TOPIC:

Damn, my parts came in and was hoping to turn the key on my rebuild today or tomorrow, but the exhaust gasket was the wrong one. It'll be next week before I can get another. Is there a viable and readily available substitute, at least for the short-term? I don't want anything so leaky that it affects how it runs, if I absolutely have to I will wait....arg

Auto parts stores sell fiberglass exhaust wrap stuff.  You could try going around and around the pipe until the diameter is built up enough to effect a seal.  Not an ideal solution of course, but it should allow you to move forward.

I have installed used copper exhaust gaskets, I just double them and they seem to seal pretty well. I never throw out the old ones unless they are ripped to shreds.

I am running doubled up gaskets on a bike at the moment with no issues.

wrote:

Auto parts stores sell fiberglass exhaust wrap stuff.  You could try going around and around the pipe until the diameter is built up enough to effect a seal.  Not an ideal solution of course, but it should allow you to move forward.
 

That may have been what was in there, it was pretty well deteriorated but seemed like it was a wrap-like material at one time. That's odd because the bike only had a few thousand miles when I bought it. I'll try that, I didn't know they still made that stuff.

wrote:

I have installed used copper exhaust gaskets, I just double them and they seem to seal pretty well. I never throw out the old ones unless they are ripped to shreds.

I am running doubled up gaskets on a bike at the moment with no issues.
 

This is the cross pipe, which has a cylindrical tube-like gasket. Not sure what they are made of but its very soft, perhaps some kind of aluminum composite

 

The mufflers on Honda ST1300's are designed to simply rotate down and away from the rear wheel once the collector pinch clamps are loosened, so that the mufflers don't have to be completely removed from the collector outlets.  Handy for rear wheel removal, final drive servicing, rear caliper service & such.  The gaskets between the two mufflers & collector pipes are the tubular type we think you're referring to.  They're stiff but soft-ish graphite impregnated material, sorta shiny, and will leave dark residue on the finger when touched, like pencil lead graphite would.  They're in very close proximity to the two cat cons, and are heat proof for all practical purposes.  Perhaps if the size is right these would work?  A well stocked Honda dealer might have some.

www.partzilla.com/product/honda/18391-ML...6aff8293062914fb4c82

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z12BEBE

Yeah that's the stuff.  Thought maybe I can cut this oversized one down to size while I wait for my new one but its got a layer of something like heavy steel wool in it and doesn't cut clean. This is definitely not what was in there. The only fiberglass wrap I can find locally comes impregnated and I don't really want a permanent gasket.

Wonder if this would work, just wrap it around the outside of the seam. I cant imagine it would be anything resembling permanent and even if it doesn't come completely off easily it wouldn't affect the fit of the OEM gasket when it comes.

You might be able to cut the graphite compound gasket lengthwise using tin snip type cutters that have mechanical articulation for increased leverage.  The Wiss/Crescent brand comes to mind.  Sometimes referred to as aviation snips.

How thick can fiberglass wrap be and still fit between the  joint between the inner & outer pipes?  Fiberglass header pipe wrap might work if it's not too thick.  Wetting it eases handling & conforming it to shape.  Usually available at auto parts stores that handle performance parts.  Wear gloves handling it, as glass fibers embedded in one's fingers & hands is unpleasant.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE 

By slmjim+Z1BEBE: ....  They're stiff but soft-ish graphite impregnated material, sorta shiny, and will leave dark residue on the finger when touched, like pencil lead graphite would.  They're in very close proximity to the two cat cons, and are heat proof for all practical purposes.  Perhaps if the size is right these would work?  A well stocked Honda dealer might have some. ....

PartsNmore.com has graphite gaskets.  They're the only place I know of that carries affordable muffler connection gaskets.  I got them for my 1981 KZ650-CSR.  www.partsnmore.com/parts/kawasaki/kz650h/ >> then click Exhaust.  The site has other sizes as well. located in Ontario, CN.
 

I tried the tin snips that I have, and various other cutting tools, but ended up destroying the oversized gasket. They are kind of fragile and want to unwind once you break the outer layer. Nobody carries the old style fiberglass wrap (which is what may have been in there) so I just wrapped some fiberglass cloth around it. It may not be very effective but my OEM gasket will be here early next week and I may not have it running for a couple more days anyway.