Anyone attempted to bend an exhaust with heat?

Anyone attempted to bend an exhaust with heat?

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Discussion

robbocop33

Original Poster:

1,184 posts

107 months

Saturday 27th May 2017
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So, getting tore into my zxr750 project, downpipes and 4 into 2 section of exhaust were knackered!
So, started looking for stainless downpipes for it, long story short couldn't find good used set and was distracted by someone online saying zx9 B model pipes fit, bought them, fitted them fine, except, pipe up to can heads away from the swingarm a but too much for my liking.
So, i have a propane torch, what's my chances of putting heat on this and it bending slightly? Say maybe having a crowbar and bar down the pipe and pulling it inwards towards the bike while heating it down under the bike?
Will this work? Thanks!

cmaguire

3,589 posts

109 months

Saturday 27th May 2017
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Don't fancy your chances.It'll take a lot of force and kink on the inside edge of your bend, and if doing it on the bike I would be concerned with the unnatural stress on mounting studs etc.

If it were me I would cut it on the inside edge of the bend you want to make (a bit like an axe cut in a tree to fell it) but not completely through so that the cut can then be closed up by the bend you want to make and then seam welded to finish it.

HustleRussell

24,690 posts

160 months

Saturday 27th May 2017
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I have tried pretty persistently to do this in the past with unsatisfactory results.

robbocop33

Original Poster:

1,184 posts

107 months

Saturday 27th May 2017
quotequote all
I thought about cutting a slit, i have a mig welder but never welded stainless. Might just get someone else to weld it.
The two issues i read i might have when fitting these pipes to this bike i'm not having! But they fail to mention the arse end of the thing.
I even thought if i loosened the 4 into 2 bit twisting the rear end would make the 4 manifold pipes twist within the 4 to 2 join enough to get the rear a bit closer to the swingarm? If you know what i mean?

WaferThinHam

1,680 posts

130 months

Saturday 27th May 2017
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How similar are ZX7R pipes? I know Akrapovic stainless headers were available until quite recently for the ZX7R?

Edited by WaferThinHam on Monday 29th May 09:00

cmaguire

3,589 posts

109 months

Sunday 28th May 2017
quotequote all
robbocop33 said:
I thought about cutting a slit, i have a mig welder but never welded stainless. Might just get someone else to weld it.
The two issues i read i might have when fitting these pipes to this bike i'm not having! But they fail to mention the arse end of the thing.
I even thought if i loosened the 4 into 2 bit twisting the rear end would make the 4 manifold pipes twist within the 4 to 2 join enough to get the rear a bit closer to the swingarm? If you know what i mean?
You could braze it with a MAP gas torch rather than weld, but it'll be cheap as chips to pay a welder to do it if you aren't sure, provided the exhaust is off the bike.

dc2rr07

1,238 posts

231 months

Sunday 28th May 2017
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I would get it tig welded as well, a lot better than mig on stainless.