Exhaust Donuts & Y Pipes....Step by step

[lvUP]

Y pipe R&R

What a job, did two sleds this week end, one needed new pipes as flanges were wore thru, this one had 5300 miles. The 5mm button head bolts that hold the Y pipes to the bracket are a real bitch to get out, drilled the heads off then ended up drilling the rivets out and removing the bracket from the sled so we could remove the remaining bolts that were seized in the bracket.. Didn't try the Torx idea.

Two new ideas!
1. We also decided to wire the Y pipe clamps to each other to keep them from turning. We thought this might keep the clamps from wearing thru the flanges if and when the donuts begin to fail again.

2. We also filed the edges of each clamp to soften the sharp edges that exist on each clamp, we thought it would keep the clamps from cutting thru the titanium as easy.


Big tip!

When you have to change the Y pipes to separate the Y pipes from the main muffler pipe it helps a lot to heat the area where they are joined. You can heat them through the hole where the clamps are accessed.

Biggest tip!

Before you try to install the Y pipes back into the main pipe you need to spread the pipe flanges out so you can get the Y pipes pushed all the way in. Once you have spread the flanges test fit the Y pipes before trying to do it in the sled. If the Y pipes still don't push in all the way you need to wobble the Y pipes in to spread this area out even more, otherwise it will be a bitch to get them together in the tunnel.
This is a must.

Good luck, keep the swearing about how stupid this whole set up is to a minimum,
the engineers have big egos

How did you spread the flanges out on the pipe? Did you use vice grips or buy a tool shaped like a muffler diameter to speak it apart?

 

[CaptCaper]

lvup...I always just drop the back of the track and leave the front bolt in. But I have the machine up high enought. The silencer pipe should be taken out before you loosen the ypipe clamps etc. so you can giggle it and pull on it until it loosens and comes apart.
The button head bolts can be heated with a Map/O2 kit from Home Depot and they will come right out. I've done 4 Apex's this way. I also replace them with grade 8 allen head bolts with a deep grip for my allen head socket. I always use heat on them as well as the ypipe clamp bolts which can freeze up as well. Can't remember what the Map/O2 kit cost but it's not much and will give pin point cherry red heat results.

 

[lvUP]

Putting muffler back on y pipes and i noticed the gasket came off in two different directions. right side had the silver end toward the engine and the left side had it opposite. which is correct?

 

[lvUP]

Hi,
I wondered the same thing. I took mine to the Yamaha dealer and he showed me the "new and improved" donuts that Yamaha came out with this past year. They are silver/metal and appear more rugged then. The old ones are in the pictures. As you can see they looked like a beat up SOS pad. The Yamaha dealer said these new ones are great. Didn't know what to pick so we shall see.

 

[tree man]

has anyone had this covered by the YES plan??

I noticed a bit of ticking on my sled today when it was cold,, after it warmed up it went away..

I had my 07 apex done by the YES plan in 2010 with about 7500 miles on it

 

[SumpBuster]

I had one ticking last year...only one was bad...but I noticed that the clamp was loose...it was tight but spun around...the others were tighter...now...I'm not gonna second guess yamaha, but to me, a clamp is made to keep things tight. So I used a caliper and ground enough off each clamp to make them just tight, with the red permatex. so far so good. But the other that were still tight?...the donuts looked like new after 3000 miles on them...only the loose one was eaten up. I put in grade 8 hex screws, since I have lots of u joint socket stuff, and an awesomely weak harbor frieght electric impact driver that is perfect for most sled bolts....although socket head bolts are still da bomb!

 

[tofast]

I had my 07 apex done by the YES plan in 2010 with about 7500 miles on it

What's the yes plain

 

[rafikie]

Getting back into the game finally and we picked up a 06 Attack. Well guess what the donuts are leaking so my brother and i start pulling it apart last night and find that the Y pipes are junk too. Now I'm concerned that the manifolds themselves could be damaged too. Is there a good way to inspect them while on the sled still? How much of a PITA are they to get off? I'm leary to mess with a 12 year old steel bolt in an aluminum block. Thnx

 

[rxrider]

Hi rafikie
I would recommend buying stainless steel Y-pipes, the titanium will not last.
I also recommend Copper donuts to go with the stainless steel Y-pipes.
They are all Yamaha replacement parts, your dealer should be able to get them for you.
You will have to remove the manifold pipes to inspect them, no other way, with the pipes out it's easy to bend them looking for cracks.
Typically the right hand side manifold cracks, but I recommend inspecting all of them while at it for piece of mind.

 

[SumpBuster]

Getting back into the game finally and we picked up a 06 Attack. Well guess what the donuts are leaking so my brother and i start pulling it apart last night and find that the Y pipes are junk too. Now I'm concerned that the manifolds themselves could be damaged too. Is there a good way to inspect them while on the sled still? How much of a PITA are they to get off? I'm leary to mess with a 12 year old steel bolt in an aluminum block. Thnx

Check with BOP Travis...or dealers like Excell that do performance exhausts...may have pipes lying around.

 

[rafikie]

Hi rafikie
I would recommend buying stainless steel Y-pipes, the titanium will not last.
I also recommend Copper donuts to go with the stainless steel Y-pipes.
They are all Yamaha replacement parts, your dealer should be able to get them for you.
You will have to remove the manifold pipes to inspect them, no other way, with the pipes out it's easy to bend them looking for cracks.
Typically the right hand side manifold cracks, but I recommend inspecting all of them while at it for piece of mind.

Thnx for the reply rider. Planning to contact Port Yamaha for the SS Y-pipes and some Ulmer copper gaskets already (likely the rest of the parts too because that just makes sense lol). I guess my real question(s) were more directed toward the manifolds themselves. Do the manifold bolts tend to come out ok/easily? Mild heat required? Tip/tricks?

 

[SumpBuster]

Thnx for the reply rider. Planning to contact Port Yamaha for the SS Y-pipes and some Ulmer copper gaskets already (likely the rest of the parts too because that just makes sense lol). I guess my real question(s) were more directed toward the manifolds themselves. Do the manifold bolts tend to come out ok/easily? Mild heat required? Tip/tricks?

Mine always came out easy...but not the button head cap screws holding the y pipes in the tunnel. Just did a nytro, but carefully drilling was able to save the threads and just replaced the button heads. Manifolds always came off easily.

 

[rafikie]

Mine always came out easy...but not the button head cap screws holding the y pipes in the tunnel. Just did a nytro, but carefully drilling was able to save the threads and just replaced the button heads. Manifolds always came off easily.

Ok. I managed to get the button heads with a little PBlaster and allen socket on a breaker and the might blow of my hammer cracking down over the socket. Think I'm going to try the flashlight trick 1st and see where that takes me. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[thor452]

I have never had a problem getting the manifold bolts out maybe just lucky maybe a good design IDK but they always have broke loose and came out used a universal to get a square bite on them. Good luck may the force be with you. LOL

 

[SumpBuster]

Check with BOP Travis...or dealers like Excell that do performance exhausts...may have pipes lying around.

Right side is junk...Travis didn't have one...calling Excell monday.