Vance & Hines, trouble getting it together

[Rock]

I just bought a Vance & Hines exhaust for my 78 GS1000. Just how hard is it suppose to be to get the muffler on the header. I thought maybe I was missing a connector, but there is a size diffference but it may take some heavy pressure to get it toghether. Any tricks to get them together? Thanks for any help.

[qslim]

Hmmm. I just put a VH 4-1 on last month, and the two peices just slide right together. Are you trying to put the pipe on the headers while they are installed tight on the bike, or do they just not fit?

On a side note, for the money I was kind of disappointed in how much grinding I had to do on the headers to get them to fit well in the head. Maybe this is normal, but I thought that for 300 bucks the end collars wouldn't be out of round or have seams that needed taking out. Oh well. It works now and I dig it. End of story.

[Rock]

I followed the instruction sheet that came with it. It said to put the header on with bolts finger tight and then slip muffler on and tighten bolts. It's like it almost starts going on but not quite. Maybe some type of lube to get it started?

By the way, the header installed easy on my bike with no problem.

[renobruce]

I had the exact same problem on my 1000. I ended up needing to grind both pieces with a grinding wheel on a drill. It took forever to get them to fit. I was very disappointed in the process. But they finally went together, and I am happy with the pipe.

On a side note, once you get them to fit and before you mount the pipe permanently, clean the pipe with some MEK and polish with some wax thoroughly, especially on the header. This will help take any oil off the pipe, which will keep them from turning gold or blue prematurely.

[Tracker]

Hey where did you find the slip 4 into 1 I cannot find one anywhere and the local suzuki shop told me they were discontinued and you can only get the 1 piece that chrome all I really need is the canister and baffle

[renobruce]

Hey where did you find the slip 4 into 1 I cannot find one anywhere and the local suzuki shop told me they were discontinued and you can only get the 1 piece that chrome all I really need is the canister and baffle

If you are talking about the Vance & Hines pipe, they still come as two pieces. You can still get a can from them, I'm sure... or through one of their dealers.

[Tracker]

Can you please point me to a link that does because the vance and hines site doesnt even list it and again the shop I went to said they were discontinued

[renobruce]

Can you please point me to a link that does because the vance and hines site doesnt even list it and again the shop I went to said they were discontinued

I would call or email them:
STREET SHOP Vance & Hines (USA) 13861 Rosecrans Avenue Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670-5019 Phone: (562) 921-7461 Fax: (562) 802-7466 Email:sales@vanceandhines.com

[BadBillyB]

I just bought a Vance & Hines exhaust for my 78 GS1000. Just how hard is it suppose to be to get the muffler on the header. I thought maybe I was missing a connector, but there is a size diffference but it may take some heavy pressure to get it toghether. Any tricks to get them together? Thanks for any help.

I just recently put a VHR header on my 78 GS1000 and all I had to do to make it go on was remove the lip on the end of the muffler. I used a muffler cone. Two light taps on the ground and it went right on. The problem area is just on the tip of the megaphone, its curled under.........BadBillyB

[Rock]

I just recently put a VHR header on my 78 GS1000 and all I had to do to make it go on was remove the lip on the end of the muffler. I used a muffler cone. Two light taps on the ground and it went right on. The problem area is just on the tip of the megaphone, its curled under.........BadBillyB

Thanks Billy, I will try that. I am not going to grind anything as I fear the rust will start once the chrome is removed.


TRACKER, here is the link at Vance & Hines web site for the GS bikes

http://www.vanceandhines.com/c105.html

and http://www.vanceandhines.com/c107.html
V&H will probably sell you the can only.

Dennis Kirk has complete systems but I am not sure about muffler only.

[J_C]

What is a muffler cone? I'm having the same problem. All these fitment issues are leading my to wonder what kind of crappy shop V&H is running

[renobruce]

What is a muffler cone? I'm having the same problem. All these fitment issues are leading my to wonder what kind of crappy shop V&H is running

It's a tapered metal cone that muffler shops use to expand the end of a pipe. My buddy down the street had the same problem with his FJ1100. He used a ball on a trailer hitch to expand the end, and it slipped right on.

[gsbill]

I just bought a Vance & Hines exhaust for my 78 GS1000. Just how hard is it suppose to be to get the muffler on the header. I thought maybe I was missing a connector, but there is a size diffference but it may take some heavy pressure to get it toghether. Any tricks to get them together? Thanks for any help.

You can heat the megaphone and ice the collector. You can sand material off either piece to get them to fit. That happens with the V&H product. They sure aint what they used to be. Get your wallet out if you want to by exhaust parts. I looked at getting a replacement megaphone for an HD system and it was nearly as much as the entire exhaust system.

[J_C]

Gee whiz man.... Poor product design. Well it looks like I'll be looking for a ball and hitch. through I suspect the pipe is bigger than a ball. May have to try the heat or grind it; what a shady deal

[chef1366]

Yeah, what kind of racket are they running:-( Once you get them together you'll like the pipes and feel differently.