New exhaust system for Eccles (more or less GL500)

[Sidecar Bob]

History:
Eccles is the CX650E based sidecar machine that I drive in the winter; Over the 18 years that I've had it I have replaced enough of it with GL500 parts (including the engine) that it is now much closer to a GL500 than a CX650E.
When I put Eccles together in 2006 I used the original headers and the pattern replacement mufflers that came with it and replaced the exhaust collector with off the shelf pipe sections from Canadian Tire (necessary for the sidecar subframe to fit).

In 2008 I got fed up with the noisy pattern mufflers and connected a set of Harley mufflers in their place (I think I replaced some of the Canadian Tire pipe sections).

By 2016 it was developing rust holes, I had been given a set of new(ish) mufflers and and Murray's Carbs was selling his Quick Build mid pipes made to replace the collector boxes on CX/GL500/650 bikes. I didn't have any used headers and I was ordering other parts from David Silver Spares so I ordered a set of their headers. Big mistake. The chrome on those (single wall) headers was terrible and they looked worse after 1 winter than the originals did after the first 8 or 10 winters I had the bike (plus 22 years of previous owners).

By 2022 they were bad enough that when of the one of the mufflers lost a baffle I initially thought the noise was from a header rusting through. I added a lollipop baffle to tame it a bit for the remaining few weeks until I switched to Mr.H.
I didn't get a chance to visit the local Harley place that summer so I dug out the 2008 system, welded up the holes (including adding patches over the worst areas) and put them back on. Last winter the left mid pipe required two "bean can & band clamp" repairs to get through the winter. And when I removed the right side I found that one of my patches had a big hole too.

So in August I made sure I got to the HD place and I brought home this set of non-cat Sportster mufflers (& a set of Tour Glide mufflers for Mr.H)

01 -Sportster mufflers.jpg

I'd have ordered another set Murray's pipes except that between exchange rate and shipping to Canada they'd end up costing about $200 CAD. So I found a local car exhaust guy and he made a set that are a lot simpler than Murray's and custom fit to the Sportster mufflers and a set of GL500 headers. I'm not sure if they would work on a bike with stock footpeg locations but they are perfect for this one.

02 - Mid pipes (Rick's Custom in PB).jpg

Test fit

03 - Test fit.jpg

Since I had 3 generations of exhaust system on hand I took a comparison pic. Note that the angles are all different; Brackets are easy to make

05 - 3 exhaust systems labelled.jpg

And after that I cut up the old ones to go for scrap. No going back now

06 - No going back now.jpg

[Sidecar Bob]

When I was setting up the exhaust I decided to use the jack that lives in the sidecar to support one of the mufflers while I played with the position. I had not used that jack for years and it wouldn't budge so I sprayed PB all over it and grabbed different jack.
And then went back for the jack stands (turns out they are close enough and I could adjust them adequately by sliding them farther under the mufflers).

The 2016 system's brackets were 3/16 x 1" chromed steel but after the wheel sprayed them with salt water for a couple of winters I painted them. I removed the paint with the wire brush and the drill press, cutoff wheel and and belt grinder made 2 of them fit the new system. Hopefully a coat of Cold Galvanizing Compound followed by stainless appliance epoxy will hold up a couple of years.

While the paint was curing I tackled the jack. I had to use a couple of crowbars to get it moving but after an hour or so of brushing off rust and cranking it up & down to work grease into the joints it actually moves quite easily. I left it well coated with grease/oil this time to fend off rust.

When I tried to install the muffler brackets the right muffler was almost an inch lower than the left one and much closer to the wheel. Turns out the frame attachment point is about 1/4" lower (must have been like that all along) but that isn't enough to account for it; Anyway I figured the best way to make they look even from behind is to bolt it to the hole for the passenger footpeg (not used), which is stepped out some from the muffler bracket hole and then shorten the bracket. This time I test fitted it before painting so I knew it would look right.
Then I marked the low points and removed the exhausts so I could drill drain holes. Little holes to allow condensation to drain out of an exhaust system are a good idea any time (many come from the factory with them) but they are an even better idea on something that is used mostly for short trips in the winter so the exhaust system doesn't always get hot enough to burn the moisture out.

I used T-bolt clamps on the exhaust system this time. The T-bolt clamp sizes do not overlap. The mid pipes are 41.5mm where they slip over the headers so I bought 40-46mm clamps. The mufflers are 48mm where they slip over the mid pipes so I bought 46-52mm clamps for them. When the clamps were done up enough to hold everything securely the bolts of all 4 clamps protruded 22-25mm beyond the nuts, which means they are within 4-7mm of the ends of the threads. This would work but it just didn't look right to me (I suspect I could have used a size smaller in each place). The bolts are 1/4" fine thread so I ordered 500mm of 10mm OD, 7mm ID brass tubing to make spacers (brass shouldn't react with the stainless & salty water too badly). The bolts stick out just as far with the spacers but at least they are covered and look a bit tidier (at least until the salt gets at them).

07 - Spacers for clamps.jpg

After they were done I installed everything properly. New exhaust gaskets, new long acorn nuts on the studs, new nuts & bolts on both ends of the brackets.
That sounds pretty easy, and the left side was.

08 - Left.jpg

But everything is harder on the right side of a bike with a sidecar; This time I had to unsnap most of the sidecar's cover so I could kneel on the sidecar's step to lean through the sidecar to see what I was doing while I put the header & gasket in place and got the nuts on, then climbed back out to loosely attach the muffler bracket and get everything lined up so that the pedal doesn't hit the mid pipe. There wasn't much room between the header, sidecar strut, rad hoses &c to swing the torque wrench but I learned not to assume I could feel when header nuts are tight enough years ago. The hard way.
I couldn't find a torque spec for the clamps' 1/4" bolts but I figured the same 90 in/lb as the M6 ones should be close enough and everything feels good & solid now.

09 - Right.jpg

Looks like it was made for it

10 - Left 2.jpg

[Sidecar Bob]

It sat for most of a month before I heard what it sounds like while I did all the usual pre-season work, replaced the trunk (the old one was used when I installed it 4 years ago), chauffeured Kay around in Mr.H after her car died, finished up the garden for the year &c.
The new exhaust is not obnoxious but a little louder than I'd prefer but otherwise sounds OK. Of course Eccles always sounds loud after a few months of listening to a GoldWing (belt driven cams at ankle level vs pushrods near my knees and all that).

Here's what it looks like with the new exhaust & trunk

01 - Eccles Nov 2024 FL.jpg

02 - Eccles Nov 2024 RL.jpg

03 - Eccles Nov 2024 RR.jpg

04 - Eccles Nov 2024 FR.jpg

[CYBORG]

looks great. I do love a sidecar on a bike that is all weather functional

[CYBORG]

I use Harley pipes on both of my 1200 bikes. I love the chrome. Top quality. I use Ducati pipes on the 78. I wanted the up swept look. They have been on about 15 years and are holding up great. The Harley ones are a little loud when you are on it, but pretty mellow when cruising. The Ducati super quiet.