Hi everyone, 1st post so I'll try and be brief.
I've got to remove my exhaust and I just wanted some opinions. Have been spraying with wd40 for last couple of days and managed to get 3 moving, but one has rounded. Gonna force something into it and try and move it in the morning. Just wondered if having the engine warmed up would help or not?. Have no way of aplying heat directly, no welder and I'm miles from anywhere, so really don't want to snap a bolt. Any ideas?
Brad

sorry for the threadjack . but other brit!!!

Hey Jay, nice bike!. See you went the nexus route as well, I'm just gonna have to look at mine and make "Broooom" noises for now!.
Well, they guys on the uk forum recomend having the engine hot, but the b*gger won't shift. It's an inner bolt (of course) so I cant get grips on it, and no matter what I drive it with it just gets more rounded. Cant get a hacksaw to it to cut a slot and think even if I managed to it would just chew the bolt up. So I'm gonna have to stick with the standard can for now. Getting so desperate earlier that I was about to cut through the flanges to get better access to the bolt, (even considered an ebay engine with 9000 miles as an upgrade, I want my sexy nexus on!). Having read through various posts it seems I either :
A) remove head and drill out
B) drill out with engine in
C) take it to a machine shop and let them (possibly) do it
D) live with a bike that sounds like a sewing machine
At least the bike is still useable, even if my hands are too burnt to ride at the moment.
(Sigh)

My advice.....drill the head off the bolt, just enough to remove the flange. Pull the head off and take it to an Engine Reconditioning company. Get them to machine the remenant out and fit a helicoil, it would be a good idea to have the other 3 holes helicoiled at the same time. Replace the cheap-sh** socket cap bolts with chrome plated studs and nuts (if you can find any).

heres a stupid idear ...
take the bike to a bike shop(or machine shop) and have them remove one bolt....nothing else and replace it with a new bolt
they have torches(not flashlights) to heat the Buddha Loves You up to remove it

hell of a lot cheaper than pulling the head

if you are to the point of pulling the head.....
ya might as well hone and re-ring the pig....
and shave the head to bump the compression a tad


all these problems would be solved with anti-seize and safety wire
but everybody will then think your bike is a clapped out old race bike.

Yup, gonna visit local bike shop in the morning and see what they say. Was replacing bolts with studs anyway after reading some of the problems others have had on here.
I think after 68,000 miles, 3 owners (1st one a training school!) and 10 years of sh*tty English weather I don't really care what anyone thinks of my bike, just want the nexus on for the sound (from where I sit it looks fantastic  )
Only being so carefull 'cause it's my only transport at the moment, would I get away with 3 bolts holding it on if the shop break the bolt?.

The short answer(because I don't have much time right now) is, yes three bolts will hold it on, but you'll have a small leak(this is how my bike is right now. I've had to drill and tap two of mine. PO cross threaded them. If anyone ever tries to do this save yourself some aggravation and remove the front end by sliding the tubes out of the triple trees to have room to work. I did this about half way through and felt stupid for not doing it before. I like the sound of studs and bolts. I've had my system on and off about four times for various reasons, so now I have issues with one of the bolts I tapped.

Thanks for the answers guys. It makes a huge difference to me to be able to have other peoples input on this problem.  Was feeling sh*t after spending £100 on a new exhaust (though it was a bargain) and not being able to fit the damn thing.
Cheers 

One thing I forgot to mention is that in the past I've had some luck with finding a socket that's just barely too small to fit, and beating it on. Use a cheap socket, it might be the last time you use it.

In general

I soak with wd-40 overnight

warm the engine up

then attempt to remove the exhaust bolts.

If one doesn't come off, drill of the head of the bolt to remove the exhaust header.

Then you can usually unscrew the bolt with the help of some vice grips. (due to the Better leverage)


REMEMBER: Clean the bolt threads thoroughly, then put some anti-seize paste on the threads of your bolt when you put them back on!!!

Ta-da!.
Well, the bolt snapped flush with the head in the end, so armed with my new found knowledge (thanks all) I purchased a tap and die set, some drill bits and went to work.
Ground it flat, punched a centre hole and drilled slowly going up in 0.5mm stepes from 2mm to 5mm. then tapped a 6mm thread, screwed in some threaded bar and job done.


It's not quite lined up yet due to home-made mounting bracket, but it sounds awesome and pulls cleanly through the 5-6000 hole in the rev range now.
I feel very proud that I overcame the problem - with a little help from you guys!
next up - progressive springs.

Just thought I might add: PBBlaster is 10x the goodness that WD-40 is. Nothing against WD at all, but PB is better for frozen/seized/rusted bits.

Dont forget your trusty hammer, torch and left hand drill bits either ! They will love you back x10.

If you use PB blaster, then heat cycle (torch), and then vice grip/ wrench on a bolt while tapping on the end of the bolt, most things WILL come loose easily.

That is one fine looking gs. The candy red and nexxus make her pretty !

Congrats on the completion.

Shiny

Using Alot of Polish and Elbow Grease!

Nice cans boys!


that sounds wrong doesn't it.

Brad,
those case savers are SWEET

good job on the save

Thanks!.
It's an ex training school bike (which is why the mileage is so high) and they've been used a few times. I was thinking of removing them at first, but I now live on a farm in the middle of a field so they're staying. I'm thinking about fitting off-road knobbly tyres soon as well, should be good for a laugh. (will post pics when they're on).