DIY Cobra Exhaust on bikes with O2 sensor and ABS
Before I start, I'd like to acknowledge Jnukes original US rightup of this install - I just added the Aussie ABS/O2 sensor changes to watch out for.
Just finished installing my exhaust on my two week old fury and here is what I learned. Have some links also, to help make it a lot easier.
1. Look at this video before doing anything else.
2. for gasket removal check out this guide.
gasket removal
3. Inspect the new pipes and make sure everything is there. Did not have a parts list, so you will have to read directions to check inventory.
4. Make sure you have metric wrenches and sockets.............lol - however - watch out as the pipes use imperial (American Bolts).
5. Before you remove pipes – you need to sort out the Oxygen Sensors in each pipe – otherwise you are trying to hold onto 20kg of pipes while sorting out plugs and not scratching the bike!
Front : The front one is easy – just use a medium flat screw driver and disconnect it from the plug just behind the fan – follow the wire from the sensor, push a flat blade screwdriver in the tab on the engine side of the plug and pull gently.
Rear: this is trickier (or easier). Just remove the righthand side cover (pull out gently), cut the sensor about 100mm away; solder on the 300ohm resistors onto the 2 white wires, insulate and tape it all.
6. Remove old pipes. They come off in one piece, the section by the tire is can be accessed from the front underneath, but you will also need to have a wrench on the back side to break the nut from the bolt.
7. On Aussie bikes – the ABS Unit is mounted under the swingarm pivot and will create problems removing the muffler support arm and installing the new bracket bolts. You need to undo the four 10mm bolts on the bottom of the abs as it only needs to move a few mm. Undo the two bolts holding the arm on and lever the arm up and down as you pull it – the abs should move a little and the arm will come out. Good luck if you ever want to get it back in! Reattach the bolts to the abs.
8. When installing the new muffler support arm, you need a tighten the nylock nut on the new provided bolts. They go in the same holes as the 2 you just took out - long bolt at top, short at bottom. It’s a very tight fit to thread the top bolt, but don’t give up. NB: Aussie bikes – the ABS makes it extremely difficult to fit the nut on the top bolt. What I did was get a 17mm double ended ring spanner with offset head. I fitted the nut into the head with two blobs of bluetack to hold it in very tightly and then placed it behind the top hole by pushing the spanner up past the abs at 45 degrees up from the ground. At this point, I would recommend you have a helper as I dropped the spanner off the nut halfway through the next bit and it took 20mins to get it back on!
Have your helper hold the spanner and don’t let it go until the bracket is tightly attached! Install the second bolt below and tighten both bolts to firmly fix the muffler support arm in place!
8. Remove old gaskets and fit new ones….see step 2. I didn’t as my bike only has 1200kms on it, but it did leak at the end and took a couple of loosen/re-torque’s to fix leaks.
9. Directions say to place front pipes loosely on and then connect the back section. Before doing so, make sure the front slides over the back section as mine had to be slightly bent out to make the connection as they were dented at the joint. Then place the front pipe in place using the 2 acorn nuts you took off the factory exhaust - leave loose.
10. Slide the back section onto the front section (do not tighten the clamp) and connect the rear exhaust to rear cylinder - leave loose.
11. Connect back section to the muffler support bracket - leave loose as you want the pipes to align properly on the exhaust ports. Tighten the front and rear acorns evenly to the exhaust ports without snapping them off. I had to loosen and re-centre and tighten the rear one as I could feel a leak on startup.
12. Tighten the bolts on the bracket, and lastly tighten the bolts to the muffler support bracket that holds the front and back sections together.
13. Slide the clamps into the brackets on the heat shields making sure you put the 2 larger ones on the back of each section. Do not connect them back up as you have to bend them open to clear the pipes when you slip them on.
14. Slip the rear of the pipe covers on, then gently move them forward until they clip on the pipes. Align your clamps, connect the ends and tighten them, being careful to not scratch the pipes.
15. Clean the pipes and then crank her up use a long flexible lighter to check the seals at the front and back - flickering flame = bad. I used my hand to fell quickly while the pipes were cold and readjusted the flanges and tightened to get rid of leaks – you have to be quick as they get hot quickly!
16. Take it for a ride and recheck all bolts/seals after 100 miles. If you only do pipes and have a lot of popping on decel you need to check for leaks at the exhaust ports!
17. Solder a 330ohm resistor across the two white wires from each oxygen sensor plug and the engine check light will go away.
18. If you change the air filter assembly for a better breathing one you will need a computer plugin – I used the Cobra Fi2000R Fuel Processor at 1-2-2 settings.
DIY Cobra Exhaust
Linear Mode
