Exhaust pipe leak

Ian Watson

Active Forum User
VOC Member
Hello. I'm sure this is an old question,but I can't find a thread. I have a tiny hole at the bottom of the exhaust pipe in the middle of the muffler section. Do you know if there is a clever quick fix, similar to those used on leaking petrol tanks. Such as taping the hole (temporarily) and then pouring a rust inhibitor liquid sealer down ? I do not have a welder kit. Your advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Ian
 

Albervin

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VOC Member
OK! Is it in the exhaust pipe or muffler? Do you mean where the 2 exhaust pipes meet in a Vee joint on a twin? I assume we are talking about a twin and not a single here? Is it showing a dry grey/black powdery residue?
A rust inhibitor will do nothing. If you can't fix it from the inside then it is going to look ugly. Is it chromed steel or stainless?? Give us the details Ian otherwise you won't get the answers.....
 

Howard

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VOC Member
Hi

I assume this is a quick temporary fix.

You could try screwing a self tapper in if it's a very small hole and the rest of the pipe is strong enough - you could make up stories about adjustable resonance length (or something) for club night when people notice it.

I don't think Gungum (don't know if it's still sold here, let alone in Oz) will work on the inside of exhausts.

If it's on the straight part, you could get a short piece of exhaust pipe, split it lengthwise, squeeze it like a spring and tap it into the exhaust, till it covers the hole. I don't know what it will do to the performance, but it should stop gases coming out of the hole.

H

These are a few excerpts from a bike manual by "Hacket and Bodgit"
 

Ian Watson

Active Forum User
VOC Member
Lovely day today Albervin and sorry we can't tempt you to a curry. Ok. It is in the bloated (muffler) section of chromed pipe, just above the passenger foot rest. (It is a twin). No residue apparent but smoke certainly from a small hole at the bottom (out of site). I want to fix it from the inside.
 

Albervin

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The only way I can think of repairing it on the inside is to have a ceramic coating applied. To do this you will need to clean the silencer to within an inch of its life using some strong caustic substance and possibly heat.
If as you say it is out of sight (site) and the hole is very small, you may want to consider something like Devcon or plastiweld. I would think a bit of preparation work with a fine Dremel grinder may be required. That is the best I can offer.
 

Comet Rider

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VOC Member
Usually there is always a small hole in the underside of a muffler or silencer, this is to let the trapped moisture out, and to slow down the rusting of the internals

Neil
 
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Tom Gaynor

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VOC Member
That makes sense, because given the pressure regime inside the silencer, the gas flow split between drain hole and tail pipe will be in the ratio of their areas. A 1/16" hole has a CSA of ~1/256 sq.ins., the tailpipe is about 700 times bigger. Just over 0.1% of the exhaust gas gets out of the drain hole, and for all practical purposes the hole might as well not exist. If it worries you, plug it with a self-tapper. But if you don't, it'll make no never mind, and your silencer, given that you live in cold, damp Sydney, will last forever. Personally I'd make my decision on whether or not it popped on the over-run. If it did, I'd plug it. Scares the horses otherwise, and attracts undesirable elements. Like Plod. And since you aren't allowed guns now, they'd probably mistake it for gunfire and shoot you. Or is that the Met I'm thinking of?

Tom
 
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