Techniques for installing SE exhaust gaskets

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Jun 18, 2010 | 10:19 AM

rounder

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From: Palm Harbor fl.

Techniques for installing SE exhaust gaskets

Ok I posted a few days ago about my switch to SE gaskets from stock tapered ones...I wanted to add more info about the gaskets and installing them to be sure they don't leak...First and foremost, if you have a D&D pipe or most any other aftermarket pipe, You are supposed to be using these flat gaskets and not the stock one as per the manufacturer... I called D&D to talk to their tech guy about the gaskets... Here's what he said... First on D&D pipes you do not use the stock gaskets! Second I asked about the tendency for people who install them to have leaks... Ok a couple of things... first do not tighten the flanges down the way your service manual recommends(those instructions are for the stock gaskets). When tightening the exhaust flangs they need to be tightened down evenly. So once on finger tight, evenly tighten each one 1/4 turn at a time until both sides of the flage nuts are tight. Secondly.... doubling up on the gaskets is a great way to prevent them from leaking as well. He recommends actually installing 2 SE gaskets in each exhaust port and tightening them as I just instructed. Done this way, one should not have a problem with leaking exhaust and of course they don't crush into the port so win win.... So, if you got an aftermarket system, use the SE gaskets and you can use 2 of em in each port and be sure to tighten the flanges evenly as well. He also recommended on the 2-1 ehaust to tighten rear down first then the front... opposite of the instructions for installing the stock exhaust per service manual recommendation.

Jun 18, 2010 | 10:30 AM

JRK5892

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From: Chicago suburbs (Elgin/Schaumburg)

huh intresting, thanks for posting... that is good info there

Jun 18, 2010 | 10:56 AM

bikerlaw

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From: Richmond, VA

Help me out rounder. I just installed new pipes on my bike. Whats different about the screaming eagle gaskets verses to regular? Should I have opted for the SE? Are they better? Whats different about them. I googled screaming eagle Harley gaskets and they look exactly like what I just installed. School me here.

Jun 18, 2010 | 11:21 AM

rounder

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From: Palm Harbor fl.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikerlaw

The SE gaskets are flat and cannot crush into the exhaust port. There are aftermarket gaskets made by others that are the same way. The stock gaskets are wider and tapered, they can easily crush into the exhaust port interupting the air flow of the exhaust. The difference is most all aftermarket exhausts are cut flat at the header and do not fit correctly into the taper the way the stock header pipes do. So, if you install something like my D&D with stock gaskets, the pipes do not fit correctly into the exhaust port and thus do not fit correctly to the mounts as well. Not to mention the better flow out the ports with the SE gaskets. Trick is, the stock gaskets seal easier than SE ones. This is why so many say use the stock gaskets for their new pipe install. Thing is the aftermarket pipes are designed for flat thinner gaskets like the SE ones. I thought this might help others to install the correct gaskets for their pipes and help avoid the problem many have with the gaskets leaking. You'll get better flow with the SE gaskets and increased returns on performance. Many guys have had problems installing their pipes with either the flanges not installing even and/or the pipes mounting points are not meeting up to the brackets correctly(typically this is cause of using stock tapered gaskets). So they put the bolt in and tighten it up so it pulls the pipe and bracket together...this is not the correct way to install the pipes and can lead to stress fractures and cracks down the road.

Last edited by rounder; Jun 18, 2010 at 11:28 AM.

Jun 18, 2010 | 11:30 AM

SC-Longhair

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From: Passaic County, NJ

Thanks for the info, Rounder. Much appreciated.

Jun 18, 2010 | 11:38 AM

bikerlaw

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From: Richmond, VA

Well, sheet. Now I have no idea what gasket I used. My Indy handed me the set and said use these. They looked like very tightly stranded pieces of wire spun into a circle. Kind of like if you put steel wool in a press and stamped out ring. It was somewhat flexible, but tough. I installed them pretty much exactly like you described, but thats just the way that made sense to me. No leaks. I guess they are what they are. Thanks for explaining it. Not to much back pressure so hopefully not to much of a chance for a leak.