Exhaust/muffler removal

[steiner]

You are going to break your RA cable and adjuster letting the track hang on it like that.
What is the channel bracket on the side of the tunnel used for?

 

[steveg_nh]

The track is off the adjuster bracket. It was in the pic, as I hadn't got it off yet. My cable is not in use either, it was disconnected and the shock upgraded, so I don't plan on hooking it up again.

Current view below.

 

[Teamblue4]

Whew. Although, I just bought two new tips because the original ones were all scratched! LOL. Shopping again I guess.

Is the only reason the regular Attak tips can't be used because of the longer neck beyond the mounting plate? Couldn't you just use a pipe cutter and shorten them down so they are like the regular exhaust?

As for internals, I assume the sound level and all is identical because this exhaust (mountain) and the regular apex exhaust. Is that correct?

Thanks

internals are the same, sound may very just alittle, our 06 Apex with a mountain muffler sounds the best out of all 3 of our Apex's.

I like the curved tips of the mountain muffler, gets the exhaust out to the side of the sled. you might be able to cut them off to fit the regular tips I just have never done that,

 

[steveg_nh]

Thanks. Appreciate it. I would just get the right tips, but can't find any used. At $90 each for new, that's just nuts! I'll keep looking.

 

[thor452]

Reassembly has begun. Muffler next. One clamp was really loose so I ground some off that one. It's snug but still moves but good enough. I don't want to overdue it.

And yes I did look for loose rivets. I did find the rearmost 4, under the exhaust were completely worn through. The support square tubes were barely attached to the tunnel. Fixed that right up with through bolts and large washers since the river holes were enlarged.

I your statement here you say the clamp will still move but good enough? That is as far from okay as it gets. The reason the y pipes get cut and broken is because the gasket gets worn down enough for the clamps to move and the vibration of the motor causes them to spin and the friction cuts the ends off the y pipes. your gaskets look okay and if you don't want to remove them and put copper ones in then you need to remove all 4 clamps and bring them over to the bench grinder and remove about half of the stop on each one. then get them tight on the pipes you don't need to hit the stops when tightening them in fact if you hit the stops you didn't remove enough material. if you don't get them tight you will be replacing Y pipes next year. In other words you can't over do it.

 

[steveg_nh]

So in other words, I should just do the donuts. Oye. I put the whole thing back together. At least I can get it apart in no time now and the skid is still out. I guess I'm going back in. I should have just done it I guess, but wanted it back together. Time to order some donuts. Are all copper donuts created equal? I don't think so.

 

[maim]

i was talking about the rivits in the cast looking peice (been awhile since i did it). they come loose over time and it breaks the pipe by the muffler when it does. did it on my 05 after it broke the pipe twice.

 

[steveg_nh]

Donuts on their way to me...Will take more pics...thanks all.

 

[steveg_nh]

Well, it's yet again apart. I will be doing the donuts tonight or tomorrow. Question is once I get the old ones off, even if the new ones slip right on, should I be cleaning up the flex pipe flanges, even if I don't see any build up? If so, use steel wool, or something else? Don't want to cause any issues.

 

[thor452]

you should clean them up yes. what ever you have handy will be fine just to remove and old gasket build up then blow off with compressed air.

 

[steveg_nh]

Thanks. Didn't get to it tonight (snowmobile club meeting), but will hopefully get them in asap.

 

[steveg_nh]

Ok, got all the rivets drilled out and 3 of the 4 donuts off with ease. The last one (of course) is stuck. I tried gently to spin it with channel lock pliers but it didn't budge. I don't want to force anything. Should I apply heat from a propane torch?

And honestly these donuts looked pretty good. I mucked them up a bit getting them out, and will be more careful getting the copper ones in, but they had pretty good meat left on them. But now with the copper, I can forget about this hopefully for a long time.

 

[steveg_nh]

Nevermind, Got it off. Pipes look really good. Smooth, no visible carbon buildup or anything. Hit them with steel wheel to smooth them out. The project continues, we are at the 50% mark...

 

[Winderallday!]

Ok, got all the rivets drilled out and 3 of the 4 donuts off with ease. The last one (of course) is stuck. I tried gently to spin it with channel lock pliers but it didn't budge. I don't want to force anything. Should I apply heat from a propane torch?

And honestly these donuts looked pretty good. I mucked them up a bit getting them out, and will be more careful getting the copper ones in, but they had pretty good meat left on them. But now with the copper, I can forget about this hopefully for a long time.


Those donuts look like they were replaced recently, which I think you said the former owner did. If so, there was an improvement made at some point in the design of the donuts from 06-07 vintage OEM's. The newer donuts were embedded a wire/screen mesh inside the donuts to keep them from breaking down so quickly. I had a set of the newer ones that did eventually need to be replaced and noticed this wire mesh inside them. In my case they had worn to the point where the screen mesh had embedded/upset a hatched or knurled pattern in the flared flanges of the Y-pipes likely from the extreme heat in that area. I had to smooth off this upset/embedded pattern before installing copper donuts, so good call on replacing them before this happened. Also, I did take about 2-3 mm off the tube spacer inside the clam shell clamps to give them some added grip as others have suggested.

Cheers.

 

[steveg_nh]

Job done. Very happy with the result. I did end up separating the muffler from the Y pipes as I didn't think I had enough room to get the new copper donuts in without knicking them up. Glad I did because the hanger bolts were very loose. Got everything lined up and loosely clamped in place. Then I reriveted the bracket in place. Air riveter! That's key.

Tightened up all the bolts and the thing is mint. Just need to pick up new clamp bolts at the dealer later today. And I don't think there's any need to grind the clamps. There's way more tension than with the old donuts.