1985 GL1200 Exhaust

[tgsguitar]

Hi, I have an exhaust leak and wish to put new gaskets in where the manifold pipes meet the engine.



I notice that one of the engine guard members runs through between the two pipes hooking up to the engine.



It looks like there is a small amount of clearance between the engine guard and pipes, but is that enough to change out the gaskets without removing the guard or do I have to remove the engine guards entirely to have adequate room to change out the gaskets ?



Also in my Clymer manual to remove the exhaust I don't think it mentions removing the engine guard ? But it did mentioned loosening the clamps between the pipes and the power chamber, is that necessary to redo the gaskets at the engine end ?

[bs175dths]

There is enough room to change out the header crush gaskets without removing the engine guards.
You DO NOT have to loosen the header at the power chamber, but you do need to loosen the bolts at the power chamber hangers (which are just behind the passenger pegs).
Loosen them, they don’t need to be removed.
Loosening them will allow the exhaust system to pivot, allowing the headers to drop and allow inserting the new crush gaskets.

While you are under there, look for other leaks. What you may have determined to be the header, crush gaskets leaking may be either a hole in the system, or the gaskets between the header and the power chamber.

Good Luck.

BTW, the reason Clymer didn’t mention removing the engine guards is probably because the guards are not standard, but an option.

-Ride On