Carl Cranke Pipe Fitment

[Tahitian_Red]

I put the Carl Cranke Replica pipe on lastnight for a trial fit and it looks like anyway I tweak it the pipe will contact a cylinder head fin.  Would it be better to put a little dimple in the pipe section or trim the cylinder head fin?  Thanks!

Racing the "Falta-Nator" in 2009

[tomale]

Jay, I think that is a personal call. any dents in your pipe will alter the power potential of the pipe. but even the stock pipe has a dimple in the pipe to make room for the carb.. cutting a little off a fin may not change the performace all that much but you will need to ask yourself if your are willing to alter something that has a diminishing supply.. On my 76 we had put an aftermarket pipe on it and we actually removed on fin to make room for the new pipe. It is not something I would recommend. life is full of tough choices..

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)

[gooddirt]

Jay, when the pipe was on my bike if was about 1/8 to 1/4 inch above the near most fin, just file or grind what you need off the one fin (should not be much) not going to harm anything. Do you have the rubber mounts on the frame to push the pipe out to the left of the fins? Also buy some heat shield fiber for the air box where the pipe runs near it ; maybe a 6in x 6in square. Have some extra heads if you blow it, pipe might need packing. LG

[Tahitian_Red]

Larry,

It just barely touches one part of a fin.  I would only have to take a few millimeters off the fin or make a small dent about 10mm long and a few millimeters deep in the pipe.

Did you have the pipe on a '75?

Racing the "FaltaNator" in 2009

[gooddirt]

On a 74.5 ; 75's are the same. I would take more off the fin and leave the pipe alone.

[tomale]

Jay, I think you will find that you will need to grind more than that. The pipe is going to move a little as you ride thru the rough stuff. I had the same problem on another bike. but it was not the fin but a tank seam. It took several attempt to get it solved.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)