Hey all!
Very happy to say I just scored a very nice 94 Wide Glide. Family owned since new, 18K, mostly bone stock and purrs like a kitty. In couple days I've had it I've put on a couple hundred miles and seems like things are loosening up a bit and causing a few rattles and squeaks I want to address. I don't think anything is motor related because the sounds I hear happen at that 2500ish rpm (guessing, no tach) range and also happen when clutched and going over bumpy roads.

I've read that a common mystery rattle is from gas tank bolts, and sure enough mine aren't super tight. I downloaded a copy of the service manual but it doesn't give torque specs for those bolts, and I didn't really understand how to read the general torque table! I read in some old thread that 20lb was the max so tried that on the front bolt. What I didn't know, is that a 20-150lb torque wrench is woefully inaccurate in the lower ranges of spec and sadly twisted that bolt of! Oops! I ordered a 5-45 wrench and a new tank mount hardware kit... lesson learned!

Q1 What is the torque spec for tank bolts on a 94 Wide Glide?
Q2 Is it possible that I damaged anything other than the bolt when I over tightened it?

Next up is the exhaust. As I said, purrs like a kitty, but not like a Harley. Exhaust is original stock, which is pretty cool for the nostalgia, and for the neighbors, but I want to turn that purr into a mild bark. I ordered Cobra slash cut slipons so hopefully that will improve the sound. I'm sure some of my rattling is coming from exhaust so I was going to end up putzing with that anyways. I'm not sure what if anything I will need to do to the carb, but I'm pretty sure it is tuned to stock specs. I'm not concerned at all with increasing performance at this point, I just want the bike to sound nice and run properly.

Q3 Should I or can I adjust the carb to accommodate the slipons?
Q4 Should I run the bike without any mufflers to further troubleshoot my rattles? Logic tells me that would rule out at least part of the exhaust system as culprit. Obviously I would focus on remaining heat shields and connections to the exhaust ports before the test.

Lastly, and more of a long-term thing, in researching this year DWG before I purchased I came across a picture of one that had structural modifications I would like to replicate on my bike. It has gobs of chrome, dual front discs, gorgeous paint and god knows what else, but the basic form of the bike is what I'm after. This linked pic of the bike with the flames is NOT my bike! https://i.redd.it/vj8lcayvvv371.jpg

Q5 What goes into making this bike look so stretched? I'm thinking it is simply lowered a couple inches on the forks and maybe an inch in the shocks? The pull back bars come into it too I'm sure.
Q6 What are the negatives to these types of changes.

That's it!
Thanks,
Matt
new to me 94 Wide Glide

 

1. Roughly 15 to 20 Ft Lbs
2. If you don't see any damage, you're ok
3. You should always check your tune when changing parameters, but most likely you'll be fine
4. No. Address your rattles before changing your pipes. Most likely your heat shields are rattling too.
5. It looks like a Wide Glide, nothing has been stretched
6. That bike doesn't have any structural mods, just chrome bolt ons and paint. You won't see any negative effects, other than to your bank account

 

Damn that's a lot of questions! LOL

1. & 2. It's fine, just replace the bolt. Using a torque wrench on a fuel tank bolt is completely unnecessary and WAY overkill. Just snug it up, it ain't going anywhere.
3. Changing the mufflers will have an extremely minor effect, if it runs fine now, it'll run fine after.
4. I don't know, I probably wouldn't but try it I guess, it ain't gonna hurt anything.
5. Fuel tank, handle bars, seat, flames, ride height, exhaust, it all contributes to the look. Get ready to spend some money.
6. Too subjective to answer that one.

 

Ha ha. Ain't that the truth! I guess between the bars, seat, paint, and camera angle it looked a little longer and lower to me.

Thanks for all the help guys, and sorry for so many questions, but I will have a few more I'm sure!

 

So my question to you is... where are the pics of your bike? Come on, post 'em up.

 

Sorry, my first post was a little confusing. The Blue/Silver WG in the first post is my bike. There was a link to reddit with another bike that I was asking about! More pics to come though. Put on some Kury Stirrup pegs last night and will have the exhaust on by the weekend.

 

Boo Internet retailers! All the big sites said the Cobra 3" Slash Cut Slip-ons would fit and they don't. In fact, now that I am researching through the manufactures sites, I see that not much does! In many cases it is 95 and up. Cobra doesn't even list any Dyna's earlier than 1995 on their site! I really don't want to triple/quad my budget on exhaust at this point. I ended up getting the Cobra's for $300, and hoping I can now keep it under 2x that...

It is looking like Short Shots (Parts Giant has them for $479), or Khrome Werks 3 Inch Tapered Slip-Ons for about $450.

Any suggestions? I'd love to do a 2 into 1 but really can't justify the cash at this point. I had the Cobra Slips picked out before I bought the bike, and now my plan has been thwarted and I'm not sure what to do.

 

Not sure why the short shots do not fit as many later model stock exhausts will fit your bike. Might have something to do with #28 (65674-90A SUPPORT, muffler). That part can be changed and I had to replace mine when I went to the cycle shacks. Might also have something to do with that silly/cheesy bent wire rear exhaust to trans mounting bracket. If yours still has one, get rid of it. Replace it with a later model (1999-2005) improved (solid, better design) rear exhaust mounting bracket.




The Krome works tapered will keep it looking stock if your interested in that. I have no experience in the quality or sound. I would do a little more homework to find out exactly why the cobra's "don't fit". I currently have 2002 head pipes on my bike.

 

The problem is clearance between the two mufflers. The stocks are tapered on both ends and they sort of yin/yang together. The cobras are straight after the taper from the front.

cobra slips on 94 FXDWG

 

I'm trying to think this through, because I really like the look of the Cobras. (And they are currently in my garage half installed ha.) If the improved bracket or a slightly differently angled support bracket would allow me to spread the pipes slightly or offset them slightly, I still have the issue of the crossover pipe which won't allow any of that. Unless there is a way to modify that. In fact, the tech at Dennis Kirk tried to tell me this wasn't stock exhaust because it has a crossover! Is that unique to this era of wide glide? Maybe this is why there seem to be so many more options for 95 and up?