A brother went down recently and we needed to pick him up dust him off, correct his motorcycle and launch him on a run to Vegas Bikefest with a couple of other hard-riding Dyna pilots.
James is the master ceramic tile man around the Bikernet Headquarters, and he also dabbled at becoming a 5-Ball Leathers dealer rep. He was also a 5-Ball apparel model last year. He had to help.
We also ran across an issue with a very old brother who owns Samson Exhaust, Kenny Price. He moved his entire operation to Sturgis, South Dakota. Then he married a woman from Vegas and was pulled in too many directions. Plus, he struggled trying to find hard-working motorcycle enthusiasts in South Dakota to work in the Samson coal mine, miles below the surface of the Crazy Horse Monument. It had something to do with difficult breathing apparatus and American Indian burial grounds. The impact to his company was daunting and Buck Lovell, Bikernet Bagger Senior Editor and the Bikernet editorial squad stepped up to help.
This install would assist on two fronts. James reached out to Buck and ordered this set of Legend Series “Pomonas” …. traditional style, staggered low exit exhaust pipes (right side). Samson Exhaust system part number D1-931 for 1991-2005 Dyna Glides.
The head pipes are 1 3/4 inches in diameter for about 24 inches long, which end in a 2 1/4 inch X 10 inch long baffle pocket. Baffles are included.
Samson part number A-133 (flange kit):
Show chrome flange kit with snap rings and locking serrated exhaust stud nuts. The flanges are thinner than stock, yet made of steel and are stronger than stock. The thinner cross section allows more convenient installation of the exhaust stud nut onto the exhaust stud.
A-144:
Genuine Samson tapered crush style exhaust gaskets for a secure, leak-proof pipe installation.
“Actually, removable baffles are not included with the D1-931 Dyna Glide Fl-931 (Bagger Road/King),” Buck added, “or the S2-931 (Softail) exhaust pipe systems.”
This tool from JIMS is a massive helper with any exhaust system install: No. 747 Exhaust Pipe Retaining Ring Installation Tool.
JIMS Exhaust Pipe Retaining Ring Installation Tool quickly and easily installs the exhaust pipe retaining ring onto the head pipe. Easily installed without bending, twisting, or launching the retaining ring across the garage and without scratching the finish on the exhaust pipe.
Just insert the cone-shaped tool into the head pipe and place a lubricated retaining ring onto the cone. With the driver tool and a soft mallet, one tap will expand the ring and pop it over the raised part of the exhaust pipe.
MSRP is $81.00.
JIMS No. 747 – For all 1984 to present Big Twins and 1986 to present Sportsters. For more info, contact sales@jimsusa.com, visit www.jimsusa.com, or call (805) 482-6913.
James was damned excited, since he was faced with sort of a deadline to hit the road for Vegas Bikefest 2015. He was even more jazzed when the pipes arrived just two days after the order was placed.
He called on his brother, Jeremiah Soto, Bikernet tech associate and a member of the Bikernet 5-Ball Racing Team. Jeremiah is a brother who always steps up to help anyone.
“On a scale of one to ten,” Jeremiah said, “this install was a three, a breeze.” He went on to point out how complete the instructions were and how they helped in maneuvering the pipes into place for the proper fit.
Let’s hit the process:
First, they removed all the heat shields. Sometimes some WD-40 on the clamp screws the night before saves time and effort.
Remove the nuts holding exhaust flanges to cylinder heads. We often recommend purchasing a new set of 5/6-fine flange nuts if they don’t come with the kit. In this case, all the fasteners were included in the special Samson flange kit.
They removes the bolts holding pipes to stock mounting bracket or brackets. They set them aside, so they were handy.
They removed pipes from the bike and then the stock mounting bracket from the transmission.
They carefully removed the flanges. This is where the JIMS tool comes in handy. JIM also has a handy tool for installing the fiber exhaust gasket.
According to the bike owner, James Conway, all the fasteners were included in the kit, but that might not always be the case, and flanges, snap ring, and transmission bracket will be used on new pipes.
Actually, Samson offers two support kits and supplied us with both. One is the exhaust gasket kit mentioned above, and a flange kit. Samson flanges are 1/3 the thickness of stock exhaust flanges, which makes installation a breeze. Both of these kits were included in this installation.
James and Jeremiah jumped at the installation process. The Samson father/son team recommends not to tighten any fasteners during the initial installation. “To ensure proper fit and alignment, all bolts and brackets are tightened at the end of the procedure,” said Mr. Samson.
They slid the new, thinner Samson flanges onto the pipes and installed new hearty snap rings. You need to be careful of pipe finish during this process and the JIMS tool above comes in very handy.
They installed the transmission bracket to the transmission using the stock fasteners and the supplied 5/16-inch, 18-thread bolts 1-inch long.
They loosely attached the front pipe to the front head with two new, special Samson locking 5/16 fine flange nuts. Then they handled the same operation to the rear pipe. “The whole process took about 10 minutes,” James said.
Then they slid the 5/16 carriage bolts through the slotted holes on the back of the pipe mounting brackets. They attached them to the bracket with flat washers and 5/16 Nylock nuts.
Starting at the heads they began to tighten the pipes, working back, while keeping an eye on alignment. James and Jeremiah ran through this process a couple times. Starting at the heads keeps the gasket seal the priority. If they started at the back, the gasket might be misaligned and not seal when they reached the heads.
Final Samson Alert
Adding a free flowing exhaust system may require rejetting the carburetor. Lean carb settings are common on stock bikes, so any change could cause a problem. Lean settings are a major factor in exhaust discoloration and potential engine damage.
Samson systems are designed around stock engine and OEM frame configurations. After installation, clean the system thoroughly before starting the engine. The slightest heat will burn any grease, oil, or pancake syrup into the pipe finish.
“Fortunately, the Samson exhaust complete pipe shields keep their pipes protected from almost any heat damage,” said Jeremiah.
SOURCES
Samson Exhaust
JIMS Machine
