exhaust install, whats the trick?

So I just finished heat wraping my exhaust on my 77 kz650. After spending an hour putting it back on after I started it I could hear the tap from the engine at the top of the header. apparently it did not seal properly. whats the trick to get it to seal right. I have a custom 4 to 1 exhaust if that makes a difference. It looks great but I just need to get it back on right:huh:

might need new copper gaskets.

NickW900LTD wrote:

might need new copper gaskets.

and maybe some of this also



Good Luck!

it sounded great before I took it off. when I took it off, two half moon pieces came off of each pipe. are these the copper gaskets your speaking off. I put them back on the best I could but got the noise.

if anyone cares here is the completed exhaust.

the copper exhaust gaskets are inserted inside the head (exhaust port), they look like rings, they are crush gaskets that keep the header sealed to the head.

Nick

You anneal these copper gaskets and reuse them or replace them with new ones...see below

www.z1enterprises.com/detail.aspx?ID=197

You might have had a gasket slip and not seal right. Clean the gasket and the gasket seat on the head good and then put a couple dabs of car polish or something else (no grease though) and that will help it stick to the head while you are trying to get the exhaust to seal. It will burn off quickly and not hurt anything. Trick works for me.

kawtoy wrote:

You might have had a gasket slip and not seal right. Clean the gasket and the gasket seat on the head good and then put a couple dabs of car polish or something else (no grease though) and that will help it stick to the head while you are trying to get the exhaust to seal. It will burn off quickly and not hurt anything. Trick works for me.

Kawtoy, why no grease? That is what I have always used. Just a little dab to hold the gasket while I mount the pipes. Why is this bad?

Thanks.

mr anderson wrote:

it sounded great before I took it off. when I took it off, two half moon pieces came off of each pipe. are these the copper gaskets your speaking off. I put them back on the best I could but got the noise.

Mr. Anderson, it sounds like you never took the copper gaskets out when you removed the exhaust. It is easy to overlook them as they are usually black and sooty, and stuck in the exhaust ports. If you didn't know to look for them, you could easily miss them.

I would recommend you take off your pipes again, and with a small screwdriver or pick, gently pry the copper gaskets out of the ports. They shouldn't be difficult to remove. They just may need a little encouragement to come out--they generally don't just fall out on their own.

After you get them out, you can eather anneal them by heating them with a torch until they glow, then douse them in water, or even better, replace them with new ones. They're not that expensive. That should solve your exhaust leak.

Your pipe looks good!

Is there a mount to hold the back end? Or is it only mounted by the 4 flanges up front?

rstnick wrote:

Your pipe looks good!

Is there a mount to hold the back end? Or is it only mounted by the 4 flanges up front?

Thanks man!:lol: no support in the back, I tested movement to see if I needed to put a support on but I cant even move them with just the flanges up front. Maybe I will add a support later though.

Skyman wrote:

Mr. Anderson, it sounds like you never took the copper gaskets out when you removed the exhaust. It is easy to overlook them as they are usually black and sooty, and stuck in the exhaust ports. If you didn't know to look for them, you could easily miss them.

AHAH! I think you are so right! Im sure that is what the problem is. I never knew about those little suckers in there. I will keep you posted on the change.