I'm spending my Sunday replacing the full exhaust system with V&H Dresser Duals, Twin Slash Rounds, and a PCV that I bought from Fuel Moto. I'm at the half way point, as I have just completed removing the entire factory exhaust system.

I just removed the factory exhaust gaskets and wiped down the inside of each port. Now I, of course, intend to replace them with the recommended HD exhaust gaskets (17048-98) that I bought. They are significantly thinner than the factory gaskets. Am I missing something here? Did I do something wrong, or is it OK that they are so much thinner?

Secondly, I remember hearing something about when using the PCV, not having to re-attach the 02 sensors after the new headers are installed. Can somebody please elaborate on this.

 

What you have is the SE gaskets, not the stock gaskets

 

Correct, that what my HD dealer recommended, and they are mentioned by HD part number on the V&H install instruction sheet as 1 of 3 options for gaskets.

 

They are thinner and flat, not tapered so as to not crush in the port and potentially block any exhaust flow. That is why they look like that.

 

With my Fuel Moto head pipe, I ended up doubling up and using two SE gaskets on each pipe to make up the thickness(necessary for the front tube to clear the nosecone). The OEM gasket would squish into the port no matter how carefull I was. Haven't had any problems with the double stack SE gaskets.

 

Oh snap.....I didn't even notice that the factory gaskets were tapered. But it sounds like I'm good to go then with using the new SE gaskets. I just wanted to make sure before I used something wrong and had to remove it all to fix the mistake. Thanks. Can you or anybody else educate me on my other question about the O2 sensors?

 

Read THIS thread and it will answer your questions, even has a response from Jaime

 

You do not use the O2 sensors with the PCV, you might want to buy some plugs for the headpipe and not even put the O2 sensors in. I have noticed on 2 different bikes the O2 sensors would not come out of the rear stock pipe.

 

Where do I buy plugs? At the HD dealer?
And what do I do with the 02 sensors? Maybe just zip tie them snug to the frame?

 

Pipe supply, dealer, etc. and unplug the sensors and remove them.

When my pipes arrived (D&D Fatcat), they came with 02 bung plugs in them that I had to remove to install the 02 sensors.