Mufflers keep coming loose

[RickA]

Hi All,

We live in the UK and my wife & I have been bikers (2 wheels) for 50 years now but due to joint problems we turned to 3 wheels September last year (2021) and bought a new CVO tri glide. We love it.

There is a problem, though, the exhaust pipe silencers/mufflers work loose from the main junction under the trike. I have been back to the dealer, and they tighten them up and they work loose every 1000 miles or so... It appears that Harley Davidson now uses a silicon type gasket to join the silencer to pipe and this works loose. They changed from a metal gasket due to fusing the silencer to the pipe and needing to be cut off for a silencer change.

Our dealer has contacted HD UK but have not had any response, I guess they don't care too much.

We went on holiday to America this last September (2022) and visited a massive HD dealership in Tennessee, they also have the same issue with the exhaust, and they have not had any response from HD USA either!!! I guess it's a known problem.

Has anyone else had this problem or can suggest a way to permanently fix the problem, please?

[Trampas]

I know some people on here drilled a hole and put a stainless screw to hold it in place and seems to work ok, I know one person that put on cobra 909's and his kept sliding back he finally went and put a car muffler u clamp and it solved his problem.

Good luck

All for now Trampas

[rhino 2]

Hi All,

We live in the UK and my wife & I have been bikers (2 wheels) for 50 years now but due to joint problems we turned to 3 wheels September last year (2021) and bought a new CVO tri glide. We love it.

There is a problem, though, the exhaust pipe silencers/mufflers work loose from the main junction under the trike. I have been back to the dealer, and they tighten them up and they work loose every 1000 miles or so... It appears that Harley Davidson now uses a silicon type gasket to join the silencer to pipe and this works loose. They changed from a metal gasket due to fusing the silencer to the pipe and needing to be cut off for a silencer change.

Our dealer has contacted HD UK but have not had any response, I guess they don't care too much.

We went on holiday to America this last September (2022) and visited a massive HD dealership in Tennessee, they also have the same issue with the exhaust, and they have not had any response from HD USA either!!! I guess it's a known problem.

Has anyone else had this problem or can suggest a way to permanently fix the problem, please?

Rick..Welcome to Trike Talk..👍👍..

[Rogue1]

I have had to remove the pipes and where the compression notches are I took a hacksaw and cut another inch down below the compression notch this allows the pipe to compress tighter around the head pipe. This allowed the pipe to clamp around the head pipe tighter without leaks.

[Old Road Dog]

I dont know anything about the use of silicone tape. Seems like heat would be a problem. New Torca clamps should be used, they are considered an expendable part. I drilled and tapped a hole through the clamp,muffler flange and head pipe. No more of that F'n lala.

[ol' school]

Welcome to Trike Talk Rick!

[RickA]

Welcome to Trike Talk Rick!

Thanks for your welcome message.

[RickA]

Rick..Welcome to Trike Talk..👍👍..

Thanks for your welcome message.

[Mykneesbehurtin]

Welcome to Trike Talk Rick, I had the same issue so I drilled and tapped thru the clamp, muffler and head pipe then tapped it with a 10-32 tap. Using red loctite I installed a stainless steel socket head cap screw. Problem solved. But as said before they are a item that should be replaced once used.

[Jack Klarich]

Rick, HD used to run a bead of high temp silicone to seal the mufflers to the head pipes

I have drilled and tapped a machine screw in the mufflers on some to keep them on the pipes, HD recommends to always use a new Torka clamp on mufflers, you can take the wedge out of the clamp and remove some material from the flat side to get them to clamp down tighter

[sprinkman]

My mufflers worked loose I kept tighten them. Finally took some furnace tape not duck tape the type they use to tape insulation on it's silver tape problem solved.

[1dn5up]

Use red silicone as a thread lock . It won’t melt , burn or get hard . It takes up that thread space to prevent loosening . Or the simple lock washer .

Silver tape adhesive (georgea chrome) does not like heat . Advice from a hvac guy .

[RickA]

Hi Guys,

Thank you all for your posts and advice, I have logged them all.

Just before Christmas, my dealer phoned and said that they have a solution. All of the UK dealers recognise that there is an inherrant problem (although HD UK will not acknowledge it) and all agree that welding the exhaust will solve the problem.

In my initial post back in November, I mentioned about the Tennessee dealer, that stated that they (and other US dealers) weld the exhausts. When I mentioned this in the UK, it was thrown out as it is possible for the electrics the be damaged during the welding.

What a change around now... I'm still persevering with my dealer as the trike is still under warranty. I aim to get the welding done in the new year. I have "put the trike to bed" for the English winter.

Once again, many thanks to you all.

Kind regards

Rick

[Trampas]

Hi Guys,

Thank you all for your posts and advice, I have logged them all.

Just before Christmas, my dealer phoned and said that they have a solution. All of the UK dealers recognise that there is an inherrant problem (although HD UK will not acknowledge it) and all agree that welding the exhaust will solve the problem.

In my initial post back in November, I mentioned about the Tennessee dealer, that stated that they (and other US dealers) weld the exhausts. When I mentioned this in the UK, it was thrown out as it is possible for the electrics the be damaged during the welding.

What a change around now... I'm still persevering with my dealer as the trike is still under warranty. I aim to get the welding done in the new year. I have "put the trike to bed" for the English winter.

Once again, many thanks to you all.

Kind regards

Rick

You can do whatever you like your bike but I would not weld the mufflers, just me, if you ever want to change out mufflers it will be more harder to change out mufflers, just drill a hole and tap it and add a stainless bolt or use the automotive type clamp, just me I guess, personally I can't believe harley is saying to weld mufflers, that is not right.

All for now Trampas

[PosseRider]

You can do whatever you like your bike but I would not weld the mufflers, just me, if you ever want to change out mufflers it will be more harder to change out mufflers, just drill a hole and tap it and add a stainless bolt or use the automotive type clamp, just me I guess, personally I can't believe harley is saying to weld mufflers, that is not right.

All for now Trampas

Agree 100% ..I would NEVER weld. Automotive clamp .or screw,like,others have said. Luck whatever you decide. Keep in mind ,there may come a time you have to remove,& welded, what a mess to get off.

[RKplus10]

If you allow the dealer to weld on your exhaust, consider having them lay a piece of 1/4” round bar across the joint and weld each end. Just like the screw, one piece will hold it and it should be easy to remove with a hacksaw or grinder.

Using an automotive clamp may give you a pretty good fight to remove the muffler later on especially if the clamp is over tightened. Good luck with it.

[TwistedKarma]

Sounds like the gasket, deteriates, causing the gap, then its loose? Springs under heads of bolts, so the spring keeps some pressure on the joint. Most turbo clamps, and wave springs in other applications, keep the required tension.

I do love band clamps. My favorite