sealing an exhaust manifold

[white_van_man]

my friend has a leak on one of his exhaust manifolds on his motor bike, what can we use to seal it with?

[Pigeon]

If it's at a joint: fire gum.

If not: a welding torch.

[white_van_man]

where do i get the fire gum from?

[Pigeon]

Any car spares shop. Even Half-rods probably have it

[danhay]

To be honest the fire gum will only be a temporary repair (100 miles or less!). Not worth doing if you have to remove the fairing to get at it. If it's easy to get at, then it's generally only a 5 minute job to repair the repair?

A welded repair will last longer, but if the metal surrounding the hole is rusty too, it can be difficult. My friend had his welded for £60 and it lasted for at least a year after which he sold it.

[Mr2Mike]

danhay said:

To be honest the fire gum will only be a temporary repair (100 miles or less!).

If it's used to seal a sleeved joint (as Pigeon suggested) it should be a permanent fix.

If the leak is at the engine/manifold interface, then a new gasket is going to be the only cure.

[danhay]

Mike you are right, but when he said joint, I presumed he meant where 2 of the downpipes join into 1, which is a common place for bike exhausts to rust.