How do you test for a exhaust leak? I am tired of the popping.Don't know if this is my problem or what? I have PC 3 , A/N big sucker filter and V/H Big Radious pipes. I had it dyno in Cincinnati,Ohio said that this is the best he can do 2006 Wideglide (stage1) Hate the popping?????????

 

they will pop if lean off throttle. You could check for leaks by blowing smoke around the flanges to see if it gets interrupted with air flow. If it does you got a leak. If not, find a better person to dyno your bike, you can tune out the popping.

 

Man I don't know if there is a scientific textbook writeup but here is what I would do if I really wanted to know for sure myself if I had a leak. Take your heat shields off, and then if you got a service manual verify the torque at your head pipe flanges bolted to the exhaust ports, there is 2 nuts per exhuast pipe. Once you verify that is deffinitely torqued per specs, inspect the pipes top to bottom, especially the crossover tube for cracks. If you don't find any then fire your bike up, and feel for any air coming from the exhaust flange, crossover pipe, slipon connections and you could use some sort of smoke generator, canned smoke, last resort tobacco smoke and direct it around the joints and see if air is displaced, if all is good there then your more than likely dealing with a tune issue.
Noticed you had a pcIII, maybe your map is not precisely what your ride needs, depending on who you bought it from they should be able to support you with map help, IF it comes down to a tune issue, but dont just assume it is without taking them heat shields off and checking real good. I thought mine was good and at barely 3 years old the crossove pipe was hanging on by dental floss.

 

I keep a couple sticks of incense in my tool chest to snoop around all of the joints/connections of my exhaust without burning my knuckles. Just another GREAT idea read here on HDF.

 

Last time I used incense to check for exhaust leaks, my neighbors thought I was doing some ritual/black magic on my bike.