beachinwesty
Member
Ok, so here’s the dilemma. My bike is louder than it should be, and it seems it might be because of my missing exhaust gasket. it doesn’t really bother me but it ain’t perfect, and isn’t that what we’re supposed to obsess over on these long dark days of winter? I’ve rebuilt the engine and properly installed the crush gaskets, etc on the pipes. No holes in the pipes or mufflers. Rebuilt the carbs and dialed her in like buttah!
I”m missing the exhaust gasket that sits at the joint where the right side exhaust enters the muffler. There is a soft graphite ring that goes between the pipe and the muffler body and, you know, seals it.
There are pros and cons to installing the gasket and I’m curious to benefit from your experience.
pros - better carburetor or fuel efficiency or some such voodoo with more effective back pressure? I currently just give the pipe a couple of wraps of beer can aluminum to tighten her up so the clamp tightens more easily, if I do anything extra at all.
cons - a royal PIA to take the exhaust apart and reinstall. I’ve watched videos of this and it’s a nightmare. The result of a tightly sealed exhaust is just that. It’s tight. I find that I need to take the exhaust off to get to stuff because that cl exhaust really can block access.
so I’m inclined to leave the gasket sitting in the toolbox and just be happy with my well functioning bike, but I’d love to hear input from the forum.
I”m missing the exhaust gasket that sits at the joint where the right side exhaust enters the muffler. There is a soft graphite ring that goes between the pipe and the muffler body and, you know, seals it.
There are pros and cons to installing the gasket and I’m curious to benefit from your experience.
pros - better carburetor or fuel efficiency or some such voodoo with more effective back pressure? I currently just give the pipe a couple of wraps of beer can aluminum to tighten her up so the clamp tightens more easily, if I do anything extra at all.
cons - a royal PIA to take the exhaust apart and reinstall. I’ve watched videos of this and it’s a nightmare. The result of a tightly sealed exhaust is just that. It’s tight. I find that I need to take the exhaust off to get to stuff because that cl exhaust really can block access.
so I’m inclined to leave the gasket sitting in the toolbox and just be happy with my well functioning bike, but I’d love to hear input from the forum.