Just broke my bike, oil everywhere

[fastbob]

2 hours ago, WD40 said:

On the plus side the inside of your engine looks nice and clean. No staining or sludge. It must have got regular oil changes throughout it's life. If I'm trying to get an exhaust on I sit on the ground and put my foot under the end where it joins to the link pipe and then wiggle the headers in while moving my foot.

They don't fit " In " the engine on this bike believe it or not . 

[smallfrowne]

Ah yes of course. How odd though, I'm not used to that. 

[skyrider]

47 minutes ago, fastbob said:

They don't fit " In " the engine on this bike believe it or not . 

are you sure they are the correct gaskets 

[onesea]

Jumping in a bit late on this however, and hoping not to be teaching you to suck eggs.
Remember when your doing any gasket / manifold or anything else. what your actually trying to achieve.  At the end of the day a sump if only holding a liquid in to a depth of afew inches, there is minimal pressure the nuts only need tightening up a little.

It is more important you tighten them up diagonally in a sequence so you do not pinch one end down so you can never get good seal on other end. Its the same with exhaust manifolds it might only be 2 nuts but do them both little by little.
My normal is hand tight, on all take weight on all then 1/4 or 1/2 turn until at torque. 

Overtightening causes more problems than not.
 

[James in Brum]

Thanks that is helpful  

[James in Brum]

Managed with some help to marry up the four pipes with their holes. 
took the silencers off, it was still difficult, they did not just slot into place but they did with some pressure and effort. 
have tightened all of the nuts up to a point. I will revisit the rest over the next few days, since up, put the silencer back on, reattach the radiator and the oil cooler thingy. Then oil and then see if the bike works  

[James in Brum]

Managed to line up the exhaust pipes the other day. Seemingly it went well. It did not. See pictures. The gaskets have not crushed but the brackets have broken in a couple of cases. What do I do? 

Edited February 26, 2021 by James in Brum

[James in Brum]

@fastbob @Mickly @Bender @Stu and the rest of you lovely people that help.

[James in Brum]

@fastbob @Mickly @Bender @Stu and the rest of you lovely people that help.

[James in Brum]

Do I buy these and start again with putting the exhaust back on?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-3-8-35mm-4-Bolt-304Stainless-Steel-Exhaust-Flange-Kawasaki-ZX600-ZZR600-pair-/233522950316?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

Edited February 26, 2021 by James in Brum

[James in Brum]

Or am I able to carry on putting it all back together and see if it all works? The pipes are securely located in the engine it seems?

[Stu]

Let's start with the washers 

 

They don't look as though they are in the exhaust ports properly! 

 

They look too big 

[smallfrowne]

Bugger. Looks like they weren't sitting right and you've tried to force them in on the wonk. They might be secure ish but that one on the right is struggling. Start it up and find out but be prepared for leakage and having to try again. It does seem like the whole lot needs nudging clockwise looking from the nearside of the bike, maybe by being disconnected from the silencer(s) and having a right good jiggle/ light taps with a nice soft hammer.

I'd still like a shot of cylinder head where the exhausts are meant to go, I still feel iffy about this "sitting flush" malarkey

[smallfrowne]

3 minutes ago, Stu said:

Let's start with the washers 

 

They don't look as though they are in the exhaust ports properly! 

 

They look too big 

Yeah, this is where I'm not convinced about them sitting flush on the outside of the head. Maybe they do but usually the copper ring sits in the recess. I need photos before I belieeeeve (in love after love)

[James in Brum]

Thanks Gang. I think I have a lot of taking it apart to do. The washers never sat in any recess. There was no recess as such. They seated but not into the engine holes mor against them, a little of the gasket into the whole but it sitting on the outside. 
 

[James in Brum]

I can see on the exhaust where the two centre pipes hit the wall and they are bent. This explains why the exhaust was not marrying up well. I wonder if I need to buy a new exhaust down pipes unit with flanges and new seals. I think the trying to force it into place is what has stuffed up the flanges. Any thoughts?

I am really lost here.

[James in Brum]

I am confirmed in the copper gaskets the issue is I cannot get the down pipes to see properly to crush them. 
 

if I buy new downpipes does going four into one propose any challenges? There is one like that on eBay that is cheap. 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

If you have bent the downpipes they will never fit right. I think you're right to consider replacing them. It must have but with some force. I thought you'd only been pushing the bike.

[James in Brum]

Nope riding. Lesson learned there.

new pipes then. 
I have a choice between four into two original don pipes 110 pounds. A four into one whole system 100 pounds. 
 

what do I do?

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

13 minutes ago, James in Brum said:

Nope riding. Lesson learned there.

new pipes then. 
I have a choice between four into two original don pipes 110 pounds. A four into one whole system 100 pounds. 
 

what do I do?

Depends what the rest of your system is like, and the quality of the whole system for £100 - that seems pretty cheap. If the rest of your is fine I'd go for the original down pipes.

[James in Brum]

The silencers are fine. I’m looking at second hand on eBay. 

[smallfrowne]

Ah yes I forgot what got us to this point

 

I'd have thought you'd need to match what you have already.

Edit: I can't read (whole system). Up to you then

 

Might be able to reuse the gaskets at least since they haven't been squished.

 

Have you tried bending it back? How bad we talking? Can't be too far off seeing as you nearly got them back on. 

Edited February 26, 2021 by smallfrowne
Can't read

[James in Brum]

I haven’t tried bending them back. The metal is creased where the downpipes bend to go from down to across. 
I figured given that the flanges broke bending it into place would not be an option, at least with enough precision.

[smallfrowne]

Hmm well it's already broke, so as they tell me at work it isn't going to make it any worse. But then they do tend to overlook anything but the immediate issue...

 

Hmm you are definitely going to need new flanges, but how do you get them off to replace? Are they effectively locked onto the pipes? As in they can move but they can't be removed. If so, forget about it and get your buy it now finger out.

 

Edit: when I say definitely, I mean probably. Maybe.

Edited February 26, 2021 by smallfrowne
I hate to be so certain

[oldgrump]

Don't think bent exhaust would snap flanges, have just message my mate in Wales, to see if he can send me photos of his downpipes where they fit the head!

Fitted a hawk system to his ZZR400, couple years ago, but I'm sure that the Gaskets fitted inside head, can't remember them like yours, think the flanges pull up close to head!

You did get Gaskets from Main Kawasaki dealer or from eBay? Maybe they were wrong Gaskets!! if from eBay.