2011+ Exhaust Donut Inspection

[yamahahaapex]

4000kms, pipes, exup, donuts still looking new
donuts lightly scuffed but no wear whatsoever.

 

[Daranello]

new donuts at the start of the season...3000km latter the sleds backfiring (donuts are toast), but the crazy thing in this is my slidders look new

 

[Mad Russian]

my donuts lasted 6000mi after that the sled got louder evry trip ..

 

[Kaz]

Almost 13,000k on mine, still on the original donuts.

Plan to change them out at the end of the season.

Kaz

 

[Daranello]

I must kill them will heat, long WOT runs and not much snow cooling

 

[02xtreme]

I put copper donuts on mine 2000km ago and now I'm getting back fire after long WOT runs or went letting off throttle into a corner, its like a popping sound. Did the stall test by plugging exhaust and sled stalled out. Am I in for donuts again or would could cause the back fire???

 

[yamahahaapex]

maybe flex pipes are cracked. gotta have a close look at them

 

[chris189]

Hey everyone I have been trying to follow this. I have a 2013 apex with under 10 000kms. As far as I know exhaust has not been touched. I had no reason to worry about it last year as it has always had a pretty easy life and ran great with no leaks.

If I tear into this, what donuts do I use? Is copper by far the best or are they perhaps too hard? Do the oem donuts allow more flex and therefore might prolong wearing the pipe flange?
Do the pipes typically last much much longer on a 2011+ with the ss material and redesign?

Thank you for any input.

 

[Mooseman]

Copper donuts for sure. To check if yours are done, block both rear exits with gloved hands while it's idling and if it stalls, they're still good. If not and you hear the leakage, you're in for the job.

Be sure to reinstall all the pipe mounting bolts and check the donut flange brackets that they install tight. If loose, you can grind down the bolt spacer.

 

[maim]

Hey everyone I have been trying to follow this. I have a 2013 apex with under 10 000kms. As far as I know exhaust has not been touched. I had no reason to worry about it last year as it has always had a pretty easy life and ran great with no leaks.

If I tear into this, what donuts do I use? Is copper by far the best or are they perhaps too hard? Do the oem donuts allow more flex and therefore might prolong wearing the pipe flange?
Do the pipes typically last much much longer on a 2011+ with the ss material and redesign?

Thank you for any input.

i made it to around 14000 mi (22500km) on the stock donuts on the 2011 before it started to fail. i would have put copper in but was looking for quick turn around time as i maintain a few sleds and was in the middle of a track swap and exup cables at the time for its pre season at that time, so i put oe ones in it. yes i did have to grind all 4 clamp stoppers as they did not want to hold. i tore into it as it had a leak cold with the blocking but it would not leak hot. at over 20000 mi (32000 km) on it now and still not leaking. have to order a set of coppers to try on it or my 16 when they come due.

 

[Teamblue4]

Hey everyone I have been trying to follow this. I have a 2013 apex with under 10 000kms. As far as I know exhaust has not been touched. I had no reason to worry about it last year as it has always had a pretty easy life and ran great with no leaks.

If I tear into this, what donuts do I use? Is copper by far the best or are they perhaps too hard? Do the oem donuts allow more flex and therefore might prolong wearing the pipe flange?
Do the pipes typically last much much longer on a 2011+ with the ss material and redesign?

Thank you for any input.

I have always used OEM, never have had a pipe or flange fail. I take them apart every season and look them over.

2011 EXUP pipe is Titanium.

 

[chris189]

Hey thanks for the clarification that they are titanium on 2011+.

 

[IH8CROWS]

new donuts at the start of the season...3000km latter the sleds backfiring (donuts are toast), but the crazy thing in this is my slidders look new

I put a new pair of slidders on every morning after my shower. LOL

 

[biffdotorg]

i made it to around 14000 mi (22500km) on the stock donuts on the 2011 before it started to fail. i would have put copper in but was looking for quick turn around time as i maintain a few sleds and was in the middle of a track swap and exup cables at the time for its pre season at that time, so i put oe ones in it. yes i did have to grind all 4 clamp stoppers as they did not want to hold. i tore into it as it had a leak cold with the blocking but it would not leak hot. at over 20000 mi (32000 km) on it now and still not leaking. have to order a set of coppers to try on it or my 16 when they come due.

I was in the same boat. I have just over 12,000 miles on my XTX with stock donuts. My 07 GT, they would fail almost like clockwork every 4000 miles.

My XTX last season was backfiring on hard decel, and was getting louder and louder. I think I could hear a donut clamp rattling too, but not confirmed. I did figure if I got that many miles on stockers, I was using the same. They were readily available and not expensive. I held off doing this until the fall.

Got in there to find two of the clamps spinning, and two still holding tight. The donuts were shot, here is a photo of them next to a new one!

I did have the tab break off the heat shield over the donuts, but fixed it by adding a washer. I hope that will hold up. Everything went back together as planned.

A couple of the clamps did spin a bit, but instead of grinding them off, I went with it thinking heat cycles may tighten them up. Either way, I didn't want to strip out one of those bolts, as they were pretty abused.

overall good project done! I did my spark plugs while in there as well. I think I said this on another post, there is no way in hell someone could change those plugs trailside if they thought they could.

 

[chris189]

Awesome. Thanks for the feedback. Did you buy from Yamaha? Royal Distributing has Wolftech brand (whatever that is). Maybe they are ok?