How to Make Exhaust Pipes for an ATV
Make your own exhaust pipes for an ATV and then route or reconfigure your engine accordingly. The project requires metal benders and decent quality steel piping. You can get as creative as you like or simply design your pipes to be more functional. Either way, it's a great project.
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Things You'll Need
- Metal benders Thin wall steel piping 2 to 3-inch wide Blow torch or heat source Metal saw
Instructions
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1
Locate the exhaust gasket on your ATV engine block. For most four-stroke engines there is a single exhaust outlet on the left or right side. It will have a steel gasket ring with two bolts to attach the exhaust.
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2
Measure the size of the exhaust outlet. Take the diameter (complete width across) from the two inside walls of the outlet. The pipes will have to slide into this hole, unless you plan on using some sort of adapter pipe between this outlet and your main pipes.
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3
Buy the correct size pipes depending on your measurements. Look for alloy pipes made of high quality steel with a wall thickness of 1/16-inch or less. Stainless steel pipes are a great bet, just be sure they are designed to be heat tolerant.
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4
Dry fit the pipes to the exhaust outlet to ensure they fit correctly. Then mark the pipes where your first bend will be with a black magic marker. It also helps to take an angle measurement using a protractor or by creating a paper template of the angle.
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5
Take the pipe to a metal bender and insert it into the machine with the mark facing you. Slowly heat the back and front side of the pipe with a blowtorch, then bend it with the machine to the precise angle.
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6
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the additional bends in your exhaust pipes. When you are finished, cut the ends of the pipe using a metal saw. Your ATV pipes are complete.
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Tips & Warnings
Dry fit your pipes after each bend to ensure your pipe fits properly and bend the way you want. Bending metal isn't precise, so take many measurements and get a very good idea of how your exhaust pipes are going to look before you start bending.
Bending metal pipes is not a science or an exact art. It may take several attempts to get the bends right, but once you get used to it, it will become easier. Buy extra pipes in case you make a mistake and have to start over.
