Preventative maintainence, or wait til she blow?!!

[ranger1]

I bought my 07 RTX last winter with 2300 miles & now have 4300. I know Apex's are notorious for blowing exhaust gaskets/pipes, but should I wait til they blow or spend the two to eight hours ( job go smooth.... or, rusted doughnut clamps or have b_tch of time getting y-pipes back on without screwing up the doughnuts again!)
Basically, does everybody wait til the sled gets loud & take it from there, or take sled apart & check for cracks & wore out doughnuts regardless?

 

[guardrail]

I waited until mine got louder, but it was right around your mileage when they went. Luckily it was at the end of the season and I waited until the summer to work on it.

 

[budman 1000]

I would recommend changing them now so you don't spoil some good riding time later on. Your right at the mileage when the gaskets go and good chance your y pipes already have cracks. just a thought.

 

[YamerHammer]

^^^^^I would as well.....I waited and only one of my donuts were gone and and it broke the flange on my y pipe.

 

[NY AttakGT]

Check it now and get it done. Better to do it now rather than cut into riding time with sled down time and waiting for parts.

And, as others said..if you let the donuts go, you can cause damage to the Y pipes which could make a $50 donut service a $200 Y pipe swap.

 

[Super Sled]

Replace them once and for good with copper ones.

 

[snowbiscuit]

y-pipes

If your pipes are still titanium, I would replace them now with SS, for it's only a matter of time before a flange breaks. And in my case was during middle of season with backorder from Yamaha

 

[blue er]

i change them every two seasons, just surpassed 11km and had to change out titanium pipes anyway, i would bite the bullet and get the ss pipes and copper gaskets and forget about it

 

[ranger1]

Well it appears to be a unanimous vote to check & or replace them!!
I will tackle this feat for the first time Sataurday!lol
I have read lots on this subject & found the procedure & the trouble spots as well.
Thank you everyone!!!

 

[bulldogbones]

If you have an impact and pb blaster, use it. Impacts wont give you roll when tightening down clamps, like using a ratchet and socket will.

 

[NY AttakGT]

Replace them once and for good with copper ones.

i wouldn't go that far. Have you (or anybody else) verified these will work much longer than OEM (other than the vendor or manufacturer)? I think the verdict is still out as far as their durability and how long they will last.

Since the OEM donuts wear, I would assume that this is a wearable item due to movement and engine flex. I would much rather that donuts wore out than the pipes or the headers.

 

[ranger1]

Replace them once and for good with copper ones.

i wouldn't go that far. Have you (or anybody else) verified these will work much longer than OEM (other than the vendor or manufacturer)? I think the verdict is still out as far as their durability and how long they will last.

Since the OEM donuts wear, I would assume that this is a wearable item due to movement and engine flex. I would much rather that donuts wore out than the pipes or the headers.

I was kinda wondering that myself. Has anyone logged on 1000's of miles with the copper donuts?
Do they in fact last longer & how much longer at that?

 

[Irv]

Replace them once and for good with copper ones.

i wouldn't go that far. Have you (or anybody else) verified these will work much longer than OEM (other than the vendor or manufacturer)? I think the verdict is still out as far as their durability and how long they will last.

Since the OEM donuts wear, I would assume that this is a wearable item due to movement and engine flex. I would much rather that donuts wore out than the pipes or the headers.

I was kinda wondering that myself. Has anyone logged on 1000's of miles with the copper donuts?
Do they in fact last longer & how much longer at that?

Has anyone seen the new posts Tom put up 2 days ago?

Seems like Yamaha has come out with some updated parts for doing exhaust donuts now.

3rd one down,PDF
http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php?t=105685

 

[bulldogbones]

I must not rank high enough on the food chain to view that LOL

 

[Super Sled]

Those exhaust gaskets came out a year ago. I had bought the kit but just used the new stainless steel bolt and then used copper donuts.

And to the copper naysayers: Go ahead and keep using Yamaha graphite donuts if you like changing donuts, which will not last over 3000-4000 miles. While Not a single set of copper donuts have yet failed here on TY or Snowest, and Thistle has been supplying them for 3++ years now. That is a no brainer to me....

Will they last forever? Probably not forever, but I bet 10,000 miles at least. Go ahead tho and try to prove the copper ones arent better guys, rather than sitting in the cheap seats sniping. Show some failed sets.

Fact is, copper donuts are a great product, I'm convinced. And btw, it is not good copper donuts that break headers, rather it is worn out donuts that crack headers. Ice chunks crashing into the headers will also crack them. But not copper donuts. Sheez.