Stupid question, but I can't be sure and don't want to frig anything up. Got my exhaust off for repainting. No gaskets came out. Could be they are missing, could be that what I think is a "lip" is actually an impacted gasket.

Borrowing lewismug's picture of his broken exhaust valve and chipped valve guide, is the shiny silver step part of the head, or an aluminum version of the gasket, stuck in place? I have two new brass or copper gaskets, I just don't know if I need to get something else out, or if "clever prior owner" just forgot to put them in.

Quote from: DoD#i on August 09, 2008, 05:40:58 AM
Stupid question, but I can't be sure and don't want to frig anything up. Got my exhaust off for repainting. No gaskets came out. Could be they are missing, could be that what I think is a "lip" is actually an impacted gasket.

They will be there and will have hardened and impacted as you suggest. If they were missing its unlikely you would have had anything even approaching a seal between the pipe and head and the symptoms of this would be obvious.

I agree with Sledge; the gasket is in there, it is just compacted.



In Lewismug's photo, you can see the ridges of the exhaust gasket (red) and the crushed lip (blue).

Were you able to get them out? How?

Thanks

Use a pick. However for years I ran my 89 with 2 gaskets. They were super crushed but there were 2 when I yanked the thing apart finally.
Cool.
Buddha.

Yah. Stock Suzuki gaskets are crush washers. They are aluminum, I think??? and have some kind of coating that I always assumed it melted and made a seal of some kind, but I never bothered to look closely at the used ones when they come out.

I pried my stuck ones with a small flat-head screwdriver. I guess it wasn't too stuck. I always wonder what happens if you reuse the washers. I figure other people do, 'cause in the three years or so that I worked a Suzuki parts counter, I think I sold like, six of these, and four of them were to myself.  So I bet most people never bother to replace them. Dunno.

Is there any reason to replace them? It seems like they would continue to make a proper seal, but iono 

I just bought a new set on ebay for 8 dollars shipped, so they aren't an expensive part and for the peace of mind it brings I'd personally just spend the extra 8 bucks!

Thanks,

Nick

Thread rises from the dead!

Yes, once knowing that I was "removing impacted gasket" rather than "trying to remove a part of the head that I was just going scratch up because it was part of the head" (which was why I asked the "dumb" question) it was fairly easy to pry them out. I forget if I used a pick or pliers - it was 5 months ago...

You can get away with a lot of stuff, but they are cheap, and they are made for one use (crush to fit) after which they won't really seal as well, so for as often (not very) as I take my exhaust off, might as well just swap them out.

Bike is sitting in the chilly garage, with a pair of progressive springs sitting on the seat. If the driveway had been clear and I felt like freezing parts off, I could have ridden on the roads today, but the driveway is a sheet of ice, and the temperature is back down in the brr zone after a brief trip to 37F on Friday.