Super Frustrated w/ the Trapps Install- Advice??

[RowdyMax]

Hi all. Just picked up a set of Supertrapps for my '05. Got the stockers off without much difficulty. However, I'm yanking my hair out trying to slip on the Trapps. On the right side of the bike, I can match the ends of both pipes but it appears that the alignment of the pipes is off. On the left side I'd be hard pressed to even line up the pipes. I spent about 2 hours on these baby's and had to drive to work tonight with the bike sitting in the garage pipeless.:bang head:
My next step I'm considering is loosening off the headers to allow me to manipulate the pipes to better line them up. Has anyone had to do this, and am I looking at having to replace gaskets as well if I do?

Any advice would be helpful guys.
I don't want to have to take out my frustrations on the dog.

Cheers, Rowdy

 

[maleko89]

Yeah, loosen all four headers and it'll slip on much easier. Otherwise like trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole.

 

[4gasem]

What Mark said...

 

[shawn kloker]

A rubber mallet helps too!

 

[RowdyMax]

Update. I loosened the pipes to the headers and still no joy. I am able to mate the 2 rear cylinder pipes but still can't get any more than an eighth of an inch on the front cylinder pipes. Thought I'd do a test and see if I could get the lower port on the supertrapp to fit on the port for the front cyl. head and had no success. I'm convinced the 2 front header pipes are slightly larger than the 2 rear pipes. I called Supertrapp tech support, and they said they have seen this only a few times before. They said 99 % of the time, loosening the headers will do the trick. They admitted to a bad batch going out of the shop around a year ago though, which failed to manufacture the front mating flanges slightly larger than the rear.
However, I don't believe my pipes are from that batch as I think they are older. The company is willing to help me out and make it right, but they have no more polished aluminum trapps in stock at the moment. They recommended sending them to them so they can make necessary adjustments. These pipes have been on a '99 with no issues. It just looks like my stock headers are larger than normal on the 2 front cyl. Go figure.
Don't know what I'll do for now. Real PITA though. Keep you all posted.

Rowdy.

 

[fasterlapdunn]

Hey Rowdy

I have seen this before with Triumph speed triples. Triumph changed from a 955 to 1050cc setup with their speed triples. Some of the new 1050's had brand new headers with specific diameter...and some new 1050's had the same old 955i larger header diameter. Well pipe mfgrs were developing pipes to fit the new style of header and boy was everyone pissed when all these guys had fitment problems if they had the old style header on there new 1050. Good luck with everything and thankfully super trapp is being super cool so far.:bang head:

 

[shawn kloker]

Update. I loosened the pipes to the headers and still no joy. I am able to mate the 2 rear cylinder pipes but still can't get any more than an eighth of an inch on the front cylinder pipes. Thought I'd do a test and see if I could get the lower port on the supertrapp to fit on the port for the front cyl. head and had no success. I'm convinced the 2 front header pipes are slightly larger than the 2 rear pipes. I called Supertrapp tech support, and they said they have seen this only a few times before. They said 99 % of the time, loosening the headers will do the trick. They admitted to a bad batch going out of the shop around a year ago though, which failed to manufacture the front mating flanges slightly larger than the rear.
However, I don't believe my pipes are from that batch as I think they are older. The company is willing to help me out and make it right, but they have no more polished aluminum trapps in stock at the moment. They recommended sending them to them so they can make necessary adjustments. These pipes have been on a '99 with no issues. It just looks like my stock headers are larger than normal on the 2 front cyl. Go figure.
Don't know what I'll do for now. Real PITA though. Keep you all posted.

Rowdy.

Any muffler shop could expand the trapps for you or you could buy your own tubing expander for $10 or so.Just make those front two a little bigger!

 

[Jayhawk]

...you could buy your own tubing expander for $10 or so.

 

[dannymax]

You got a strange way of looking at things, Tom!! :rofl_200:

dan

 

[RowdyMax]

Any muffler shop could expand the trapps for you or you could buy your own tubing expander for $10 or so.Just make those front two a little bigger!

I considered going this route but didn't trust a shop with keeping the Trapps scratch free.

However, I DID finally get the pipes on. I came real close to gutting the header and going for a clamp. But in the end, I called for backup. A bud came over with his son, and between the 3 of us: one on a mallet, the other 2 using prying techniques to adjust the pipe angles, we finally got both sets on without cutting or any damage! Took just over 2 hours, which really went alot faster than I'd thought.

As for the sound, I love 'em. The pipes had 5 disc's/ side on install, but I decided to add all 8/ side to start loud then adjust as needed. The sound is great, but I'm thinkin' they're a little too loud ...we'll see.

Thanks for the feedback guys re: install tips. Always appreciated.

Rowdy.

 

[turbo85]

Rowdyman, you had better luck than I am having. I bought a set of supertrapp pipes for my 98 max. Wrestled with them for a day or two and then took them to the Yamaha dealer who also got the one pipe on about 1/8th of inch like you. The left side pipe began to rust after only two weeks. I complained to supertrapp and they were good enough to send me a replacement set of pipes. The bend of the left side pipe apparently was designed to purposely not line up with the header. It seems that Supertrapp designed the pipes without ever having seen a Vmax. I may go to a muffler shop and have them cut and weld the pipe so the inner pipe will line up with the header pipe from the bike. The other option is to move the mounting bracket. Or I'll sell it on Ebay and let someone else figure it out.

 

[KJShover]

I was lucky with mine. I got them partially on then used a 2x4 and a mallet to tap them the rest of the way on.

Not too sure what the hell I'm going to do if they need to come off, but I'll cross that bridge if I ever get to it.