Exhaust rattle

Engine, exhaust & cooling mods or problems. If it has to do with cooling, anything within the crank case, or exhaust, it goes here.
Smyrnadan
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I ride: 03 vulcan 500

Exhaust rattle

Postby Smyrnadan » Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:41 pm

I have a 2003 vulcan 500 with 16k miles all stock. Since riding in cold weather it developed an annoying exhaust rattle. After tightening all connections I finally removed the whole system. The inner pipe is broken all the around at the first bend outside the engine. Any advice on repair would be appreciated.
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Triangles
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Triangles » Sun Dec 23, 2012 11:04 pm

This is a typical problem with this bike. There isn't much you can do unless you can find someone talented enough to weld it back which will likely discolor the chrome on the out side of the exhaust. That is if the chrome hasn't already been blued from the outer pipe having direct contact with the exhaust gasses. Pretty much you can replace the pipes or live with the annoying rattle and cosmetic blemish of the chrome bluing.
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Turbojoe
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Turbojoe » Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:12 pm

Boy, this sucks! My CCT was noisy until it recently clicked over and the engine then got crazy quiet. I loved it! I had a bit of a buzz that I knew was from a header pipe. Then in less than two weeks it started getting louder every day. Now it's just plain obnoxious. Pretty embarrassing too when I'm at a stop light and the bike sounds like it's ready to explode. I wanted to pull the pipes last weekend but it was just too hot here in Phoenix. Won't be any better this weekend either with forecast temps of 111 degrees.

I'm just over 25K miles and right where a lot of people have the same problem. I'd love to see a picture of the inside of the header. Can't find any online though. I'm hoping maybe I can maybe force a piece of metal inside to stop the rattle. Buying a new header @ $140.00 just ain't gonna happen! If I find a cheap solution to the problem I'll be sure to post here with pictures. I'm afraid it may have to wait a few months until it's safe to go outside without bursting into flames. I hope nothing breaks free and plugs a muffler in the mean time. It still runs great and mileage hasn't suffered. I just hate all that noise. :cry:

Joe
The nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind.....

2004 Vulcan 500

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Turbojoe
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Turbojoe » Sun Jul 07, 2013 12:30 pm

Well I finally got to the rattle. Just couldn't take it any more. I had to get up at 5:00 am to watch the F1 race so I got out early enough while it was only 92 degrees. (It's now 105 @ 10:00 am!) Actual work time was only about 20 minutes start to finish so it's not a bad job. While I thought the noise was coming from the left side I pulled the right header based on all the reports of the problem being on that side. They were right. I bought a USB endoscope on ebay a few months ago and it came in handy for this job. As the pictures show it's a pretty severe break. The camera didn't show any separation in the pipe exit so all the rattle is up at the flange area. I needed to get this done before it got to hot so I just ran a sheet metal screw in between the inner and outer pipe. It went in very tight and I don't think it'll fall out anytime soon. Not very high tech but hey, it works. Took her down to the quarter car wash for her first bath in about two months. It's hard to believe just how loud that rattle was. I could clearly hear it through the helmet before. I didn't wear a helmet to the car wash a mile away and could barely hear a thing from the engine after the pipe repair. Wow!.

The pictures aren't the best but they'll give an idea of what it looks like when the inner pipe breaks. It's awful tight in there and it would be a bear but I think I could stick most of it back together with a MIG welder. If it gets noisy again or the left side breaks I'll have to cave in and get a cheap MIG welder from Harbor Freight and give it a try. I've been wanting to build my own luggage rack anyway.


Joe
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The nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind.....

2004 Vulcan 500

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Triangles
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Triangles » Mon Jul 08, 2013 3:14 pm

Thanks for the pictures! Wow that sucks let us know how long your screw repair works.
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Turbojoe
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Turbojoe » Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:38 pm

Well I got a little over a month before it started getting noisy again. I pulled it apart this morning to find that instead of being cracked 50% of the circumference it's now at least 75% and the screw came out. The screw fell out when I turned the muffler upside down do that was no big deal. Nothing else I could do at this point but put TWO screws in it. :roll: It worked and it's quiet again but only until it breaks loose the rest of the way. Thankfully taking it apart is a simple and quick job. I need to find a way to expand the inner pipe so it fits tight against the outer pipe. Being down in the curve of the pipe makes that idea extremely difficult.

Prospects are looking very good at the end of the month for a new job with a 25% pay increase. That will go a long way towards buying a new head pipe and just getting it over with. There are pipes on ebay from time to time but I'm not going to waste money on a high mileage piece that may already be broken just like this one. This is such a common 25,000 mile failure that it would sure be nice if Kawasaki at least offered a parts discount for the pipe. Not going to hold my breath waiting for that to happen though!

Joe
The nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind.....

2004 Vulcan 500

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Turbojoe
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Turbojoe » Fri Aug 23, 2013 8:44 pm

Well I'm here to tell you that once the right side head pipe starts to separate it's a losing proposition to try to save it. No matter what crazy things you do to compensate for the breakage it just continues to crack for the full circumference. Mine has finally broken away completely at the upper section. In addition to more noise the inner pipe flailing around in there now causes a horrendous vibration throughout the bike all the way to the handlebars. I'm just not going to waste my time to band aid it for a third time. On ebay I've been watching and actually won a brand new head pipe for $100.00 shipped this morning!!! It'll be coming slowest shipping but That's OK. I can wait. It may take 2 weeks to get here but for the price I paid I can live with that. There were several older used head pipes listed but I didn't want to waste my money on one that was probably already broken or would be breaking soon.

My advice is that if you're approaching the 25,000 mile range based on many posts I've read you should start looking for a NEW, NOT used right side header soon. I intend to put 100,000 miles on this bike so I'll be looking for any and every deal out there for headers to have "in stock" for the future.

Joe
The nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind.....

2004 Vulcan 500

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Triangles
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Triangles » Fri Aug 23, 2013 8:58 pm

I'm aiming for 100K too :) With my new job my monthly mileage will probably quadruple if not quintuple. I'm at 18k and I heard an odd rattle from somewhere up front. Didn't sound like exhaust I hope it's just the windshield. I already got a spare set of pipes. For my EN500A I got a local muffler shop that quoted me $150 to make some custom stainless pipes and weld them to the exhaust flanges I would machine myself. If I ever go that route I'll probably use black wrap or black paint to hide the less than aesthetically pleasing pipes.
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Turbojoe
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Turbojoe » Fri Aug 23, 2013 9:47 pm

Congrats on your new job! New jobs are hard to find now. I'm very lucky in that the new job I start next week will cut my commute in half. Less stress and mucho MORE money! It's abut FREAKING time!

I love this bike so much that even if I bought something larger I'd keep her and make very few mods. One would be a custom built stainless exhaust. I'm already quite happy with the power she has for a tiny 500 but what the hell...maybe toss an EX-500 Ninja motor in her for a 50% power boost. Gotta polish those ugly black Ninja cases first though...

Joe
The nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind.....

2004 Vulcan 500

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Triangles
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Triangles » Sat Aug 24, 2013 10:00 am

Turbojoe wrote:...maybe toss an EX-500 Ninja motor in her for a 50% power boost. Gotta polish those ugly black Ninja cases first though...Joe


You could put in ninja pistons, cams, and ignitor (for the appropriate ignition curve). Oh yeah, and bump up 2mm in the carbs by using the 34mm carbs from an early EN500A or ninja and you would essentially have the same powerplant as a ninja 500. Your mileage would likely drop down to the upper 40's though. The ninja's better aerodynamics allows it to get better mileage.

Now that I think about it the flywheel ignition triggers are different so you might have to swap the flywheel too. I just happen to have an '09 ninja flywheel that i thought would be helpful for my EFI project. I'd be willing to let it go if I don't end up using it. Although a lot of work for not much gain. You're low end power would be nil and you'd really have to wind her up to get the extra ponies.
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Turbojoe
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Turbojoe » Sun Aug 25, 2013 4:27 pm

Well crap! Look what I just found dirt cheap on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2005-KAWASAKI-VULCAN-EN500-LTD-EXHAUST-SYSTEM-PIPES-AND-MUFFLERS-/251325265912?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a842737f8 At that price I would have taken a chance vs the $100.00 I just paid for the brand new right side pipe only. Someone should grab this!

Joe
The nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind.....

2004 Vulcan 500

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Turbojoe
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Turbojoe » Fri Sep 06, 2013 8:09 pm

The new pipe arrived last Saturday. Installed it same day and now she's nice and quiet again. Didn't bother saving the old pipe. I was too pissed off at it. Hopefully this one will last at least 25,000 miles again.

Joe
The nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind.....

2004 Vulcan 500

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Triangles
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Triangles » Thu Oct 24, 2013 11:58 am

I fear I may have developed the dreaded exhaust rattle at a little over 21k miles :( I've got what sounds like an exhaust leak coming from the left side. It's only noticeable under load and sounds like it's coming from just in front of the crossover tube. Is this how you're rattle started out? If I have time I'll investigate further this weekend.
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Turbojoe
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Turbojoe » Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:37 pm

I guess you could have a left side failure but the majority of what I've read is the right side failing for some strange reason. Hopefully you'll get lucky and it's only a leak. In any case it's so easy to pull the exhaust that it may be worth pulling it just for a look see. I have new copper head pipe gaskets but haven't used them yet and I've had the right side off at least 4 times now. No leaks so don't worry that you'll absolutely have to have them if you pull it apart. Not needed as long as they aren't already damaged in some way.

Joe
The nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind.....

2004 Vulcan 500

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Triangles
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Re: Exhaust rattle

Postby Triangles » Fri Oct 25, 2013 12:06 pm

The rattle hasn't started yet but I have exhaust coming out the "vent hole" in the chrome outer pipe located immediately in front of the crossover pipe on the LH side :cry: I guess the pipe hasn't broken completely yet since it just sounds like an exhaust leak and there is no rattle yet. Thankfully I do have a spare set of pipes I picked up a while back but those pipes were to be modified to try and add an O2 sensor for my EFI project. Biker Bill who has put well over 110K miles on his 500 said that he never made it more than 24K miles on a set of pipes before they failed. This has me seriously contemplating buying a welder and making my own stainless pipes that would hopefully outlast the bike.
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