Stock Mufflers

[EBRXCELMOTUSIOR]

Hello Everyone, I'm new to the EH ownership experience and need to know what was the depth's of the "freeze plugs" installed in the stock mufflers. The dealership where I purchased #218 from knocked them out and this exhaust is way too loud for my tastes. I was going to try to restore these mufflers back to stock. Thanks for any info you can provide.

[Donkey Hotey]

Hey, welcome aboard and congratulations on your purchase. 21 years on and I'm still happy with mine.

I'm totally with you on the stock mufflers. That design of knocked out plugs is pure genius in my mind. To put them back to stock, you'll need four Dorman core plugs (two for each muffler): 1-3/16", PN: 555-021.

They both install from the inlet side of the muffler. Drive the first plug 10.5" from the inlet end of the muffler. Drive the second one in behind it but only to 8-5/8" or basically until it's flush with the tubing it's going into. It seals off the first chamber, forcing gases through outer baffles.

It can be a fight to keep the plugs square while driving them. You'll need a socket and long enough extension reach. If you don't have that, you could also buy a 1" wooden dowel.

If you go the wooden route, it takes more force with the hammer to get the plugs to move because the wood acts as a shock absorber. Or use a piece of steel pipe. Solid bar is hard to use because it's so long (and heavy) that it also absorbs a lot of the hammer impact without transferring the force.

[EBRXCELMOTUSIOR]

Thanks Donkey Hotey!, Just the information I needed. Also Thanks for all the posts you made over at THE VOG and AdventureRider. Those posts were a wealth of info and priceless. They made the decision much easier on whether to buy another "orphan" brand motorcycle. I should be able to keep my Excelsior running for a long time!

[Donkey Hotey]

You're very welcome. From your user name, I wondered if you were also on ADV Rider. What color did you get? Any accessories?

[EBRXCELMOTUSIOR]

I never have posted on ADV rider, but info on that site is an interesting read. My EH is the standard Black with Red pinstripes. The only accessory it has is the factory windshield. My user name comes my growing collection of "orphans".  An EBR 1190RX even though EBR has come back from the dead as "Buell" motorcycles. A Motus MST, one of only 200 made from what I have read. I also bought on of the last Victory Vegas' ever built. Now I'm an EH owner too!

[Donkey Hotey]

That's a pretty awesome collection. You need an ATK or two. 

It's ironic that the Buell name may be back but, Erik isn't part of it. What an odd turn of events.

How is support for that Motus? Did someone settle in as 'the parts place'?

[EBRXCELMOTUSIOR]

The only place that I know of that is still supporting Motus, is Motus of New England. I think some parts are still available from the "Liquidator". When I bought it,I immediately began collecting as many specfic Motus parts as I could afford. Many parts on the Motus actually came from other Motorcycles and the Automotive world, so the parts situation isn't that bad.

[Donkey Hotey]

Well, if you've read my blathering elsewhere, you already know this but:

The bike should ride smoothly at normal riding speeds. If it seems to be vibrating badly, the front engine isolators are probably bad. I'd be suspicious of them depending on how long the bike has been sitting. They're a wear item and do go bad. I'm not even going to apologize for them anymore since I learned that rubber mounted Harleys wear out their own mounts on a pretty regular basis.

I only mention it because you're new to the bike and might not have a baseline for a good normal yet.

[EBRXCELMOTUSIOR]

This bike vibrates similar to the rubber mounted Harley's I've owned(FXRS) or ridden in the past. It only had 500 or so miles on it (never titled) when I bought it. I've already pulled the transmission and sent it to the Jones' at Atlantic EH for updating. I figured I might as well fix it right from the start with the correct mods. These bikes were well engineered. It is amazing what the Hanlon's were able to accomplish with them.

[Donkey Hotey]

Ahh, great on multiple counts. If you're familiar with the rear mounts on the FXR going bad, same-same. You get it.

As long as you're in there: you might consider the oil pickup tube mod. Atlantic has it. Basically the oil scavenge port for the primary area is on the center engine case. When the bike is tilted on the sidestand, that's uphill from the primary cover. Oil pools to the lowest spot (left-front inside the cover). When you pick it back up, the scavenge pump can resume clearing it out of there.

The problem is: lots of people run their bike on the sidestand before checking the oil. That pools a bunch of oil over there that doesn't show up on the dipstick. They panic, overfill the bike, then it pukes it out the breather when it has nowhere else to go. The added pickup reaches outboard and forward and sucks all the oil it can from the primary, whether on the sidestand or not. It also does a better job of scavenging oil that would otherwise be slung up next to the breather outlet port on the back of the primary area.


As a precaution, when I check the oil on one of these (or Buells for that matter): I ride the bike around the block, pull up and shut it off while upright. That way no oil moves around inside the engine. It's all in its happy places before looking at the dipstick. It's the same logic as with your FXR and clearing the sump before checking the tank.

You might also do the clutch slave cylinder o-rings if the bike has that low mileage (and they weren't likely done). The factory seals leak and piss out the DOT 5 fluid unexpectedly. The cause was that someone assumed the bike was going to use DOT 4 (glycol) fluid and the seal material was not compatible with DOT 5
(silicone). Atlantic sells Viton o-rings and the problem goes away.

[franknsr]

Cool stuff. I just picked up a Buell Ulysses after spending some time over at ADV and its nice to know I'm not the only one who appreciates "orphaned brands". :-)

[EBRXCELMOTUSIOR]

I tried installing "one" plug and "two" plugs in each muffler (per DH's instructions) to see if it made any difference in sound. Just one "freeze" plug installed 10.5" deep, will quiet these things down enough to "rumble" but not be Obnoxious. Installing TWO plugs in each muffler didn't seem to have much more noise reduction than only having one. Borescoping these mufflers, I found as long as you divert the exhaust flow into the second chamber with one plug, your neighbors will like you much better! The second chamber has some sort of Steel "MESH" at the front for noise reduction.

[Donkey Hotey]

I also tried only one plug but, didn't like it. Can't remember if the one I did was pressed to the first or second position when I tried it. You may have gotten very different results than me.

One of these days a dented up muffler will turn up on ebay for a reasonable price. I'll buy it, saw it down the middle and share the internals for all to see. The borescope was a good idea. Mine are all 'restored' now so I don't have one to inspect.