[RoadKing]

I just installed V&H True dual headers on my 05 RK and to my surprise discovered there were no header gaskets on the orginal equipment!!! I called my buddy who was installing the same on his 04 RK and he found the same!!! Makes you wonder is there was a shortage of gaskets at the factory for two years

[CD]

That would be odd for sure. I have not come across one that did not come with the gaskets. Did you use an ice pick or probe to double check? The gaskets carbon up very rapidly and will not be easy to see against the back ground.

[RoadKing]

No ice pick but I sure examined the area real well and cleaned it up before the new install. I only have 2000 miles on the bike at the time of the change.

[hdhelgy]

You might want to put a set of Screamin' Eagle exhaust gaskets in place of the stock ones. The stock gaskets are kind of cone shaped and the SE gaskests are a flat, wider gasket. I used SE gaskets when installing my Vance & Hines Pipes. I also installed a set of "Torque Cones", which help from burning or warping your valves being that you are installing a more open exhaust system. A MUST if you plan on taking the baffles out.

[RoadKing]

I did install the SE gaskets .... what are Torque Cones?

Mark

[CD]

Originally Posted by hdhelgy

You might want to put a set of Screamin' Eagle exhaust gaskets in place of the stock ones. The stock gaskets are kind of cone shaped and the SE gaskests are a flat, wider gasket. I used SE gaskets when installing my Vance & Hines Pipes. I also installed a set of "Torque Cones", which help from burning or warping your valves being that you are installing a more open exhaust system. A MUST if you plan on taking the baffles out.

I would not fall for the SE gaskets ploy myself. SE exhaust gaskets are nothing more than the early OE EVO gaskets. Why pay $15.00 for a set of gaskets you can get for $4.50?

Burning an exhaust valve would not be a problem unless you went to a pretty short header. All of the current systems out there except for maybe the really short ones like the Big Radius should not have an issue with burning valves unless you remove the baffles. Then, I would agree about the cones or some other way to keep the pulses from getting back into the port.