It's Always Somethin'...

Found the cause of my noise...the front header rotted through...

Tried a quick fix...Tiger patch and a Pepsi can...worked for awhile...

Time to dismantle...burned right through my patch...

May as well fix some preexisting issues as well...

This exhaust was rode hard and fixed many times...

Rear header welded to the Y in the muffler pipe...I ain't fuckin' with that...it works...

Saturday was beautiful so I decided to take the "Dirty Nine" out for a ride to get breakfast and hit the River Road with Kelly. It had been noisy up front the last time I road it, which was back in July when it was 105 degrees out (The '46 has been my main ride most of the summer so the "Dirty Nine" has been sitting). I fired it up and felt hot air blowing on my left leg from the area of the front head, fuck... I thought it might be the front head gasket...upon further inspection I found the culprit... it was a rot hole in the front header. I pulled out my trusty Tiger patch and dug a Pepsi can outta the trash and got to work! I did the best I could without taking the pipe off and we hit the road toward the Diner. The patch seemed to be holding after breakfast so off we went. We did about 60 miles and I could hear the leak coming back. When I got home I checked the patch and it had burned through. Well, off with the exhaust. I have another old header pipe I can use and I may as well fix the squash pipe too (another smaller leak where an old weld broke). 

This exhaust system has been through the ringer! It's been patched and welded on a number of occasions by it's previous owners. It still has plenty more years of service left in it! The header must go but the rest can be salvaged...

There's always somethin' to do when you ride these old things...