'02 Sabre Cobra Pipes Question

[SmokeEater911]

I am having some issues with exhaust leaks on my Sabre with a set of Cobra pipes. The question I have is about the pipes and the need for the gaskets and the torque specs. The pipes look like long shots but I am told they never made them for my bike. The problem is that the rear pipe seems to rotate downward after about 100 miles which causes a leak at the joint of the header pipe and the extension that runs to the back of the bike resulting in random backfires and a whisping sound that drives me crazy. The torque specs in the manual say 17 lbs for the exhaust nuts but I would like to know what everyone's experience is with torquing the exhaust bolts with the copper gaskets.

By the way... who ordered all the rain in the midwest?

[raenedaz]

Originally Posted by SmokeEater911

By the way... who ordered all the rain in the midwest?

I have no answer for your pipes, but I'm with you on this one. Freaking a whole month with nothing but rain in the forecast is driving me bonkers!

[dbaz]

I am not big on torque wrenches, maybe because I have ADHD...but I know if you torque these too tight you will bend the chrome flange and then you will have to take it off and hammer it flat. Yes, I learned this the hard way. I guess one theory is you can tighten until the flange starts to bend...it is hard to tell when this is happening though. Good luck!

[SmokeEater911]

I think I use the torque wrench because of my OCD.

When I tightened the nuts on the flanges I had to hold back on the weight of the torque wrench just to keep it at 17 lbs. I'm thinking that I need to tighten them until I at least can't move the header pipes by cracking the throttle.

[oblivion_twister]

if there is nothing supporting the lower pipe then that's why it's moving so easily.

[SmokeEater911]

Update on this issue. I checked the pipes today and noticed that the nuts on the rear pipe have worked themselves loose. I'm starting to think that the torque specs are off or don't apply to these pipes. Anyone see issues with cranking these nuts down?

Anyone got any other suggestions? What issues does a major exhaust leak at the head cause? Rich, Lean?