.  I just wanted to know if we have the same muffler because they have a couple of versions. My header pipes are 6 to 8 inches longer than yours and I asked for the longer megaphone to try and help keep the torque and tuning easier. I'll share my idea on a slightly different end cap design with you later and you can see what you think about it.

BTW do you member the numbers from the power / torque change with the retune after the end cap? It'll save me paging through the whole thread to find it. Thx

[No Cents]

 without removing the end cap and holding a tape measure up there it looks close to 3" too.
If I did it all over again I would make the steps longer on my pipe.
I was just talking to my son the other day and he has a welding job at a place that does a lot of aero space stuff. He wants me to get some more stainless to make another pipe because he can't stand the shitty looking job the local welder did on the 1" patch I had added. The welder that welded the pipe up for me originally was down in the Carolina's welding up Nascar Sprint Cup frames and he wasn't going to be back for a couple months when the weld cracked on me the second time. It isn't as purdy as it could of been...but it puts the exhaust out the end like it should...and it hasn't cracked again. I told my son I would have to think about it.

Ray

[kd]

I only lengthened the last and largest step. I figure it will also make sure there isn't any cross talk at the O2 sensors. The muffler will be stuffed further under the bag and end near the axle or more. I'll need some support tied to the muffler but that should be possible off the lower trans area.

[No Cents]

  kd...here is with and without the end cap.
red line is with the end cap.
blue line is without.

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Ray

[ThumperDeuce]

I am very tempted to fab up one of those end caps and see if I can get some of the dip out of my low end torque curve.

[kd]

Thanks Ray. About 10 torque and 8 hp at 3200 rpm and no measurable downside anywhere. Well worth the time and effort. I'll have a chat with a machinist buddy and maybe PM you with my thoughts on a way to make it adjustable for tuning. Then, with your blessing I'll look into "revision 2"     easily adapted to yours. 

I am very tempted to fab up one of those end caps and see if I can get some of the dip out of my low end torque curve.

BTW  How are you makin out with that patent. 

[No Cents]

 no patent here.
I'm just a gearhead junkie. 

Ray

[No Cents]

  I finally got my Zipper's axle and adjusters today. 
The Nord Locks that I've been running one each side of my axle did hold the chain tightness better than just the factory stock cammed axle did...but it wasn't a permanent fix.
I will have to do a little mocking up now to see if I will have to have the Zipper's axle cut down on the length and maybe have some more threads added on to the end of it. This kit was designed for 09- up models with a wider swing arm and mine is the bastard year 08.   
It looks like the adjusters have almost 1" of total adjustment. I measured and marked the adjusters and put adjustment marks on them with a dremel tool and I high lighted the marks with white paint.  Now I can pull the axle straight with some marks that an old blind guy like me can see.

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Ray

[HD/Wrench]

  chain drive is my next step

[Ohio HD]

Ray, just something to look out for, from my conversation with Zippers. They claim that the two bars on the swing arm that these adjusters rest against, are generally not equally away from the swing arm bolt. I don't know how true that is, but I do now know there are manufacturing tolerances. So this is why they wouldn't give me an answer as to how much travel the adjusters had, the claim one side may give much less than the other as far as keeping the axle square. Couldn't tell you if they are BSing me or just don't want to tell me the adjuster travel. But just watch and make sure before cutting the chain, if you have to cut it.

[HD/Wrench]

chain wise I run it as short as you can. they do stretch so its easier to have more room to adjust

[Cvoharleyrider]

chain wise I run it as short as you can. they do stretch so its easier to have more room to adjust

[JohnCA58]

chain wise I run it as short as you can. they do stretch so its easier to have more room to adjust

Don't count on that happening with the new chains such as the EK chains, they are going to stretch very little.   

[jam65]

A wider wheel base is a nice thing to have as well.

[No Cents]

 I knew going into this with the Zipper's axle and adjusters they were made for the wider 09- up swing arms and I would have to do something with the axle to make it shorter for my narrower 08 swing arm. I had planned on mocking it up and to see how much would have to be cut off and then have it re-threaded and a groove machined into it for the clip. That sure would be a lot of machine work and probably would cost a fair amount to have that done.
Today while I was looking at the axle I noticed it basically had a jamb nut tig welded to the end of it.
So you know me...what I did was I went to the local fastener store and bought a jamb nut that had a smaller ID than the OD of the axle. I opened the inside of the jamb nut up until I could get it to slide over the axle. Now when I go to mock it up with the new Zipper's axle I can slide the axle thru and mark it where it would need to cut off on the jamb nut side of the axle...and then have the new jamb nut tigged on.

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Ray

[No Cents]

 I started the mock up last night.
I got the axle cut off to the length I'll be needing. I'll have the new jamb nut tig welded on today.

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Ray

[Durwood]

I knew going into this with the Zipper's axle and adjusters they were made for the wider 09- up swing arms and I would have to do something with the axle to make it shorter for my narrower 08 swing arm. I had planned on mocking it up and to see how much would have to be cut off and then have it re-threaded and a groove machined into it for the clip. That sure would be a lot of machine work and probably would cost a fair amount to have that done.
Today while I was looking at the axle I noticed it basically had a jamb nut tig welded to the end of it.
So you know me...what I did was I went to the local fastener store and bought a jamb nut that had a smaller ID than the OD of the axle. I opened the inside of the jamb nut up until I could get it to slide over the axle. Now when I go to mock it up with the new Zipper's axle I can slide the axle thru and mark it where it would need to cut off on the jamb nut side of the axle...and then have the new jamb nut tigged on.

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Ray

[2006FXDCI]

Ray , how much clearance is between the axle and jam nut ? If its allot you will need to check the runout on the axle after its welded .

[No Cents]

   the Zipper's axle and adjusters is a done deal. I didn't have to cut the chain and I still have some adjustment left.
I took the axle over to Donny's this morning and he chucked it up in his lathe and made the cut off end flat and he beveled the outer edge of it for weld penetration and he also went as far as to chucked up the new jamb nut and he flattened the outside edge and bevel the inside for weld penetration. Once it was welded he chucked the axle up again in the lathe and made sure the outside was flat and then he made some passes on inside edge of the jamb nut so it was flat too. He did one hell of a job and only charged me the friend rate of $20.00 to do all the lathe work and welding. I came home and bolted everything together and took it out for a ride. I hammered on it a few times pretty hard that in the past would have loosen my chain some...but not this time. The chained stayed where I had it adjusted to. I couldn't be happier with the results.

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Ray