The Hodaka Club Forum

OK. I have my Road Toad pipe and the 3 point mounting flange at the end is damaged. Below are pics. I found a replacement on the website, pic attached, but want to know how it comes off. Do I have to cut the weld and re-weld the new one back in place? The inside of the replacement does not have the same look as the inside of the old one. The new one does not have the 90* turn on the inner steel.

I realize this is supposed to be mounted to the exhaust port on the cylinder, but I can't get it loose. Sprayed with PB Blaster and let it sit over night. No luck. I'm thinking put the flange in my table mounted vise and twist to see if it breaks free? ; D Victor

Pipe just slips on.

Heat will help, and since it's already broke, a few taps with a hammer wouldn't hurt either. Heat, soak tap, heat, soak, tap.

Soak it in Vinegar for a couple of days. I had a wombat collar that was completely rusted to the pipe. It took several days but it came apart.

Vinegar, eh? Well that sounds like as good a choice as any! I'll give it a go and let you know how it went! I still need to build a pipe fire too! Wonder if cooking the pipe will help loosen it? Vinegar, then hammer, then fire! ; D Victor

Hot-cold cycles put stress on on the rust which is making the 2 pieces behave like 1. I've used hot-cold cycles (and penitrating oil) a lot to help divorce parts which have been married by the ages. I haven't used vinegar for this application - but it should indeed loosen/dissolve the rust.
Ed

Well after 36 hours of constant immersion in the vinegar, no luck. Tapping on the sides of the flange, OK banging, and banging downward but no luck. I put it back in the vinegar last night for further penetration. If it doesn't come loose soon I may just cut the damned thing off with a hack saw or grinder.

A funny thing though. The pipe rattled a lot when you moved it around. I thought I would have t bonfire the pipe.

I pulled the tail piece off and out came a large wad of grass, followed by several pounds of gras seed, some peanut shells, some full peanut shells and 2 or 3 objects which looked like dried lotus pods! No fire necessary now! LOL! ; D Victor

Vinegar is too weak. I have what may be a solution, but you have to be VERY CAREFUL! You can buy muriatic acid at hardware stores. It is very good a dissolving aluminum, but not so good a dissolving steel. I use it for stripping zinc plating off of steel parts. Before you use it wear gloves and goggles and make sure you are well ventilated (work outside). The fumes are nasty. Mix the muriatic acid with water at about 30% acid and 70% water. Always add the acid to the water, not the other way around. This dilution should be good at dissolving the aluminum while not eroding the steel. Submerge the flange in the diluted acid and it will dissolve, likely after a couple of hours.

Once again, if you try this be very careful.

Brian

Brian. That's sounds like a last resort step! I think I can cut 2 sides of the flange and get it loose. If not, then I'll resort to the muriatic acid. Thanks. ; D Victor

OK. After several more days of soaking nothing. So I took a hack saw to the aluminum portion and cut it almost all the way through and then used a chisel to crack it in half. Now I'm off to my son in law's brother, the local Meineke owner, to see if he can torch the inner steel part loose! ; D Victor

Success with the oxyacetylene torch! ; D Victor

OK. Now to attack the RUST! Here it is before, with a coat of Naval Jelly just put on. ; D Victor

After Naval Jelly and a little wire brushing! ; D Victor

Looking good! (. . . and your bench top looks like mine. )

Ed

Hah! That's my wife's garden bench out back! My work bench in the garage has a lot more crap than that on it! Bike is in pieces, here, there & everywhere!!'

So here is the pipe with the high heat ceramic paint on it! ; D Victor