Exhaust donut leaks - is there a fix?

[ReX]

I don't know if the rest of you are seeing this issue, but we find with all of our Apex's that the exhaust donuts start to leak like clockwork every 5000-6000 km. This is on 5 different Apex sleds and some of them are on their 3rd set.

Has anyone discovered a trick to keep them from leaking or do you just keep changing them over and over like we have been doing so far?

The donuts are cheap, but they are a major pain to change. Also a y-pipe sometimes gets damaged and needs replacing along with the donut (and the y-pipe is not cheap).

Ideally I'd like to find a way to fix this problem once and for all. Tonight my first donut started leaking enough to hear it on my 07 RTX - first exhaust leak, right on track...(I already ordered a set of donuts because "I knew it was coming").

 

[snoman]

where the donutter located ?

 

[canapex]

Tack weld on each side of the pipe to keep the pipe in place.
If that does not work use a cream filled donut from Tim Hortons....lol

 

[boone]

Had mine changed out 6000mi, 240mi later leaked again found out the pipes were cracked $600. for the pipes. Yamaha needs to go back to the 04 pipes, heaver butl last .

 

[BA APEX]

Next time someone replaces their donuts, they should take pics and write down the procedure & have it put in the tech section.
that way those of us who will eventually have to do it will know how to do it or if they want to do it themselves... and maybe buy them ahead of time.

 

[Yummy]

Titanium Y pipes are not strong enough for the job.

I know the older Y-pipes are made of steel. Do you know if they would fit the Apex?

 

[SpartaSXr]

Doughnuts

The header pipes seem very cheap, very thin and flexable. Maybe the weight savings was not the way to go.
I have replaced the doughnuts on my Attak after 3600 miles, it would backfire when getting out of the throtle.
Very reputable dealed informed me to coat the doughnuts with RTV when installing them. Seems that was what should have been done from the factory.
I remember doing that on the SRX's and it worked.

 

[mdkuni]

I have had EVERYTHING from the donuts back replaced once. I am starting to feel like round two is coming up.

A solution would be nice.

Thank goodness I have Y.E.S.

 

[ReX]

I can't imagine RTV handling the heat where the donuts are located.

Although this is a huge amount of extra work, I was wondering if it was worth retorquing the donut clamps after a couple 100 miles.

I'm hoping I don't have cracked pipes. I'll probably pull it apart in the next week and I'm hoping to not have to take it in for warranty repairs. Out of the 8 or so sets of donuts the guys I ride with have gone through, they've only needed 1 y-pipe so far (although I suspect one of them needs another y-pipe right now - his has an enormous leak that came on fast).

Mine went from me wondering if I could hear a faint leak when the motor was first started (cold) to being quite loud yesterday.

Did they change the donut, y-pipe and header design after 04? I know the 05 RX-1's also had the same issue, but if this wasn't an issue with 04's maybe its worth considering bolting on a complete 04 header/y-pipe setup.

I just want something reliable that won't fail on a high mileage sledding vacation. Every year so far we've had an Apex with get major exhaust leaks when we go on our trips. What gets me is we've not once had a single problem with a vibrating, stinky REV on any of our vacations. It's always the "ultra reliable" Apex's that break down.

 

[Yummy]

Does the Y-pipes from 04 fit the Apex?

 

[ReX]

I have had EVERYTHING from the donuts back replaced once. I am starting to feel like round two is coming up.

A solution would be nice.

Thank goodness I have Y.E.S.

I'm glad I have the 5 year Y.E.S. too. So far I haven't really needed it, but these exhaust pipes are very expensive.

In my experience, now that I'm running an RTX with a durable suspension, the exhaust is the highest maintenance item on these Apex's.

We were talking about it a couple of days ago and wondering if anyone sold a complete aftermarket exhaust system that was as quiet or quieter than stock (or I guess it could use the stock muffler).

There must be a solution somewhere. With all of my buddies switching back to REVs because of the high maintenance on these Apex's it would be nice to be able to prove that Yamaha sleds can be as or more reliable than a REV...

 

[ReX]

Does the Y-pipes from 04 fit the Apex?

I'm not sure.

I think it would if everything from the head back was changed. I don't know what it would do for engine performance though.

 

[ReX]

Tack weld on each side of the pipe to keep the pipe in place.
If that does not work use a cream filled donut from Tim Hortons....lol

I think the donuts allow the pipes to move around and keep the stress low in the pipes. If the pipes were welded something would probably crack somewhere.

It sounds like all of you are the using stock parts too. It seems like there isn't an aftermarket solution available.

 

[mdkuni]