Have any of you installed a full exhaust system on your ZX-14? If so, how difficult of a DIY would it be? Im getting a Brocks CT 4-2-1 Full system and I was just wondering how hard it would be to install it myself.

i installed the ct duals myself, not too bad hadd to strip all the fairings off except the nose lol. id read that some here installed without pulling the radiator but for the life of me i dont know how they did it plus i had engine ice i wanted to put in the cooling system so pulling the radiator just made sense and no worries of damaging it with the exhaust install. just make sure to use the copper sealant brocks gives you with the system. fairly easy job to do

You don't have to pull the rad,just the stabilizer bracket on the bottom,My bike was used to fit several different exhaust systems at Hindle exhaust,not once did they have to pull the rad

Yep, all the fairings come off, then just undo the bolts at the radiator so it can move forward about an inch or 2. Thats all I did. Not really hard, just time consuming. Probably took me 3 hours or so.

Yep easy DIY, and a good chance to clean and inspect parts of the bike you can't always get to... If you haven't yet, order new gaskets.

My CT fit so well, it almost installed itself.

If you have any problems, you shouldn't, someone here or at Brock's will help...

The 4-2-1 (aka CT-Single) is easier to install than the -Dual.

The instructions that come with them are designed to tell you how to do it the easiest way. Follow the darn instructions. Read them at least 3 times before you start.

I needed my nephew to pull the springs on the #2 and #3 headers because I just couldn't get my big ham hock hands in between the radiator and header to get enough pull on the springs to stretch them enough.

I never rush this stuff. It really is not that difficult if you are willing to spend the hours and you have a system that fits the bike well (get reccomendations---I only hear good about Brocks especially CT)

I would just take off the rad. It was my first haeder removal /aftermarket install and I didn't want to take any shortcuts. Go ahead and try tilting the rad if you want but put a piece of cardboard against so you do not bend any fins by accident. Don't get frusterated if you find you are better off removing the rad. It may be hard to get the old gaskets out if you cant stick your head up in there to see them. If you need to pry to get the original gaskets out, pry against the tongue that sticks up from the bottom of the port. Careful not to gash the machined surface the gasket seats on motor.

I'm very careful about wrenching and am just developing experience. I would give it a full weekend and maybe a few hours more. That's realistic if you have never done this before and you want to do a good job.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/4/2011 @ 10:03 AM *

Thanks for all the info and encouragement guys. Im still not sure I want to try it myself but I might get a wild hair and give it a go. We will see in a couple of weeks when my system arrives.

So does anyone have a link to a good DIY for removing and installing the radiator? I would imagine it involves some bleeding and what not. Thats the one issue I think I would have with this whole process. Well, that and potential leaks.

retsam, its a pretty staight forward job if i remember right theres 2 bolts on the top 1 each side and 1 on the bottom(on a bracket that bolts to the motor) and of course the hoses that r connected to the radiator. takes longer to disconnect the hoses than to get the radiator off lol. be sure to drain radiator first i disconnected bottom hose to do this tip: remove radiator cap first (relieves the vacuum) so fluid will drain. Being in Texas it would benefit you to replace coolant with engine ice will run 1-2 bars cooler for ya good luck

Thanks for the info Scott. What about refilling it? Im not totally retarded when it comes to mechanics, but I am when it comes to radiators. Just want to make sure I dont screw something up.

when i refilled it i filled the radiator and overflow bottle then just like a car i started it with the rad cap off and let it run until no more air bubbles and keep filling as needed at the radiator

http://zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=F254810E-D56B-84E2-1F1AD6A6050349E8

That may be of some help for draining and refilling.

Once alll the hoses are off the there is just 3 screws like scotty said. Easy to reach.

Update: Got the power commander installed this past Thursday. Uploaded the stock map from the power commander website. May birthday was Saturday so I rode all day Friday and did absolutely nothing on Saturday. This morning I got up at 7 with the determination that I would have my Brocks exhaust installed and done! Well, I did it! Took me 10 hours because Im retarded and I have to take my time but I got it done. I didnt remove the radiator but I should have. I ended up bending a few spots on the radiator but it wasn't too bad. The first time I fired it up I noticed a lot of smoke and freaked out a bit. But then I realized that its probably the WD-40 I used to put the pipes together. I uploaded the brocks maps and replaced the fairings and went for a ride. Maaaaannn this thing is LOUD! I actually put the noise reduction plug in and it helped a little but but the pipes are still really loud. I love the way my bike sounds now! The freeking stock pipes are HEAVY AS HELL! I seriously didnt realize how much weight I'd be dropping. I also forgot to do the anti pop plug. I will get to that later. Im also going to post some pix and video later this week. This was a really good exercise for me as Im not a seasoned mechanic. Hopefully I didnt screw up my bike!

Sorry to hear it is loud... :(

Took me 10 hours because Im retarded and I have to take my time but I got it done.

I didnt remove the radiator but I should have.

The first time I fired it up I noticed a lot of smoke and freaked out a bit. But then I realized that its probably the WD-40 I used to put the pipes together.

The first time I fired it up I noticed a lot of smoke and freaked out a bit. But then I realized that its probably the WD-40 I used to put the pipes together.

I also forgot to do the anti pop plug.

Enjoy the bike. I'm sure you did not damage a thing and if you are picky, you can carefully straighten those fins out with an exacto knife or some thin plastic instrument next winter when you drain the system to flush and replace coolant (have a tutorial on that one too, if you enjoy this kind of thing).

So what did you get? A short meg? Street meg, A-head? All nice pipes but loud as F&#CK which is great fun. There are those times I wish I were quieter though.

You got the CT single correct, retsam? That's what I have and think it's quiet, as far as aftermarket systems go...lol.

Good job on the DIY.

BTW, I wipe my system down with WD40 when I wash my bike. Love the smoke when I start the bike... gives me a buzz!

* Last updated by: DogoZX on 5/16/2011 @ 12:41 AM *

I also forgot to do the anti pop plug.

HOLD ON!--

If you mean you forgot to plug the clean air outlet in bottom of air box, and the hose is no longer installed, better stuff something in there ASAP. The air box should be forcing air out and it is not likely much debris floats under there but no sense in taking chances on something getting in the hole. At least stick a big piece o duct tape over it for a temporary patch.

DogoZx - Yes I have the CT Single. I think it is loud but not too loud.

Rook - I didnt remove anything from the air box yet. So as far as that goes, everything is as it was stock. The Brocks instructions say to cut the hose tapered end, install a plug in the hole and insert the hose into the plug. They say its to cut deceleration pop. I hope thats what you were talking about. The pop wasnt too bad when I took my first ride though.

Here are all the pix I took during install. It was too painful to upload them here so I had to put them on flickr. Hopefully these pix will help some other poor soul, as clueless as I was, get the job done. Not that I did a good job taking pix or documenting anything.

IMG_0713 by retsam@prodigy.net, on Flickr

This is the spigot that goes into the header. I took a picture of this because the dox dont really explain which way to put them in. I read in the dox for another bike that the flared edge should go toward the engine so thats what I did. If I did that wrong, someone let me know so I can take another 10 hours and fix it LOL.

Spigot and flange installed.

The Dox said to install this spring before attaching the headers as it would be hard to install after. The dox also said that they others are "easily" reached after install. I wished I had installed them all before attaching the headers.

Just wanted to take this pic because I thought it looked cool... LOL

The heavy stock header pipes.

Installed!

Done!

Great pics. Thanks

great job neighbor ...

Thos epics are great . Good job.

in geting a brooks short ahead, but does anyone know how much is the torque for the nuts on the header?