Head pipes from 75 on 83?

[MacMcMacmac]

In my ongoing effort to exorcise the PO's questionable upgrades, I'm trying to ditch the 2 into 1 performance header for a set of dual pipes. There's a 1975 XS getting parted out locally. I was wondering if the head pipes would be useable on my 83.

And for something completely different, would the XS-1 style shocks from Mike's fir the later Specials? There is no eye to eye measurement on the website. I was thinking of burnishing the orange paint and doing them in black.

Thanks.

 

[XSLeo]

I'm not sure because I haven't tried them. I have a beat up set of 75 head pipes. I have an 81 Special. I might try them some time.
Any way The only thing I can think of is the lower mount point where the header attaches to the frame. There are two sets of holes in the brackets on the frame. My 75 uses the rear set, my 81 uses the front set. Uhm or is it just the opposite. Are the holes and bracket the same over the years, probably, I don't think they changed them. Easier to make the new parts fit the old way. Good example is the one square valve cover. Before the e-start all four were round. The first two years of the e-start went with the square cover for the decompressor. When they upgraded the starter and battery they stayed with the square cover. They could have gone back to a round cover but that would have meant retooling for the head.
On the shocks I can't say on those. Don't have an early set to find out. I doubt I would get shocks from Mike's the few reports I've heard on them are not good. I would call MMM at 650 central and tell him what I'm doing and order a set from him with the proper springs for your application.
Leo

 

[XSLeo]

One thing that slipped my mind is the head pipes are dual pipes, as in one inside the other. The mufflers slip on as apposed to being welded on as with the later Specials.
On the early the ends were the mufflers attach, the outer pipe has a slight taper at the end, the inner has a more drastic taper making it larger and the two pipes get sealed together by these tapers. So any slip on muffler fits without much trouble.
The later welded units when cut off leaves you with two separate pipes. The mufflers need to seal to the inner pipe. This requires an adapter. A search for muffler adapters on thus site will give you the part number of an auto parts store adapter that fits.
Just had a thought, maybe a muffler shop has an expander that fits the inner pipe and they can expand the inner out to the outer and ad a bit of taper to the outer to seal those two pipes together. Then no need for the adapter.
Leo

 

[Jqb12]

Are these the pipes that will require that adaptor to attach a muffler or extended pipe to?
Thanks, Jeff

 

[XSLeo]

Yes. With the end cut off like that you need an adapter. One end of the adapter slips in between those two pipes. The other end of the adapter is where you clamp the muffler on.
I thought I had a pic of the early style head pipes.
Those might still be early head pipes, they just got cut off when they didn't need to be.
I do have a pic from a parts fiche. It shows the early exhaust. Not from the end of the pipe like in your pic but it shows how the muffler slips on the head pipe and clamps down with a nut and gasket.
In the pic the part #10 is the nut, it threads on the front of the muffler. Part #9 is the gasket. It fits over the head pipe between the nut and muffler. As you tighten the nut the gasket gets expanded to seal to the pipe and muffler.
Leo