gutting the cat

[kDiqq_imp]

Sadly (or thankfully) I am a dog person.

The catalyst is bonded to the sides of the pipe and is of VERY sturdy steel. Seriously. Even with one end cut off, it was difficult to remove. Luckily I don't survive off my skilled header hacking so I can give tips on removing it. The key is making a clean cut as far back as possible and somewhere where a weld doesn't look odd.

Once you have the header open, the catalyst in the small end will simple slide out. In the long end, you'll have to start with using a drill and punching as many holes in it as you can.

The holes will allow the material to compress as you scrape it away from the ID of the header. Because the catalyst material is so strong, it will peel away cleanly as you chisel it off.

Now, if you have a welder, this part is easy. Reattach the entire exhaust back on the bike. I used wood to brace things while I figured out where pieces needed to go. Using a 316LSi or similar high-grade SS filler and trimix gas, tack in place. Unbolt, finish welding using overlayed tacks. The stainless is runny and easy to burn though. Plus this controls heat tinting.

After one heat cycle, the color will return to uniform!

If you don't have a welder, find a quality fabricator to weld it back up. Just make sure you use a good quality bandsaw to open it up and account for about 1/16 kerf when having it welded together again it should be cheap to find a local fabricator!

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