I had trouble with my exhaust nuts loosening. These are the large hollow nuts that secure the header pipes to the cylinder head. This is a known issue with loop frames, but is easily correctable.

MG Cycle (as well as others) sells replacement nuts that use a lock ring to prevent the nut from loosening. Since replacing my existing nuts with these, I've had no trouble at all.

Cylinder head exhaust thread repair

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My bout with loosening exhaust nuts lead to a damaged cylinder head. The loose exhaust nut rattled around and destroyed the aluminum threads in one of my heads. What a bummer, I had just gotten the heads completely reworked!

Fortunately, Gordon and Rick at MG Cycle told me about Competition Cycles in Butler, WI. For USD $75.00 plus return shipping, they repaired my threads. Essentially, they drilled out my old threads, and welded in a new insert. They cut the threads to precisely match your exhaust nut, so be sure to send them the exact nut you plan to use - do not assume that the stock exhaust nuts are precisely the same as the replacement. I am very happy with the appearance of the repair and have had no trouble with it.

Competition Cycles
5081 North 124^th Street
Butler, WI. 53007
Phone: (262) 373-1122

Exhaust - flexible crossover pipe

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Thanks to Ken Wisdom on the Yahoo! Loopframe_Guzzi news group for suggesting this idea as well as an inexpensive source for the flexible pipe.

Mufflers sometimes crack right around the fittings for the crossover pipe. Very dissapointing when you just spent north of USD $200.00 for one muffler. A flexible crossover pipe might provide enough flex so that the fitting on the muffler is not stressed.

JC Whitney sells stainless steel flexible exhaust tubing...USD $21.99 for a 5 foot length of 1 1/2" ID tubing (item number ZX214035X).

Installation

Just cut off the length you want using your existing crossover as a guide. I used my chop saw but a Hacksaw would work, too.

Next, I made two notches in each end to allow the tubing to compress when I clamped it down. Without the notches, the tubing is just too loose to compress enough for a secure fit. Again, I used my chop saw for this and I really appreciated the nice width it provided very quickly. I could have used a hacksaw, but it would have taken a lot longer to remove the required width to allow for ample compression.

The flex tubing fits over the existing muffler connections. It is a little loose, hence the need for the extra notches at the end to allow it to compress sufficiently.

I secured the flex pipe to the mufflers using simple "T bolt" clamps...like item number 443273 from Dennis Kirk (SuperTrapp part number 094-1500). I can't remember where I got mine, but I didn't pay USD $12.00 each for them.

I can feel a little exhaust leaking around the connection...just too many cuts that permit air to escape. It isn't a lot, though, so I'm hoping it will function properly. The next time I have it off, I do plan to wrap some silver exhaust tape around the connections for an improved air-tight fit (Thanks to Bob Hawkes on the Yahoo! Loopframe_Guzzi news group for this suggestion). Other than that, I'm just going to run it this way.

After a few miles...

I rode about 1,000 miles this weekend up, around, and back for the 2006 Florida Campout up in the panhandle at Scott's Ferry (a great time was had by all :>). The flexible crossover pipe functioned perfectly and never budged, vibrated, or changed positions anywhere close to my rear tire. I'm declaring the fitment a success.

Exhaust pipe connections

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Disassembling exhaust connections (i.e., muffler to head pipe, muffler to crossover) can be very difficult as the parts tend to rust together and form a 'semi-permanent' bond. This can be avoided, however, by applying a coat of silicone to each connection. An added benefit is that the connections are less likely to leak. I use Permatex Ultra Black Maximum Oil Resistance RTV Silicone Gasket Maker, mainly because the black color is barely noticeable (a lot better than bright blue or red). Thanks to Tom Bender for this tip.

Stainless steel exhaust nuts

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316 Stainless with 8 holes for lock wire. Holes are .050" dia.

Stephen Brenton is kind enough to manufacture these. Contact him directly for price and availability.

Moto Guzzi Loop Frames - Exhaust system

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