Pete.
Member
- Messages
- 14,137
- Location
- Kent, UK
Last night my BMW bike started getting noisy on the way home the suddenly it got VERY loud. On inspection it turned out the link pipe had rusted through where it joins the silencer. Typical bike manufacturer's idea, make an exhaust system that's 90% stainless with just enough mild steel that it won't last for ever.
I use the bike for work and only had a couple of hours spare to fix it up so the work's not great quality but it got the job done:
The offending part. I had already cleaned up one side with a carbide burr. As you can see it had rotted paper thin.
I cut the rotted section off the short link pipe then cut a slice of 2mm stainless and formed it around the shape using heat.
Joiner piece in place for tacking then welding inside and out.
It wasn't easy to weld if I'm honest. I was wary of cleaning up too much of the already-thin tube in the silencer. I did pop a couple of holes in it so ended up doing a lot of stop-starts to keep the heat input down.
The link pipe offered up nicely so I tacked it in place then stopped to check the alignment marks I had put on the pieces before grinding away the rusted metal. It matched up very well.
After that I just mig welded around the seam. Was in a great rush so I didn't get a final photo but I welded it up and it fitted back on the bike perfectly. It's given me time to look around for a good condition used silencer without paying through the nose.
I started at quarter to 12 and it was back on the bike at 2 o'clock
I use the bike for work and only had a couple of hours spare to fix it up so the work's not great quality but it got the job done:
The offending part. I had already cleaned up one side with a carbide burr. As you can see it had rotted paper thin.
I cut the rotted section off the short link pipe then cut a slice of 2mm stainless and formed it around the shape using heat.
Joiner piece in place for tacking then welding inside and out.
It wasn't easy to weld if I'm honest. I was wary of cleaning up too much of the already-thin tube in the silencer. I did pop a couple of holes in it so ended up doing a lot of stop-starts to keep the heat input down.
The link pipe offered up nicely so I tacked it in place then stopped to check the alignment marks I had put on the pieces before grinding away the rusted metal. It matched up very well.
After that I just mig welded around the seam. Was in a great rush so I didn't get a final photo but I welded it up and it fitted back on the bike perfectly. It's given me time to look around for a good condition used silencer without paying through the nose.
I started at quarter to 12 and it was back on the bike at 2 o'clock