Help finned exhaust nuts

[Oconner]

Polishing up the ol gal and noticed my right side exhaust nut has a gap/crack?! almost looks like it was intended but don't know. Looked at the left side has a smaller gap, looks intended? Do I need some new ones?
Thanks

[Bob_Roller]

It's common to find the exhaust nuts seized on the cylinder, if some sort of anti-seize compound isn't applied to the threads on occasion .
Looks like a previous owner cut the nuts to get them off, and then reused them .
You can replace them if you like, but the nuts are R65 specific, they are a smaller diameter than the larger displacement bikes .

[montmil]

Another possibility is that the heads have been replaced. Not too uncommon for the exhaust "butterfly" nuts to become bonded to the threaded exhaust studs if, as Bob Roller mentioned, an anti-seize compound has not been used each time the nuts are spun off. The usual victim is the threads on the heads.

Should you choose to remove the exhaust nuts, exercise extreme caution. If you note strong resistance, stop! Try some PB Blaster or apply the best rust/corrosion buster- a 50:50 mix of acetone and brake fluid.

A flat-blade screwdriver could be carefully tapped into the cut slot to release tension on the threads and ease removal. Tap too hard and you'll split the butterfly.

[Oconner]

Thanks guys, so you think its ok to leave as is, and to just be careful when removing.? I have the special tool for the nuts and know to be gentle and will always use the anti seize.

[montmil]

Unless you have a valid reason for removing the exhaust nuts, leave 'em be.

As the saying goes, If'n it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Tony Smith]

As the saying goes, If'n it ain't broke, don't fix it.

And here was I thinking that the saying was "If it ain't broke, you didn't hit it hard enough."

[mrclubike]

If it were mine and they are truly split I would replace them.
With the amount of vibration there is I would be worried that the pipes are loose or will become loose in the head and cause  wear.
My experience is that when a nut is split like that it will not tighten properly.
Sorry guys but it sure looks broke to me.

[Luca]

With the amount of vibration there is I would be worried that the pipes are loose or will become loose in the head and cause  wear.
My experience is that when a nut is split like that it will not tighten properly.  

I'd be worried if it was a smaller nut, but these big horkin' exhaust nuts have a lot of working surface area and they're pretty beefy.  Proper torque for the exhaust nuts is well below what the threads can take.  The real problem is seizing up over time.  

As long as it can snug down on the split compression ring the nut is working, and if it's split it should be easier to remove when the time comes.

[quixotic]

And make sure that you loosen up all the downstream bolts on the exhaust system before you start reefing on the big nuts.  I neglected to, and I wound up stripping the threads.  Left cylinder, I believe, is the issue (radius starts more closely to the cylinder).