Looking in my HD softail manual, for stock exhaust, it says:

Finger tight for front cylinder top bolt
9-18 in lbs for front cylinder lower bolt
100-120 in lbs for rear cylinder top and lower bolts.

What the hell? How do you leave an exhaust bolt finger tight? ...and why the huge differences in torque #'s front to back?

Now, I'm doing an aftermarket exhaust, does these numbers still apply?

 

Sure you read that correctly.....? Sounds like just half the procedure.

Here are the notes I saved from this forum, reference header bolt torque:

"If there is a leak at the head, does anyone know what the torque is for a 103 motor?

Final torque is about 100 inch lbs. Put everything into place, but don't final torque anything until the whole thing is hung. Then start with your exhaust flanges. On the front, you torque the upper flange nut to about 15 inch lbs, then the lower flange nut to 100 inch lbs, then the upper flange bolt to 100 inch lbs. On the rear cylinder, it's a similar sequence, but you reverse it (lower flange bolt first, then the upper, final torque the lower last). The torque specs are from memory, you want to double check with your service manual for actual torque settings."

And I had saved this one too, I forgot to note the source:

"Rear cylinder- 1st torque bottom bolt to 15-20 in-lbs; then do top bolt to 90-120 in-lbs; then do bottom bolt to 90-120 in-lbs
Front cylinder- same as rear cylinder only do the top bolt first"

Good luck....

 

Yep...the instructions in my OP are straight from the HD softail service manual...

Thanks for the tips. I'll probably contact the dealer to verify.

 

You've read that manual wrong bro - here's the cut/past:

Installation
NOTE
Replacement cylinder head exhaust port gaskets (17) are
tapered internally. Be sure the tapered side is facing exhaust
pipes. Also check condition of retaining ring (18) before installation.
1. Install new gaskets in both the front and rear cylinder
heads with the tapered side facing exhaust pipes.
2. Position ends of exhaust pipes into front and rear cylinder
head exhaust ports placing holes in exhaust manifold
clamp (19) over cylinder head exhaust studs. Loosely
thread on flange nuts (16).
3. Loosely install fasteners (24) to attach mufflers (1, 28) to
interconnect tube assembly (26).
4. Align exhaust system and tighten all nuts and bolts;
beginning at cylinder head exhaust ports and working
backwards. Tighten interconnect fasteners to 96-120 inlbs
(10.8-13.6 Nm).
5. Tighten nuts (16) at cylinder studs as follows:
a. Install upper nut and tighten finger tight.
b. Install lower nut and tighten to 9-18 in-lbs (1.0-2.0
Nm).
c. Tighten upper nut to 100-120 in-lbs (11.3-13.6 Nm).
d. Tighten lower nut to 100-120 in-lbs (11.3-13.6 Nm).
6. Open the muffler shield clamps (21) and install front and
rear heat shields (9, 22).
7. See Figure 4-56. On vehicles with active exhaust, install
active exhaust cable to bellcrank.
a. Install ferrule (3) into slot as shown. Wrap cable
around bellcrank (4).
b. Clip cable retainer (2) on to rear exhaust pipe.
8. On vehicles with O2 sensor, connect

 

Mine manual is worded differently.

Yours is somewhat clearer. However, do you go thru that sequence for the front cylinder before moving to the rear cylinder?

Or

Finger tighten both front and rear top nut.
Torque front and rear bottom nuts to 9-18 in lbs
Then torque top front and rear to 100-120 in lbs
and finally torque bottom front and rear to 100-120 in lbs.


Finally, do these torque numbers apply for aftermarket exhaust?