Leaky Exhaust

Post by **Boxer** » Thu May 04, 2006 9:33 am

Anyone got any suggestions on how to fix my leaky exhaust, before I start taking this thing off.
There seems to be a minor leak at the joint in the middle of the crossover between the headers.

Will chewing gum work?

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Thu May 04, 2006 2:08 pm

Will chewing gum work?

You could try chewing gum..or even eating a chocolate bar...but I don't think it will help your exhaust leak..

Have you been getting a farty sound?....it may not be the exhaust...what have you been eating...

If you go to an auto store like Autobarn the have special stuff for fixing leaky exhaust's...I've never used it..but I've heard it works.

DJ

Post by **Boxer** » Thu May 04, 2006 3:01 pm

DJ, a fellow board member from San Antonio came over to my house yesterday to have me help him with a TB synch. He's here riding the north Georgia roads for a few days. Can't remember his board ID.

Anyway, when he started up his ride he had the neatest exhaust sound. I looked down and he has a set-up just like yours with the can detached and a short pipe on it. Way cool sound! Plus he uses the big left bag. I've decided I'm doing this! Can you tell me again...Just because I'm lazy and don't want to look it up...what size pipe you used to replace the can. He said he got his from Auto Zone or somewhere.

Re my leaky exhaust. No farting sounds. Just a little wisp of smoke shooting out the left side right in front of my foot. I wouldn't have noticed it, but after leaving my bike on the sidestand yesterday, it smoked a little at start-up and it made the leak visible.

Maybe I should take off the headers and reattach with some sort of sealant. Any suggestions? Anyone? Anyone?

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Thu May 04, 2006 6:12 pm

Boxer..I'm pretty sure it's 1 3/4"...if you find an auto store that has a big selection of exhaust tips you should just ride down (without your can on) and ask if you can try a few for size.

They should let you walk in and out of the store to your bike till you find one that fits...it's a standard car exhaust size.

The normal car exhaust tip is usually a push on fit...you should cut a slot and use a good clamp to hold it on.

I use a piece of 2" Stainless Steel exhaust pipe (45 deg bend) and I cut an inch off the end and used it to sleeve the larger 2" pipe to fit...it works perfect.

Do you still have your cat in place?

DJ

Post by **frozennorth** » Thu May 04, 2006 8:18 pm

Hmm, maybe I'm wrong here, but I noticed the same on my bike and the clamp that joins the two together just needed a bit of moving and tightening. That seemed to fix it. It was spewing black carbon on the front of bike. Needed to use the BIG wrench to get enough torque on it. Thought I might snap it off, so went easy.

Cheers

MIXR · Post by **MIXR** » Thu May 04, 2006 8:23 pm

Correct DJ - Inch and three quarter inside diameter.

Use a good stainless band clamp and the whole thing looks rather neat.

Post by **Boxer** » Thu May 04, 2006 10:25 pm

DJ, I understood everything except:

I use a piece of 2" Stainless Steel exhaust pipe (45 deg bend) and I cut an inch off the end and used it to sleeve the larger 2" pipe to fit...it works perfect.

I can't visualize how this works. Does the 2" piece of pipe go over the exhaust end and then the new shorty pipe go inside the other end of the 2" piece?

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Thu May 04, 2006 10:47 pm

I'll post a couple of pics showing what I mean.

DJ

beemerphile · Post by **beemerphile** » Fri May 05, 2006 9:00 am

Boxer wrote:Anyone got any suggestions on how to fix my leaky exhaust

Try some nickel based anti-sieze paste or one of the "silver" grades that is good for 1600+ degrees. There are some hi-temp silicone based sealers around that would work, but they make disassembly more difficult. - Lee

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Fri May 05, 2006 9:13 am

Boxer...here's those pics...I hope they help.

Here is a couple of the first tips that I used..note that the small one (1 3/4"x4" long) I drilled the push fit dimples and cut a slot.

The larger one is 1 3/4" then gets bigger to 2"x6" long...both chrome plated steel.

Next is the 2" Stainless exhaust pipe with a 45 deg bend...the pic shows the 1 1/2" piece that I cut off one end to make a sleeve or spacer..then cut a piece out and squeezed it to fit over the cat and it made for a good fit for the 2" pipe to fit on.

Here's the end result with the 2" S/S pipe.

But wait there's more...

It's getting bigger and bigger..

..this might be my next one..it's about 2 1/2"...what do ya think?...I'd have to make a thicker spacer/sleeve.

Let us know what you end up doing...good S/S pipe is not cheap and hard to cut...but worth it...the cheap chrome tips tend to rust up a little after about 12 mths..but then...they're only a few dollars..you can always just buy another.

DJ

chris · Post by **chris** » Fri May 05, 2006 2:27 pm

Hi DJ,
That looks great! I want one. How does it sound with that short pipe?
I didn't realise you could just take off the silencer like that. Does it affect the way the bike runs at all? I used to have an open pipe (well an oem honda silencer that I cut the ends off, took all the internals out and welded up again) on a CBR600 that sounded great and let you wheelie off the throttle in 2nd BUT the engine ran too lean to keep it on all the time, plus it gave you a headache after an hour....

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Fri May 05, 2006 6:31 pm

Chris...g'day.

I've been running mine like this for almost four years now...without any problems...I've been given the ok from BMW mechanics.

You can't do this with normal bikes because you need some back pressure (and it would be too loud)..on our bikes the 'cat' does that..it's like a big muffler.

So..as long as the cat is in place you will have no problems..nothing to adjust..no 'obvious' power gain..or loss...or fuel economy change.

It's just a better sound..IMHO...not louder...just deeper...I've had mine officially tested and it passes our strict sound laws..of 94db.

It takes only five minutes to take the can off to check out the new sound...and if you don't like it..it's only another five minutes to put it back on.

Being able to run with a 'full size' left case is another big benefit...

DJ

Bud · Post by **Bud** » Fri May 05, 2006 11:43 pm

Don't know why you would want to keep 15 pounds and 20,000BTU of heat between your legs when you can replace the "George Foreman Broiler" with a "Y" pipe get a nice deeper exhaust, flatter power band and no heat.

Just another opinion. I've been running my "Y" for two years now, just had the 12k done and the mechanic said everything was great.

Bud

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Sat May 06, 2006 12:44 am

Good point Bud...I'd love a nice Y pipe..but down here you're looking at about $500-$800 for one...that's big bucks...

...also we have strict laws about removing cats...and with our cops riding BM's it's a bit of a risk.

DJ

chris · Post by **chris** » Sat May 06, 2006 3:37 am

Hi DJ, sounds good! I reckon I might find a piece of pipe in the metal shop at work to give it a try.

chris · Post by **chris** » Sat May 06, 2006 10:08 am

I just tried running it without the pipe and it does sound really good. Is it even better with the stainless short pipe on or about the same? Other thing I found is that the standard silencer weighs a ton. I'll be in the metal shop on Monday morning!

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Sat May 06, 2006 12:26 pm

Is it even better with the stainless short pipe on or about the same?

Pretty much the same..you don't even need a tip at all.

It's more just a look thing...although...I have mine angled out slightly to avoid getting the the tiny black pepper size specks on the rear wheel from the exhaust gas.

This pic shows the outward angle...also note in this pic..the second system case foot mount that I made..for the full size left case.

It's not really needed now that someone has come up with another way of doing it.

DJ

[/i]

Post by **machew01** » Sat May 06, 2006 12:40 pm

DJ,

It looks like you and Mr. Sheen need to get busy!

mac

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Sat May 06, 2006 1:01 pm

DJ,

It looks like you and Mr. Sheen need to get busy!

....

.... this pic is from my Mt Buller ride pics.. http://www.r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.p ... 9b73bc789e .

Looking at the map beforehand with a friend who says.."oh yeah..it's all sealed now..it's a great road"....famous last words..

DJ

Post by **wncbmw** » Sat May 06, 2006 1:31 pm

Just a heads up before you do DJ's mod. I did it and it sounds great and I love the look. However, I got some veiled threats to my warranty by both dealers I am likely to see if I left it off. Yes I know, there is no reason it should affect the bike but I did not take the chance.

DJ is fortunate his mechanics are OK with it and maybe yours are too. You might check.

However, if I can get the OK from my closest dealer or as soon as it comes off warranty, the can is gone!

BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Leaky Exhaust

Leaky Exhaust

Re: Leaky Exhaust