| Author | Message | ||
     Clarry |
What's the for-sure way to determine whether your rear isolators are going (or gone)? I recently changed the front isolator, and everything was fine for several hundred miles. Now, suddenly, there seems to be excessive noise coming from the exhaust (though difficult to pin-point) and much worse vibration through the footpegs. At first, I thought the exhaust was coming apart, after I had the headers welded and everything re-ceramicoated, but all seems solid. The vibration through the footpegs makes me think the rear isolators may be at fault. The only reason I changed the front isolator was to install the NRHS front motor mount. Do you think I damaged the rears while working on that? The front mount seems solid, yet, too. | ||
| 5liter |
Check your exhaust one more time. It might just be loose enough to vibrate at speed. Check the rear exhaust mount for looseness. (Message edited by 5liter on August 31, 2009) | ||
| Clarry |
You were close, 5liter... I put the bike up on the hoist, wheels in the air (thanks to Pit Bull stands), and started looking at the isolators, rear AND front. They looked just fine... a little oil got inside the left rear, is all. So I looked at the rear exhaust mount, like 5liter suggested... just fine, thank you. Now, I'm beginning to worry that I won't find anything wrong, at all, and the problem will drive me nuts. For some reason, I grabbed the front mount tab on the muffler (Vance & Hines SS2R). It's fairly solidly bolted to the mount, but the welds have let go... wiggle, wiggle. Aha! I won't be losing sleep over this! In summation, FWIW, when the header was re-welded (or when the whole exhaust was abrasive-blasted before re-ceramicoating) it got "tweaked" out of shape. When I re-installed the exhaust, I had to use the rubber hammer. I knew it was "in a bind", but, hey... I had close to $300 tied up in it, at that point, and it was d**n certain gonna' FIT! Let this be a lesson to you, children... don't force anything together. Do as I say, not as I do. Now what? I guess I'll see if the welder will stick the tab back on the elbow. I'm sure that will look like heck, after spending all that money on ceramicoat. Maybe this will be a good test subject for the "Ceramic Coat In A Can" I bought from Eastwood. Thanks, 5liter. Oh, yeah... it's a 1998 S3T with Forcewinder, V&H exhaust, too much polished aluminum, ceramicoated exhaust and NRHS front motor mount. I had the mount coated because I'm sick of polishing! | ||
| 5liter |
They sure do buzz when they break! I've got a D&D slip on. The mid-pipe mounting tab broke on 2 mid-pipes. I put a pic in a different thread showing the replacement from D&D. Boy what a change they made! The tab is twice as thick on the new one. If that one breaks, it should REALLY vibrate! Do you have the "Y" style front mount? (Message edited by 5liter on September 01, 2009) | ||
| Clarry |
No "Y" mount. Paradise Harley in Tigard, OR tried to sell me one (for $125?) but I couldn't understand how a different rubber mount could be any better in an application where the parts should (IMHO) be solid-mounted with the engine/tranny assy. Anyway, it appears that it was all just a waste of money, because, on re-examination I find that the broken tab is actually a hole torn in the elbow, and the new weld on the header is cracking out, too! Oh, joy. Who sells D&D? I never liked the welding spatter on the Vance & Hines system, anyway. I guess I need the whole system, not just a "slip on" can. And, of course, I need it now. | ||
| 5liter |
Sounds like fun! Here's one place: http://www.americansportbike.com/shoponline/ccp0-p rodshow/6172.html Here's D&D's site: http://www.danddexhaust.com/ You can get a "Y" mount for less than that. Mine cost $53 + shipping new. | ||
| Leatherneck |
Clarry, I think you might be alright just replacing the mount and upgrading to a Y mount. My exhaust broke and I just welded the tab back on. I checked the isolators and they looked fine. I broke the exhaust mount again and took it to a local Bueller (f skinner on this site) that also has a tuber and he replaced my front and rear isolators and installed a different motor mount and Y mount. What he said is something like the rear isolators were bad although they had no tears in them. When one slipped it caused stress on everything else and caused the muffler tab to break. I told him the front was fine but he pulled it anyway and it was cracked as well. I could not believe the difference it made. So far (10K miles later) and no problems. I tried to call and email frank to tell him to look at this thread but I got no response from him. At least that is the way I remember it. BTW: my bike is a 98 S3T as well. I am still learning about this bike so I hope I helped a little. Doc | ||
| 5liter |
"Y" mount is the way to go. |
