Bent exhaust

[lukewalton]

Hi guys

I has a minor crash earlier last month which resulted in some damage. Most of it sorted now, except the exhaust. I have a (formerly beautiful) Arrow full system on it. The can is scuffed, I plan to replace that just for cosmetic reasons, still works. However the titanium pipe itself (the downpipe?) which runs under the engine from the front cylinder is bent as it hit the kerb (which brought the sliding bike to a stop). The shop who repaired the brake stuff said it's rideable with the dent but I estimate from looking at it that about 1/3 of the diameter is lost. Most importantly it looks rubbish! I emailed Arrow to see if they can send out replacement sections (the whole lot would cost just shy of £600!!). But no reply (posted 2 weeks ago). So - does anyone know any cheap fixes for dented/bent pipes? I've searched all over the net - I noticed motocrossers use the trick of freezing water in their dented header pipes overnight (expanding ice pushes dent out). I'm considering trying this, if can find something suitable to seal each end. Or any other ideas?

Also, could the slight loss in diameter damage the engine, or just result in a barely noticeable loss in performance?

Also, could it do any damage to the engine

[Lozzo]

Try and find a guy called Mark Hill (MHP) in the Surrey area, he can make a new downpipe for you in titanium.

[yorkie_chris]

I know a few people use the balloon method to un-dent fuel tanks, maybe similar could work inside a pipe?

[lukewalton]

What does the balloon method entail?

[AlanB]

Hi Luke,

is the pipe creased or just dented in? if its creased you'll struggle to get it out in my experience but if its a dent then you could try taking the pipe off and inserting a wooden stick up it of a slightly smaller diameter than the pipe and 'gently' tapping the end of the stick to 'push the pipe back into shape. This will work as long as the pipe isn't creased and the dent isn't in the middle of a bend. Its best to round off the end of the stick with a radius rather than a chamfer as this will let it push the dent out more gradually. Don't whack the stick or you'll end up with it either shattering or stuck fast in the pipe though.

Hope this helps.

Alan

[lukewalton]

Cheers Alan, I may have a bash at that. It's not quite a crease, more of a linear dent from striking the kerb. If all else fails I can stick the old steel system back on and put an aftermarket can on that.