replacing rear exhaust gaskets

[Guest Vermincelli]

Need to replace the exhaust gaskets on both rear cylinders (someone took the old ones off and didn't replace them. No wonder there's a leak)

I noticed the manifold slips into the bracket bolted to the cylinder so I take it I have to drop the manifold to pull it out to get the gaskets in place?

 

I have the shop manual printed out but seems the one page that shows removal is corrupted in the PDF file (figures) So any advice on doing this?

[oldandcrotchety]

you shouldn't have to take anything off to replace the exhaust gaskets. there is a ring that holds the exhaust pipe to the manifold. it has a bolt through it to hold and kind of squeeze pipe and manifold together. the gasket goes in there. just take the bolt out and open the ring far enough to move it back off the flange, slip your new gasket in and then button it back up. however, i found that the little flat copper factory gaskets ain't all that great. i just cut a piece of romex (about 10 or 12 ga) the right length, make it into a ring the right size and use it instead. the round wire seems to seal a whole lot better. least wise it does for me.

[Guest Vermincelli]

the rear manifold pipes go into the bracket attached to the head about half an inch so I ended up having to drop the whole darn system down.

I pull out what's left of whatever was once a gasket in there, put the new ones that, according to the microfiche, are the right ones, put the exhaust system back up, bolt everything back together then go to put the collar part back in place over the joint where the gasket and collar and flange meet and it doesn't fit!!

 

Spent 3 hours and something's not right. Looks like the gaskets aren't the right ones. they are too big and thick to allow the the clamp to fit down over it and the collars. (the ones they sold me look like 2 brass washers with a ring of gray material in between) Forgot my camera or I would have taken pics tonight.

 

grrrrr.

 

 

 

ARGH!!! After looking over my PDFs I think the dunce at the parts counter gave me gaskets for an 86 instead of an 85.

[Schlepporello]

you shouldn't have to take anything off to replace the exhaust gaskets. there is a ring that holds the exhaust pipe to the manifold. it has a bolt through it to hold and kind of squeeze pipe and manifold together. the gasket goes in there. just take the bolt out and open the ring far enough to move it back off the flange, slip your new gasket in and then button it back up. however, i found that the little flat copper factory gaskets ain't all that great. i just cut a piece of romex (about 10 or 12 ga) the right length, make it into a ring the right size and use it instead. the round wire seems to seal a whole lot better. least wise it does for me.

This is one of the reasons I love this board. It's my kind of repairwork, stuff I can understand.

 

Both sides on my rear cylinders were leaking at the joint you've mentioned. As seated on the bike, I did this to the right rear exhaust first and was amazed that it sealed right up. I then did it to the left rear exhaust and it still has a little puff of blow-by. Should I make a second ring to run up behind the first or maybe try a slightly larger copper wire? Or should I just be happy that it's not leaking nearly as bad as it used to?

[skydoc_17]

Hey Wayne,

Things like that just drive me crazy. For some reason and only on the Yamaha Venture it seems like a fair amount of the repairs I have tried to do to my 87'VR and 86'VR have taken more than one try to get right. I have to admit that some of the repairs have been done with "used parts" and even some fabricated parts so that may have something to do with it. If I go to all of the trouble to "fix" something on my bikes then by golly it will be fixed when I'm done or "It ain't fixed yet"!

Or on the other hand you could just turn up the radio, after all, it is riding season!!

 

Earl

[Schlepporello]

Well, the radio don't work worth a flip.

But I could sing some of my favorite Opry tunes.

[skydoc_17]

Then maybe you should fix that pesky exhaust gasket!.....Unless you sing REALLY WELL!!

 

Earl

[Rocket]

Spent 3 hours and something's not right. Looks like the gaskets aren't the right ones. they are too big and thick to allow the the clamp to fit down over it and the collars. (the ones they sold me look like 2 brass washers with a ring of gray material in between) Forgot my camera or I would have taken pics tonight.

 

grrrrr.

 

ARGH!!! After looking over my PDFs I think the dunce at the parts counter gave me gaskets for an 86 instead of an 85.

 

I am just reading this thread for the first time, hopefully, you have it fixed by now.........

 

The parts guy sold you the gaskets, that go into the exhaust ports of the engine heads. So these are the right gaskets for the bike, just the wrong location in the exhaust system & not what you needed.

 

When ordering parts, look at the fiche yourself to try & ensure that the correct parts are being ordered. Or as I do most of the time, look it up on line, write down the part #s & qtys wanted. Then place the order with the dealer, if there is a screwup, it is mine.

[6m459]

I have a rear cyl exhaust leak problem too. It seems to leak right at the exhaust port on the LHS rear cyl.

 

I have had a couple of, half hearted, goes at fixing it but always come away cursing the limited amount of space there is to work on that rear exhaust area!

 

I changed the whole exhaust system on my bike, except for the mufflers and that back manifold. I installed OEM replacements from Ebay, the muffs and rear mani didn't need replacement as it happened.

 

After reading this thread, I have to ask. How do you get tools in there to work on the rear exhaust? Is there a special tool to get an allen / hex key on the inboard exhaust port nut ?

 

I am hoping that I can get this done soon as I like a quiet ride. Hopefully now that I have two Ventures, I'll be able to have more down time on bike3 to get this done.

 

Thanks,

 

Brian H.

Edited April 25, 2009 by 6m459
spelling correction

[Schlepporello]

Is there a special tool to get an allen / hex key on the inboard exhaust port nut ?

Special tool? They make those?

I went to my local Harbor Freight store and bought a set of sockets that had the "Metric" hex key protruding from them. That way, I could just remove the bolt on the clamp with my ratchet and an extension. Once the clamp is off, there's just enough room to work the size 10 copper wire around the pipe. I tried doing it with #12 and started cussing. #10 is a breeze.

[Schlepporello]

Here's those hex key sockets I was refering to.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=98229

[Darrell F]

I just changed all 4 gaskets on the rear of my 84. I went a little too far though account I had to replace the rear tire at the same time. What I did was take off the rear frame portion. Quite easy really and you dont have to be a contorsionist (sp) to get your wrenches in to loosen off the rear manifolds. I used this time to clean up all the road grime from the last 25 years. I found that I had to loosen the nuts on the front exhaust also to allow a little free play to get all the gaskets in. I also took the ring clamps over to the bench and shaved a little off the stop to allow for more clamping force. No more leaks, I can hardly hear it run now. Of course while the bike was down i also cleaned the carbs, eliminated the yics and changed all the fluids, installed new battery. Now if it ever stops snowing I can ride. Gotta love Alberta in the spring time!

 

Darrell

[Schlepporello]

I took mine out for a ride today, post-copper wire gasket placement. I could not believe how much quieter the bike was. I cannot hear the engine over the wind and tire noise. Oh! I can hear tire noise now!

[oldandcrotchety]

This is one of the reasons I love this board. It's my kind of repairwork, stuff I can understand.

 

Both sides on my rear cylinders were leaking at the joint you've mentioned. As seated on the bike, I did this to the right rear exhaust first and was amazed that it sealed right up. I then did it to the left rear exhaust and it still has a little puff of blow-by. Should I make a second ring to run up behind the first or maybe try a slightly larger copper wire? Or should I just be happy that it's not leaking nearly as bad as it used to?

Yeah, next size up wire will probably work. On one of mine I had that problem once but when I went to the next thicker wire, it was just a little too thick, so what I did was put it on the anvil and lightly tap it all the way around with a ball peen until it was slightly flattened. Then it fit and sealed right.

[Schlepporello]

I went down to a local Electric Utility distributorship where several of my former co-workers are now employed. We checked the size wire I had used and it mic'ed out as beeing #10. They had some scrap #8 bare and they cut me off about a foot of it. I'll be giving that stuff a try here shortly.