Well, I had this bronze sleeve from Moto Amore sitting in my garage, and with the recall letter in posession, I thought this is perfect timing: get the new header, install the sleeve, put it back together and never deal with it again.
Nice idea.
The dealer didn't return my call when I asked if they had the recall header available. So I started with the sleeve install anyway, thinking that this fix of the problem would make the new header unnecessary anyway.
Getting the sleeve onto the header was easy. Getting the muffler back onto the sleeve was mission impossible. After countless taps and bangs, with it not moving farther even a hair from about 3/4 on, I called MotoAmore. John B. was very helpful in giving me tips and confirming that I was basically doing the right procedure.
Nevertheless, I couldn't get it in deeper, so I took it off again--to find deep cuts in the bronze sleeve, where the four slots of the muffler end were. Turned out that the muffler has serious burrs inside from stamping out the four slots. The Dremel took care of it nicely.
Next attempt, it moved in significantly further, but still not far enough to have the three tabs match the threads on the frame, to insert the bolts. Again, John confirmed I was doing it right and it needed a few more taps on the end and by the elbow.
No, it did not help at all, I was stuck again. So, I removed the header from the engine, unplugged the probe, and got the assembly clamped in my vise so I could now drive the header into the muffler with a few decisive taps (okay, slams). It appears that it was binding before, the way it was aligned.
Anyway, I'm getting better at refitting those brass nuts for the header, and once that was done, the muffler had nicely aligned and the bolts fit in just so.
Sliding the clamp back on and tight, the exhaust is now quiet again, the way I like it. No loud exhaust for me, please.
Hitting a wall, I couldn't get it in further from here, until I removed the assembly and drove the header into the muffler.
