Jim's Projects: 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 ;)