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Sealing titanium exhaust downpipes


marcaztls

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Hey guys, I have titanium downpipes (Apocalypse) on my bike and they've a 'characteristic'. They're a well used, ex-BSB set of pipes which when cold, all the joints are loose and rattle/blow like crazy. Once the bike is warm, the joints seal pretty well and all is well with the world again but when first started, the noise is frankly a bit embarrassing as it is bastid loud.

I don't think any of the joints will take to being expanded as they're waffer thin plus I don't have a pipe expander small enough. I've thought about lathing up some wooden mandrels a fraction smaller than some joints and inserting them, then tapping them closed, but I'm not particularly confident that'll work either.

I've tried an intumescent acrylic sealer normally used for fire-doors etc. in buildings but that lasted all of about thirty seconds.

Anyone got any suggestions of a sealer than can be used, stay flexible and importantly, is heatproof? Hopefully someone's used something on either a similar four stroke setup or probably more to seal leaky two stroke spannies with.

Ta in advance :unsure:

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Window putty?

seriously though, just take the system to a 'local' exhaust manufacturer and get them to re-swage the ends slightly bigger.

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Window putty?

seriously though, just take the system to a 'local' exhaust manufacturer and get them to re-swage the ends slightly bigger.

Shame you're not local anymore :unsure:

It scares me because honestly, they're so thin, I don't know how much movement they'd take. I'm sure someone with an experienced eye in that dept. would soon know.

Window putty? Are you serious Mr Dent?

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I've got a set of pipes on a two stroke which are spring mounted onto the barrels and ordinarily would dribble oil everywhere. I got hold of some silicone RTV sealant either cheap from ebay or if you're feeling flush Permatex do a tube for around a tenner (a tenner will get you a big mastic gun cartridge of the stuff on ebay) and lightly coated the stubs and it's sorted them out. Might be worth a punt before going to the more extreme measures?

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I've got a set of pipes on a two stroke which are spring mounted onto the barrels and ordinarily would dribble oil everywhere. I got hold of some silicone RTV sealant either cheap from ebay or if you're feeling flush Permatex do a tube for around a tenner (a tenner will get you a big mastic gun cartridge of the stuff on ebay) and lightly coated the stubs and it's sorted them out. Might be worth a punt before going to the more extreme measures?

Aye, I'll give some of the Permatex stuff a whirl methinks. If not, I think Mark's suggestion of getting an adult to look at it will have to be next.

Ta muchly!

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Shame you're not local anymore :(

Window putty? Are you serious Mr Dent?

No, it's you that isn't local :eusa_dance:

Putty?.......no not serious, as stated above RTV if you want a temp fix or just get it swaged proper

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No, it's you that isn't local :(

Putty?.......no not serious, as stated above RTV if you want a temp fix or just get it swaged proper

Haha! I should have known better eh? I did ask for that I 'spose...

Well, being el cheapo, I'll give the rtv a crack first, but no doubt resort to doing it properly (and if it cracks, can you weld Ti? :eusa_dance: ) as is the way most things go...

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Haha! I should have known better eh? I did ask for that I 'spose...

Well, being el cheapo, I'll give the rtv a crack first, but no doubt resort to doing it properly (and if it cracks, can you weld Ti? :eusa_dance: ) as is the way most things go...

I can weld anything you throw at me!

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I can weld anything you throw at me!

Ah I did wonder. I'd not seen you weld Ti before. If I'd have had to put money on it I would have said you could, but always worth asking. There's no-one I've seen weld ally better...

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Hey guys, I have titanium downpipes (Apocalypse) on my bike and they've a 'characteristic'. They're a well used, ex-BSB set of pipes which when cold, all the joints are loose and rattle/blow like crazy. Once the bike is warm, the joints seal pretty well and all is well with the world again but when first started, the noise is frankly a bit embarrassing as it is bastid loud.

I don't think any of the joints will take to being expanded as they're waffer thin plus I don't have a pipe expander small enough. I've thought about lathing up some wooden mandrels a fraction smaller than some joints and inserting them, then tapping them closed, but I'm not particularly confident that'll work either.

I've tried an intumescent acrylic sealer normally used for fire-doors etc. in buildings but that lasted all of about thirty seconds.

Anyone got any suggestions of a sealer than can be used, stay flexible and importantly, is heatproof? Hopefully someone's used something on either a similar four stroke setup or probably more to seal leaky two stroke spannies with.

Ta in advance :rock:

Plumbers tape (PTFE) does the trick :icon_bounce:.

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Are you making fun of me 'cos I fell for the window putty?!

Ha ha no mate :icon_blackeye:. I saw it recently on an S1000RR system that a trader was showing an install of and they said they'd been using it on all their installs for years.

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Ha ha no mate :icon_blackeye:. I saw it recently on an S1000RR system that a trader was showing an install of and they said they'd been using it on all their installs for years.

That's as crazy as soup... How the hell doesn't that melt?!

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Okay, after conducting the following ultra scientific test - laying PTFE tape onto the hot nozzle of my heat gun - I can conclude it's about as good at selaing exhaust headers as window putty...

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Give Mark Hill @ MHP a bell; he worked wonders unscrunching a titanium Akrapovic system for me a couple of years ago

Thanks for the tip! :icon_salut:

how is you've no money but you have bloody ti exhausts??? cheap arse get the job done right, buy cheap buy twice!!!

pics please?!?!?!?!?

Have you thought that maybe it's because I have a Ti exhaust that I have no money?

Good luck with that friend making...

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ah i see the problem, would normal exhaust paste be any good for the short term then?

All the exhaust pastes that I've normally used cure too 'brittle' and I think it'll crack up/fall out etc. on a sprung system. They work great on bolted/clamped together setups but my exhaust needs to flex and find it's own position to a degree.

I like the sound of the RTV sealant so I'll give that a go first, and if there's no joy, I'll have to save up and look at a mechanical fix such as getting the joints re-swaged :icon_salut:

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Okay, after conducting the following ultra scientific test - laying PTFE tape onto the hot nozzle of my heat gun - I can conclude it's about as good at selaing exhaust headers as window putty...

Strange, seemed to work fine for these guys here: http://www.s1000rrforum.com/forum/s1000rr-...ull-system.html though to be fair they are only using it on the pipe joins and not the actual headers.

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Strange, seemed to work fine for these guys here: http://www.s1000rrforum.com/forum/s1000rr-...ull-system.html though to be fair they are only using it on the pipe joins and not the actual headers.

Yep, I did do a bit of poking around last night at home and you're right, seems like lots of people use PTFE on slip ons and linnk pipes with what they say is great success but I couldn't find anyone or anything that conclusively said it worked on headers. My main problem is where the headers join the exhaust port stubs.

It's all good food for thought though and won't hurt to try :sFun_doh2:

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

Okay, late as ever....buuut, aluminium foil tape from 3M, as used by some pipe welders can do the trick, if the RTV didn't last. Expensive though, at 70£ pr roll. You might need some new ally collars, for the exh port stubs, as they tend to wear out. I've got a stainless system from Ak', with the same symptoms. Ferkin' luvverly still!! Gf's US made yoshi is Lidl stuff, in comparison.

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