I posted this on mbrp but nobody has answered. maybe one of you guys can help.there is not enough clearance between the head pipe and stud for the flange on the mounting nuts. do they need to be replaced with flangless nuts or do I grind of a little bit of the flange on the stock nuts. thanks for any help.

 

Hmmmm. Well I've never run into that. Have you tried switching headpipes?

 

this is the first time changing the head pipe.I can tweek it a little and get one started, but not the other one.

 

I'll ask again - Have you tried switching them around? One might work or seem fine, but you need to try switching them around. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

do you mean puting the short pipe on the left [wrong] side? I don't think thats possible,is it?or do you mean turning the flange on the pipe 180 degrees?

 

I am suggesting that you change the headpipes by switching them from thier current position (remove them and switch them). I've installed about 10 of these, and its easy to get headpipes mixed up. I cant see what how your pipes are installed, so its mearly a suggestion.

 

Check that picture of the headpipes on ebay where you baught it. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Sometimes the head pipes are like putting chains on your tires for the snow. . . . sometimes you just get started a little off kilter and you have to take it all off and start again (a "do over").

You are probably just not lined up right. Take them off and try again.

 

Between getting the metal gaskets to stay put and getting the two pipes to line up properly, having two people hold it in place is defintely the way to go.

 

On my 2003 Baja, I had trouble with a clearance problem that sounds similar to this. One nut in particular was difficult to remove, so I knew re-installation would be even more of a pain. I tried to re-install it without modification but there just wasn't enough room & I wasn't about to start denting the pipe for the nut. I ground off ever so slightly a little of the flange at a time until I could force the nut onto the bolt & I ended up with a good amount of the flange still in place as well.

On my 2001 Ds, there were no clearance problems at all - it was tight but it all fit!