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Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 12:11 pm
by icepirate34
Can anybody offer advice, trying to remove the header pipes, removed nuts ok from the exhaust studs but it looks like the exhaust clamps are correded to the exhaust stude. Tried releasing fluid but no joy. Next steps is heat. Any other advice welcom

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 12:46 pm
by johnktm
Give them a good scrub with a wire brush and soak them in WD40, give it as long as you can to soak into the corrosion,if that fails you could try lock nutting the studs and gently,carefully loosening the stud,you should not need to screw it all the way out,just carefully work it back and forth to try and break the hold of the corrosion.Can't stress enough,be careful,try to keep your spanner square to the axis of the stud,a couple of sharp taps to the top of the stud may help too,but do not snap your studs,that is a right pain in the arse!

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 12:57 pm
by misterdimwiddy
Try search on the forum for this. Quite a common problem.

Mine were so tight that I had to take the head off and hacksaw through the headers and the ally clamps.

If you remove the cans and the centre mounting bolt near the rear shock, there is some good leverage to be had when leaning on the headers but they may bend if you go berserk.

The clamps are quite brittle cast items so you could score them with a saw/grinder (maybe) and use a sharp cold chisel and a lump hammer to crack them. Go easy with such a brutal approach though!

Good luck.

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 3:51 pm
by steveng
Mine was also a pain,I ended up cutting them off and still snapped a 3 studs.If you do end up cutting them off,replace them with a set of exhaust clamps from a
Kawaski,I got a set from a GPZ900,they fit perfect,are cheap and relatively easy to get hold of,just paint them black and they won,t look too bad,again good luck

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:50 pm
by icepirate34
Thanks for the advice, as question may be stupid If hacksaw of the old mounting claps how do fit new ones. Arnt the mounting clamps part of the down pipes etc. Soory use to Honda Exhaust systems etc

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 5:03 pm
by bubbaad
I ground out an old chisel to make a mini ball joint remover/splitter, worked a treat. Make sure the chisel is slim enough to initially fit between the clamp and the block and grind out a channel that's wide enough to go around the studs. Good luck with it.

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 12:34 am
by fung
The kawasaki clamps are two piece.

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 1:54 am
by ricr378
Heat worked well for me and the wife never even noticed her crème brulee torch missing.

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:56 pm
by gordybiker
I thought it would be plain sailing when all 4 nuts came off without shearing the studs. After soaking several times overnight, hammering a taper tool through past the studs and risking damage to the cylinder head, I gave up and cut the clamps off with a biscuit grinder.
Anyone got header clamps for sale?

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:16 pm
by fung
Two piece zx kawasaki clamps will sort it mate.

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:06 am
by Rod.s
WD40 and then run the bike without the nuts fitted, if that doesn't work, then loosen (remove) the centre bolt under the frame and go for a long ride (with exhaust nuts and spanner in pocket). :D

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 8:44 am
by Overlord Neil
Adding my recent experience; had exactly the same problem; figured getting the exhausts off would be a doddle when the nuts span free, didn't account for the clamps seizing solid. Cut the old ally clamps off then bought a set of ZZR1100 split exhaust clamps, I think Kawasaki used the same clamps on a range of bikes. Clamps are much thinner that the original so put a spacer in, all good.

I got a set of 4, so I've got 2 spares if anyone needs a set?

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 7:49 pm
by Mincehead
=D>

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 11:52 am
by Ragnar
Its useful to put copper paste on the screws so you can get them off easier next time, right?

Re: Exhaust Clamp removal

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 8:21 pm
by Mincehead
THROW the nasty Yamaha cast alloy clamps, they`re nothing but trouble with European weather. Use the Kawasaki split clamps, you`ll never have another problem, especially if you fit stainless A2 studs and brass full nuts. :wink:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KAWASAKI-ZZR1 ... SwU-pXqv4h