Evolution Softail Exhaust System Removal

Ok. Next up, we're just gonna go ahead and take this upper motor mount off. Uh, we're gonna get on to the exhaust once they turn the motorcycle around and of course, you can see, you know, we got the gas tank off and, uh, if you don't know the motorcycle, if you just bought this thing and it's got a ton of miles and people have been working on this motorcycle for the last 30 years now that you got the tanks off, you're, you're gonna start looking around and checking everybody's work and see, you know what's going on. Look at the wire harness, you can look at these brackets as have they succumbed to vibration. Uh, did your gas tank mounts? Are they cracked? You know, is the gas tank sweating fuel? So you kind of gotta be, uh, have your radar up the whole time. You're working on your motorcycle on a tear down. You're looking for stuff that people have screwed up over the years. I mean, if you know the motorcycle, yeah, you're more comfortable with it, but more than likely you just bought this thing and now it's up to you to babysit it. So always kind of keep looking every area you're working in is this upper motor mount broke? You know, they do crack. I mean these things vibrate. So you just kinda gotta be your own best advocate and look at everything. So if you watch the uh evil service video, in fact, we got to touch base on that right now. That's the VO si just disconnected and it was really hard to see in the service video. We had a V Os that we showed, but that's where it is on this motorcycle, you know, on a bagger, it might, it's gonna be a similar location but it, you know, it doesn't have that style amount. So that's what we were talking about is the V Os and there it is so set that aside and I'm actually gonna just stick this bolt back in. So this little mount doesn't fall out of there. And that's the kind of stuff you can do. I kind of got the gas tank bolts, lightly screwed in and you know, this project for you at home is probably gonna take a while. Um If you're gonna be sending the cylinders and heads out to the machine shop, you won't be doing it in a weekend. So you wanna make sure the kids and everybody and you get your motorcycle gonna be in a safe place. So you can just lightly put this hardware back in that way when it comes time to go together. Hey, I know where that ball goes right here. These things, I mean, you could, you could throw them back on these studs just so, you know, I don't gotta think about it now. You know, it's, it kinda helps if you're not turning a wrench for a living and you don't know where everything goes now, you kinda know where it goes because it's really in place. So, ok, next up, um, we'll spin around, take the exhaust out. Well, first things first can't scratch Harley. So let's go ahead and cover up the front fender just in case because this is an old motorcycle and it'd be pretty hard to match up paint on this, cover that up. All right, let's get started and pull these heat shields off. And what I've done is I've kind of Prel these, you know, the little WD 40 I, they do it to, you know, I'll go on and on in these videos about the exhaust stud nuts because it's such a big deal that, uh, you know, if you strip an exhaust nut off, you're into pulling the head. You know, if you're not doing a top in R and R, it's a big inconvenience. So really baby sit your exhaust nuts. Worst part is it's gonna be beyond your control because something this old, it's gonna have had multiple exhaust and probably put on it and so many people working on it that, you know, it could happen. So really what you wanna do pre lu them go around, you know, a week before you do the tear down, just sit there and leave them and let it soak in. And if you come across an exhaust nut that is being stubborn, you know, babysit that thing, take your time because if you don't look at the location of where the exhaust ST is, it's not easy to replace, you have to take the head off more than likely. So, um, heat, obviously, gasoline vapors are flammable and you could explode. So if you don't know that probably don't ride a motorcycle, but heat the thing up and keep working it, keep moving it and do all you can to save that exhaust stud. Cause if you don't, it really turns into a nightmare. So I'll quit talking about it. But I'll show you a tool that if you do go down that road you can use. Ok. There it is. And uh, you know what this tool does is when you have the exhaust system off, I'll probably will mock it up and I'll show you how it works, but it's kind of your last ditch effort and this thing's kind of expensive. So if that doesn't work, you're sending the head out, have it professionally machined out and a new one installed. So baby sit, you exhaust nuts. Let's move on here. So I've been pre lubin them in theory they should come loose. Like I said, this is a gift of a motorcycle or people haven't been in there working on this thing every day. Your motorcycle could be different and something like this, I'm not gonna use air on it or electric because I wanna feel the exhaust nut. I want to make sure that it's not, you know, seized. And another thing is that's fine pitch thread. What a lot of people do is they'll, they'll get the motor all scattered apart and they'll grab a coarse pitch nut and then get it started and then just ram it on and destroy the threads. So pay attention and also I would take and update this to a later style. It comes with a flange nut. So these are pretty old school. Yeah, they actually have washers on these. It's so old. They don't do that anymore. There it is. So this one of course, is gonna be a little more difficult. Yeah, probably get in there with an open end, break it loose. Really? You gotta think about before you actually start to tear down. If you're looking in your factory manual, it's kind of guiding you as to things to check. Um, you know, why are you going in? Um, listen to the engine, does it have any abnormal engine sounds? Um, a lot of guys, they don't know what's abnormal and what's normal. So, get a second opinion, you know, if it's collapsing a lifter or the lower odds making noise or it's packing carbon. You know, think about why you're going in, uh, uh, most people, they're gonna maybe do a compression test to see front to rear or where it's at or cylinder leak down. You know, that's gonna tell you a lot. You put the bike at T DC. In fact, I got that tool here. I'll show you that if you're a drag racer, you know, it's something you do, You, you leak the bike down, you, you notice the ETS going down. Um, you put this device on there and now you see where is it leaking? Top? Did center, you hook the holes up, you put compressed air into the cylinder and you put your ear back to the exhaust pipe. Do you hear anything exhaust valves leaking? Pull the air cleaner cover, listen, intakes leaking. Uh You can pull the crank case, uh timing cover, uh inspection hole and listen in there. Is it all going by the rings is the top end, you know, the piston scored. So if you're, if you're not taking the motor apart, you know, these are things you'd, you'd want to do, but just for peace of mind to know what direction you're going when you get it apart. Um We're obviously gonna take the heads apart and do you know full radius valve job, we're putting new piston rings in it. So, you know, we really don't care at this point because we know we're coming all the way down. But for you, maybe you wanna, you know, do compression test, maybe you wanna do a leak down. So keep it in mind. It's just stuff you gotta do before you take it apart. It's good. Now, of course, I got the footrest off and it's a tight fit here. So let's see if we can even wiggle it out of here without, uh taking the air box off or any of that. Probably pull these off the studs. Ok. Kinda keep wiggling it there and you don't wanna scratch your Harley. So let's set that out of the way. Keep it in mind. Now, if that was a touring bike, it was a bagger. The sequence would have meant was a lot different. Uh You probably would have took the left hand slip on, uh head pipe off. You'd have been looking at the Y pipe because more than likely if it's a high mileage bike, it's been cracked or it's been cracked and welded. Um And now it's time to replace it or, you know, you're gonna probably put an aftermarket exhaust system on. But there again, you're looking at everything, you're looking at the mountains, you're looking at the muffler exhaust. Ok. Obviously, these exhaust studs are in excellent condition, but, you know, should you have to go down this road with the tool basically. Uh It's got a hardened, uh little pathway here. So if, if the exhaust studs deteriorate or damaged or missing or you've got it out. Now you mock it up here, bolt that on and that gives you a nice direct shot to get it centered to drill out the, you know, the broken off exhaust stud. So, ok, so next up, we're gonna go ahead and take the uh air box off carburetor intake manifold and uh get this tear down started.