Exhaust Stubs

This custom/restoration game can just get ridiculous sometimes. Since I'm not a deep pockets guy I regularly have to substitute my (or my brother's) time and labor in place of $$$. Add to that a little OCD and little projects can become big ones.

Since damn near the day I brought my current project home I knew I wanted to run 50's T100R/RR flat track pipes on it. After 4 years of hunting I finally found a source (thanks Rayson's!). Unfortunately the original pipes were built with 500 1-1/2" style spigots rather than the larger 650 style. Triumph used 1-1/2" pipes in performance applications like the Bonnevilles so the pipe size is not an issue. The 500 and 650 heads have different exhaust port threads sizes so you can't just use 500 stubs. There in lies the problem.

Sounds like a lathe project, right? I only need 650 threaded stubs with the 500 1-1/5" stub. I initially opted to use stainless to avoid long term corrosion. Let me just say cutting threads that large on a small lathe and work that fiddly sucks! I rarely scrap parts on a lathe but my brother and I both scraped several, always on the last few operations. F@&K! 

Mild steal eventually seemed like a better choice. A little obsessive persistence and I finally had a pair that fit perfect, even in the typically sloppy 60 year old head threads. They might well be the nicest Triumph exhaust stubs on the planet!

If I did this stuff for a living instead of fun I think I'd make about $2 an hour. If you want me to make a custom set for your bike it will only cost you $1500. Hahaha.

Thanks again Michael Breeding! My little lathe bails me out all the time. It's incredibly nice to have the option.