So - FZS 600 - 2003 Foxeye. Coming up to 40k miles.
The collector underneath was rotten and the bike sounded like a tractor
Time to shell out on a new set of pipes. Much eBay and Googling to try to find the best value.
Plumped for
these as they had the little link pipes between the tubes... and shiny shiny!
Fearing a disaster with getting the old one off and needing this bike to stay on the road - i plus-gassed the nuts daily for about a week, usually while the engine was hot. (if that makes a difference!?) Also purchased some M6 stainless threaded rod so i could make up a new one if i broke a stud and some M6 stainless dome nuts to put back on.
Arrived the next working day...
Unboxed and fitted together. It came in 3 parts, with copper gaskets for the manifold and a new end can gasket and 4 springs to hold it all together (and a tube of sealant) Top marks Delkevic, looks stunning...
Impossible to assemble the wrong way round!
Now to get to work. The 8 nuts all came off - easy as pie... that plus-gas must've done the job. Two brackets undone on the end can and it all came off without a drama.
Initially, i put the downpipes together and tried to fit, but it was a right ball-ache trying to get the 4 pipes in the manifold together, without dislodging the gasket and without smearing sealant everywhere.
Eventually admitted defeat - took it all off and apart and cleaned it up again.
Copperslip on the studs and fitted both pairs of downpipes. Then crawled underneath - put the collector on and wrestled the springs on. Bracket done up. Gasket and old end can on and a quick wipedown... Job done.
Well pleased with how it looks - have also just got a tube of autosol to try and keep them nice. It's all been smothered in ACF50 for now to try and look after it. All 8 studs remained intact too... so would recommend a few days soaking in plusgas or similar before trying to undo them.
Yeah, i know, it does make the rest of the bike look scruffy, and i don't like the change in pipes between the new part and the end-can - but it'll do for now. No change in sound as still stock end can... but it sounds like it should and not like a lumpy V8 tractor, so
