Aftermarket exhaust - use exhaust sealant or no?

shanekingsley

shanekingsley

Curry - so nice it burns you twice
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I bought an exhaust and am going to install it this weekend. It's the only one I could find that would fit with my luggage racks, centrestand & skidplate.
It's a Delkevic 14" Stainless like this one: Stubby 14" Stainless Steel Oval Muffler to fit DL650 V-Strom (2004-2011)

I've read and watched that some use the red sealant and some don't - any opinions on this from those in the know?
 
From the Delkevic SV650 install guide "Always apply high temperature silicon sealant to all slip fit joints". I would use it.
 
GreyGhost said:
From the Delkevic SV650 install guide "Always apply high temperature silicon sealant to all slip fit joints". I would use it.
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Thanks. I bought some but afterward had read that some people find it makes a mess - not sure how if you don’t over apply and clean any excess up right away.

The guy who sold it to me was mentioning that he used it on his track bikes, but not on his old SV or his Strom for some reason to do with metals, but I didn’t understand.
 
shanekingsley said:
Thanks. The guy who sold it to me was mentioning that he used it on his track bikes, but not on his old SV or his Strom for some reason.
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It would be annoying to get the right amount so that it seals but doesn't look like crap. On the track bike, you probably care less about looks (and have a bigger temp swing so more potential for leaks).
 
Have you checked to see if the new pipe connection is compatible with the stock one?

Reason to ask is I ran into an issue with a Bandit spec'd Yosh pipe install on my Bandit by noting that the Yosh receiving end dia was slightly larger so I had to fabricate a metal collar ring to fill the gap. It was a good fit afterwards such that I did not need to use much of the hi-temp 'red' silicone.
 
FWIW my Delkevic exhaust came with a full tube of RTV in the box
 
This exhaust was fitted on a similar version VStrom as mine and removed shortly after when the owner decided the sell the bike and part out the accessories separately. He was given a brand new silencer and so only the pipes were used for a short time and the silencer is still brand new. He said he didn’t use the sealant and did a leak test with no issues on the same pipes he gave me.

It did come with the sealant from Delkevic and I have a bottle anyways that I bought in anticipation of doing this. His comments to me about not using it and then some further reading I did on it had me a bit confused if it was a necessary thing or going to make a mess. I’ll use it anyways and check it for any leaks or mess.
 
I didn't use it myself (wanted it to be easy to disassemble) but I can see the point. You get a tiny bit of gas escaping (you can see it if it's cold and you squint) and you get condensation leaking from the joints (though maybe this is a good thing). I suppose it depends on the specific application - I skipped it on a Hindle exhaust on a ZX-11 and the joints were so leaky I thought I forgot to install the gaskets at the exhaust ports
 
Is this a new thing for modern bikes? On old 4-1 pipes with a seperate can I'd just slip it on and tighten up the clamp.
 
timtune said:
Is this a new thing for modern bikes? On old 4-1 pipes with a seperate can I'd just slip it on and tighten up the clamp.
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It's easy with an old system. Just one joint. With newer systems that have cats and underseat exhausts, you can end up with 5 or 6 joints.
 
I always use it. Just smear some on, tighten up the joint(s), then wipe off the bit that squishes out. Simple.
 
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