Exhaust nut question

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Obviously opinions vary wildly, as is evident here, but my take is if the locking tabs are malleable enough to enable them to be 'bent' into position, I doubt their inherent strength and ability to withstand the constant vibration and stress they would be subjected to from an errant exhaust rose...
Just saying :-)
I ascribe to the: 'Brute force and ignorance' method (when hot), both of which I appear to have been reasonably well blessed with..
 
not trying to be argumentative, but if you read between the lines of the NOC notes, it says " If the nuts aren't tightened enough, an pre-delivery, they will loosen..." - key words "IF" and "NOT TIGHTENED ENOUGH" and "PRE-DELIVERY." almost sounds like a factory or dealer CYA. if the exhaust nuts are loose to begin with, and the locking ring tabs set, i can see where things might be loose enough to cause damage to the threads. in my case, i tightened my exhust nuts with a spanner, and re-tightened through several heat cycles. only when i was satified that everything was tight and secure did i set the opposite side tabs on the exhaust nuts. the factory or dealer did not have the luxury of running heat cycles on new bikes, so that might be where the problem lies. i'm not saying i won't have problem down the road, but so far, things are good. if i do have problems, i will be back to eat crow!
 
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No worries Joe. Leave them in.
As for me, I would only use them on trying for a 100 pt restoration, along with the chain oiler, points, zener etc...
 
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joe czech said:
not trying to be argumentative, but if you read between the lines of the NOC notes, it says " If the nuts aren't tightened enough, an pre-delivery, they will loosen..." - key words "IF" and "NOT TIGHTENED ENOUGH" and "PRE-DELIVERY." almost sounds like a factory or dealer CYA. if the exhaust nuts are loose to begin with, and the locking ring tabs set, i can see where things might be loose enough to cause damage to the threads. in my case, i tightened my exhust nuts with a spanner, and re-tightened through several heat cycles. only when i was satified that everything was tight and secure did i set the opposite side tabs on the exhaust nuts. the factory or dealer did not have the luxury of running several heat cycles on new bikes, so that might be where the problem lies. i'm not saying i won't have problem down the road, but so far, things are good. if i do have problems, i will be back to eat crow!
Click to expand...
Correct, as long as the nuts do not loosen the tabs will look nice and the threads will be unharmed, but do not expect them to contribute anything to keeping the nuts tight.
 
When the exhaust nuts are in place, and suitably tightened with the special tool, wrap the tool in rag and keep it under the bike's seat. You WILL need it one day when you are on the road.
 
daveforty said:
When the exhaust nuts are in place, and suitably tightened with the special tool, wrap the tool in rag and keep it under the bike's seat. You WILL need it one day when you are on the road.
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And a roll of brooch..see post#12:rolleyes:
 
Sergio said:
And a roll of brooch..see post#12:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
(re: post #12) i'm sorry, not seeing how the nut can skip from tab to another - ??? - either i'm missing something, or i'm not understanding the problem at hand.

Exhaust nut question


Exhaust nut question
 
joe czech said:
(re: post #12) i'm sorry, not seeing how the nut can skip from tab to another - ??? - either i'm missing something, or i'm not understanding the problem at hand.

Exhaust nut question


Exhaust nut question
Click to expand...
Excellent pictures to show the gap between the U in the clamp at exhaust nut and head cylinder fin. This is enough to make the whole thing move clock and anti clockwise under vibrations. All ingredients needed to resume story at post#12. Just hope that your story will not end this way.:oops:
 
We should do a poll here asking how many people have destroyed the exhaust port threads because of those tabs. I'm one.
 
If you want your bike to be looking dealer fresh then feel free to fit the tabs, but as they serve no purpose so you need to guarantee your nuts will never loosen by other means, if only tightening hot at 2500 rpm, or say goodbye to the threads.
 
Something i have for this winter project... i have been toying with the concept of a spring or springs between the two roses nuts
a hole drilled in each.
The spring is positioned at the bottom of the rose and pulling it clockwise on the left cylinder (sitting astride the beast) and the hole drilled towards the top of the right cylinder, the spring is then spanning between the two applying a constant positive pressure in a tightening direction
I may also consider using two spring... but as i say the plan is still on the drawing board
 
olympus said:
Something i have for this winter project... i have been toying with the concept of a spring or springs between the two roses nuts
a hole drilled in each.
The spring is positioned at the bottom of the rose and pulling it clockwise on the left cylinder (sitting astride the beast) and the hole drilled towards the top of the right cylinder, the spring is then spanning between the two applying a constant positive pressure in a tightening direction
I may also consider using two spring... but as i say the plan is still on the drawing board
Click to expand...
I did this very thing only with safety wire - it did the job but looked terrible- previous to this I tried essentially the same but led the wires from the nuts to the exhaust rocker cover studs . It looked terrible as well. After my total rebuild I did bronze roses and tightened them several times while the head was hot over several heat cycles . I now keep a c spanner in the garage where I keep the bike and check the roses every other ride - all good for 2k miles .
 
after this roadside episode i replaced washers both sides with copper ones and put antiseize on threads and tightened with large c wrench originally meant to adjust shocks and did several heat cycle heat and beat with plastic hammer on wrench and then safety wired per instructions on Old Britts site....so far so good
Exhaust nut question
is bank near me
 
OK guys, you win. i guess i'm not seeing the big picture, and being rather new to this stuff, all i can do now is keep an eye on things. i do that anyway with periodic imspections. not going to change things now, in fact wouldn't have any idea what would be a better way. peace....
 
But all these methods have the same problem in that they only stop the nut from unwinding ... if clamping force is lost the nut wont unwind but it will be rattling around working & wearing away the head threads
 
maylar said:
We should do a poll here asking how many people have destroyed the exhaust port threads because of those tabs. I'm one.
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Me too, I stripped out 850 RH10 head because of those damn tabs.
I had a machine shop attempt a repair with a helicoil.
They heat shrunk the helocoil in "and'" drilled and tapped 1/2 & 1/2 into the helicoil and cast head at two locations to run grub screws in.
Head cracked at those locations in short order and its been sitting in a box for 30 years.

Now I simply get the head hot from running, back off the finned nuts and use some blue locktite on them and tighten them up good.
Never have an issue with them coming loose doing that.
 
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kommando said:
From the NOC notes

EXHAUST THREADS: The exhaust threads in the cylinder head cannot be stripped using the standard nuts and the large service C ring-the fins on the nuts bend first. If the nuts aren't tightened enough, an pre-delivery, they will loosen and the lock rings enable you to carry on like this so that the threads wear, and will subsequently strip.
Click to expand...
Well I have always used them since 1972 and only once has one come undone.. BUT I seriously tighten - box spanner slipped over handle of C ring and extension . I cannot imagine bending a fin on a standard nut but i try to warm the engine and then heave. It can be tricky getting the tabs on the lockring to locate on a fin and I suspect some are tempted to back off the nut to bring things into alignment but then donotbe too surprised if the thing loosens
 
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