V85 TT Arrow Y Pipe Cracks

[SpaceCycle]

First post, hi all. I bought a used V85 TT a couple of months ago and finally got around to installing the Arrow cat eliminator kit that the seller included. After installing, noticed some cracks in the y-pipe. I contacted Arrow and they directed me to the "dealer" which I think it's just an Ebay seller so I'm not sure how far I'll get with them. Any recommendations? My last resort was going to be to find a local welder. I'm just surprised they would crack like this. They're less than a year old.

[guzziart]

Good luck!  They'll probably claim installation error but it sounds like you've got a contingency plan.  Might be more cost effective to have it repaired locally vs S & H, etc.

So, were you also planning on re-mapping the ecm after the de-cat?   Just curious, I bought a used Travel earlier this month and definitely feel the heat om my left foot.

Thanks,
Art

[SpaceCycle]

The guy I bought it from had a V-twin boost which I've installed for now. I've seen a lot of people aren't big fans of those devices. I do plan on remapping once my warranty is up a little over a year from now. The ankle heat is definitely reduced (not totally eliminated) with the decat!

[yrunvs]

The guy I bought it from had a V-twin boost which I've installed for now. I've seen a lot of people aren't big fans of those devices. I do plan on remapping once my warranty is up a little over a year from now. The ankle heat is definitely reduced (not totally eliminated) with the decat!

Do you get any popping or backfiring with the Arrow Y pipe and Vboost? Do you have the OEM muffler still on?

[JStorm]

I dont believe that is an actual Arrow product. The Arrow uses a more efficient Y design. That, and the weld quality shown in the "top of pipe" picture screams alibaba sourced.
https://www.af1racing.com/gi71756mi-arrow-header-flanges-y-pipe-set-for-21-spec-v85-tt-all-variants

The cracks can be welded but i suspect the damage is already done duting initial fabrication. Theyre likely to crack again, unfortunately.

Best of luck,
Jay

[John A]

It’s not a big deal to weld the cracks. I think they crack from a strain put in if they don’t exactly line up when mounting them and are tightened with a strain on them. I welded similar cracks in Mistral headpipe crossover with a regular mig and general purpose wire and they haven’t recracked. I didn’t have stainless wire so at first the color mismatch was obvious but as the years and miles added up it’s not so noticeable. If you took it to a welder, it should turn out fine, they would have the right wire or tig

[SpaceCycle]

Do you get any popping or backfiring with the Arrow Y pipe and Vboost? Do you have the OEM muffler still on?

I'll hear a pop occasionally. Usually when I'm shifting up to 2nd or 3rd gear. It's not too bad. Yes, still the OEM muffler.

[SpaceCycle]

I dont believe that is an actual Arrow product. The Arrow uses a more efficient Y design. That, and the weld quality shown in the "top of pipe" picture screams alibaba sourced.
https://www.af1racing.com/gi71756mi-arrow-header-flanges-y-pipe-set-for-21-spec-v85-tt-all-variants

The cracks can be welded but i suspect the damage is already done duting initial fabrication. Theyre likely to crack again, unfortunately.

Best of luck,
Jay

I received them with the original Arrow box and instructions and I have the original packing slip and ebay order info so unless the ebay seller pulled some sort of switcharoo...

I'll definitely be extra cautious when installing them keep an eye on them after they're welded.


Thanks,

Jared

[yrunvs]

I'll hear a pop occasionally. Usually when I'm shifting up to 2nd or 3rd gear. It's not too bad. Yes, still the OEM muffler.

That's exactly my experience when I installed Arrow headers Y pipe and V Boost with OEM muffler. I had to go back to stock to get some warranty work done (not related). I'm hesitant to reinstall the Arrow as I don't care for the popping and presume its running lean. I may wait till the warranty is gone then go full Arrow pipes and muffler with UpMap.

[SpaceCycle]

That's exactly my experience when I installed Arrow headers Y pipe and V Boost with OEM muffler. I had to go back to stock to get some warranty work done (not related). I'm hesitant to reinstall the Arrow as I don't care for the popping and presume its running lean. I may wait till the warranty is gone then go full Arrow pipes and muffler with UpMap.

Just FYI, I messaged Mark, the maker of Beetle maps, a few weeks ago and he said he planned to have a map for E5 V85 TTs by mid to late October. You'll have to have a Euro5 Alientech Powergate which is $320 bucks US so it may not be much cheaper than UpMap.

[SpaceCycle]

Operation Local Welder was a success! He drilled the ends of the cracks to keep them from spreading and, i think, did a great job with the welds. It took him a little longer than he thought but only charged me $100 bucks after initially quoting $70. I forgot to grab pictures before I reinstalled it but here are some pics post-install.

[QuickLime]

Just FYI, I messaged Mark, the maker of Beetle maps, a few weeks ago and he said he planned to have a map for E5 V85 TTs by mid to late October. You'll have to have a Euro5 Alientech Powergate which is $320 bucks US so it may not be much cheaper than UpMap.

Very interesting. If it were possible for the Powergate not to be locked to a specific VIN then the cost might make sense, so I could flash my bike and also a buddy's, but otherwise the UpMap is a relatively attractive package.

[Huzo]

It probably needs  a discreetly placed gusset to take the flexing away from the weld site. If was on an aircraft engine, that’s what Lycoming or Continental would do.

[Dukedesmo]

I had similar cracks on Ducati/Termignoni mid pipe a couple of years after purchasing. I didn't think it worth trying to claim anything as I doubt it would have gone anywhere, I just welded it and it's been fine since.


I think it's not uncommon on thin walled stainless tubing especially if the fit is on the tight side.