Exhaust gasket? How to tell if the exhaust is blowing?

[pitbikeingmad]

Alright lads, basically i can see a small gap on the exhausrt where it goes into the head, how can i tell if it is blowing or not?

And would a exhaust gasket sort the problem?

Thanks in advance.

Law

[smify06]

surly if its blowing u will feel air, and yes im sure new gasket will do the job

[123nathan0g]

without a gasket,how is it being held in place ?

[james47]

you will feel the air when its running... have you got an exhaust gasket in it atall?

[pitbikeingmad]

Originally Posted by 123nathan0g

without a gasket,how is it being held in place ?

by the nuts that go on the studs

Originally Posted by james47

you will feel the air when its running... have you got an exhaust gasket in it atall?

well i couldnt feel any air yesterday when i started it, i guess il have to try and start it later if its not too late, or will just have to make do with it for tomorrow at stretton.

Would it cause any damage to the engine if i ran it without one?


Law

[Jake1516]

interested to know the answer about damage without one

[pitbikeingmad]

Originally Posted by Jake1516

interested to know the answer about damage without one

There was no damage done, however i did end up lowsiding it and ripping the exhaust off...

[mysterious_rider]

There is a far easier way. Hold your hand over the exhaust can end. If the bike stalls out its sealed well. If it runs even when covered you have a leak.

To be fair though all of my pitbikes have had leaky exhausts. I think i bothered with a gasket for the exhaust only once.

[Despise]

a gasket should always be used anyway, as machined parts are never 100% flat

(why do you think you run gaskets between machined engine parts - bore, head, engine covers etc....)

If you can see the gap, then sure as hell it will be leaking. Like smify said, feel for it, put your hand in water if you have to, then you can feel the slightest bit of air rush and pin the throttle some

another option would be to use soap and water mix in a bottle and spray on, maake sure to use a lot of soap as the water will evaporate off immediately pretty much, with the soap, if theres an air leak you will see a gooy bubble

[yt#79]

You should be able to tell by the sound which sounds horrible to the normal 'tune' she plays

Originally Posted by Despise

a gasket should always be used anyway, as machined parts are never 100% flat

(why do you think you run gaskets between machined engine parts - bore, head, engine covers etc....)

I would have though that is more to do with the internal pressure and the fact that metal to metal wont create a tight seal, even if perfectly straight. A gasket fits in tightly between the 2 surfaces thus creating a perfect seal.