Reinstall of exhaust pipe and gasket

[MrTaylor97]

Year: 1997

There is a copper ring crush washer that goes between the pipe and where it enters the cylinder head. I can not figure out how to remove the old washer without causing damage to the metal under it.

The old washer looks flat. The new one is in the shape of an o-ring.

Will it help if I post photos?

When I search on YouTube, all I can find is Harley instructions and their gaskets are a different type and look to be easier to remove.

 

[Bush]

It is just stuck against the head. Just get under an edge and pry it out. They are meant to crush as the bolts are tightened for a good seal.

 

[Uncle Phil]

You might use an ice pick to gently pry it out.

 

[MrTaylor97]

It is just stuck against the head. Just get under an edge and pry it out. They are meant to crush as the bolts are tightened for a good seal.

Your reply is greatly appreciated. I'm thinking that the reason that I can't see the bottom of the copper gasket is because I need to clean some of the buildup of carbon off first.

 

[MrTaylor97]

You might use an ice pick to gently pry it out.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[SMSW]

My dentist saves old dental tools that are broken or worn down too far for him (and his hygienist) to use. He gives them to patients who ask, apparently potters (clay) and other hobbyists use them for various purposes. I find them invaluable in my shop for cleaning dirt and grease from nooks and crannies of chainsaws, and other tools as well as when I'm working on my bikes. Any of the scalers (hook shaped) or picks would work well for you here. My exhaust manifold crush washers popped right out with no problem.

 

[rwthomas1]

When I did mine i found the copper gasket had crushed in such a way that there was a slight lip to lay a thin screwdriver against and GENTLY tap on the butt. They popped right out. Be sure to read the torque spec on those exhaust nuts, memory is failing but I know its quite a low number.

RT

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Be sure to read the torque spec on those exhaust nuts, memory is failing but I know its quite a low number.

There is also a specific alternating tightening sequence to follow in addition to the torque specification. If it is not followed, the gaskets do not crush evenly and the nuts will come loose.

 

[rwthomas1]

There is also a specific alternating tightening sequence to follow in addition to the torque specification. If it is not followed, the gaskets do not crush evenly and the nuts will come loose.

That is interesting, I don't recall reading that when I did mine. Procedure not withstanding, anything like this should be tightened progressively, tightening all the fasteners up evenly right up to the final torque. That's how I did mine, and they have been fine.

RT

 

[Andrew Shadow]

anything like this should be tightened progressively ......

Pretty much what it is;

 

[rwthomas1]

Pretty much what it is;

Ha! Now that you post that, I do remember! I looked at that and did what I always do. Tighten them up progressively...

RT

 

[SMSW]

There is also a specific alternating tightening sequence to follow in addition to the torque specification. If it is not followed, the gaskets do not crush evenly and the nuts will come loose.

Nothing worse than a loose nut. Or a nut on the loose....

 

[MrTaylor97]

My dentist saves old dental tools that are broken or worn down too far for him (and his hygienist) to use. He gives them to patients who ask, apparently potters (clay) and other hobbyists use them for various purposes. I find them invaluable in my shop for cleaning dirt and grease from nooks and crannies of chainsaws, and other tools as well as when I'm working on my bikes. Any of the scalers (hook shaped) or picks would work well for you here. My exhaust manifold crush washers popped right out with no problem.

Appreciated. I was able to scrape away the carbon deposits and get a small flat blade screwdriver under the edge and they all came right out. I couldn't see the lip because of the thick carbon. I cleaned up the seats with steel wool.

 

[MrTaylor97]

Nothing worse than a loose nut. Or a nut on the loose....

Yes. I saw that in the Clymer's. I went and an appropriate torque wrench for just that purpose and to correctly set torque on the oil pan bolts.

Now the question is, my replacement crush gaskets have a black dot on the outer edge. The washer is completely symetrical so I don't understand the significance. Do I need to pay any attention to the dot?

 

[SMSW]

Now the question is, my replacement crush gaskets have a black dot on the outer edge. The washer is completely symetrical so I don't understand the significance. Do I need to pay any attention to the dot?

Uh oh... When I replaced mine I did not notice said dot, and I used OEM parts. Maybe I was lucky if not smart? I'll be watching this thread to learn something.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Do I need to pay any attention to the dot?

No mention of it in the Honda service manual that I saw. Probably some kind of identification mark used during the manufacturing process.
When I installed these I didn't worry about it, of no significance to the end user.

 

[MrTaylor97]

Uh oh... When I replaced mine I did not notice said dot, and I used OEM parts. Maybe I was lucky if not smart? I'll be watching this thread to learn something.

I decided to ignore since the service manual said nothing about. Pipes are back on now. Had to use two torque wrenches to get the bolts done... and inch pound and foot lb.

 

[ST1100Y]

Had to use two torque wrenches to get the bolts done... and inch pound and foot lb.

I'd check them again in the near future...
Those M7 nuts are hard to get out there on the road... (lost one in the Pyrenees some years back, bubbling exhaust noise for the rest of the trip...)

 

[SMSW]

I decided to ignore since the service manual said nothing about. Pipes are back on now. Had to use two torque wrenches to get the bolts done... and inch pound and foot lb.

Ignorance is bliss, I guess. I had no subsequent problems.

I'd check them again in the near future...
Those M7 nuts are hard to get out there on the road... (lost one in the Pyrenees some years back, bubbling exhaust noise for the rest of the trip...)

The problem with 'checking them' is you can only torque them until one click of your torque wrench or else you have blown the torque. Guys who use a T wrench and tighten the bolt to one click, then another, and another, are over tightening the fastener. You can back them off and retorque them, but I think doing it once is enough.

 

[rwthomas1]

The problem with 'checking them' is you can only torque them until one click of your torque wrench or else you have blown the torque. Guys who use a T wrench and tighten the bolt to one click, then another, and another, are over tightening the fastener. You can back them off and retorque them, but I think doing it once is enough.

That is incorrect. Unless the material being clamped by the fastener continues to deform over time, the fastener torque should be relatively static. I have set torque on many, many fasteners over the years, and rechecked either immediately or after a period of time. Unless something is amiss, the torque wrench should "break" or click and fastener should NOT move. If what you are claiming is true, then all the assemblies in service that require periodic torqueing would fail over time due to fastener failure. It just ain't so.

RT