Installing Fullsac Baffles on 09 CVO Road Glide

I finally got around to installing my Fullsac 3/4" baffles today.  The first step is to remove the exhaust from the bike.  First you loosen the main nut at the front of the muffler.

The next step is to remove the two screws at the back of the muffler under the saddlebags.  The left and right mufflers are exactly the same.

If you haven't already removed your catalytic converter you can see it by looking in the right pipe main header toward the engine.  If you want to remove yours you can get step by step directions via this link:

Removing a Catalytic Converter form 09 CVO Road Glide

After the muffler is off of the bike you need to remove the chrome heat shields.  These are held on by three large hose clamps.  The trick here is to slightly loosen the two forward clamps (ones close to the small inlet hole) and loosen to the point of almost removing the last clamp.  This will let the last clamp slip over the two rear mounting screw nuts and it will slide right off.

Here's a pic of the heat shield being slid off the muffler. 

Next you need to remove the muffler end cap.  This is held on with three screws.

After the screws are removed the cap slides off.  It can be a bit tight.  Be careful not to scratch anything when you pull it.  Do not use tools to pry it off.

After the end cap is removed you can see the two welds that need to be removed.  These two welds are all that holds the baffle in the exhaust pipe.

Next you use a die grinder or some sort-of rotary cutter to grind the welds.  You need a good bit that is designed to grind metal.  I used a Dremel with a carbide serrated bit.

Here's a pic of a weld nearly ground down.  You must be careful here.  It is very easy to damage the muffler. 

After grinding through the welds you need to punch the OEM baffle out.  I used a wooden dowel rod so I wouldn't damage the OEM baffle.  I may use it again some day. 

The center of the OEM baffle sticks out a bit, so you need a block of wood to get the muffler off of the ground and hit the dowel rod gently with a hammer.  It will pop right out if you have broken the welds.  It will not budge if you haven't. 

A trick I used for this step was I first hammered the OEM baffle back into the pipe a bit after I though I had the welds ground down.  This way I could break it free and grind anything I missed.

Here's a pic of the inside of the muffler after the OEM baffle was removed.  There's sound deadening insulation lining the length of the pipe.  I left mine in, but I have noticed that it does quiet the pipe quite a bit.  If you want a bit more noise you can probably remove it.  It is only tacked onto the pipe with glue. A long thin knife will cut it right out.

Now we need to drill the hole that will hold the Fullsac baffles in place.  This is easy, but you need to take your time.  The pipe is hard and round.  A drill bit will walk down the pipe and scratch the H#|| out of it if you are not careful. 

Step one here is to measure in from the bottom of the pipe 1 3/8" from the edge.  The bottom of the pipe is directly opposite of the nuts that hold it on the bike.  Don't drill on the wrong side!  Measure twice cut once as they say.

Step two is to use a center punch and punch the mark where you want to drill.  Do NOT skip this step.  A drill bit will not bite into the pipe if it isn't punched!  If you don't have a center punch use a metal screw with a hard point. 

Step three is to start with a small drill bit and then work your way up to a 1/4" drill bit.  Take it easy and do not jump sizes too quickly.  The more bits you use the easier the hole will be to drill.  If you have a drill press use it.  If not, just be careful.  I used a standard battery powered drill with no problem.

After you've drilled the pipe, the next step is to install the Fullsac baffle.  Just slide it into the muffler and line up the set screw holes.   You may need a block of wood and tap it with a hammer to get it in.  Do not hit it hard!  The metal will bend if hit directly with a hammer.

Then install the set screw with the nut and lock washer on the inside of the muffler.

Here's the best part. 

"This Harley-Davidson Exhaust 64768-09 system meets EPA noise emission requirements of 80 db (a) for the following motorcycles.  Installation of this exhaust system on motorcycle models-not specified may violate federal law.  HARFLT1800."

Go figure.  I so happen to have these installed on a HARFLT1800.  How cool is that ;)

Here's what they look like installed...

Here's a YouTube video that documents the sound before/after the baffle change:

Removing a Catalytic Converter form 09 CVO Road Glide

I just had the pleasure of removing the Catalytic Converter from my 2009 CVO SERG.  I thought some of you may find it useful to have the steps documented. 

The first step is to remove your Right muffler.  Start by removing the main nut in front of your Right muffler.  This is a clamp that seals the muffler to the main header.

The next step is to remove the two rear nuts that mount the back of the muffler.  This is all that is holding it on.  You then can twist and slide it off.  Be careful not to drop or scratch it.

After getting the pipe off you can look into the main header and see the Catalytic Converter.  The screen door looking thing inside of the exhaust.  Talk about restrictive!

The next step requires a 1.6" coring drill bit that is 14" long.  You can get one of these form McGillis Warehouse for $25 + shipping. 

http://mcgillswarehouse.com/ItemDetails.aspx?ItemID=154120006&IN=SILVERBRAZEDDRILLBIT,14

This bit is designed for drilling concrete and has a 5/8" UNC shaft for accepting a chuck.  This is a lot bigger than anything I own, so I purchased a 5/8" rod with UNC threads from Home Depot.  I cut it to a more reasonable length and mounted it to the bit with a nut and lock washer.  I ground down the end sticking out of the bit to get it to fit my 3/4" drill chuck.

The next step is to insert the bit into the end of the header.  It will probably feel a bit tight when you start.  This is because the pipe is a bit compressed from the muffler.  When you get the end of the bit into the opening it will easily slide into the pipe. 

This pic is the the starting point where the bit just touches the converter.

The converter is made of hard material and does not want to come out.  Take your time and drill with a constant pressure (not too much) on the drill.  I found that removing the bit form time to time and adding oil made the job easier.  You need a good drill for this step.  It needs to maintain torque as you apply pressure.  You do not need to drill fast.  Slow and easy...

This pic is the ending point when I just broke through the core.  The core is about 7" long.  When you get about to the end slow down and be careful.  When you go through you could damage the header.  It will break free quick.

After you get though stop the drill and then push forward slightly.  This will help push the core back into the bit.  Then slowly back the drill out of the pipe.  You don't want the core to drop into the header.  It would be hard to get out without removing the header from the bike.

Another pic of the core standing on its end...

Here's the final pic down the pipe after the converter has been removed.  Most, but not all of it is removed.  There is a small portion remaining; however, it significantly opens up pipe and allows the exhaust to exit unrestricted.  It's important to note here that the timing of the bike is set so the exhaust exits one cylinder and then the other.  They do not fire at the same time.  There's more than enough of an opening to let the exhaust flow out evenly.

Here's a video of the exhaust note difference from with the cat to without. I still have the stock muffler/pipes, so the sound difference isn't dramatic. However, it is improved.

I've also noticed that the bike is running cooler, that it is more responsive and the power curve is more linear.