How-to: 2006 GSXR exhaust can on 2003-2005 R6
[i]Items/tools you will need:
-Stock 2006 GSXR cat (catalytic converter) + exhaust + header clamp
-BIG hand-held grinder (~8" diameter)... or something to cut the GSXR exhaust with
-2.125" or 2.25" diameter exhaust pipe
-Welding torch + equipment
I. Obtain exhaust
The first step is to obtain a stock 2006 GSXR exhaust system. I bought mine off an AMA/WERA racer friend of mine (
go Team Embry!).
II. Cut exhaust
The stock exhaust system is an all-in-one catalytic converter and Gp-style short pipe with two heat shields and an exhaust clamp. The slotted heat shield for the triangular part of the exhaust is held in place by one screw and two metal tabs with rubber sleeves. Remove the screw and then slide the heat shield forward to remove it. Make sure to keep the heat shield, screw and rubber sleeves in a safe place for later.
Time to start cutting. I used a large hand-held metal grinder. The cat heat shield (square-shaped metal shield that is welded to the cat has to be removed
before the triangular exhaust pipe can be cut off. It is welded to the cat in 3 places. You might have to bend the metal shield a little in order to cut
all the tabs to remove it.
Next cut the triangular exhaust pipe from the cat. Due to the wierd shape and attachment point, the method for cutting is a bit of an art. I put the entire
exhaust system in a vise grip and cut as straight as I could through where the triangular exhaust is welded to the rest of the cat (where the oval profile
of the exhaust 'can' is welded to the square part of the cat). It is off at a wierd angle, so it might be necessary to come at the cut from different angles
to make as clean a cut as possible. Take your time or you might make a cut on the exhaust where you dont' want like (like my friend did when I let him try
cutting). The photos of the cut exhaust should give you a good idea of where I made the cut.
After the exhaust is cut from the cat, go ahead and remove the GSXR header clamp from the cat. It is tack-welded to the front of the cat with a small 'dot'
of metal. I removed it by drilling a hole straight through the weld, but it might be easier for you to bend the clamp back and grind through the tack-weld
instead. Keep the clamp in a safe place, as it will be used later.
III. Fitting
The now-separate exhaust should have a circular shaped hole that is offset at a strange angle. (See the photos of the cut off GSXR exhaust). Take time to figure out how you want to attach it to the R6 header (do you want it to be a slip-on? do you want to weld it to the header?) and also the angle at which you want to attach it to the header.
Obviously, welding it is a more permanent solution. The advantage to welding is that it is easier to use trial-and-error to choose the best angle and position for the slip-on and that the connection to the header will be strong enough to not need a bracket. The disadvantage is that removing the slip-on (in case you ever want to change it) will involve cutting or replacing the entire header pipes.
The advantage to making a slip-on is that it can be easily swapped out with other exhaust cans. The disadvantages are that you have to mess with bending, welding, and cutting exhaust pipe.... and also that you have to more-or-less figure out the precise angle and position for the slip-on before you weld any pipe to the GSXR exhaust.
I decided to make a slip-on, so made a mock up to help visualize how the pipe would have to connect to the header and exhaust. Remember that the exhaust will have a heat shield that fits over it, so plan for that little bit of clearance at the top of the slip-on.
IV. Welding (for a slip-on)
I do not have any welding tools (nor do i know how to weld), so I went to a local muffler shop to get help from a mechanic. Any muffler shop should have torches, pipe benders,spreaders, and plenty of exhaust pipe lying around. Some shops might do a small job like this for free (or a 6-pack of beer), and others will charge you a nominal fee for half-an hour of labor (~$25).
If inded you are going to make a slip-on, then you will need exhaust pipe that will fit over the R6 header. The outside diameter of the R6 header is ~2 inches, so you will need exhaust pipe with and inside diameter of at least 2.125 (2 1/8) inches. 2.125 is a VERY tight fit, so using 2.25 (2 1/4) inch pipe as minimum will probably make fitting it easier.
By this point you should have a fairly good idea of what position you want for the exhaust, and so the length, angle, bend and pitch of the exhaust pipe you use should be selected based on this criteria. Check the sketch to see how I welded pipe to the exhaust. I decided that the best way to go with my arrangement was to try to match the odd angle of the hole in the exhaust with a short curve in the pipe. Most pipe bending machines can only do 45º, 90º or 180º bends, so I knew that I would have to cut the pipe to get the correct angle. I followed these steps:
1. Had a short section of pipe bent 180º (remember, bending pipe reduces its diameter)
2. Held the exhaust on top of the pipe and adjusted the position until I saw the arrangement I wanted
3. Had the muffler shop guy mark off the location to cut the pipe with a sharpie
4. Cut the pipe
5. After the pipe was cut, held it together with the exhaust to show the muffler shop guy how I wanted it welded
Have whomever is doing the welding tack the pipe and exhaust together first to make sure that it is at the desired angle. Getting it done correctly the first time will save you a lot of trouble and frustration. I had the guy weld longer-than-needed section of pipe to the exhaust to make sure that I would be able to cut it down to the appropriate size later.
V. Attaching
After the welding is done, it is time to measure the appropriate length of pipe to cut off the slip-on. The best way to determine this is to remove the current exhaust off of your R6 and hold the slip-on close to its desired position. Mark the position with a sharpie and cut the pipe. If possible, try to leave at least 1-1.5 inches of 'overlap' for the slip-on to fit over the header (for a stronger joint).
After the pipe has been cut to size, check to see if it fits over the header. If the bending and cutting has shrunk the diameter of the pipe making it too small to fit over the R6 header, then you will have to go back to the muffler shop to have it widened slightly.
The next step is to cut the end of the pipe into strips. (This is best accomplished with a grinder) Cut 10-12, 1-inch-long strips at the end of the pipe to allow it to constrict when tightened down with the GSXR header clamp that we saved from part I. This should be done even if you already have a tight fit between the slip-on and R6 header (because the clamp is useless unless the pipe has space to constrict).
Attack the GSXR slip-on to the header, lock it down by tightening the clamp on it, and then re-attach the heat shield. Depending on how short the pipe has been cut, the heat shield may cover up the ugly weld and clamp point for the slip-on, giving the mod a much cleaner look.
Congrats! You now have the cleanest looking exhaust in the state! (unless you live in Georgia or Arizona).
How to: Put a stock 2006 GSXR exhaust on your 2003-2005 R6
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